Lucky Generals is one of the hottest newbie agencies in the UK, handling Paddy Power, Twitter and new client Premier Inns among others. Here co-founder and strategist Andy Nairn (below) gives his Top Tips for Cannes.
Call Sweden
Those crazy Vikings at the Swedish Tourist Association have just launched the world’s first national phone number – you can call from anywhere in the world and get connected to a random Swede, to talk about anything you want. This is such a great way to showcase the friendly, open, modern culture of the country and cut through the usual tourist board clutter of destination shots and sweeping landscapes. Should appeal to the international mindset of the Cannes juries too.
Missing Type
This was a great campaign by Engine, to reinvigorate National Blood Week. Blood donation is one of those issues which people feel very well-disposed to, but all too often do nothing about. The challenge is partly that the problem is an invisible one; by taking the As, Os and Bs from high profile locations, brands and ad campaigns the crisis was made tangible and real. I loved the lateral nature of this idea – but also that it was a very practical, focused solution, not just an empty expression of goodwill. And it appears that it worked – with 30,000 new donor registrations (the equivalent of 100,000 lives saved). At a time when many have expressed cynicism about some of the charity or causal work that wins at Cannes, I’d hope this one would be a deserving winner.
Finally, a whopper. Literally
McWhopper
This did very well at D&AD last night and I’m sure it will do well again at Cannes. It was a stunt by Y&R New Zealand, whereby Burger King invited McDonalds to make peace for one day, by uniting a Big Mac and Whopper. The idea attracted huge publicity, not only for the burger chain but for the United Nations’ International Day of Peace. The extra bonus was that McDonalds were wrong-footed and ended up looking rather mean-spirited as a result.
