Cannes Contenders: Havas’ Highest Hopes for 2023

Network comment: Since 1933, Lacoste has been the symbol of French elegance. It's become so iconic that everyone from all walks of life has worn the crocodile - even cultures we didn’t expect. In short, this logo has transcended time, styles and genres, becoming a vector of unity in pop culture.

In 2022, the brand wanted to let real people wearing Lacoste meet each other, showing that communities have more in common than they think. With the crocodile serving as a rallying sign that unites people - as much as it allows them to express their differences - 'Unexpected Encounters' reveals the moments when people connect through the Lacoste piece they have in common.

Network comment: A good TV series is hard to pull off, and when done poorly, disappoints fans who have invested years into watching the show. In this film, we meet a young couple that becomes obsessed with the fantasy series, 'The Secret of Wakany'. Season after season, their passion for the show grows, until it takes over their whole life. They speak, eat and live Wakany. Then, the night of the big finale arrives, and we finally discover the truth behind 'The Secret of Wakany'. Needless to say, the secret is a big let-down, and the couple are devastated.

Network comment: Canal+, a widely recognised brand in the audio-visual industry and the leading partner of cinema in France, broadcasts many pieces of content on its various channels and streaming platform. Thousands of people log in every day to consume movies and series of all kinds. But, the types of people who have access to this service are not all the same. Dyslexic people, for example (8-12% of the population), have considerable difficulty reading and deciphering the subtitles. In order to make their experience easier and more enjoyable, we decided to create the first subtitles for both dyslexic and non-dyslexic individuals.

Network comment: 'Bud Ground Cooler' is the first underground cooling system that goes below 6°C (or 43°F) without the need for a power supply. Budweiser has created this low-tech device to help entrepreneurs and aspiring storeowners in developing countries, where 48% of the territory lacks a consistent access to electricity, and thus, sustainable cooling solutions. With this innovation, the ground becomes the refrigerator. We have modernised traditional Egyptian and Indus techniques: geothermics, evaporation and acceleration of cold air, known as the Venturi effect. Despite numerous attempts to update these, Budweiser’s 'Ground Cooler' is the only solution that successfully reaches the 6°C mark.

Network comment: In France, in order to obtain a driver's license, you are required to take at least 20 hours of driving lessons. The cars used for these lessons can carry five people, but they circulate with only two passengers: one instructor and one student. So, we thought, 'What if these three seats lost for each hour of driving could benefit people with mobility problems?'. This is the idea behind the CER driving schools' 'The Lost Ride' initiative, which consists of offering a free carpooling service to elderly people, people with reduced mobility or those who cannot afford public transport or a VTC.

 

Network comment: General Charles de Gaulle and his wife Yvonne set up the Fondation Anne de Gaulle in 1945, in honour of their daughter Anne, who was born with Down's Syndrome. Despite providing residential care and support for people with neurodevelopmental conditions for more than 75 years, the foundation suffered from a lack of public awareness. Our challenge was to redress the situation and give the foundation and its worthy social cause the attention it deserves. We did this by shining a spotlight on the lineage and worldwide renown of the general through one of the most enduring and international embodiments of this prominent figure in French history: Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport.

How? By achieving a major world first: temporarily renaming the sixth busiest international airport to 'Paris-Anne De Gaulle Airport'.

 

Our strategy and activation enabled the foundation to reassert its refusal to accept things as they are. In addition, it endorsed the call from other charity organisations for a paradigm shift in the support available for people with disabilities - something especially important considering, worldwide, one in six people live with a disability.

  

Speaking technically, we crafted an extensive indoor and outdoor rebrand to provide an unprecedented and engaging visual immersion for passengers into an entirely revamped airport. Each DOOH, each flight information display board, each airport TV screen, each baggage reclaim area display screen, as well as the road signs around the airport all showed the name 'Paris-Anne de Gaulle'. Specifically, the key feature of this operation was the name mounted in giant lettering on the frontage of each terminal. This striking - and surprising - image encapsulated our high-impact approach.

 

Network comment: An authentic way of celebrating one of the adidas' global key cities, and inspired by 'a taste of the real Dubai', the iconic superstar sneaker was reimagined to celebrate a restaurant that’s known for gathering people from all ethnicities and economic backgrounds. This campaign was driven by an insight that brought a new take on the 'collabs' that are at the core of fashion, combining it with a channel planning strategy that went from a special edition sneaker to an in-store experience, and included digital content and PR amplification. Let's just say, it sold out in 15 minutes, had a social reach of over 32 million, a PR value of over 7 million, and more than 650 million people reached on earned media. Also, it received three GPs in the Dubai Lynx this year!

Network comment: Laundry and stain removal brand Vanish recently launched a pioneering campaign that aims to broaden public understanding of autism - particularly in girls, who are three times less likely to receive a diagnosis than boys. ‘Me, My Autism & I’, created by Havas London, with support from charity Ambitious about Autism, won the Channel 4 Diversity in Advertising Award 2022, and received £1 million worth of commercial airtime across the broadcaster’s network.

Building on the garment care brand’s commitment to helping clothes live longer lives, the campaign centres on an evocative docudrama film, shot by Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper, which tells the story of one autistic girl - Ash, cast alongside her real family and best friends – and the visceral importance of her hoodie. 

Brazilian soccer fans watch every game with a beer in their hands. But, during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, games started at 7am in Brazil, and beer ads are forbidden in the morning. So, Petra Milk was the way to incite the consumption of Petra's products via media.

Specifically, a milk with the same barley, beer scent, and longnecks the brand brews its beer with was created. This limited and exclusive edition was available in a special six-pack with three Petra Milk bottles for the morning games, and three Petra Beer bottles for the afternoon games. And, when FIFA banned alcohol from around the stadiums, dozens of beer-flavoured milk bottles were sent to Brazilian fans. This way, Petra Milk became the only beer barley accepted around stadiums in Qatar. 

Created by BETC HAVAS, the idea was to show that it is possible to enjoy the games and cheer with the taste of Petra Beer - without losing responsibility. After all, the games were at breakfast time for many people. (And, it also showcased how the barley used to produce Petra Malt is so special, that it's perfect... even in milk!) 

To show what stray cats endure, La SPA, the main French animal welfare NGO, hijacked the video game 'Stray'. One of the most popular titles of 2022, the game saw players become a cat capable of extraordinary things. But, while this cat could jump, resolve puzzles and even save an entire city, the reality is that stray cats struggle to survive. So, La SPA modded five real cats from their shelter and made them playable into the game. Not only did they look like the organisation's cats, but their gameplay directly reminded players what these cats endured, forcing them to overcome risks like falling, starvation and sickness. Initially sent to influencers, before being released to the public, the five cats who had been integrated into the game quickly got adopted in-real-life (within 24 hours), and many other cats from the shelters benefitted from this operation by getting adopted too.