Cannes predictions: Patrick Baron

This is the fifth in a series of Cannes predictions we will be publishing in the run-up to this year's festival. See the previous editions:

• Brian Charles Capel's predictions
• Leigh Reyes' predictions
• Juhi Kalia's predictions
• Tham Khai Meng's predictions

Asia Pacific is one of the most creative regions in the world today, and one I’m proud to be part of.

This year is no different from previous years, with many campaigns from our region deserving recognition at Cannes. They are all in equal parts inspiring, creative and effective.

Picking a winner amongst them for Cannes is fraught with danger though. There’s the unexpected, the unpredictable and the rest. The following are just a few of many I’m expecting to receive a Lion.

The House of Mamba for Nike by AKQA is simply amazing. I was blown away the first time I saw this case study. Talk about immersion. You all know this campaign? An LED basketball court animation and motion-tracking performance that mimicked the power and drills of Kobe, all the while delivering a real-life basketball court feel and gameplay. This is where ambition meets idea, meets technology, meets execution, meets awesome. Everyday kids in China today can feel what it’s like to be an NBA star like Kobe and believe that one day they could make it themselves to the NBA.

This next campaign is one for the dogs and begs the burning question, ‘Is a stick just a stick?’ Welcome to K9FM, an inspired piece of genius from BBDO Colenso New Zealand. A Pedigree-sponsored radio station for dogs, K9FM is the number one radio station (for canines) in New Zealand. This campaign features numerous radio commercials and tail-wagging interviews with tree surgeons and arborists. It also features puppy meditation, if that’s what you’re into. It’s one of my favorite radio campaigns of the year.

Next is the Shrimp Frying Cannon. This online video has a big shot at success—it’s MythBusters meets Dirty Harry. The Shrimp Frying Cannon may not be the most traditional method of preparing shrimp, but it's definitely the most fun. A double velocity cannon propels prawns through jets of egg, flour, flame, and heavy metal music to land fully cooked on a plate. The video was commissioned by Japanese mobile provider DoCoMo to demonstrate that its service is fast. French chefs at Cannes take note. I certainly have.

The Linguist, out of Lowe Singapore, strikes a powerful chord. ‘Sweetie’ was one of the most haunting campaigns of recent years and this is another that made me sick to my stomach. And I mean that as a compliment to its creators. I apologise that I haven’t had the opportunity to background check if the young lady appearing in the film named ‘Jane’ is one of many child sex worker’s cruelly exploited by the sex trade. If so, she’s a brave young lady and my heart is sickened by the horror this child must have experienced. Either way it’s a powerful indictment on so-called first world nations that we allow men from our societies to commit these atrocities. Well done to Lowe. [A disclaimer at the end of the video explains that the woman is an actress portraying a real victim. -Ed.]

The Life Saving Dot, from the philanthropic arm of Singapore-based direct marketing and advertising firm Grey Group, is another brilliantly simple idea that turns a sign of beauty into a sign of good health. Iodine-coated bindis are provided to Indian women in rural areas. If the daily dose of iodine disappears from their forehead the women undergoing the test may have an iodine deficiency.

My best wishes to all the entries from Asia Pacific at Cannes this year. Any Lion is hard to win, and this year will be no different.

Patrick Baron is ECD at McCann Melbourne