Cannes Contenders: Global

Pop Tarts First Edible Mascot

The Super Bowl is the most well-known American sporting event, so who thought it would be beaten by an edible mascot in the College Bowl? 

Corporate sports sponsorship isn’t known for its daring, but this stunt put the product and the brand at the very heart of the event. In true style, the Strawberry Pop Tart mascot comes parading on, gee-ing up the crowd, teams (and even refs!) throughout the game, only to ceremoniously be lowered into a giant toaster to meet its delicious demise at the end. 

That might have been enough, but to have the winning team gorge on its cooked fruity body at the end of the broadcast is genius. 

A great example of how to actually become a headlining part of the event you’re sponsoring. 

Marmite Smuggler

Marmite has one of the most long established and successful platforms but how it continues to keep coming up with fresh and inventive ways to show the obsessive love or hate of the product is beyond me. 

Following on from the brilliant Baby Scan last year, this year the brand focuses on delivering to those unfortunate ex-pats in NYC who can’t get a hold of their favourite jar. Recruiting genuine Marmite lovers, jars were covertly 'smuggled' into the Big Apple, where stickers around the city gave out a text number deprived lovers could ping and receive an anonymous drop-off. 

Utterly barmy. And utterly brilliant.

Sammakorn Sammakorn NOT Sanpakron  

For all the new ways film can now turn up, there’s still a place for big fuck off epics yarns…and it doesn’t get more epic than Sammakorn NOT Sanpakron by Sammakorn.

When I say epic, I don’t mean dragons or car chases or a tonne of CG, more a beautifully crafted film where every component part is on point, from the script, performances to edit. Funny is difficult at the best of times but you’d never believe a housing development company could create such a masterpiece. 

Thailand has a humour so unique and original, and who would have thought an idea based on the fact that the brand name confusingly sounds similar to the name of the Thai revenue office could result in something so magical. 

Cereza Poker Promos De Barrio

Promos are difficult to make stand out at the best of times but particularly in the Columbian market where there are over 500,000 convenience stores with literally wall-to-wall messages in store. 

Using a simple design tool, Promos de Barrio by Cereza Poker allowed shop owners to choose their own assets and create beautifully branded and consistent promos for the brand. 

Simple yet so effective and smart. 

Modibodi I’m Dying Inside

To launch their Modibodi period wear to Gen Z, Modibodi launched their first ever period drama on TikTok. 

With a cracking cast and incorporating un-hackneyed storylines featuring topics Gen Z actually give a shit about, this is a great example of understanding the platform you’re creating for and the audience you’re serving. 

Brand entertainment that puts entertainment first.