Cannes Diaries: Pallavi Chakravarti on bold brand work that sells—not saves the world

Cannes: There’s some seriously good work out there. And by there, I mean here. There’s clever work, insightful work, and ideas that will be understood and loved by our moms, not just juries. Above all, there is work out there that is not saving the world or helping hearing-impaired dolphins feel good about themselves again and suchlike — fancy that. A resurgence of brands just doing, you know, brand stuff. Selling deodorant and burgers and beer and whatnots. Making people stop, think, and act.

If you get the time, check out some of these ideas I’m writing about today and say to yourself, “Real brand work can be great.” Repeat as many times as necessary to reinstate your faith in our business. 

I’ll start by talking about a campaign that tore our jury room down the middle. Bundles of Joy by Burger King went where no brand should go. The billboards showed candidly photographed new moms wolfing down their first postpartum meal while cradling their infants, still in their hospital gowns. The line, cleverly placed between the newborns and the consumption shot, simply said “Arrived at 14:07” or similar delivery timings for the different images. It caused an uproar in the market in it was released, and in our sessions as well. It’s too private a moment for a brand to intrude upon, said some. How can a fast food brand show a woman who has just given birth enjoy something so unhealthy and greasy, exclaimed another. Is this the message we want to send young mothers? 

And then came the counter-arguments. Who died and left us or society in charge of what young mothers should or should not crave after they have been through what is probably the most arduous experience of their lives? It’s her first meal after nine months of being told what to do and what not to do, let her just do what she wants. Why should every image of motherhood be picture-perfect and rosy, and harmonious? So what if she’s not got eyes for her baby at that particular moment in time? Just let the woman eat. There was no denying the pros nor the cons. Imagine an ad campaign fueling that kind of debate.

Have a look at the campaign and think about how it makes you feel - because it will make you feel something. Just for the record, we gave it a silver. 

Then there’s the brilliance of Penny Price Packs from the eponymous German discount supermarket. The execution of this idea is outshone only by its simplicity. In a market struggling with inflation and forever rising prices, how do you demonstrate your commitment to a value-conscious audience? Turn your brand label into your MRP. Make the logo smaller - yea, you heard that right. Make the fine print bigger. An idea that lives seamlessly across outdoor, direct marketing, packaging, print and the good Lord only knows what else. Sheer genius. 

Next up on my list of brave and unforgettable is Lynx Scratch and Sniff. Taking private parts public in the most inoffensive, cheeky and hilarious way ever, this billboard turns a man’s most basic instinct into a sampling exercise. The next time you get a brief for a promo, remember, this is what it has the potential to become. 

And because this is the year where beer has made its presence felt across every category imaginable, go watch Tecate’s The Gulf of Mexico Bar. An idea that showed us that not every protest needs to be serious to make its point. 

My word limit looms on the horizon. So this is where my ode ends. But the list of stellar ideas that have been recognised this year is far longer than I can do justice to in this article. Have a look at the winners when you can and feel good about what we do. I know I did.