iDidTht asked top industry leaders to bring their Nostradamus-A-Game and select this year’s South Africa’s Cannes Predictions. Huge thanks and ululating to Fran Luckin (CCO Grey Africa), Neo Mashigo (CCO M&C Saatchi Group), Pepe Marais (CCO and Founding Officer Joe Public United), Pete Case (CCO Ogilvy South Africa) and, Suhana Gordhan (Loeries Chairperson and Creative Director at FCB Joburg). Below is the work that they think will bring home the heavy metal during Cannes.

Look how well they photograph! Fran Luckin, Neo Mashigo, Pepe Marais, Pete Case and, Suhana Gordhan.

Don’t forget to follow our ‘Live Updates: South Africa’s Winners & Shortlists At Cannes 2018’ page from the 18th June. We’ll be updating this page as results are announced from Cannes – listing all South Africa’s shortlists, showcasing the awarded work, and featuring all the iDidTht companies involved.
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I thought in the spirit of Africa, I will stick to my ‘Big Five’, starting with what I believe will be an absolute Lion and then the four that I believe stand the best chance to cut through.

1. COMMISSION FOR GENDER EQUALITY ‘HE SHE’
Commission for Gender Equality by DDB is my number one prediction to bring back a Gold Lion to local shores. It is an outstanding concept, taps into one of the biggest current issues globally, and is exceptionally crafted in execution.

2. JOBURG BALLET ‘BREAKING BALLET’
I absolutely love TBWA’s Breaking Ballet piece. I love the title. I love its avant-garde and tactical nature. And it made me reconsider ballet. Isn’t that what great work should do, after all.

3. CARLING BLACK LABEL ‘SOCCER SONG FOR CHANGE’
Carling Black Label’s Song for Change by Ogilvy Cape Town is my third favourite and is deserving of cutting through on the judging tables this year. It is once again a relevant issue with a shocking insight. It was also executed at scale and we all know that the larger the scale of our ideas, the more impact it creates.

4. SANLAM ‘2 MINUTE SHOWER SONGS’
2-Minute Shower Songs by King James is another piece of communication that is in my ‘Big Five’ of hopefuls for a Lion this year. It is an idea that is larger than any of the media platforms it existed within, for one of the highest profile cities in the world. It is a very strong contender.

5. CHICKEN LICKEN ‘SBU 2.0’
How can I ever expect people to back Joe Public’s work if I am not willing to back it myself first? For this reason, my last prediction is for our Sbu 2:0 film for Chicken Licken. It is conceptually sound and masterfully executed by one of our industry’s best film-makers.

The selection of potential Cannes winners for me isn’t the same as simply selecting Great Work. Every year agencies from over 48 countries enter over 46,000 pieces of work into the Cannes Lions. The mix of judges sifting through the work is also global and so it’s with this lens that I’ve made my selection below. Some absolutely fantastic work we create here in SA is simply not suited for this stage and doesn’t take away the value of that work. My selection includes a few really solid pieces that we should be proud of as a country. So I’m hoping they see the stage and bring some sparkling metal back to SA and the brands they represent.

1. CHICKEN LICKEN ‘SBU 2.0’
Of all the TV we’re sending to Cannes this year as a country, I feel this contains the best writing. A great insight which lines up perfectly with the zeitgeist of now. Brings a smile to my face every time I see it on air and watching the faces around me, it certainly warms the hearts of a wide audience, whilst seemingly able to appeal as well to women as it does men.

2. JOBURG BALLET ‘BREAKING BALLET’
Admittedly a small brand/organisation, but great use of content and digital media. A refreshing depth of craft, and clever strategy to get the message of ballet into the timeline of those less likely to search for this genre of content.

3. NANDOS ‘#RIGHTMYNAME’
A clever idea that works hard in our local context but will translate effortlessly to any global audience. A simple execution and deserves to make some headlines.

4. APARTHEID MUSEUM ‘PAST AND PRESENT’
The print work really stood out for me. A hugely important message but told in a fresh and arresting way. In radio, I felt 2 executions let the campaign down as the message delivered by the voice selection felt disconnected. However, the Trump execution is exceptionally strong and I hope does well.

(I also loved the insights of the print for Duracell and Duram paint, but felt they will do better in local awards than at Cannes.)

5. PETE’S OGILVY SELECTS
Since you’ve asked for me to select from our entries too, I think our 3 best pieces are; MTV ‘FCK HIV’, Carling Black Label ‘Soccer Song for change’ and Huggies ‘Baby Marathon’.

The best of luck to all agencies that have entered and congratulations to everyone for the hard work and hours of craft that have gone into this Great Work. Let’s see if South Africa can shine once more on this important global stage.

