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June 29, 2011

Cannes Predictions Picks Seven Grand Prix

Published by Drew Wehrle

If you tuned in to the 2011 Cannes Predictions Reel, you got a pretty good preview as to what we saw last week in the south of France.  Work from this year’s collection went on to collect 104 Lions, including a staggering seven Grand Prix.  Considering there were more than 28 thousand entries this year, I’d say that’s not bad.

Who else got it right?  Our guest predictors, of course:

- Tribal DDB’s Rob Rasmussen was right that Nike’s “Write the Future” would win across channels.  It certainly did, picking up Lions in Titanium, Cyber, Film and Film Craft.

- Leo Burnett New York’s Jay Benjamin predicted we’d all “hear a lot about” Innovative Thunder’s “Pay With a Tweet.”  Indeed we did.  It scooped a Cyber Grand Prix.

- CP+B’s Rob Reilly called the Bing/Jay-Z “Decoded” project “one of the smartest ideas he’s seen in some time.”  The jury agreed, as the effort win on to bag the Integrated Grand Prix.

- Fernando Bellotti, our own expert in Argentina, correctly tapped two from the country: both the BGH “Big Nose” campaign and Car One’s “Love Story.”

- Taproot India’s Santosh Padhi told us he wished he’d done the WWF “Save as WWF” campaign, which earned two Gold, a Silver and two Bronze Lions last week.

- “Mind blowing” was the term that AKQA’s Rei Inamoto used to describe the Target “Spectacular,” last month.  Juries would go on to bestow a Gold, Silver and Bronze Lion on the work.

- Ogilvy & Mather’s Tham Khai Meng forecast Lions for IBM’s “Watson.”  He was correct.  The campaign took a Gold and Silver in the week’s first ceremony.

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June 17, 2011

Guest Predictions: Molly Garris on Mobile

Published by Drew Wehrle

There are a number of mobile-based efforts that stand a shot at bagging a Lion next week in Cannes.  We asked our resident expert, Molly Garris, for her take on a few that have already picked up honors elsewhere.

iButterfly – Coupon Entertainment [Japan]

Normally, I’m not the biggest fan of Augmented Reality since it can be a bit clunky, but this is a fantastic concept to drive repeat engagement in retail. While they are offering up discounts, brands and retailers could also use the idea to bank loyalty rewards or provide product trials. iButterfly is on-trend with added gamification elements, creating a fun environment for collecting virtual coupons, or in this case, butterflies. This is work that moves people. I predict more iPhones will be swatting in campaigns to come.

Bolthouse Farms “Baby Carrot Crunch Cart Game” [USA]

Carrots? Powering an app?? This is a clever use of the phone’s microphone but the idea makes me lose my appetite. I mean, I can only eat so many baby carrots. Since I’m fairly competitive in nature, it’s really unfair to set me up to lose. I typically prefer game play that is less likely to induce nausea.

Museum of London “Streetmuseum” [UK]

What a great app for residents and tourists alike! I love the idea of layering the old on to the new to spark conversation and nostalgia. While the Instagrams and Video Vintage Makers make today’s content feel retro, it’s fantastic to explore truly dated imagery. It would be interesting to add an ‘I’ve done this button’ to track your progress but overall, beautiful work.

NIKE GPS “Run FWD” [Japan]

Brilliant idea that moves people .. literally! It’s one thing to run on your own with Nike+ but it’s so much more powerful to involve other runners. The team collaboration and social spirit that fuels this app makes repeat usage difficult to ignore – you wouldn’t want the team to fail on your behalf. What an exciting way to connect runners on a journey.

Zoo Records “Hidden Live” [Hong Kong]

In a society cluttered with free music downloads and behind the scenes clips, this campaign truly connects bands with engaged audiences. The label created exclusivity, similar to online private sales boutiques, offering interaction like the ability to chat with the bands and download the albums on the fly. Amazing work!

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June 17, 2011

Guest Predictions: Rob Rasmussen

Published by Drew Wehrle

We caught up with Tribal DDB U.S. Chief Creative Officer Rob Rasmussen at the New York Festivals last month.  Rob talked about a couple of his top Lion contenders and how the best ideas are continuing to stretch the boundaries of traditional media channels.

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June 16, 2011

Film Contender: A Lucky Dog & Lotto Loyalty

Published by Fuad Ahmad

“Lucky Dog” from DDB/Auckland features one of the most lovable canines in memory. The film itself runs close to two minutes long, an eternity for a TV spot, but it stays riveting and features stunning cinematography as well as an evocative soundtrack. The shaggy, dirty dog is hard not to root for as well. This piece is a certain contender for a Film Lion.

If the key to a new life and new world is at your fingertips, what would you do? Who would you take with you? This dog embarks on quite a journey to find the limits of loyalty and love.

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June 14, 2011

Guest Predictions: Gabe McDonough

Published by Drew Wehrle

We asked Leo Burnett Chicago Music Director Gabe McDonough to comment on a few of candidates for Best use of Music Lion.  None of us are sure if any of these will garner a trophy next week, but — per usual — Gabe was able to offer some of his signature insight and wit as to what makes them work.

