How to win a Cannes Grand Prix
Pro bono work
is bono for the agency.
Indeed, very bono.
Often, pro bono (for the good) work is created for organisations that work to ameliorate conditions of, say, victims of domestic abuse, the homeless, various addictions, animal shelters. Or promote causes such as urging people to vote or not honk, even.
Needless to say, such organisations are cash-strapped and welcome contributions of all kinds. In steps the agency. Equally cash-strapped but rich in ideas.
Since the work created is mostly free, the organisations do not interfere in creatives. They're ecstatic they have a poster for a fundraiser. The creative team is over the moon they have an entry.
The planner is assigned the task of 'creating' a case study that shows 'substantial increase' in the chances of repairing holes in the ozone layer. Thanks to the poster.
The bleary-eyed jury, watching the 256th four-minute case study, is happy to vote an aye for anything that can save the planet or humanity. Or the railways from ticketless travellers.
Now a jury comprises ad women and men from around the world. Very often, they're moved more by the cause than the solution. Especially causes that are alien to the developed world. Imagine telling a European jury that a woman is not allowed to play, say, the violin on certain days and that's where the brand helped — by printing T-shirts.
You see? This is something we've cracked. A fast-developing country of a billion-and-a-half people is a pro-bono goldmine. We have at least a few millions of anything. You can spot a winning 'cause' whichever direction you turn your head in.
Awards guaranteed. Trust me. We won a Lion creating awareness against the practice of child brides.
Here then is a case study for starters for Cannes 2026.
'Calcium deficiency afflicts many children. We created a non-toxic, edible chalk for school children. A 91% increase in bone strength and 87% reduction in teeth cavities were reported. Indeed, many children now have 38 teeth.'
You get the drift.
A quick Google search will give you heartbreaking statistics: Deaths by suicide of agricultural labourers. Lives lost on railway lines due to various reasons, a majority run over while crossing tracks (remember 2012's 'Dumb Ways to Die'?).
Gender-based discrimination has a dedicated
Glass Lion
. Traditionally guardians of royal harems, India's half a million eunuchs face hardships and need creative intervention.
Beggars at traffic signals. Traffic signals that work or don't. Wrong side driving, which is just a direction we give to our locations: 'Single
se
100 metres wrong side
le lena
. Left
mein
first building.'
While a billion people find peace of mind at mega gatherings, creatives find metals.
Any entry that starts with 'In India, we have 28% of global tuberculosis' or '60-70 cases per 1,000 births with birth defects like cleft lip/clubfoot' will 76% fetch you a bronze at least.
Indeed, nothing makes an international jury donate (even if it's just a vote in favour) as (the very harshly-termed) poverty porn. But then, it's human nature. Look at the films from the region that have won international recognition for the past 75 years.
Having said that, what the work does is show the creative firepower of
Indian advertising
. It's a pity that such work does not get required ad spends or Opportunity to See (OTS). Some of these campaigns can be transformational.
Think 'Do
boond zindagi ki
' and polio eradication.
Let us wait for June 2026 to see what new categories bring home Lions and Pencils.
I've now come to the end of my allotted word limit. That apart, the team is in the conference room, meeting to discuss the rare mosquito-borne disease: Zika. It mostly affects pregnant women.
We have a small clinic in mind.
(The author is the founder of Thinkstr. Views expressed are personal.)
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