Cannes Predictions: Jason Romeyko, Worldwide ECD at Serviceplan Group
With the introduction of digital advertising in the late '90s, I was concerned I would need to look for a new job. I was worried the need for film would die out. Thank God, I was wrong! For me this year, our industry appears to be dominated by audio-visual, highly shareable films which evoke strong emotions.
The piece of work which should win Grand Prix (but may not even be entered) is the Tesla brand film where Elon Musk and his team send a car into space. This epic edit captures the imagination of all who watch it. It delivers the adrenaline of the moment without us even having been there. With no logo, it is visionary with brilliant attention to detail: 'Don’t Panic' on the dashboard and my personal favourite - 'Made on Earth by Humans'.
'The Talk' is one of the bravest pieces of work I have seen in a very, very long time. P&G elegantly takes a stand in the controversy of 'Black Lives Matter'. The work is beautiful and emotional. These days when brands are built through interesting consumer conversations, 'The Talk' ignites a topic from screens to keyboards to mouths all over the world. I damn wish I had done it. Well done P&G!
As an Australian, I almost soiled my pants when I saw the trailer for the reboot of 'Crocodile Dundee'. The storyline of the film was so believable, I was sucked in from the moment I saw Chris Hemsworth holding up a cardboard sign with the name 'Dundee' on it. In the screen age we live in, I had no idea this was a fake. I was both disappointed (there wasn’t going to be a new 'Crocodile Dundee' film) and delighted that I was taken in by Tourism Australia’s Superbowl joke.
But luckily, moving images are not the only genre worthy of recognition in Cannes this year.
Jumping to Austria, one of my other 'homelands', I am particularly impressed with this piece for Vienna Tourism. Created to coincide with the 100 years of the Secession (the Viennese Art Movement), it is a feast for the eyes and a joy to interact with. Considering in the past, online design has been brought down by old school print rules applied on screen, the result of this piece is a designer’s wet dream. Informative with an elegant UX, it definitely helps modernise the image of Vienna.
Possibly the biggest impact at the Festival this year will come from one the smallest countries in the world. The Palau Pledge is my favourite 'Big Idea' of 2018. While it is simple to understand and easy to participate with, the complexity of bringing it to life makes its whole environmental ambition even more impressive. To quote my former mentor Bob Isherwood, it is 'a world-changing idea'. Let there be more of them!
