It’s been a pretty inauspicious start to the Cannes Lions festival for the Middle East and North Africa, with only 13 pieces of work making the cut in the first seven shortlists unveiled this morning.
The region has picked up no shortlists in the direct, promo and PR categories, leaving it to Y&R Dubai to wave the flag in print and outdoor.
Y&R Dubai has work for clients Harvey Nichols, Neenah Paper and Microsoft shortlisted in the press category, with JWT Dubai bagging one for its Reynolds Fine Carbure Pens campaign. TBWA\Raad has one shortlist for The Fridge and Elephant Cairo also has one for Lika Gum’s ‘Out of this world’ (pictured).
In outdoor Y&R Dubai has been shortlisted for its ‘Wolves’ work for Harvey Nichols; its Xbox campaign for Resident Evil 5; and for its ‘Splitting Steven’ campaign for Paras Pharma.
There are only two agencies with a chance of winning any metalwork in media – Impact BBDO Dubai for ‘Emirates take off’, and Leo Burnett Beirut for its ‘Make a move’ campaign for Exotica.
In radio, both Memac Ogilvy Dubai and Leo Burnett Beirut made the cut, for ACDelco and Alfa respectively.
The shortlists mean that, so far, only one of the grand prix winners from this year’s Dubai Lynx – Elephant’s ‘Out of this world’ – has a chance of winning anything at this year’s festival. Starcom’s ‘Confessions of Corporate Spies’, which won the media grand prix at the Lynx, and Memac Ogilvy’s ‘Dustvertising’, which won the direct & sales promotion grand prix, are already out of the running, as is Saatchi & Saatchi Dubai’s ‘Abandoned cars’.
The shortlists for cyber and design will be unveiled tomorrow, whilst film, film craft, titanium and integrated will be revealed on Friday.