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Time of India
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Cannes Lions 2025: Roars of success or whispers of doubt?
On Saturday morning, KV Sridhar , popularly known as Pops in the advertising world, posted on LinkedIn a poster: ' Cannes is the new Goafest .' IYKYK. However, the sub-text in Sridhar's message merely celebrated India's continued success on the global stage, noting the country's impressive haul of 32 Lions at Cannes 2025. Sridhar was not alone in his reflections. Naresh Gupta , co-founder, Bang in the Middle, was more direct. Questioning the legitimacy of some wins, Gupta's post on social media said, 'Cannes is over and some Lions have roared, or have they?' He specifically called out campaigns that won big but whose real-world impact or even existence appeared questionable. The campaigns under his scrutiny included FCB India's Grand Prix-winning Lucky Yatra for Indian Railways, which he alleged, barely ran; Talented's Silver-winning Nature Shapes Britannia, whose sustainability impact he questioned; and Havas's Gold-winning Ink of Democracy for TOI. This isn't the first time winners at Cannes Lions have faced scrutiny. In fact, during this year's edition, Cannes Lions itself is investigating São Paulo-based DM9, a 2025 Creative Data Grand Prix winner, for allegedly submitting a doctored case study video for their "Efficient Way to Pay" campaign. This global precedent, involving falsified testimonials and misattributed content, highlights a systemic vulnerability. Oversight or Calculated Risk? So, where did Indian agencies possibly falter? Was it an innocent oversight, or something more calculated? Or could this be an attempt to outsmart global juries who may not fully understand the nuances of the Indian market? Gupta didn't mince words. 'This isn't a case of oversight from the agencies; it's a well-thought-through strategy,' he asserted. Gupta pointed out that this practice isn't new. 'It has been happening for a while. People notice, conversations happen, and then it fades until the next time.' Speaking about FCB India's Lucky Yatra campaign, Gupta didn't hold back. According to him, the campaign is a 'scam.' 'It never really happened,' he said. 'The idea may have been pitched, someone may have given it a name, but it was discontinued almost as soon as it began. I don't even think it was fully executed. Yet, somehow, it won a Grand Prix.' But reports in sections of media highlight that the campaign ran for three months and was stopped, ironically a day before Cannes Lions, after it generated an extremely poor response. (ETBrandEquity has reached out to FCB India for their comments and the story will be updated once we hear back from them.) Gupta further pointed out that many of these entries are crafted specifically to win international awards, tailored to appeal to global juries. 'It's all about gloss, polish, and creating the kind of activity that tends to win more awards,' he commented. 'Just look at FCB winning a Gold for PR. That's when you know things have been packaged very cleverly.' Pops shared a perspective on the increased scrutiny that follows major wins in the advertising industry. According to him, success naturally draws attention, and rather than focusing solely on what went wrong, it's more productive to think about how to improve going forward. 'If you have big ambitions and are 'greedy' for awards, then you need to do a lot of groundwork carefully and honestly,' he advised. He highlighted the problem of exaggerated claims in award entries, referencing recent controversies. 'It's completely unbelievable to say that one print ad, published for a single day in just two cities, changed voter turnout across the entire country. That's not how deeply rooted behaviour changes. These kinds of claims might seem harmless when made in the excitement of writing a case study, but if you win with a false story, it will eventually come back to bite you. These things should be sorted out much earlier in the process.' Pops explained that great campaigns rely on two essential elements: the core creative idea and the execution. While the idea itself may be brilliant, the results and impact depend on factors like budget, client support, and media reach, which are not always within the creative team's control. A truly breakthrough campaign, he stressed, requires full collaboration across teams and stakeholders. Another campaign facing criticism was the Nature Shapes Britannia campaign. The premise that four billboards could "save the world" raised eyebrows. According to experts, had it won in categories like Outdoor or Craft, it might have been more defensible. But winning in Sustainability? That's where credibility began to erode. In a joint statement, Britannia and Talented acknowledged the recent criticism, emphasising, "At Britannia, we always value insights from experts, and constructive criticism is crucial in helping us grow and align better with the values we wish to uphold." They agreed that the company is "at the nascent stage of its sustainability journey." The campaign's intent, the statement read, "was to share with our consumers that we are taking deliberate, albeit small steps toward a more sustainable future. While we understand that we are far from being a benchmark in sustainability, our goal is to be transparent about our progress and inspire collective action." Regarding the sustainability report , Britannia explained that the document evaluated in the recent discussion was their statutory Annual Report. They urged attention to their Sustainability Report, published last year, which provides a detailed explanation for observed increases in numbers. This increase, they noted, correlates with an expansion of their operations and an extended reporting boundary. Britannia reiterated their commitment to continuous improvement: "Each year, as our operations scale, we strive to be more mindful of the resources we use and the impact we create. Sustainability is not a destination but a journey, and we are dedicated to making meaningful strides along the way." A System Under Scrutiny According to Gupta, the responsibility lies squarely with the jury and the organisers. 'If they started to look at these submissions more carefully and deeply, this wouldn't happen. They don't do their due diligence. Someone on the jury from South America won't know what happened in India. They will only know what's been submitted, and the submission can sound absolutely perfect,' he stated. Gupta believes that without a proper vetting mechanism in place, these issues will keep recurring. Pops offered a contrasting but related perspective. He noted that it's primarily the fault of the agency to construct a false narrative. Juries, to some extent, rely on the information provided in the case study. He said, "If a case study claims a huge impact for a campaign, that's a compelling narrative for any jury. The jury relies on what's presented. While organisers might check after a Grand Prix win, ultimately, it's the agency's responsibility to be truthful." Another industry leader observed that juries often evaluate entries based on the strength of the creative idea, without thoroughly validating the claimed impact. 'I don't blame creative ambition entirely,' he said. 'A significant part of the problem is the pressure that agencies and global holding companies put on teams. There's often a push to inflate a small idea into something larger just to win awards. It might lead to a trophy in the short term, but over time, it undermines the credibility of the entire industry.'
