Positive, Progressive, Playful: Natalie Lam’s 2023 Cannes Contenders
As Publicis Groupe’s chief creative officer for Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, Natalie Lam is on a mission to challenge outmoded cultural stereotypes in APAC & MEA through the work that’s being made by 4,000 creatives across 60+ agency brands.
As such, her favourite Publicis Groupe APAC & MEA Cannes contenders for 2023 are distinctly playful, progressive and optimistic.
“When I returned to Asia after two decades living in New York, I was struck by how creative the business world is here – there is an energy and optimism and a culture of doing. People don’t have time to dwell on the negatives, they are very pragmatic and love to take action. I still feel this positivity is rarely seen by the outside world. I’m constantly amazed by how experimental brands are, and how receptive they are to trying new things,” says Lam.
“So, this year, my favourite Cannes contenders from Publicis Groupe APAC & MEA reflect our region’s energy, optimism and ambition. You’ll see true cultural diversity. Brands that walk the walk with genuine gestures, instead of talking the talk. Plus a few timeless and inspiring ideas that don’t necessarily fit into any mold.”
Not Hot Periodwear, Always, Leo Burnett Beirut, Lebanon
Always teamed up with Saudi fashion designer Nasiba Hafiz to launch a heat-resistant fashion collection in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where temperatures often soar above 45 °C in summer. The Not Hot Periodwear Collection is the world’s first designer period wear inspired by Always Cool & Dry, a product that keeps women feeling cool on their periods by keeping moisture away from their skin. It’s much more than a fashion statement – this collection fired up a generation to openly embrace their periods and break an age-old taboo.
Unbranded Menu, McDonald’s (Philippines), Leo Burnett Group Manila
McDonald’s and Leo Burnett challenged gamers to hunt for McDonald’s ‘food-alikes’ inside their favourite games and then swap these inedible discoveries for actual McDonald’s items. With more gamers and streamers joining and tagging their discoveries #ThisIsMcDonalds, the hunt was officially on. Now, when gamers find fast food hidden within their games, they think #ThisIsMcDonalds.
Resilience Road, Suncorp (Australia), Leo Burnett Australia
Burnett and Suncorp took one of Australia’s most vulnerable streets (at risk of cyclones and flooding) and made it more resilient, taking the learnings of One House to Save Many and applying them to real homes. By embedding resilience into the public discourse, Suncorp and Leo Burnett are helping Australians to withstand and recover from future extreme weather events, while putting resilience at the heart of Suncorp’s business model.
Bundy Mixer, Bundaberg (Australia), Leo Burnett Australia
Many sports fans underestimate and disrespect the skill level of female athletes, even though their stats are just as good and sometimes better than male athletes. In partnership with NRL, Bundaberg and Leo Burnett Australia created the world’s first mixed-gender fantasy competition so rugby fans can pick the best of the best, not the best of blokes. Because you can’t argue with stats, and stats have no gender.
Dirty Laundry, ABAAD Resource Centre for Gender Equality (Lebanon), Leo Burnett Beirut
Featuring women hanging on laundry lines by their hair and hijabs, as if they themselves were the ‘dirty laundry’, this multi-faceted campaign shines a light on the need for harsher punishments for perpetrators of rape. It’s punchy, provocative and challenging, with the goal of amending Chapter Seven of the Lebanese penal code and increasing the sentence for rape.
#BringBack2011, OREO (India), Leo Burnett India
OREO launched in India in 2011. India won the Cricket World Cup in 2011. By recreating Oreo’s 2011 launch, could India win the Cup again? When cricketer MS Dhoni walked into a press conference and introduced OREO in India for the ‘first’ time, it inspired other brands to #BringBack2011, too. Sometimes, to create history, we need to recreate history first.
Indian Stretchable Time, Zepto (India), L&K Saatchi & Saatchi, Mumbai
India is notorious for long wait times, so much so, Indian Standard Time (IST) is often called Indian Stretchable Time. Zepto’s campaign plays off this idea by showing customers waiting in a restaurant, airport, and clinic, where renowned classical singers, famous for stretching notes when singing, keep stretching the time in their signature singing style – a cheeky reminder that if you’re fed up with people stretching time, Zepto always delivers on time.
The Drive Thru School, McDonald’s (UAE), Leo Burnett Dubai
The narrow turns of a drive-thru can be stressful for new drivers, so McDonald’s UAE partnered with the Emirates Driving Institute in Dubai and Publicis Groupe’s Studio M to include a drive-thru section in their driving practice circuit. McDonald’s built an actual working drive-thru on the course, where students could even place an order.
Empty Plates, UAE Government Media Office, Saatchi & Saatchi Middle East
When fleets of cars with empty license plates took over Dubai streets, the entire nation noticed, with thousands speculating the purpose of these empty plates. Turns out, it was all for a cause, raising awareness of a VIP number plate auction that would raise money for the ‘1 Billion Meals’ initiative. It became the largest-ever humanitarian auction: 164 million meals were donated to 50 countries in need. The campaign reached 2 billion people worldwide, and raised $43.8 million.
Donation Wallpaper, McDonald’s (Taiwan), Leo Burnett Taipei, Taiwan
In Taiwan, receipts aren’t just receipts – they’re a ticket to a government-run lottery. Most Gen Z donate their receipts, so their prize money goes to charity. But in the digital age, physical receipts have all but disappeared. To increase donations to RMHC, McDonald’s and Leo Burnett Taiwan created a series of downloadable wallpapers where each design is more than art – it’s a digital lottery ticket. Not only does this idea transform Taiwan’s receipt donation system, it makes it easy to do good in a digital world.
