Cannes 2013: Prediction: Graham Fink

It’s that time of year when agencies have finally sent off their Cannes entries and are dreaming of Lions. Winners are hard to predict, as your work not only needs to be good, but also needs to travel well. Here are a few I think could do well.

First up is a promotion for 7-11’s gift collection of nostalgic lucky charms by Leo Burnett Hong Kong. In a series of highly innovative films they actually use the tiny charms to make tea, bake cakes and cook rice.

It’s a great idea. And you can feel the love that has gone into making the spots. My favourite is the rice cooker one, where we watch with delight as a man in his garage wires up a miniature charm to the mains, add a few drops of water, and place three grains of rice into the pot. He finally savours the rice.

It’s a big idea. Silver at least.

I think sound/music is at least 50 per cent of a film. And it’s used brilliantly here in this McDonald’s TV spot from Taiwan, also by Leo Burnett. As the camera pans round a room full of Bruce Lee paraphernalia, all we hear are the yells of what sounds like a Kung Fu master.

Eventually we find him. Sitting meditatively at a table eating spicy chicken wings. Every time he puts one in his mouth he screams, but this time we see the subtitle in English. ‘Water!’ Bronze. 

If other award shows are anything to go by, McCann's 'Dumb ways to die' is going to sweep the board at Cannes. And rightly so. I think if I had got this brief, I would have done something very powerful and shocking. But what is brilliant about this idea is the creative team did exactly the opposite. They started with a song. And a happy one at that. But at the heart is a dark message. I’m sure it hit the target market like an express train.

It’s going to be a big year for Australia. And here’s another of my favourites from down under: 'Beer chase', by Clemenger BBDO Melbourne for Carlton Draught. After a bank heist goes wrong a bunch of guys get chased by the police. Hilariously using every clichéd setup from those cop TV series of the '70s and '80s. The twist: No cars were featured in the making of this commercial.

I love the bit where they all come running over the hill. It’s a Gold in my book (and I wish it was in my book).

The article first appeared on Campaign Asia