From brand to hand: A Cannes Lions Direct Special

Time of India

19-06-2025

The
Direct Lions
at
Cannes Lions
celebrate campaigns that demonstrate groundbreaking precision and effectiveness in reaching and engaging consumers. At
BE Extraordinary
, a series that spotlights innovation that's not floating on the surface, we look at three campaigns that blend audacious creativity with direct impact. From Ikea Toronto's cheeky late-night DMs that transformed curiosity into mattress sales, to Barbecue Plaza Thailand's emotionally resonant frowning mascot that spurred a wave of customer returns, and finally, to Vogels New Zealand's meticulous "toaster certification" that solved a universal breakfast dilemma, these winners exemplify the power of direct communication to forge unforgettable connections and drive tangible results.
These are campaigns that defied conventional approaches and captured consumer attention.
Ikea, U Up, Rethink
Ikea in Toronto, which faced a curious challenge: many customers weren't aware that the furniture giant even sold mattresses. To bridge this knowledge gap, Ikea Toronto employed an audacious tactic. In the dead of night, they scrolled through Instagram and whenever they spotted someone online, they'd slide into their DMs with a simple, culturally loaded question: "You up?"
This phrase, carrying a dual meaning of both "are you awake?" and a suggestive "booty call," initially surprised recipients. Yet, upon receiving a response, Ikea's follow-up was anything but scandalous. Instead, they offered a personalised, discounted offer on a mattress. The genius of this approach lay in its indirectness; it leveraged cultural slang and an unexpected late-night interaction to pique curiosity, ultimately guiding people toward their mattress offerings in a memorable, non-intrusive way. The bold, yet playful, "swagger" of this direct messaging campaign was a key factor in its success, subtly suggesting that if you're up late, a comfortable mattress might be just what you need.
B&Q, Sad Kama Chan, Grey Thailand
Bar-B-Q Plaza in Thailand was home to the beloved "Barbecue Gons" character. This cute, smiling mascot was an icon for the popular barbecue restaurant chain. However, as competition intensified and new eateries emerged, the chain saw a downturn in sales.
Instead of introducing new dishes or aggressive discounts, the brand took a drastic, yet emotionally resonant, step: they changed their iconic smiling mascot to a frowning face. This simple alteration, understood deeply within Thailand's "culture of cute," conveyed the restaurant's sadness at declining patronage. The message was clear and direct: the mascot's smile wouldn't return until customers came back to eat. This ingenious emotional appeal created a direct call to action, reminding people that their presence could bring happiness back to their beloved Barbecue Gons, and by extension, to the restaurant itself. The dramatic flip of an icon sparked conversation and drew customers back, proving the power of emotional connection in marketing.
Goodman Fielder Baking, Certified Toasters, DDB NZ
Every toaster, it seems, has its own personality, often leading to frustratingly burnt toast even on familiar settings. Vogels, New Zealand's favorite bread company, decided to tackle this common household dilemma head-on.
They embarked on an extensive, painstaking project: testing their bread in every single toaster model they could get their hands on. Their goal was to determine the precise settings for a perfectly golden, unburnt slice of Vogels bread. The results were then meticulously cataloged and released to the public, both online and in stores at major retailers. This meant that a Vogels customer could look up their specific toaster model and find the "certified" settings—for example, "down once on three, then once on four" for a perfect toast from frozen. This innovative approach transformed the often-annoying experience of toasting into a foolproof process. By taking on the responsibility of perfecting the toast, Vogels not only demonstrated a deep understanding of their product's interaction with everyday life but also forged a unique and helpful partnership with its consumers, effectively certifying toasters for optimal bread enjoyment.
(At BE Extraordinary, a series about the winners at Cannes Lions written in collaboration with Harsh Kapadia, CCO, Grey India, we peer outside the Grand Prix winners, and look at clutter breaking work that picked the silvers and the bronzes, but don't often get discussed.)