Cannes Contenders: Accenture Song’s Creative Choir for 2023

Neil Heymann, global chief creative officer of Accenture Song introduces the network’s pick of the work it has entered into Cannes Lions 2023: “The world is changing at a feverish pace. Business and technology are evolving at breakneck speed. Sometimes we don’t get a chance to take stock of how our industry is handling this creatively and translating our experiences into emotional stories and helping others to better navigate the world. To paraphrase Ferris Bueller, we need to stop and look around occasionally and celebrate the strides we’ve made. So whether that’s an island nation agreeing to preserve its culture and statehood in the metaverse or a start-up sneaker brand challenging the status quo of the fashion industry or hearing digital spokespeople who age faster than we do, we’re all about embracing the shifting tides. For Accenture Song, creativity runs through everything we do for clients. This year we’re proud to showcase work from across every continent that harnesses the combined forces of business, technology and creativity and embraces the scale of global collaboration.”

To see all of the Cannes Contenders from network agencies, click here. 

Tuvalu - The First Digital Nation

Tuvalu is a low-lying Pacific nation forecasted to be completely submerged by rising sea levels in a matter of decades. Tuvalu needed a radical solution that would help them in the advent of a worst-case scenario – while shocking the world into action in the hope of a best-case scenario. ‘The First Digital Nation’ is a plan for Tuvalu to remain a country even when its land is gone by recreating its physical country virtually. It is both a plan for survival as a sovereign state and a provocation designed to drive urgent conversation around climate action and mitigation.

Levi’s - The Greatest Story Ever Worn

To celebrate the anniversary of Levi’s iconic 501® jean, Levi's launched ‘The Greatest Story Ever Worn,’ a global campaign across 37 markets and in 19 languages. The work features stories of the jeans’ enduring relevance throughout history, celebrating 501® wearers with an expansive set of unbelievable true stories inspired by the last 150 years.

Sanlam - LI:FE of Confidence

Accenture Song partnered with Sanlam, Africa’s biggest financial services company, to help South African residents plan for their future. The ‘LI:FE of Confidence’ campaign compressed an entire life into one day through the lens of Zesande - the world’s first age-fluid virtual influencer. Through living an entire life in 24 hours, Zesande was able to relate to all South Africans - regardless of age - on any platform. This unique ability allowed her to provide guidance to South Africans at scale, ensuring that all residents can begin the future they deserve, today.

Arolsen Archives - Every Name Counts

The Arolsen Archives hold the world’s largest collection recording Nazi persecution, with 110 million documents in total. The launch of ‘Every Name Counts’ enlisted volunteers to manually index the documents, making them available online as a digital memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. Accenture built an indexing tool that leveraged emerging technologies like AI, machine learning, and optical character recognition to automate and accelerate the process. At a time when AI is often hailed as a threat to humanity, Accenture used AI for a uniquely human purpose: preserving memory so future generations can experience these stories.

Netflix - SOS Nerds

When Netflix’s Stranger Things had been delayed for years due to the pandemic, fans were getting restless. Through the ‘SOS Nerds’ campaign, Droga5 strategically turned fan restlessness into an asset. ‘SOS Nerds,’ designed to “open a portal” between 1986 and 2022 using the technologies of their respective times, revealed hidden messages encoded in the ad executions, generating mainstream buzz and widespread excitement for the new season ahead of its launch.

Ekn Footwear - Designed in Bangladesh. Made in Europe

For decades, the fashion industry has been characterized by exploitation and repression of workers in the Global South. Accenture and Ekn Footwear launched a ‘Designed in Bangladesh. Made in Europe’ sneaker, which promoted ethical fashion practices, disrupted exploitation, and celebrates creativity. The shoe shattered typical supply chain norms to show that designers, fashion trends, and subcultures from countries that are often ignored can offer new and enriching opportunities.

AB InBev - EverGrain

EverGrain, a sustainable ingredient company created and incubated by AB InBev uses its proprietary technology to help feed the world. By leveraging a natural byproduct from the brewing process, they significantly harness the potential of spent grains by creating a nutrient-rich product that can be used to make healthy foods and beverages for people around the world. ZX Ventures, the venture arm of AB InBev, was built and scaled using the Growth OS model from Accenture Song. Through using the mindsets and methodologies of the Growth OS, ZX Ventures has scaled multiple startup bets, such as EverGrain, a sustainable ingredient company leveraging AB InBev’s proprietary assets and technology to help feed the world.

Instacart - Cart Couture

To reassert its place as a category leader, drive buzz, and increase orders, Instacart partnered with SNL’s Chloe Fineman, whose reach and relevance provided a creative opportunity to showcase the cart’s possibilities in a distinct way. At the 2022 VMAs, Instacart launched ‘Cart Couture’, a collaboration with Fineman to wear a couture dress that delivered snacks on the red carpet and into the VMAs, providing snacks, and generating buzz, to hungry celebrities at the three-hour long event.

Uber x Santam - Santam Guardians

Over 50% of crimes are never reported in South Africa. With a stretched-thin police force, Accenture Song leveraged an existing national watch force to help South Africans navigate their way through risk – Uber drivers. ‘Santam Guardians’ helped turn Uber drivers into the eyes and ears of all South Africans with an easy-to-use app that allowed drivers to log all crimes or suspicious activity they spotted on the roads during their shifts anonymously and within seconds.

Kunsthal Charlottenborg Museum - The Female Gaze

For centuries, women have been portrayed by men, for men. This is known as the Male Gaze. Together with the contemporary art space Kunsthal Charlottenborg, The Female Gaze altered the perspective on cultural heritage by virtually re-modelling the iconic painting ‘Young Girl Preparing Chanterelles.’ The experience allowed users to step inside and paint their own picture by changing the light, angle, backdrop, posture, and facial expression of a woman who had only been presented in one way for centuries.

LinkedIn - Find Your In

Founded 20 years ago, LinkedIn has become the world’s largest and most well-known professional network that has unlocked professional possibilities for millions of people. In a new global campaign called ‘Find Your In,’ developed in partnership with Droga5, the work tackles the misconceptions of LinkedIn being a platform for people “who already made it” and shows that LinkedIn unlocks possibilities for everyone. It’s not about who you know, but who you could meet and what they know that can help us all go further. The film is choreographed to Remi Wolf’s 'Guerilla' and tells an empowering story of how you can become whatever you can imagine with all the tools on LinkedIn to help you get there.