The opening day of Cannes Lions 2025 belonged to India, not just in the number of metals won, but in the deeper stories those awards celebrated. With two Gold Lions, four Silver, and three Bronze awards, Indian creativity made a resounding statement on the global stage. This wasn’t just a medal tally; it was a reflection of a mindset shift. It signalled how ideas grounded in cultural nuance, public purpose, and innovation are reshaping the way India communicates with the world.
In an era where creative effectiveness and emotional truth reign supreme, campaigns like FCB India’s Lucky Yatra and Havas’ Ink of Democracy emerged as beacons. They were not just creative successes—they were acts of societal imagination.
Creativity with Consequence: FCB India and the Power of Positivity
Winning Gold and Bronze in the Outdoor category, FCB India’s Lucky Yatra flipped the punitive narrative of train ticketing. Instead of penalising non-ticketed passengers, it gamified ticket-buying into a lottery-like reward system. This wasn’t just behaviour change through design; it was optimism as policy, backed by creative clarity.
The campaign also bagged a Silver for Too Yumm!, where fans smuggled edible-ink slogans into stadiums on giant chips—an act of joyous rebellion against strict sponsorship regulations. As Dheeraj Sinha, Group CEO, FCB India and South Asia, reflected, it’s not just about individual campaigns, but building a culture of creativity that dares to be different.
Havas Strikes Gold: Democracy, Ink, and Quiet Power
In the Print and Publishing category, Havas India brought home a Gold Lion for Ink of Democracy, created for The Times of India. It wasn’t a flashy campaign—it was powerful in its stillness. Highlighting how 7,500 litres of electoral ink were wasted in the 2014 elections due to low voter turnout, the newspapers printed their editions using the very same indelible ink.
Anupama Ramaswamy, CCO of Havas Creative India, said it best: “It wasn’t loud or flashy, but it had truth, purpose, and heart.” Her words reflect a broader truth about Indian creativity today—it is increasingly human, authentic, and brave. The campaign was carried not just by concept, but by a young team driven by integrity and vision.
Ideas with Social Muscle: Silver and Bronze Stories That Stuck
Lowe Lintas’ DawAI Reader—a Silver Lion winner in Pharma—was an AI solution that decoded prescriptions for rural patients with limited literacy. This wasn’t advertising; it was applied innovation, where brand purpose met real need.
Talented’s Nature Shapes Britannia campaign, awarded Silver, embraced environmental storytelling by carving billboards around trees rather than removing them. This literal shaping of media to respect nature was a quiet protest in a concrete world.
Ogilvy’s twin Bronze wins—Chai Bansuri and Vi’s child-safety bracelet—also stood out for their simplicity. Whether it was a flute-playing kettle or a sacred-thread-inspired tracking tool, the message was clear: craft matters. So does emotion.
Godrej Creative Lab, too, earned Silver in Audio & Radio for Eyebetes, with Naga saints at the Kumbh Mela raising awareness on eye health. It was spiritual, surprising, and anchored in cultural fluency—a reminder that creativity, when localised thoughtfully, travels far.
More Than Wins: A Moment of Creative Maturity
The success at Cannes this year isn’t just about the number of awards—it’s a signal of India’s evolving creative narrative. We’re seeing the rise of slow-burn, purpose-driven thinking over flash-in-the-pan gimmicks. Clients are trusting long-term brand building. Agencies are empowering younger talent. And ideas are being built with conscience, not just craft.
India has always had the stories. Now it has the creative ecosystems—cultural, strategic, and technological—to tell them at scale and with soul. As the world redefines what it means to make an impact, India’s creative community is showing that the most powerful ideas don’t scream—they resonate.
