Cannes Contenders: USA

Change the Ref The Final Exam

Change the Ref, an organization led by the parents of a school shooting victim which aims to change gun legislation, launched The Final Exam – a video game where the goal is to survive a school shooting. 

In this game and in real life, gun control bills are the key to survival. It’s horrible and cringey, but this work from Change the Ref shows how far we must go to bring attention to the school shooting epidemic in the US.

Cheetos Cheetos Other Hand

Did you know that 99% of Cheetos fans eat the snack with their dominant hand? No? Why would you? The folks at Cheetos ran with this insight and created a self-proclaimed “revolutionary” font created with The Other Hand. 

Along with the downloadable font, they launched series of ads, images, copy and even html code, all just as ridiculously clumsy. 

Perfectly fun idea for a fun brand.

Apple Immersive

Apple turned a dilemma (how do you advertise their immersive Apple Vision Pro technology when traditional 2D content doesn’t convey the technology’s magic?) into an incredible six-part, branded content series of “first-evers.” 

From an immersive Superbowl to an immersive submarine adventure, these films shot entirely in Apple Immersive Video is product demo advertising showcasing the quality of technology and entertainment you expect from Apple.

Goody’s Smile 20

Goody’s is so committed to pain relief that they devised a way to relieve marathoners’ pain without even using the product. By literally putting a smile on runner’s faces at the most grueling part of the marathon, Goody’s reduced runners’ pain, improved their performance, and entered new brand experience territory for health and wellness. 

Nike Winning Isn't For Everyone

This is a classically beautiful film from Nike. 

It is also a provocation that raises questions about the values of fierce athletic competition with the world's best athletes wondering “Am I a bad person?” It’s not so black and white. 

That’s what makes this film special.