Leo Burnett Malaysia unveils 2018 Cannes Lions Predictions

Top 20 Cannes contenders demonstrate groundbreaking creativity in a year of great change

Leo Burnett Malaysia held its 31st annual Cannes Prediction the most awaited screening prediction in the advertising industry with an 85 percent accuracy track record in predicting campaigns with a strong likelihood of winning a coveted Lion.
The Cannes Predictions list is curated by Leo Burnett Worldwide Executive Chairman & Global Chief Creative Officer, Mark Tutssel and comprised of 20 contenders.
The annual event this year was held at TGV Cinema KLCC and saw 250 guests in attendance.
“Every year, we look forward to Cannes Predictions where the most creative, innovative and bold campaigns are celebrated. With the industry shifting to a more collaborative world, the ideas and creativity are flourishing better than ever and making a significant mark for clients,” said Tan Kien Eng, CEO of Publicis One Malaysia.
This brand work showcased this year reflects global trends fueling the industry with the following five trends:
Episodes lead to Epic
Epic never goes out of fashion. Look no further than blockbusters like Nike’s “Nothing Beats a Londoner” or P&G Tide’s “It’s a Tide Ad,” both strong contenders for Film Lions. Each brilliantly executed, they each also seamlessly stitched together small stories into narratives that made a seismic cultural impact.
Shot on 16mm film to capture the essence of the city, Nike’s “Nothing Beats a Londoner” cast more than 250 real-life residents, including star athletes and celebs, for a whirlwind tour of the travails of sporty Londoners.

P&G Tide won the Super Bowl this year, with its self-referential collection of ads that all turned out, hilariously, for Tide. More than a dozen spots were crammed into four breaks that helped vault #TideAd to the highest-trending hashtag besides the game itself.

Human Storytelling
The emotion of human storytelling and the timeless potency of meaningful moments captured on film is thriving across this year’s collection. Conversations between children and parents are the subject of two favorites: one presents a small slice of life, the other a more difficult dialogue.
Cadbury’s “Mum’s Birthday” stars a young girl who hopes to buy a bar of chocolate for her mother. At the corner store, she’s only able to offer the assorted contents of her pockets as payment, but is treated to a warm act of kindness in return.

In “The Talk” from P&G, we see black parents through the ages having that painful discussion with their children about growing up in a country that doesn’t treat everyone equally. It’s a poignant film and a powerful message, made even more so by the fact the film refrains from showing any products.

Visual Spectacular
Kaleidoscopic color, charm and wit coalesce into joyous communication, another theme from this year’s collection. Outstanding production, art direction and flawless execution are hallmarks of two favorites here, each dazzling visual metaphors.
In Audi’s “Clowns,” a troupe of merrymakers wreaks havoc on the road in various ways. Despite the hazards they throw at the drivers, the technology in their Audi vehicles deftly outmaneuver the antics, proving the brand is “Clown proof.”

In “Welcome Home,” the expansive sound of Apple’s HomePod speaker is brought to life through a spectacular performance by singer-songwriter and dancer FKA Twigs and impeccable direction by the inimitable Spike Jonze. Arriving home after a dreary day, she cues a song and the interior of her home becomes a variegated, shape-shifting wonderland. Remarkably, the film was shot using very few CGI effects, relying on sophisticated hydraulics that moved the set.

Topical & Tactical
Agility has never been as critical to modern marketers, and this year’s collection of work demonstrates that brands are keeping pace by seizing real-time moments, tapping into culture and exploiting tactical opportunities like never before.
From Orange Telecom’s “Now or Never,” which seizes upon World Cup fever and the national Egyptian team’s long drought, to Burger King tapping our collective fear of clowns for its “Scary Clown Night” promotional effort, brands win when they’re moving at the speed of culture.

Two other favorites uniquely parlayed problems into advantages. KFC could be the first piece of crisis communications to win a coveted Lion thanks to its brilliantly crafted “FCK” response to having run out of chicken across the UK. Downtown Records exploited a technological hiccup with Facebook Live to create an ingeniously simple and hypnotic music video for indie band The Academic in “Live Looper.”

Spontaneity and Personalisation
The industry’s pervasive push toward personalization manifests in a number of ways this year. From technology that empowers people (and their pets) to take the perfect picture, to a somber effort that puts the faces of real victims of the opioid crisis, we’re seeing more work that makes an impact through the spontaneous and the personal.
Snaptivity’s “Snaptivity App” leveraged AI-enabled camera infrastructure placed in stadiums to deliver one-of-a-kind photos to fans, captured at key moments in soccer matches. In New Zealand, Pedigree stepped into the mobile accessories business with the “Pedigree SelfieSTIX,” a device intended to hold a dog snack in order to capture pooch’s attention for the perfect selfie.

The National Safety Council’s “Prescribed to Death” featured 3D images of each of the 22 thousand people who’ve died from prescription overdoses in the U.S. intricately carved onto individual pills that were presented as a somber exhibition. The installation put a human face to an epidemic in a truly unforgettable way.

Finally, Skittles took personalization to new heights with its Super Bowl stunt, “Exclusive The Rainbow.” Three weeks before the Super Bowl, the brand announced it would be customizing — and then screening — its spot for just one person, Marcos Menendez. Everyone else could tune into a Facebook Live broadcast at halftime in which viewers could watch Marcos’ reaction, but not the actual ad, which nevertheless has become Skittles’ most talked-about in its history.

Is the Customer at the heart of your Digital Transformation?
On 19th of July, MARKETING will be organising a conference on Customer-Centric Digital Transformation (#DTCX2018) to help you answer that question. The conference will be driven by Paul Stewart who authored the best-seller ‘Branded Customer Service’ and currently is the Special Advisor, Strategy & Transformation for  P. S. Thinking. Drawing from his 25 years of diverse experience as a Chief Economist, CEO and consulting in organisational change, transformation and innovation Paul will be sharing his learnings and current trends in this realm.
He will be joined by key thought leaders in the areas of transformation, data analytics, customer service, branding, marketing, digital, human resources and more! Some of the key names who will be joining us include:

* Imran Kunalan Abdullah, Advisor/Principal Consultant – Digital Talent Development & Leadership and People Analytics
* George Aveling, CEO, TMI Malaysia
* Laurence Smith, Head, Asia Region, SmartUP
* Falko Leonhardt, Principal Consultant Transformation Strategy and Change, TMI
* Mohd Adam Wee Abdullah, Group CMO & Chief Customer Experience Officer, CIMB Group
* Rene Werner, Chief Customer Service & Customer Experience Officer, Celcom Axiata Berhad
* Noelle Lim, Director, BFM Edge Education
* Vigneswaran Sivalingam, Director of Operations, Teledirect of Telecommerce
* Stephanie Caunter, Global Director, Marketing & Communications, Catcha Group
Get ready to be inspired by case studies on transformation, honest conversations on driving change and actionable insights you can take back to implement in your organisation.
Date: 19th July 2018
Time: 8.30 am -6.00 pm
Venue: Sime Darby Convention Center, Bukit Kiara
For more information on DTCX 2018:
Click to visit DTCXJuly19 Microsite.
Download PDF Programme here.
Contact Amira [email protected] | 03 7726 2588
Book your spot early to avoid disappointment!