Leo Burnett’s Mark Tutssel, the man with the best job in the world, releases his Cannes predictions

Withthe International Advertising Festival just two weeks away, Leo Burnetthas raised the interest and speculation over the best work with therelease of its 23nd Cannes Predictions reel. The reel brings together 50 contenders likely to earn a coveted Lion at this year’s Festival.

Ateam led by Leo Burnett Worldwide Chief Creative Officer Mark Tutsselviewed thousands of campaigns, monitored global and local award showsand followed the general industry buzz to select the work for thisyear’s collection. Besides including the most honored work, the reel isdesigned to reflect an international mix and a balance across multipleproduct categories.

This year’s reel features work from more than 14countries including Tourism Queensland “The Best Job In the World” via CumminsNitro, Brisbane, Carlton Mid ‘Woman Whisperer’ via Clemenger BBDO Melbourne, James Boag’s “Pure Waters” via Publicis Mojo, Sydney and Adidas/All Blacks “thread – this is not a jersey” via TBWA\Whybin Auckland.

So what can we expect at this year’s festival? For Tutssel the question on everyone’s mind is: Has creativity suffered in the face of the global recession? “With only a cursory glance, one could argue it has,” said Tutssel.

“After all, award shows entries across the board are down, and the Filmcategory has produced no clear front runners for the Grand Prix. Butrumors of creativity’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. In fact,creativity is thriving. Creativity is the primary asset of businesstoday, and it’s never been important as it is now, which is why we’rethrilled to report that we saw more innovative, fresh and altogetherdazzling communication solutions than ever. As a result, you’ll findthis year’s reel includes far fewer Film entries, but moreout-of-the-box, genre-defying and altogether brilliant future-facingefforts.”

Tutssel say this year’s reel is their firstfully-integrated Cannes Predictions, a collection that incorporates themost likely Lion winners in multiple categories including Cyber,Titanium & Integrated and even Outdoor.

So, what can we expect at Cannes 2009? Here are Tutssel’s general observations on the year:

Integration

Sure, we’ve certainly heard this before, though we’re not referring to efforts merely executed across a handful of media. Rather, we’re talking about ideas that harnessed a confluence of technologies to produce truly engaging experiences. Many of this year’s entries did just this, though Doritos “Hotel 626” was one standout, linking mobile, Twitter, Facebook and a faux documentary to a rich, terrifying, three-dimensional web universe. And Fiat’s “eco:Drive” provided a detailed peek into motorists’ driving habits courtesy of a USB flash drive that connected their cars and computers.

Politics

Personal beliefs aside, nearly all of us marveled at Barack Obama’s groundbreaking netroots movement that ultimately won him the 2008 U.S. Presidential election. Could a political campaign land a Titanium Lion? Meanwhile “The Great Schlep” – also on behalf of Obama via the Jewish Council for Education Research – served up a side-splitting and unique appeal to voters that broke a few barriers (and taboos) of political advertising.

Online is Flourishing

We’ve come a long way from the simple banner ad. Burger King’s “Whopper Sacrifice” leveraged Facebook so boldly that even the social networking site wasn’t sure what to make of it. Sprint’s “Plug Into Now” transformed PC desktops into a stunning real-time data dashboard. And the Mentos “Kiss Cam” gave anyone with a webcam the opportunity to share a virtual, interactive ‘kiss’ with his or her choice of a hunk or babe.

Taking It To the Streets

Pampero Rum’s “Ephemeral Museum” turned an entire district of Lisbon into a bona fide art gallery, while Oasis gave New York City residents a sneak preview of their new album by means of street musicians with the “Dig Out Your Soul” effort. And it’s hard to resist T-Mobile’s “Dance,” which employed the impromptu joy of a flash mob to amuse passersby at a Liverpool railway station. Finally, the one-of-a-kind James Ready “Share Our Billboards” invited beer enthusiasts to collaborate on their media plan, resulting in a campaign that was created for the people, by the people, and raised co-authorship to levels unseen in the outdoor medium.

Leveraging the Press

Some of our favorites wove their way into the cultural fabric, effectively using the media to

add traction to their stories. In what many public relations mavens declared to be the best effort of its kind, Tourism Queensland invited jobseekers from around the world to apply for “The Best Job In the World.” And the very essence of the NBA’s “There Can Only Be One” campaign wound up gracing the cover of Time magazine and spoofed by Saturday Night Live.

Film – A Mixed Bag

Unlike most years, there were few blockbusters in the lot, though we should add a quick caveat: as history tells us, many in this category make their first appearance in Cannes, so it’s almost certain we’ll be delighted and surprised by a few stellar debuts.

Still, we saw some outstanding work, including “Go On Lad,” a throwback to a classic with a trip through time for Hovis, and “House of Cards,” a gorgeously rendered visual metaphor with a Radiohead soundtrack for housing charity Shelter. We also caught plenty of ads employing those two perennially Cannes-approved themes: Sex and humor.

Spots like Levi’s “Secrets and Lies” and Diesel “SFW XXX” deliver a little raciness, while Pepto-Bismol “Empanada” and Esthe Wam Hair Removal “Beauty Bowling”

provide a few laughs. Also keep your eye on Canal+ “Versailles,” an extension of a campaign that’s historically performed well yet still remains fresh. And we’d be remiss not to mention JCPenney “Doghouse,” the hilarious instructional short for wayward men everywhere.