Everything on my list of Cannes Contenders is the thing I wish I had made. They’re a combination of the kinds of stories that can only be told in South Africa, the kinds of stories you’ll give all your attention to, instead of half engaging while half infinite-scrolling, and they’re the kinds of stories that remind us why it is we do this thing called advertising.

1. CHICKEN LICKEN ‘SBU 2.0’
Ahh man. What an entertaining, superbly crafted and brilliantly told story. It’s a sophisticated story told effortlessly, with rewarding details and a killer track that make you want to experience it over and over again.

2. SANLAM ‘2-MINUTE SHOWER SONGS’
This campaign takes the sobering drought situation and provides an uplifting and smart water-saving solution. Not only does the work reveal the commitment and solid effort behind it, it also reminds us that if you need behaviour change, you can’t make it seem like really hard work.

3. SA TOURISM ‘BHEKI THE UMBACO MAKER’
I’m really glad we get to share this story with the rest of the world. This is about us, our people, our traditions and our breathtaking landscapes. It charms and entices in an old-school way and tells the rest of the world who we are in a way that no Lonely Planet guide could ever achieve.

4. JOBURG BALLET ‘BREAKING BALLET’
I love that these bite-sized films take ballet out of the theatre and into our real, gritty world. It turns the whole lofty, privileged, inaccessibility of the ballet world upside down. It’s about time we celebrated South African artists and showcased our world-class talent in a way that gets spoken about at dinner tables.

5. COMMISSION FOR GENDER EQUALITY ‘HE SHE’
This print work is so simple, so powerful and so necessary. It doesn’t labour the point or try to manipulate your emotions and that’s what makes it even more profound.

6. VW ‘PEOPLE CAN’T STOP THEMSELVES’
We all know these types of people and that’s what makes these radio ads so damn hilarious. I’m always in awe of work that so accurately captures the awkwardness of human behaviour. Love. Love. Love.

Predicting a Cannes lion isn’t easy but someone’s got to do it. I suppose it’s easier than winning one. Looking at entries you get a sense that It’s been a tough year for the industry but there’s a couple of stand out pieces that should bring home some Lions. I’m afraid it doesn’t look like we’ll have a fourth radio Grand Prix this year but who knows, we might pull it off in another category, I have my fingers crossed. Good luck to all the contenders.

1. CARLING BLACK LABEL ‘#NOEXCUSE’ INTEGRATED CAMPAIGN
What beer brand would want to talk about the fact that domestic violence is usually preceded by irresponsible drinking. Well, Carling Black Label did and tackled the issue in a big beautiful way, making men take responsibility for their actions. This is a big risky idea for the client and agency that could’ve gone wrong in many ways but it was executed with heart and tackled the issue in a real and honest way which is a big deal for an alcohol brand to take on such a big challenge in society. This campaign builds the brand and the community at the same time and deserves all the recognition. Amandla!

2. JOBURG BALLET ‘BREAKING BALLET’
This campaign will definitely see me giving ballet a chance. The concepts are so fresh and relevant, the executions well crafted. I love the fact that it moves Ballet from its colonial heritage and makes it socially relevant to everyone. Dope!

3. NANDO’S ‘#RIGHTMYNAME’
Great insight, beautifully simple idea. This is one of those that when you see it for the first time you ask yourself why you didn’t think of that. So relevant to the Nando’s brand and the current mood in the country. It’s a winner!

4. SANLAM ‘2 MINUTE SHOWER SONGS’
If you want people to change behavior make it easy for them to do so and this idea did just that. Allowing people to do good while having fun. Simple idea that has a great impact on society. I dig it!

5. TOYOTA HILUX HILL ASSIST ‘JUST ANOTHER ROAD’ RADIO CAMPAIGN
Wouldn’t it be great for us to win a Lion with vernacular radio? We hardly hear great vernacular radio that is not let down by the translation, these spots are beautifully written with stunning performances. What a fun way to illustrate an otherwise boring USP, nice one.

1. HUGGIES ‘THE WORLD’S FIRST BABY MARATHON’
A hard-working product demo that’s also entertaining and engaging.  No mean feat. Add great writing and adorable stars, and you have a jury- charming end result.

2. SANLAM ‘2 MINUTE SHOWER SONGS’
A simple, clever idea, well executed, and the songs themselves are really listenable-to. In some cases even better than the originals.

3. ZAZI ‘KNOW YOUR STRENGTH’
Beautiful craft and lovely writing. Very much a contender in Glass Lion and Direct.

4. APARTHEID MUSEUM ‘OLD SOUTH AFRICAN FLAGS’
I love the craft of this.

5. APARTHEID MUSEUM ‘VERWOERD / TRUMP’ RADIO
I think this particular execution will do well. The crafting of this piece, in particular, makes the point land with chilling accuracy.