BBDO Asia’s Creative Leaders have selected their top eight contenders for this year’s Cannes Lions. The choices reflect the agency group’s dedication to pushing the boundaries of creativity while focusing on quality and innovation. The selected works cover a wide range of categories.
1. My Parent is a TikToker. Client: FIVE STAR. Agency: BBDO Bangkok
Overview: Addressing the disconnect between busy Gen-Z individuals in Bangkok and their families during Songkran, the Thai New Year, this campaign brought parents onto TikTok, turned them into TikTokers to engage with their children in a medium their children heavily use, fostering family reunions and shared meals with Five Star Chicken.
2. HomeTeams #ShareTheLoad (Integrated). Client: Ariel India. Agency: BBDO India
Overview: 57% of women decline work-related travel opportunities. Because they worry about their partner’s ability to manage the household chores in their absence. The mental load of household chores is holding women back. The campaign was further complemented by the development of a tech solution, Home Map. It functions like a map for your home, showing men where things are kept, which reduces the constant calls to women while they are away. Ariel also hijacked prime-time news. The news anchor’s husband took over the news screen, reassuring her that he had the home covered, surprising both the anchor and millions of viewers.
3. HomeTeams #ShareTheLoad (Film). Client: Ariel India. Agency: BBDO India
Overview: In its 7th edition, Ariel’s #ShareTheLoad campaign asks How strong is your home team? This year, the campaign tackles the mental load women shoulder in addition to physical housework. Can men become trusted allies, fostering a true partnership? The film shows how sharing the load strengthens your HomeTeam.
4. Ariel’s Times News Hijack. Client: Ariel India. Agency: BBDO India
Overview: In India, many women decline work-related travel opportunities, because they worry about their partners' ability to manage the household chores in their absence. Ariel’s #ShareTheLoad movement wanted to change mindsets, and persuade men to step up at home, to share the partner's mental load. For one night, while millions across India were tuned in, Ariel hijacked Prime-Time News to surprise the news anchor with a heart-warming message from her husband – showing him taking care of the home, while she was at work. This News Hijack was part of a larger integrated movement HomeTeams #ShareTheLoad that grew the conversation around the mental load of household chores on women.
5. Ariel’s Home Maps App. Client: Ariel India. Agency: BBDO India
Overview: To reduce the mental load on women, Ariel, India’s leading detergent brand, developed a tech solution, Home Map. It’s like Maps for your home. With Home Map, men can find things at home without the constant calls to their wives. Putting an end to weaponised incompetence! Ariel’s Home Map tells men where everything is kept at home. Home Map was part of a larger integrated movement HomeTeams #ShareTheLoad, that grew the conversation around the mental load of household chores on women. The combined impact of the HomeTeams movement was seen on the brand and society.
6. The 103 Rakhee for Women’s Safety. Client: 103 WOMEN SAFETY HELPLINE. Agency: BBDO India
Overview: 103, a woman’s safety helpline was launched by the Mumbai Police. Despite announcing the helpline across mainstream media, very few women knew about it. 88% of women in Mumbai said they had no idea about 103. In India, culture reaches where mainstream media can’t. So, we turned to culture – to Raksha Bandhan. A traditional Indian festival where one ties a sacred amulet, called the Rakhi, around the wrist of their loved one, who in turn promises to protect them forever. We took the Rakhi and turned it into our medium to spotlight the helpline. The 103 RAKHI was launched with a guerrilla act.
At a women’s safety event, a well-known activist surprised the Mumbai Commissioner of Police with this specially designed 103 Rakhi to raise awareness about the helpline. This captured the attention of the press and women present at the event. The Commissioner of Police, the highest authority of safety, shared this special moment on his widely popular Instagram page. This created news and celebrities grew the movement. 103 Rakhis were available at stores where it captured the attention of women shopping for Rakhis. The 103 Rakhi took up further traditional media couldn’t and awareness about the helpline spread wider. In a city of 8.5 million women, awareness about the helpline grew and reached people. Women Safety Helpline 103 Help will be there in 10 minutes.
7. The Benz Effect. Client: Mercedes-Benz. Agency: Team X Thailand
Overview: Explores the cultural phenomenon in Thailand where children named Benz symbolise parental aspirations and admiration for the Mercedes-Benz brand, enhancing brand affinity. Recogniing this unique cultural connection, Mercedes-Benz, in a strategic move to boost its presence at the upcoming Thai Motor Show, adopted a novel approach to draw visitors to their booth. Partnering with BBDOBangkok and director Benz Thanachart, Mercedes-Benz launched a documentary titled The Meaning of Benz. This initiative recruited individuals nationwide named Benz, who were then given personalized QR codes, effectively turning them into brand ambassadors. These ambassadors were instrumental in spreading invitations to the Motor Show and enhancing lead generation through their social networks. Before the Motor Show, the documentary was released featuring 15 Benzes, who shared their personal stories and connections with the Mercedes-Benz brand. The campaign and the film gained viral attention, with numerous Benzes being tagged by friends online, earning widespread acclaim for its unique celebration of the bond between the individuals and the brand.
At the Motor Show, a new model, the GLC Coupé, was unveiled in a special edition designed by an artist known as Benz-Bloodily His Big Head. This new model, alongside the innovative campaign, captivated attendees, culminating in the GLC Coupé being named the highlight car of the Motor Show 2024. The campaign effectively used the cultural significance of the Benzname to strengthen brand loyalty and attract significant attention, making it a notable success at the event.
8. Sounds Like Dew – Dew Racing and Dew Battle. Client: Mountain Dew. Agency: BBDO Guerrero
Overview: In the Philippines, many gamers play on their mobile phones on silent mode. So they often find themselves creating their own sound effects. Mountain Dew is well established as a favourite soft drink among gamers. So, as part of a larger integrated campaign, we wanted to reach them during their commute on the radio, and in internet cafes, and to demonstrate that “dew” as it is commonly known, is a part of the soundtrack of every game. To build the storytelling BBDO edited together some appropriate video game-play as a guide to the recording. “As the client said, ‘It’s a once-heard, never-forgotten connection’,” noted David Guerrero, Chairman & CCO, BBDO Guerrero.
Creative Council Leaders:
- Josy Paul, Creative Chairman and CCO of BBDO India
- Arthur Tsang, CCO of BBDO Greater China
- David Guerrero, Chairman & CCO of BBDO Guerrero
- Thasorn Boonyanate, CCO of BBDO Bangkok
- GuanHin Tay, Creative Chairman of BBDO Singapore
BBDO Asia’s Creative Council meets weekly to discuss, guide, and enhance creative projects across the region, ensuring the delivery of outstanding and impactful client work.