Time of India
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
The Cannes Syndrome
A lot has been said and done about the extravaganza that is the Cannes Advertising Festival - the wet dream of many an advertising professional - a celebration of great advertising across the world. That begs the question - what makes an ad campaign 'great'? Is it the craft that went behind it? The impact it had? Or some other metric altogether? Ideally it is the beautiful point where creative execution leads to measurable and visible impact for the brand, and that is the criteria as well. And yet, LinkedIn was rife with industry professionals talking about how many awarded campaigns have one thing in common - almost nobody outside the industry has seen them. Campaigns like 'Lucky Yatra' by FCB India - with brilliant ideation & craft behind it, and yet even the people employed by the Indian Railways were not aware about it till it was too late. Somewhere there's a disconnect. So what is the purpose of a platform that celebrates creativity in advertising if the impact of said great work is being called into question by industry veterans after every edition of the awards? From the point of view of a new professional in the field, they give you something to aspire for. A standard of out-of-the-box thinking that not only raises the bar for good work each time, but also rewards those who manage to crack something meaningful. But maybe, just maybe, there is a need for a course-correction. Maybe there needs to be a mechanism that ensures that there is parity, clarity, and sincerity in the campaigns that claim impact while ensuring that the passion behind the craft shines through - Something that takes care of the Cannes Syndrome where the bells sing of impact, but the echo is largely silent. Something to think about…
Mint
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
India roars at Cannes, but global creative dominance still eludes us
MUMBAI: India has never looked more confident on the global creative stage. With a rich haul of 32 Lions at this year's Cannes Lions International Festival, including a Grand Prix, nine Golds, nine Silvers, and 13 Bronzes, this was India's best outing since 2022. But behind the celebration lies a more sobering question: while Indian ad agencies are solving real-world problems and building culturally powerful narratives, are we still falling short of creating globally scaled, exportable creative intellectual property (IP)? The wins spanned newer, impact-led categories like PR, creative data, social and influencer, creative strategy and brand experience—marking a clear departure from the era when India's strength lay in print or radio. Among the most celebrated campaigns this year were FCB India's Lucky Yatra, which gamified Indian Railways' unreserved ticketing system to reward underserved travellers; Leo Burnett's Tailor Test, which used neighbourhood tailors to push men toward preventive health check-ups; and Ogilvy's Erase Valentine's Day, which continued 5Star's irreverent tone and won Gold for its culturally subversive social play. Also read: Advertising sentiment remains subdued during festive quarter 'India's performance at Cannes this year has been nothing short of inspiring, and I think it is the result of a steady evolution and not a sudden breakthrough," said Rana Barua, group chief executive officer, Havas India, SEA and North Asia (Japan and South Korea). 'We've been sharpening our strategic thinking while staying rooted in culture and elevating the craft to meet global standards. What's really working in our favour now is our ability to tell stories that are both deeply local but also hold universal relevance." Havas India picked up metals for Ink of Democracy, which turned a newspaper front page purple—the colour of India's voting ink—to nudge readers to vote. The campaign was high on cultural resonance and symbolic weight and reflected the kind of idea Cannes increasingly rewards. 'We're witnessing a definitive shift toward 'purpose with proof'. It's no longer enough for a campaign to simply say something meaningful; it also has to do with the right messaging and effective impact," Barua said. 'The work that wins today is emotionally compelling, but also measurable, actionable, and anchored in truth." Even traditional advertisers are leaning into this shift. Mondelez India's 5Star was again among the Cannes winners for its quirky, anti-Valentine's Day campaign. 