2019 Cannes contenders: APAC agency leaders pick the top work

In the lead-up to Cannes Lions 2019, we reached out to a long list of creative leaders across Asia with a simple request: Pick a few campaigns from your market or the region that you think will (or should) win metal.

The only rule? No picking work from your own agency or network.

We used this method last year, and we believe it forces (or frees) our participants to think more purely about the work that moved them the most, rather than what their boss might want them to say.

All told, we received more than 80 nominations this year, from 42 contributors (see below). 

See the complete list of 2019 Cannes contenders, along with our contributors' comments about each.

TOP PICKS

Here are the campaigns that emerged as favourites.

Nominated by four or more contributors

• 'Hungry Puffs' by The Brand Agency for Foodbank WA (7)
• 'Kupu' by Colenso BBDO for Spark (6)
• 'The party bus' by Shiseido (5)
• 'Sans forgetica' by Naked for RMIT University (5)
• 'The fire vase' by Cheil Worldwide for Samsung Fire and Marine Insurance (4)

Nominated by three contributors

• 'Australian Open ambush' by Special Group Sydney for Uber Eats
• 'Belted survivors' by Clemenger BBDO Wellington for NZ Transport Agency
• 'Blink' by JWT India for the Jimmy Nelson Foundation
• 'Naughty or Nice Bauble' by Clemenger BBDO Melbourne for Myer

Nominated by two contributors

• 'Akuma no Kimura' by Dentsu for Nissin
• 'Are we teaching our sons what we have been teaching our daughters?' by BBDO India for Ariel
• 'The Box' by Ogilvy Bangkok for Voiz Crackers
• 'Coastal Pacific: A new New Zealand' by DDB New Zealand for KiwiRail
• 'Cover for their overconfidence' by CHE Proximity for RACV
• 'The Dragon' by Ogilvy Hong Kong for KFC
• 'Earnbassadors' by CHE Proximity Melbourne for Virgin Velocity
• 'Face Off' by GreyNJ United for Kasikornbank
• 'Fatal Recognition' by Cheil Hong Kong for The Hong Kong Stroke Foundation
• 'Generation Voice' by Colenso BBDO for Spark
• 'Grave of Thrones' by DDB Sydney for Foxtel
• 'Narcos: The Censor's Cut' by J Walter Thompson Bangkok for Netflix
• 'One in a Million' by Publicis Singapore for Vicks
• 'Red restaurant list' by Hakuhodo Kettle for Takasaki city
• 'Safety Hub' by CHE Proximity Melbourne for NRMA / IAG
• 'Signs of Love' by TBWA Melbourne and Revolver/Will O’Rourke for ANZ
• 'Truck Art Childfinder' by BBDO Pakistan for Berger Paints

CONTRIBUTORS

We're grateful to all who shared their picks and opinions with us:

• Michael Barnfield, creative director, Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney
• Russell Barrett, chief creative officer, BBH India
• Rob Belgiovane, group chief creative officer, BWM Dentsu
• Joakim Borgström, chief creative officer, BBH Singapore
• Luciana Cani, ECD, Saatchi & Saatchi Tokyo
• Joe Carter, communications director, Colenso BBDO
• Rachel Catanach, senior partner and president for Greater China at FleishmanHillard
• Donevan Chew, ECD, BBDO Malaysia
• Tony Clewett, chief creative officer, FCB New Zealand
• Ben Couzens, co-founder, Thinkerbell
• Jessica Davey, CMO, McCann Worldgroup APAC
• Adams Fan, founder and chief creative officer, F5 Shanghai
• Federico Fanti, ECD, BBDO Guerrero
• Laura Geagea, MD and executive producer, Sweetshop China, Asia and MENA
• Daniel Galeano, associate creative director, Marcel Sydney
• Peter Grasse, founder, Mr Positive
• Jamal Hamidi, executive creative director, global, DDB Group Hong Kong
• Takahiro Hosoda, ECD, TBWA Hakuhodo
• Merlee Jayme, chairmom/chief creative officer, Dentsu Jayme Syfu
• Bridget Jung, ECD, OPR
• Simon Langley, chief creative officer, Wunderman Thompson Australia
• Melinda Kerr, creative director, PwC
• Laura Liang, chief strategy officer, DDB China Group
• Valerie Madon, SEA chief creative officer & Singapore chairwoman, Havas Group
• Facundo Martinelli, associate creative director, Marcel Sydney
• Hannah Melanson, senior copywriter, Digitas
• Ryo Miyakawa, creative director, front-end engineer, Monopo Tokyo
• Tomo Murakami, representative director, UltraSuperNew Tokyo
• Sachiko Nishihashi, managing director, ECD, Dentsu
• David Ponce de Leon, executive creative director, Ogilvy Australia
• Leigh Reyes, president and chief creative officer, MullenLowe Philippines
• Duncan Shields, creative director, Redengine SCC
• Dami Sidharta, ECD, M&C Saatchi Indonesia
• Doug Schiff, chief creative officer, Ogilvy Japan
• Brandie Tan, ECD, J. Walter Thompson Philippines
• Jorge Thauby, executive creative director, Geometry Singapore and global accounts APAC
• Rey Tiempo, chief creative officer, VMLY&R Philippines
• Gary Tranter, regional chief creative officer, Digitas & Arcade Singapore
• Arthur Tsang, chief creative officer, BBH China
• Rapha Vasconcellos, VP, Creative Shop, Facebook
• Ben Welsh, chief creative officer, DDB Group Sydney
• Steve Xue, chief strategy officer, FCB

You can also see Campaign India's Cannes Contenders, in which agencies highlight their own work.