Huggies Jeans
The first time you see this spot, you can’t believe what you’re hearing. The hook is obviously the over-the-top-copy that makes up the lyrics, but the music is such perfect Euro/Post-Gaga/Camp/Fashion-trash that it sells the thing to the point of hilarity.

American Express – Blank Canvases
- Andrew Bird
- Passion Pit
Whenever any of these spots came on TV. I looked up. I guess that’s the biggest compliment you can give any music in a commercial. Each artist just did a really good job of interpreting that melody in a way that felt on par with any of the work that you might hear on one of their albums. Bonus points for tying into the “Blank Canvas”/customizable hook of the campaign.

T-Mobile “Welcome Back”
I’m a big fan of anything where the music “is” the spot. This one’s great not just because of the performances of the singers, but also because of the song selection. “Return of The Mack”… SO GOOD!

PUMA Social “After Hours Athlete
Xbox “Deliver Hope”

I’ve been seeing a lot more classical work this year, which I like. Classical music can control people’s emotions really reliably. What makes the music so great in these spots, is not necessarily what the notes being played are in and of themselves (though they are being played beautifully), but how those notes make you feel.

Carlton Draught “Slo Mo”
The orchestral music is key to make this stand out from the “funny songs” pack. It gets you in another state of mind and then pulls the rug out when the lyric comes in. Well done.

Nike “Write the Future”
Would you have the balls to take “Hocus Pocus” by Focus to your client? And not just the riff part. The yodelling part. And not “as a joke.” Someone stuck their neck out for this and deserves an award for that alone.

Chrysler “Born of Fire”
I love hip hop instrumentals and how they take on a life of their own once you take the rapper on them. No one ever thought of “Lose Yourself” as a guitar song before, but that palm muted guitar part becomes epic and way more tension filled without Eminem rapping on it. In this spot, with this edit, they completely re-interpreted and spun a classic song into a completely different beast that in turn stole the show at the Super Bowl.

Kia “You Can With This”
“The Choice is Yours” by the Black Sheep was huge with hip hop heads back in ’91, but wasn’t exactly a mainstream chart topper. I can’t remember the last time I heard it, before this spot. When it came on, it surprised me but was familiar all at the same time. I couldn’t help but grin. I like that they even have the hamsters in Timberland boots and hoodies. Classic.

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June 14, 2011

Guest Predictions: Hugo Rodrigues

Published by Drew Wehrle

We spoke with the delightful Hugo Rodrigues, Publicis Brazil Chief Creative Officer/Chief Operating Officer, who gave us the secret to winning at Cannes: Talent, hard work and luck.

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June 14, 2011

Nike “The Film Room”

Published by Fuad Ahmad

The NBA Finals recently concluded, bringing this year’s exciting and eventful professional basketball season to a highly-watched climax. We were delighted to feature a Nike Basketball campaign on the 2011 Cannes Predictions reel that demonstrates how brands are finding new ways to speak to very specific audiences.

R/GA New York created this brilliant and innovative campaign for Nike called “The Film Room,” which is an interactive installation that enables kids learning basketball moves to really take a powerful step forward in understanding their own movement and the skills they aspire to have. Have a look at the case below. This likely Lion-winner is strategically sound, perfectly targeted, positioned in the exact right place to have an impact, and is an example of branded communication that enriches the people who interact with it. Bravo!

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June 14, 2011

Uniqlo’s “Lucky Line”

Published by Fuad Ahmad

Perennial Lion-winner Uniqlo produced yet another Cyber piece this year likely to win accolades at Cannes. Uniqlo is a Japanese fashion store and clothing line that has built its business by commissioning some of the most forward-looking and groundbreaking digital work produced you’ll find. Here is the brand’s latest endeavor, which has earned awards everywhere and builds interest around a store-opening by creating the world’s first virtual line. There’s a much more compelling case study for this work available at the Clio Awards showcase, and this YouTube clip doesn’t really showcase the idea to its full potential. From Dentsu, Inc.

This is a new benchmark for cyber work and follows in the footsteps of brilliant earlier Lion-winners for Uniqlo over the years. Below is last year’s Gold-Lion winning “Calendar” execution, featuring tilt-shift photography, and below that, the Titanium-winning “Uniqlock” work. Both campaigns were created by Japanese agency Projector.

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June 10, 2011

Guest Predictions: CP+B’s Rob Reilly

Published by Drew Wehrle

We had a chance to catch up with Crispin Porter + Bogusky Worldwide Chief Creative Officer (and all-around nice guy) Rob Reilly at the New York Festivals last month.  If you’re not familiar with Reilly by now, well, you probably haven’t been paying much attention to Cannes.  He’s been involved with some of the most awarded work of the past decade, including – by my count – a staggering six Titanium and Integrated Lions.  Reilly talks here about the Jay-Z/Bing “Decoded” project and how the client-agency relationship is evolving.

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June 9, 2011

Canal+ “Tick”

Published by Fuad Ahmad

This spot for Canal+ is a contender for a Film Lion in Sound Design. Watch it and then watch it again with headphones or earbuds and marvel at the way the narrative unfolds. “Tick” may not have generated the widespread acclaim like last year’s “Wardrobe,” which earned BETC EURO RSCG a Gold Film Lion, but it’s worth a look. It picked up a Silver Clio for film technique, and the D&AD jury took note of it as well.

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