'Winning Gold at Cannes is a moment of immense pride for us," said Nitin Saini, vice-president—marketing, Mondelez India. 'We aim to deliver bold, clutter-breaking work that drives both brand love and business impact." Also read: Music labels crack the whip as influencers flout copyright rules on social media Saini underlined that the brand doesn't create work just to win awards. 'Our briefs are always anchored on winning with consumers, keeping in mind our key brand objectives and with a laser focus on consumer impact," he said. 'But when the work is insightful, disruptive, and hits the right cultural nerve, it often earns recognition." He also pointed out that risk-taking is less about timing and more about internal culture. 'At Mondelez, we encourage our teams to deeply understand the consumer, the cultural context and our brands and from that foundation, we give them the freedom to experiment." But despite the optimism, some remain unconvinced that this success marks a permanent shift. Karthik Srinivasan, independent communications consultant, said, 'There is good work coming out of India, most definitely, but we could do a lot better in terms of scale and ambition." Srinivasan noted that many of the wins came from purpose-led interventions, where there's greater creative flexibility than in product-led advertising. 'Purpose-led activations have always been the well of creative thought, unshackled from the need to sell, which is the traditional bedrock of advertising. So it's no wonder that they offer better width for agencies to unleash creativity. But the real magic would be in producing such creativity in service of selling traditional products, using traditional brand storytelling." He also raised a deeper issue: India still hasn't created a globally exportable brand idea. 'We still lack the ambition to create ideas that can be scaled globally. For instance, Surf Excel's Daag Achche Hain, Snickers' You're Not You When You're Hungry, or Pepsi's No Lays, No Game were all successfully adapted in India and not originated. While we go hard on local relevance, when we create ideas that can work locally and can be successfully imported to other markets, that would signal something very different about Indian creativity." Some of this year's top winners weren't without controversy. Lucky Yatra drew criticism over execution claims, while a Britannia film raised concerns about exaggerated outcomes—rekindling debates around the line between case study storytelling and fact-based results. Also read: Former Disney India legal head Mihir Rale joins Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas 'Creativity, on its own, does matter," Srinivasan said. 'But when in advertising, there's a subsequent question: 'Did it work?' That depends on other factors—whether there was enough money and appropriate media vehicles used in service of the idea, and whether the intended audience gained from it. Awards matter when they are defined sharply." Barua believes that Indian agencies are moving in the right direction—investing in system-level change, not just in campaign flash. 'Great work doesn't happen by accident. It takes intent, collaboration, and a culture that champions both excellence and empathy," he said. 'Our Village model brings together creative, media, CX (consumer experience), design, PR, tech and health under one roof. We're not just making ads, we're solving complex business problems." This year's Cannes wins weren't dominated by any single holding company or city. FCB, Leo Burnett, Ogilvy, Havas, Dentsu Creative, Godrej Creative Lab and BBH all contributed, suggesting a broader base of ambition and capability across the ecosystem. But the question of consistency remains. 'We're absolutely capable of becoming consistent global forces," Barua said. 'What's holding us back is a mix of scale, mindset, and opportunity. We're often operating in a value-conscious, risk-averse environment, but that's changing." What's encouraging is that Indian creatives are no longer thinking in just 30-second TVCs or radio spots. They're thinking in platforms, formats and ecosystems. And this year's winners prove India can deliver culturally rooted, globally relevant storytelling. The challenge now is whether we can build on this momentum and create ideas that don't just win, but endure. India may not have had its Droga5 moment yet. But Cannes 2025 suggests we're no longer chasing others. We're finally beginning to lead.
