Cannes 2011 Predictions by Leo Burnett

Advertising agency Leo Burnett is running its 24th Annual Cannes Predictions, a glimpse into what to expect at this year’s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. This year’s predictions bring together 40 global contenders considered by Leo Burnett to be most likely to earn a coveted Lion. Hand selected by a Leo Burnett creative team led by Global Chief Creative Officer Mark Tutssel. In 2010, the 40 campaigns Leo Burnett selected for the Cannes Predictions went on to win a staggering 90 Lions. Last year’s collection included 11 of the 15 Grand Prix, one Titanium, 32 Gold, 29 Silver and 27 Bronze.

Led by Tutssel, the Burnett creative team viewed hundreds of campaigns, monitored global and local awards, and closely followed industry buzz to curate this year’s Cannes Predictions collection available at www.cannespredictions.com. With 14 countries represented on the 2011 reel, the selections are designed to reflect an international mix and balance across product categories and media.

The top five trends uncovered in this year’s Cannes Predictions include:

1) The Personalization and Customization of Content

Personalized and customized content is prevalent across a variety of platforms. This important trend has manifested in a variety of ways:

• Unique branded web interactions that range from the simple to sophisticated: See Tipp-Ex’s clever use of YouTube and one-on-one conversations initiated by both Old Spice in the “Response” campaign and Skittles through the “Mega-Updater” Facebook effort.
• Customized real-world experiences like a pop-up retail store for Sony PlayStation and instructional workshops like Nike’s “Film Room” initiative.
• The co-creation of music videos like the crowdsourced “The Johnny Cash Project,” or personal experiences like Arcade Fire’s “Wilderness Downtown.”

2) Staged Spectacles Blur Art and Advertising

Epic displays make an impact from London to Sao Paulo. T-Mobile returns with another flash mob form to delight arriving passengers arriving at Heathrow Airport in “Welcome Back;” Target reinvents the fashion show with a “Kaleidoscopic Spectacular” on Manhattan’s West Side; Carinho De Verdade transforms a Brazilian landmark. Big, ambitious displays are back in 2011.

3) Twitter

Last summer in Cannes we saw the first Lion –- and a Titanium, at that -– awarded to a Twitter-based campaign. This year we see even more inventive applications for the microblogging service, including as the source of a collective art project via the Berghs School, and as an entirely new form of social currency through Innovative Thunder’s “Pay With a Tweet.”

4) New Contact Points and Original Mediums

The remarkable “Decode Jay-Z with Bing” effort brought the legendary hip-hop artist’s words to life everywhere we looked, appropriating the likes of Gucci jacket linings, gym punching bags and New Orleans rooftops as new medium. Meanwhile, the World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) “Save as WWF” initiative reimagined a new form of digital document that forces users to reconsider their relationship with paper.

5) Browser Wars

One of the hottest product categories for outstanding creative in 2011 is the advertising competition between web browsers. Google leads the charge with multiple efforts like the user-generated “Demo Slam” and lab-demonstration “Chrome Speed Tests.” However, Google will face serious competition from Microsoft’s Bing and the aforementioned “Decode Jay-Z with Bing” effort.

To see the complete list of contenders and join the conversation, visit www.cannespredictions.com where advertising professionals around the globe weigh in on the debate. Regular updates can also be found on Twitter via @LeoBurnettBlog.

The List

1. Heineken “The Entrance” – Wieden + Kennedy, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2. Target “Kaleidoscopic Fashion Spectacular” – Mother, New York, USA
3. T-Mobile “Welcome Back” – Saatchi & Saatchi, London, UK
4. Ikea “Cats” – Mother, London, UK
5. Carlton Draught “Slo Mo” – Clemenger BBDO, Melbourne, Australia
6. Diesel “A Brief History” – Santo, London, UK
7. World Wildlife Foundation “Save as WWF” – Jung von Matt, Hamburg, Germany
8. Nike – Football “Write the Future” – Wieden + Kennedy, Amsterdam, Netherlands
9. Gatorade “Replay – Season 2+3” – TBWA\Chiat\Day, Los Angeles, USA
10. Volkswagen – Passat “The Force” – Deutsch, Los Angeles, USA
11. Sony PlayStation – DC Universe “Mr. Lee” – Leo Burnett, Madrid, Spain
12. FedEx “Exchange Student” – BBDO, New York, USA
13. Shangri-La Hotels “It’s In Our Nature” – Ogilvy & Mather, Hong Kong, China
14. Tipp-Ex “A Hunter Shoots a Bear” – Buzzman, Paris, France
15. Google Creative Lab / Arcade Fire “The Wilderness Downtown” – Chris Milk & @radical.media, USA
16. Coca-Cola – Burn Energy Drink “Ride” – Publicis Mojo, Sydney, Australia
17. Nike – Basketball “The Film Room” – R\GA, New York, USA
18. Leo Burnett India “The Gandhi Font” – Leo Burnett, Mumbai, India
19. Berghs School “Don’t Tell Ashton” – Berghs School, Stockholm, Sweden
20. Innovative Thunder “Pay With a Tweet” – R\GA, New York, USA
21. Old Spice “Response Campaign” – Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, USA
22. Puma “After Hours Athlete” – Droga5, New York, USA
23. Diageo – Bundaberg Rum “Favourable Lie” – Leo Burnett, Sydney, Australia
24. New Zealand Lotto “Lucky Dog” – DDB, Auckland, New Zealand
25. Domestic Violence Hotline “Mercy Street” – Y&R, New York, USA
26. Carinho de Verdade “The World’s Biggest Hug” – Monumenta, Brasilia, Brazil
27. Overturn Prop 8 “Devin & Glenn” – Saatchi & Saatchi, New York, USA
28. Logitech Revue With Google TV “Ivan Cobenk” – Goodby Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco, USA
29. Allstate “Teen Driver” / “GPS” / “Douglas Fir” – Leo Burnett, Chicago, USA
30. Bolthouse Farms “Baby Carrots” – Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Boulder, USA
31. BGH Air Conditioners “Big Noses” – Del Campo Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi, Buenos Aires, Argentina
32. 4th Amendment Wear “Metallic Ink Undertones” – 4th Amendment Wear, Boulder, USA
33. Nike “Republica Popular do Corinthians” – F/Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi, Sao Paulo, Brazil
34. IBM “Watson” – Ogilvy & Mather, New York, USA
35. Google – Chrome Browser “Chrome Speed Tests” – BBH & Google Creative Labs, New York, USA
36. Volkswagen – Fun Theory “Speed Camera Lottery” – DDB, Stockholm, Sweden
37. Drive Dry “They’d Love To Meet You” – Fox P2, Capetown, South Africa
38. Johnny Cash – American IV “The Johnny Cash Project” – Chris Milk & @radical.media, USA
39. Chrysler – Chrysler 200 “Born In Fire” – Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, USA
40. Decode Jay-Z with Bing“>Bing / Jay-Z “Decode Jay-Z With Bing” – Droga5, New York, USA