2023 Cannes Contenders: Ogilvy ANZ shares their key picks

With just two days to go before the best of the best in adland descend upon the shores of the French Riviera, it's clear there's no shortage of creativity to be on display. From left-handed drumsticks to digitising an entire island nation, Ogilvy ANZ's chief creative officer Toby Talbot and ECDs Kristal Knight, Hilary Badger and Bridget Jung take their picks for this year's top contenders.

Pick by: Kristal Knight, ECD, Ogilvy NZ
Campaign: Last Performance 
Brand: Partners Life
Cannes Lion category: Film Lions: Innovation in Film

The campaign is innovative and challenges the preconceived notions around life insurance. It brings together the best of advertising seamlessly with television. Bringing the victims in a comedy murder mystery back to life in the morgue at the end of show to talk about how they regret not having life insurance is the perfect way to make sure you’ve got the full attention of your audience. It also illustrates the need to sort life insurance before you end up on the slab yourself! 

Pick by: Hilary Badger, ECD, Ogilvy Melbourne
Campaign: Phone it In
Brand: Skinny Mobile
Cannes Lion category: Radio & Audio

How do you generate maximum impact on customers whilst on a budget? New Zealand telco Skinny Mobile innovatively tackles this question with "Phone it In" by enabling Kiwis to record their own Skinny Mobile radio ads using their mobile phones (free of charge), in lieu of paying for pricey celebrity talents and recording studios. 

Pick by: Bridget Jung, ECD, Ogilvy Sydney 
Campaign: The First Digital Nation
Brand: The Government of Tuvalu 
Cannes Lion category: PR

A simple idea—brilliantly executed to great effect. A new take on an old problem: people are not listening to warnings about climate inaction. This is a creative way to put Tuvalu in the spotlight and start a bigger conversation about climate inaction.

Ogilvy's own pick

Pick by: Toby Talbot, chief creative officer, Ogilvy Network ANZ
Campaign: Left-handed Drumstick
Brand: KFC
Cannes Lion category: Creative Commerce Lions, Customer Acquisition & Retention

A cheeky take on the classic KFC drumstick experience, this campaign is a little left-field...literally. Coincidentally, 11% of Australians are left-handed—the same number of herbs and spices that make up the KFC's secret mix. Coincidence or serendipity? You decide.