Cannes Lions: Common on Getting 'Authentic' Artists to Collab with Sponsors

Yesterday, in a Digitas-run session called "Cage Fighting Comes to Cannes," Common explained what his brand is and how he gauges the value of sponsorship opps.

How do you get a respected artist to plug your product? The secret is profound and earth shattering.

Double or nothing, bitches!

Toward the end of the session, he followed up on this idea by saying the song he created for Coke turned out to be quality work, and people who'd never heard of him before quite enjoyed it. It didn't feel like a hard sell; it was just an experience, worthy as any other. That's the real secret to brand integration.

Read more about the so-called "cage fight" at Adweek, where Brian Morrissey trashes it with justness and precision. I basically exhausted myself with profane mumbles every time Beeching prodded his pretty-face panel to drum up the righteous rage that just ... wasn't there.