Leo Burnett Forecasts Cannes Lions Winners in 24th Annual Cannes Predictions

CHICAGO, June 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Leo Burnett proudly presents its 24th Annual Cannes Predictions, a glimpse into what to expect at the global advertising industry's most prestigious event, The 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, Cannes Predictions is the industry's world-class bellwether for success at Cannes.

"Cannes Predictions is our annual debate on the ideas that have inspired our work, the industry and culture over the past year," said Tutssel. "It's a celebration that refines our focus and sharpens our competitive edge against the most brilliant work around the world."

And sharpen, it does...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 http://www.cannespredictions.com/, where advertising professionals around the globe weigh in on the debate. Regular updates can also be found on Twitter via @LeoBurnettBlog.

About Leo Burnett Company, Inc.

Leo Burnett Worldwide (www.leoburnett.com) is one of the world's largest agency networks and the parent company of Leo Burnett and its marketing services arm, Arc Worldwide. Leo Burnett, a HumanKind communications company, has a simple and singular approach: put a brand's purpose at the center of communications to truly connect with people. Leo Burnett, one of the most awarded creative communications companies in the world, creates "Acts, not just Ads," for some of the world's most valuable brands including The Coca-Cola Company, Kellogg's, McDonald's, Hallmark, P&G, Allstate and Nintendo.

SOURCE Leo Burnett Worldwide