Leo Burnett announces Cannes Predictions 2014

The analysis features 25 contenders from 10 countries and global trends impacting the industry.

Leo Burnett Worldwide revealed its 27th annual Cannes Predictions ahead of the 61st edition of the big show. While the top 25 predictions showcased work from various agencies from around the world, not one Indian entry made it to the list.

Leo Burnett announces Cannes Predictions 2014

"We sifted through hundreds of the most brilliant pieces of work from every cranny of the world, spanning the Lions categories," said Leo Burnett Worldwide's chief creative officer Mark Tutssel. "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." The agency, which claims to have more than 84 per cent accuracy in its predictions, has also discovered five trends that are influencing the creative business.

Citing the Swedish shop Forsman & Bodenfors's ad "Epic Split", Leo Burnett predicted that "Epic" will take on a classic ad format. At the core of one of this year's most buzzed-about contenders is a simple, time-tested format: the product demo. The campaign has the momentum of numerous wins this spring, including a recent Black Pencil at D&AD.

Branded Technology will make its debut in the Cyber Lion category this year, a move that comes as more marketers use the power of creativity coupled with technology to solve problems, extend existing campaigns and, most importantly, deliver brand purpose. Nike's "Nike SB App" campaign, for instance, was conceived to help skateboarders record and document their progress.

After its introduction last year, the agency says that there will be more buzz around the Cannes Innovation Lion. Among the strongest contender is Samsung's "Maestro's Academy - Smart Bike" from Leo Burnett Milan, a next-generation bicycle developed in tandem with Samsung technology to make cycling safer.

More brands are building emotional relationships with people by creating experiential moments of feeling. Fresh from winning seven Pencils at D&AD is Honda's "Sound of Honda/Ayrton Senna 1989," which used groundbreaking technology to immerse F1 fans in a stunning aural re-creation of the racer's record-breaking lap at the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka, 1989.

Mimi Foundation's poignant "If Only For A Second" captures a rare moment of "carefreeness" in the lives of cancer patients beautifully, and turned it into a highly engaging, shareable film. The "D Rose Jump Store" for Adidas 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.

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", 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 in Cannes. This year, look out for their "Born Friends Family Project" (#3) for Skype, which tells compelling, true stories behind real people using Skype to stay connected.

"Blazed", created by the NZ Transport Agency tapped Oscar-nominated Maori director Taika Waititi to helm this unusual anti-drug driving message. ABTO "Bentley Burial" shows six simple posts on Facebook from an eccentric Brazilian billionaire that captured the attention of a nation and ignited a provocative conversation about organ donation. It reached 172 million people and boosted donations by more than 30 percent

Cannes Predictions - The top 25 Contenders

This year's Cannes Predictions include:

1. Guinness "Sapeurs" by AMV BBDO/London, UK

2. Not Impossible Labs + Intel "Project Daniel: 3D Printing Prosthetic Arms" The Ebeling Group / Not Impossible Labs / Venables Bell & Partners / Venice, USA

3. Skype "The Born Friends Family Portrait" Pereira & O'Dell / San Francisco, USA

4. British Airways "The Magic of Flying" OgilvyOne / London, UK

5. New Zealand Transport Agency "Blazed" Clemenger BBDO / Wellington, New Zealand

6. Colombian Ministry of Defense "You Are My Son" Lowe SSP3 / Bogota, Colombia

7. Harvey Nichols "Sorry I Spent It On Myself" Adam&EveDDB / London, UK

8. Mimi Foundation "If Only For A Second" Leo Burnett / Paris, France

9. Volkswagen - Side Assist "Living Room" / "Bathroom" / "Bedroom" AlmapBBDO / Sao Paulo, Brasil

10. Terre des Hommes "Sweetie" Lemz / Amsterdam, Netherlands