Time of India
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Indian agencies make their mark at Cannes Lions 2025
The annual Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is progressing, with Indian agencies consistently being recognised for their creative and innovative work. As of the end of Day 3, India has secured a total of 2 Grand Prix, 2 Gold, 8 Silver, and 11 Bronze Lions. Here is an update on India's performance across the initial days of the festival: Day 1: A strong start India commenced its Cannes Lions 2025 journey with a robust showing, securing 2 Gold, 4 Silver, and 3 Bronze Lions. Notable wins on the first day included: FCB India earned a Gold in the Outdoor category for its "Lucky Yatra" campaign for Indian Railways. The campaign also secured a Bronze in the same category. Havas Creative India clinched a Gold Lion in the Print and Publishing category for "Ink of Democracy," a campaign for The Times of India. Talented received a Silver in the Outdoor category for "Nature Shapes Britannia" for Britannia Industries. FCB Kinnect was awarded a Silver in Outdoor for "Too Yumm! To Cheer!" for Too Yumm!. Lowe Lintas secured a Silver in Pharma for "Dawai Reader" for Alkem Laboratories. Godrej Creative Lab won a Silver in Health and Wellness for the "Naga Saint Eye Test" campaign for Eyebetes Foundation. Ogilvy collected two Bronze Lions in the Outdoor category for "Chai Bansuri – The Tea Flute" for Unilever's Brooke Bond Taj Mahal Tea and "Vi Guardian Beads" for Vodafone Idea. Day 2: Continued momentum The second day saw India add 2 Silver and 1 Bronze Lion to its tally. The total count by the end of Day 2 stood at 2 Gold, 6 Silver, and 4 Bronze. Highlights from Day 2 included: VML Mumbai secured a Silver Lion in The Entertainment Lion for Music category for "The Girl Who Played The Tutari" for Coca-Cola's Coke Studio Bharat. Talented received its second Silver Lion, for "Avani's Gold" in the Entertainment Lions for Sport category for Britannia Marie Gold. Ogilvy Bangalore clinched a Bronze Lion in the Design category for "Eye Test Menu" for The Titan Company. Day 3: A significant haul On Day 3, India added another 2 Silver and 7 Bronze Lions, bringing the cumulative total to 2 Gold, 8 Silver, and 11 Bronze Lions. Additionally, Ogilvy India's "Voice of the Village" was recognised with a Grand Prix. Key awards announced on Day 3 included: Leo India earned a Silver in the Media category for the 'Takeoff Takeover' campaign for Cathay Pacific. FCB India won a Silver in the PR category for the 'Lucky Yatra' campaign for Indian Railways. Ogilvy India received a Bronze in the Media category for 'Eye Test Menu' for Titan Company. Havas Creative India bagged another Bronze for 'Ink of Democracy' , this time in the Direct category, and another Bronze in the Media category. Dentsu Creative secured a Bronze in the Media category for 'Garuda Rakshak' for DSP Mutual Funds. Talented was awarded a Bronze in the Media category for 'Nature Shapes Britannia' for Britannia. BBH India won a Bronze in the Social and Creator category for 'Bassi vs. Men's Facewash' for Garnier. Ogilvy India's campaign, "Voice of the Village" for 'RuralConnect Telecom', was awarded the Grand Prix in the Brand Experience and Activation category. India's creative contributions India's performance at Cannes Lions 2025 demonstrates a maturing creative industry that is making significant contributions to global advertising and marketing. The awards reflect an understanding of various consumer segments, the adoption of technology and an emphasis on narrative development. The festival continues to recognise Indian creativity, which draws from its cultural context while communicating broadly on the global stage. These achievements are expected to inspire future creative endeavors, encouraging continued innovation and the sharing of diverse stories within the global creative community.
Time of India
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
India 'Ink' strikes gold on day 1 of Cannes Lions 2025
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2025 has seen India secure awards and shortlists across various categories. Indian agencies have shown capabilities in Outdoor, Health and Wellness, Pharma, and Print and Publishing. As of day 1 and day 2 announcements, India has received two Gold, four Silver, and three Bronze Lions, bringing the total medal count to nine. This indicates India's continued presence at the festival. Awarded Campaigns: Gold Lions: FCB India received a Gold in the Outdoor category for "Lucky Yatra" for Indian Railways. This campaign addressed ticketless travel by linking train tickets to a lottery. Havas Creative India was awarded a Gold in Print and Publishing for "Ink of Democracy" for The Times of India, a campaign related to voter participation. Silver Lions: Talented, Bangalore, earned a Silver in Outdoor for "Nature Shapes Britannia" for Britannia Industries, noted for its use of sustainable billboard design. FCB Kinnect, Mumbai, secured a Silver in Outdoor for "Too Yumm! To Cheer!" for Too Yumm!, involving edible cheer signs to work around stadium snack restrictions. Godrej Creative Lab received a Silver in Health & Wellness for the "Naga Saint Eye Test" campaign for the Eyebetes Foundation, focused on eye screenings at Kumbh 2025. Lowe Lintas, Mumbai, took a Silver in Pharma for "Dawai Reader" for Alkem Laboratories, an AI-powered tool designed to interpret handwritten prescriptions. Bronze Lions: FCB India also received a Bronze for "Lucky Yatra" in the Outdoor category. Ogilvy Mumbai secured two Bronze Lions in Outdoor: one for "Chai Bansuri – The Tea Flute" for Unilever's Brooke Bond Taj Mahal Tea, an installation that combined tea culture with Indian classical music, and another for "Vi Guardian Beads" for Vodafone Idea, which used engraved beads for locating missing persons. Shortlist summary: India's overall shortlist tally stands at 76 shortlists across 20 categories. This year's submission count from India was 982 entries, an increase from 826 in 2024. Agencies with multiple shortlists include: Ogilvy India FCB India Havas Creative India Talented Leo Burnett Lowe Lintas Shortlisted campaigns cover themes such as social behavior, sustainability, cultural engagement, and the use of technology in advertising . India's presence is noted across various Lions categories, including Design, Direct, Entertainment for Sport and Film Craft. Further award announcements are expected as the festival continues.
