Leo Burnett’s predictions for Cannes Lions 2014, trends

Each year, the agency predicts the results of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Over the years, Leo Burnett claims that it has achieved 84 percent accuracy.

Mark Tutssel, chief creative officer, Leo Burnett Worldwide, said, “We sifted and sieved through hundreds of the most brilliant pieces of work from every cranny of the world, spanning Lions award categories. This year’s work is full of humanity, imagination and pure creativity, and remarkable for finding fresh and innovative ways to connect emotionally with people.”

While conducting the predictions, five trends emerged, according to the agency (reproduced verbatim from the agency’s report):

1: 'Epic' Take on a Classic Ad Format: In our industry’s rush to the future, it’s important not to forget the potency of the past. At the core of one of this year’s most buzzed-about contenders is a simple, time-tested format: the product demo.

Swedish shop Forsman & Bodenfors took a classic approach, and combined the “Muscles from Brussels” with a spellbinding new age ballad to create a viral sensation. “Epic Split”  (#25) is the lynchpin of Volvo Trucks’ “Live Test Series,” a set of short demos poised to win a truckload of metal. 

The campaign has the momentum of numerous wins this spring, including a recent Black Pencil at D&AD."

2: Technology with Purpose: "Branded Technology will make its debut in the Cyber Lions category this year, a move that comes as more marketers are using the power of creativity coupled with technology to solve problems, extend existing campaigns and, most importantly, deliver brand purpose.

This year’s predictions recommend keeping an eye on technologies that offer utility like Nike’s “Nike SB App” (#21), which was conceived to help skateboarders record and document their progress.

After its introduction last year, expect to see even more buzz around the Cannes Innovation Lion. Among the strongest contenders is Samsung’s “Maestro’s Academy - Smart Bike” (#19) from Leo Burnett Milan, a next-generation bicycle developed in concert with Samsung technology to make cycling safer. The campaign represents just one of the many ways brands are using technology to improve people’s lives… and in this case, save them.

3: Don’t Think, Feel: We’re seeing more brands building emotional relationships with people by creating experiential moments of feeling. 

Fresh from winning seven Pencils at D&AD, look out for Honda’s “Sound of Honda / Ayrton Senna 1989,” (#20) which used groundbreaking technology to immerse F1 fans in a stunning aural re-creation of the racer’s legendary lap.

Mimi Foundation’s poignant “If Only For A Second” (#8) captured beautifully a rare moment of “carefreeness” in the lives of cancer patients, and turned it into a highly engaging, sharable film.

And the “D Rose Jump Store” for Adidas (#22) literally took the pop-up shop to new heights, as amateur hoopsters were given the opportunity to experience the feeling of leaping like NBA superstar Derrick Rose.

Across all channels, the cream of this year’s crop strikes a visceral chord with its audience."

4: Long-Form and Documentary Style Content: "It might seem counter intuitive in a world where bite-size media and brevity reign supreme, but more brands are embracing the craft of long-form and documentary style content.

Major advertisers like Guinness are pioneering this category with work like “Sapeurs” (#1), a fascinating glimpse into a unique subculture of well-dressed men that’s from AMV BBDO London.

Last year, San Francisco agency Pereira & O’Dell bagged three Grand Prix for the “The Beauty Inside,” a six-episode effort for Toshiba and Intel that was among the longest ever entered to Cannes. This year, look out for their “Born Friends Family Project” (#3) for Skype, which tells the compelling true stories behind real people using Skype to stay connected. 

Of course, as film lengths get longer, directorial skills become ever more essential. To that end, “Blazed” (#5) is a masterpiece. The NZ Transport Agency tapped Oscar-nominated Moari director Taika Waititi to helm this unusual anti-drug driving message. Waititi extracted remarkable performances from a remarkable cast, and the result is a highly engaging film that passes the true test of any film, long or short: rewatchability."

5: Social Potency: "Following a string of major wins including multiple Grand Prix at international shows, and a Gold at the Facebook Studio Awards, ABTO “Bentley Burial” (#16) is a classic example of the power of a brilliant idea coupled with the reach of social media. Six simple posts on Facebook from an eccentric Brazilian billionaire captured the attention of a nation and ignited a provocative conversation about organ donation that reached 172 million, and boosted donations more than 30 percent. Like other strong contenders in this space, the ABTO effort harnessed the sheer potency of social platforms, but at its heart was a compelling story.