Posted on by Nathalie Tay
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Cannes Lions 2025: Midweek Mayhem
19 Jun
Cannes isn’t cooling down — it’s boiling over. Over 12,000 attendees from 97 countries arrived at the 72nd Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity on June 16, once again turning the Croisette into ground zero for adland’s most dazzling ideas.
Three days in, and the global creative community is already buzzing about AI-powered craft, culture-fuelled storytelling, and commerce-driving genius. Seated among the audience are high‑profile figures like Adobe’s Shantanu Narayen (Creative Champion of the Year), Amazon’s Andy Jassy, YouTube’s Neal Mohan, Reese Witherspoon, Serena Williams, Jimmy Fallon, and others.
Meanwhile, India continues to prove it’s not just competing — it’s leading. The country brings home a Gold for FCB India’s work with Indian Railways, plus a haul of Silvers and Bronzes. VML is also coming in hot with a Grand Prix win for KitKat, plus wins for AXA, OREO, and Vaseline; a Gold for Hidden Eye Test (Industry Craft), and more metals across Digital, Entertainment, and Social; and another Gold trio for Preserved Promos, The Rewards Bag, and Navy Subreddit Hunt.
From Viagra’s unspoken bedroom intimacy to Bad Bunny’s GPS-powered musical hunt, here’s what’s been winning metal — and turning heads — at Cannes so far.
Day 1: Purpose, Print, and Provocation
Pharma Grand Prix: “Make Love Last – Bedroom” | Viagra (Viatris) – Ogilvy Shanghai
A haunting, time-lapse visual of elderly intimacy without a word spoken. A blue diamond shape said it all. Unbranded, unforgettable.
Health & Wellness Grand Prix: “Vaseline Verified” | Unilever – Ogilvy Singapore
Skincare meets science. Viral myths meet clinical reality. A bold blend of medical rigour and creator economy magic.
UN Grand Prix for Good: “The Best Place in the World to Have Herpes” | NZ Herpes Foundation – Finch Sydney & Motion Sickness
Yes, you read that right. A cheeky campaign using humour to dismantle STI stigma. Bold pays off.
Audio & Radio Grand Prix: “One Second Ads” | Budweiser – Africa Creative & DDB São Paulo
One second. One note. One brand. These blink-and-you’ll-miss-it audio stunts made music lovers sit up — and sing along.
Outdoor Grand Prix: “KitKat Phone Break” | VML Prague
Czech Republic’s first Outdoor Grand Prix. Smart outdoor placements encouraged people to look up from their phones and have a real break.
Retail media redefined. Product packaging printed with price tags to fight inflation and support the working class. Heavy message, minimalist delivery.
Day 2: Cinema, Gaming, and Craft on Steroids
Branded Entertainment Grand Prix: “Night Fishing” | Hyundai – Innocean Seoul
Filmed entirely from car-mounted cameras. No dialogue. Pure cinematic tension. Branded entertainment just entered its feature film era.
Gaming Grand Prix: “Call of Discounts” | Mercado Livre – GUT São Paulo
You thought in-game ads were intrusive? Think again. Neymar Jr. dropped deals into Call of Duty. A native commerce masterclass.
Music Grand Prix: “Tracking Bad Bunny” | Rimas – DDB Latina
An AR scavenger hunt with Spotify and Google Maps. Album launch turned interactive odyssey. Earned media? $40M+.
Sports Grand Prix: “Haaland Payback Time” | Clash of Clans – DAVID New York
From striker to slayer. Erling Haaland entered the world of gaming as a playable character — and won a Lion doing it.
Film Craft Grand Prix: “Telstra – Better on a Better Network” | Bear Meets Eagle on Fire
26 handcrafted puppet videos. Heartland storytelling meets telecom branding. Who knew network coverage could feel this human?
Design & Digital Craft Grand Prix: “Caption with Intention” | FCB Chicago x Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences
Closed captions reimagined as artistic expression. Accessibility became a canvas — and Cannes noticed.
Industry Craft Grand Prix: “Nigrum Corpus” | IDOMED – Artplan São Paulo
A fabricated medical manual that exposes racism in health care. Design meets documentary. Data meets justice.
