‘Aces at Cannes’

Last evening as I walked into Joss, the banquet hall at Kala Ghoda I was pleasantly surprised to be welcomed by huge dark bouncers dressed in black and sporting lot of gold jewellery and dark glasses. As I entered the room it had the feel and look of a Casino with Black Jack and Poker tables. I also found few people trying their hand at Black Jack. Oh no no it wasn’t an Ocean’s 13 set. It was the annual event by Leo Burnett –‘Aces at Cannes’ 2007.
Leo Burenett hosts this event every year wherein it screens the Cannes prediction reel of 50 television commercials from all over the world. The creative have been selected by Leo Burnett’s Creative Exchange. They have been selected from the best TV work developed during the year, irrespective of which agency produced it. The exchange believes the selected commercials have the potential to pick up an award at the Cannes festival this year. These commercials are in no relation with the actual shortlists at the festival.The Cannes predictions reel has been in practice at Leo Burnett since 1986. The concept was first started by Donald Gunn, former director of creative resources worldwide, Leo Burnett, for Leo Burnett employees. The reel has slowly gained stature over years to become a popular assessment medium for creativity in television, world over
Some of the commercials that found favour with me yesterday were Coca Cola ‘Happiness Factory’ created by Wieden +Kennedy, Amsterdam; XBox 360 ‘Cops and Robbers’ created by McCann Erickson, Dove ‘Evolution’ created by O&M, Toronto; Vaseline ‘Sea of Skin’ by Bartle Bogle Hegarty, New York and Women Insurance ‘Taking a piss’ created by Black River FC, Johannesburg, South Africa; Mountain Dew ‘Master’ created by BBDO, New York; San Francisco. I also definitely liked the Happy Dent Teeth Whitening Gum, McCann Erickson, Mumbai. Happy Dent commercial was the only Indian entry in the list of 50 commercials that were picked by Leo Burnett’s Creative Exchange.
The Happy Dent Commercial is a lavish commercial set in the days of the Royal Raj and has been shot by Ram Madhvani of Equinox.
The 54th Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival is just a week away and India has entered 931 pieces of work across nine categories.
In the past six years, India has won only two gold lions in the film category. But this year, with our largest number of entries, including 77 in the film category, there seems to be lot hope of a good show.
There is one commercial from China-Motorola Razr: ‘Cut Through’ by O&M-China and few from Thailand as well.
As a test of creative judgement, all those who were invited were also asked to pick their 20 best commercials. We will know how precise we are in our predictions only when the final results are announced on June 23 at Cannes.

Check out the Happy Dent Commercial here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v9EetEQrMU&mode=related&search=