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← Back to IdeasOgilvy to Host James Patterson for a Masterclass on Storytelling at 2024 Cannes Lions Festival
NEW YORK — JUNE 10, 2024 — Ogilvy will host the world’s bestselling author James Patterson on Thursday, June 20 at 12:30PM on the DeBussy Theatre stage during the 2024 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The session, titled “Hungry Dogs Run Faster: A Storytelling Masterclass with James Patterson,” will feature the author in a captivating one-on-one conversation with Ogilvy’s Global Chief Creative Officer Liz Taylor.
Patterson has a deep connection to the advertising world, where he began his career before becoming a bestselling author. And that connection contains a fascinating thread – Taylor’s first boss in her advertising career was none other than Patterson, who at the time led the agency J Walter Thompson as its Chief Executive Officer.
“We’ll talk a little about his life and background in advertising, his creative process, his range of storytelling and character development,” Taylor says. “He’s an amazingly effective collaborator, which I think is so necessary in our industry and I’m very fascinated by that.” Throughout the years, Patterson has collaborated with a range of notable figures from Bill Clinton and Dolly Parton to the late Michael Crichton – lending a unique lens to his work as an author.
While Patterson’s advertising background makes him a natural fit for the Cannes stage, Taylor hopes the audience will come away with learnings about effective collaboration and storytelling. “One of the things I always try to do with our Cannes session is a masterclass – what can that audience take away and learn and be inspired by whether you’re a client, a creative, or play another role within the industry, we want to leave you something, and I feel like he has it all for everybody.”
Patterson’s reach is virtually unmatched in the literary world. He is the Guinness World Record holding for most NY Times #1 Bestselling books, having written over 200 novels that span everything from crime fiction to nonfiction to Young Adult. Patterson is a shining example of prolific, mass appeal that utilizes the power of storytelling to connect with hundreds of millions of people across the globe.
"You want to garner people’s attention, that’s our business,” Taylor says. “It’s about the people and the consumers, and I think we can learn a lot from him about how you win over an audience.”
In concert with being a mass entertainer and storyteller, Patterson is also guided by purpose. He has worked with multiple organizations to increase youth reading, having donated more than 1 million books to students and over $7M to school and classroom libraries. The Patterson Family Foundation has awarded over seven million dollars in scholarships to students at 24 colleges, and the James Patterson Teach Education Scholarships support up-and-coming teachers.
Taylor hopes that Patterson’s ability to both entertain and connect on a mass scale while also leading with purpose will resonate with the Cannes audience.
"As marketers, we sell things, and we have a purpose. You can change a law and drive sales, they don’t have to be at odds with each other. As marketers, we must be prolific, everywhere. It’s not dissimilar from what James is doing – he’s relentless and constantly doing it across all genres, and on top of that he wants to create a love of reading with everybody in the world at all ages.”
“Hungry Dogs Run Faster: A Storytelling Masterclass with James Patterson” will take place on Thursday, June 20 at the DeBussy Theatre at 12:30 PM as part of the 2024 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
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Ogilvy has been creating impact for brands through iconic, culture-changing, value-driving ideas since the company was founded by David Ogilvy 75 years ago. It builds on that rich legacy through Borderless Creativity – innovating at the intersections of its advertising, public relations, relationship design, consulting, and health capabilities with experts collaborating seamlessly across more than 120 offices spanning 90 countries. Ogilvy currently ranks as the #1 global agency network for creative excellence and effectiveness by WARC, signifying its ability to deliver creative solutions that drive unreasonable impact for clients and communities. Ogilvy is a WPP company (NYSE: WPP). For more information, visit Ogilvy.com, and follow us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Facebook.
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