#Cannes2024: Insights on some of the world's best creative work
Classic radio still a winner
Great work is instantly recognisable in the radio category says Neo Segola, executive creative director, LePub South Africa and a 2024 Cannes Lions Audio & Radio jury member.
“When a great piece of work lands in front of you, you know it instantly. You know the idea is so good that the campaign literally wrote itself."
Her overall feeling was that while the category delivered good work, there were only a few great campaigns. She also says that despite the expansion of the category, great classic radio work is still a winner and sought out by the jury.
This year’s Grand Prix is for Specsavers from the agency Golin, London for the campaign The Misheard Version.
Specsavers recorded a new version of Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up with the wrong lyrics to raise awareness of hearing loss.
Have some fun
Work that wins does not only have input (the idea), it also has to have support (for the idea).
“Input is great but to be balanced it needs support,” says Keith Manning, executive creative director, TBWA Hunt Lascaris JHB, who was a Direct Lions jury member.
He called on agencies to obsess over their clients to get to know their business, to have conversations outside of the brief. And then have a little fun.
“While humour is making a comeback, it does not seem like we are having fun anymore,” he says, “Logic kills magic and then we forget to have fun.”
He adds that celebrity endorsements and gaming are still popular in this category, with gaming becoming more mainstream.
This year’s Grand Prix was The Everyday Tactician for Xbox from McCann London.
Xbox’s campaign saw Bromley FC offer a paid role to a skilled player of the Sega game, Football Manager 24.
Good craft is invisible
Zee Ntuli, director, Darling Films and Film craft jury member explains that craft is difficult to judge, because “if it is good, you don’t see the craft. If you see the craft then it’s not invisible, and then it’s an obstacle.”
This year’s grand Prix winner The Square Meter for Hornbach by Heimat; TBWA, Berlin demonstrates this perfectly.
This ad for German DIY brand Hornbach imaginatively demonstrates how every square metre of space in a home deserves to be the best in the world.
The smartest solution uses the problem, he says, “Look for the work where the idea shines. The problem is the driving force of the narrative.”
He adds, “Larger scale does not always give big impact, layers do.”
Connection in an attention economy
People see between 6,000 and 10,000 ads daily, so brands must find meaningful ways to break through this noise.
“How do brands do this? By making people feel something by connecting with them,” says Camilla Clerke, executive creative director, Ogilvy South Africa and Cannes 2024 Outdoor jury member.
A great example of connection through purpose was the Grand Prix in this category, Pedigree’s campaign Adaptable, which uses AI to shine a light on adoptable dogs, by transforming shelter dog photos into high-quality studio images and seamlessly integrating them into Pedigree digital ads. The campaign is by Colenso BBDO, Auckland.
Some of the ways brands can connect include:
- Connection through Craft: “ Coca-Cola
“This campaign shows a true commitment to the brand.”
- An instant connection: Coors Light Chillboards
“This is the reactive ad at its best. The brand took a micro-moment and blew it up and it became something really big.”
- Connection through disruption: Consul Clean Sponsorship
“The brand gave something back. It puts the customer in the middle. Removing the brand can be more meaningful than placing it front and centre.”
- Connecting with meaning/ purpose: Cemento Sol: Sightwalks
“This only works if the brands committed. Only then is there a true connection. In this case study this made so much sense for the brands.”
- Connection in culture. Netflix Sex Education: The F***ing Car
“Humour is back. This brand did this well and used PR to give it legs.”
- Connection where the idea is used to solve a real business problem. Heineken - Pub Museums
- An unexpected connection. FreshChoice Supermarket, Aid Aisle
“In a world of brand sponsorships, this brand showed that they were there for the audience they were targeting.” - A long-lasting connection. "Transgender Visibility is now arriving" campaign with BERNIE, the voice of Subway
About Danette Breitenbach
Danette Breitenbach is a marketing & media editor at Bizcommunity.com. Previously she freelanced in the marketing and media sector, including for Bizcommunity. She was editor and publisher of AdVantage, the publication that served the marketing, media and advertising industry in southern Africa. She has worked extensively in print media, mainly B2B. She has a Masters in Financial Journalism from Wits.
