Contagious

'With Meme-ification, the look, tone and voice of the internet is the primary shaper of marketing. Brands now mimic TikTok creators rather than Hollywood producers in an effort to promote their products or services. Weirdness, dark humor, radical honesty, self-deprivation and indie productions are all hallmarks of this new brand voice.' https://hubs.li/Q02BS0Zb0

From Specsavers' Misheard Version to Xbox's Everyday Tactician, Contagious' editors and analysts name the campaigns they think will bring home a Grand Prix from Cannes next week. https://hubs.ly/Q02BRyrg0

Join Contagious in Cannes on Monday for 'How to Win in 2029' and get our take on the future of culture, the internet and citrus fruits. More info here: https://hubs.li/Q02BRwh20

'Whopper Virgins from 2008 is one of the best pieces of marketing ever made because it’s radically authentic — it’s an American fast-food brand on a world tour to deprive preserved communities of their innocence. It’s pure, true and cynical.' https://hubs.li/Q02BLGQD0

'What happens when the media carrying marketing is predominantly produced by consumers and online creators? Meme-ification is what happens...' Weber Shandwick's Tom Beckman on the trends he expects to find among the work celebrated at Cannes next week. https://hubs.li/Q02BHG-d0

RickRolls, earworms and campaigns that are just the right amount of devious... ...Find out which campaigns we think will or should* win big at Cannes Lions next week. https://hubs.li/Q02BHhhY0 *This is our get-out clause if our contenders don't win.

'I’d argue that one of the strongest ideas in the history of mankind is Donkey Kong. And the main reasons it became a world sensation was because it made zero sense.' Weber Shandwick's Tom Beckman offers a pre-Cannes primer on where the ad industry's at and where it's headed. https://hubs.li/Q02BGZnk0

In this week's newsletter: Contagious predicts which campaigns will take home the Grands Prix next week, how to win Creative Marketers of the Year, and the importance of reputation in brand activism.

☀️ The Contagious Cannes Countdown: Day Eight ☀️ David&Goliath is celebrating 25 years of living their brave philosophy, with a fantastic lineup of guest speakers sharing their individual stories of overcoming fear and their vision for a Braver tomorrow. You'll hear from chief content officer at LIONS Paul Kemp-Robertson, founder & creative chairman at D&G David Angelo, VP marketing at Unilever Tati Lindenberg, CMO NAACP Aba Blankson and founder & CCO at Uncharted Laura Jordan Bambach. This is the last chance to register your interest: https://hubs.li/Q02BwQXR0

Did you know that creatives often struggle with mental and physical issues due to their heightened sensitivity? That’s according to a new global study of 450,000 people, by research company Glocalities, and research that analysed the brain scans of Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity winners compared with non-creative people. To help creatives maintain their sanity while they tackle tough issues, Mark Woerde, the former ad exec behind the Cannes-Lions winning Sweetie (the virtual child designed to catch predators) and founder of LetsHeal, has today launched a new project called Creative Under Fire. Creative Under Fire is supporting creatives by sharing a free survival guide, full of tips and tricks to help them preserve their mental wellbeing. The guide includes the contributions of numerous creatives, students, activists and scientists, plus a special message from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who shared these words of wisdom: ‘Train yourself to absorb and release horror. Embrace it genuinely, but only for a defined period before letting it go.’ You can download the free e-book by visiting https://hubs.li/Q02BmyGZ0.