-Former Campaign India editor Anant Rangawsami wrote his own tome on advertising in his home country called The Elephants in the Room. Take a gander and download here.

-The IAB unveiled its second annual list of top mobile shopping-savvy cities. link

-Johnson & Johnson is conducting a U.S.-focused media-buying review, which is currently valued around $1 billion.

-HP’s investment in British software company Autonomy seems to have backfired. link

-W+K Portland is doing its part to help out Hurricane Sandy efforts by selling off the “Stay Afloat” folder designed by graphic designer Nishat Akhtar (above). link

-Commercial director Oliver Castro has joined Scott Gardenhour and Michael Bay‘s commercial prodco, The Institute.

While we’re stuck Stateside, we’ll give you quick Cannes Lions field reports from our roving reporter, Yunilda Esquivel, an executive producer at Michael Bay and Scott Gardenhour‘s commercial production company, The Institute. Without further ado, the floor is yours, Yunilda.

After picking up my Festival credentials, I stumbled upon Ogilvy & Mather Asia’s display for their impressive new release, RAW: Pervasive Creativity in Asia. Two years in the making, the book explores the cultural richness of things like local markets and millenary traditions in a grassroots Asia, showcasing how creativity is being used everywhere and everyday to get ahead. I was completely blown away by the ingenuity and the message. Here I am with the authors, David Mayo, president of Ogilvy & Mather ASEAN and Kunal Sinha, chief knowledge officer for Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific. The book’s photographer, walking legend, Steffan Billhardt, is in the background. To everyone out there: this (expanding your mind) is what Cannes is all about.

It’s not often that we come across (no pun intended) a holiday spot directed by Michael Bay, so I was dying when I saw this. The Institute, an Emmy award-winning commercial production company co-founded by the Transformers auteur and Scott Gardenhour teases us with their newest holiday commercial for Vicky’s. And, because we love you so much, we’re proud to share Part 1 of a webseries they’ll be airing throughout the month of December that gives a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the commercial. I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather see a chick on a horse than that Old Spice dude on a horse. Oh, and you’re welcome.