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Tag: Cannes Lions 2025

  • India ends Cannes Lions 2025 on a high, bags 32 metals in a roaring run

    India ends Cannes Lions 2025 on a high, bags 32 metals in a roaring run

    MUMBAI: India wrapped up its Cannes Lions 2025 campaign in style, pocketing a cool 32 Lions—nearly double last year’s tally of 18. The final medal, a Silver Lion on Day 5, came in the Sustainable Development Goals category for BBDO India’s long-running Ariel #ShareTheLoad campaign. It capped a festival that saw Indian agencies sprint, leap and roar across the Croisette.

    The BBDO campaign, now a decade-old crusade challenging patriarchal laundry norms, was hailed for its creative consistency and cultural clout. Josy Paul, chairperson and chief creative officer at BBDO India—also this year’s SDG Lions jury president—called it “a movement, not just a message.” Well, the jury agreed.

    Though Day 5 brought just the one metal, the closing spotlight stayed firmly on impact. FCB India’s blockbuster “Lucky Yatra” for Indian Railways, already a Grand Prix and multi-Gold winner, made the Titanium shortlist but didn’t convert. The Womb’s nostalgic “We Broke the Jinx. We Won the World Cup” for Jim Jam Pops also reached the Film shortlist but walked away empty-handed.

    Still, India’s medal chest sparkled: 1 Grand Prix, 9 Golds, 9 Silvers, and 13 Bronzes. That’s a barnstorming 32 Lions. FCB India led the pride, while Ogilvy, Leo India, Havas Creative India, Talented and others made strong showings in categories ranging from Brand Experience & Activation to Creative Commerce.

    What clicked? A sharp mix of culture and conscience. From turning train tickets into lottery dreams, to custom-tailored heart health awareness, to menus that doubled as eye tests—Indian creativity pulled off the rare trick: selling with soul.

    Cannes Lions 2025 proved the Indian ad world is no longer an emerging force—it’s arrived, swagger and all.

  • Havas Creative India paints Cannes purple with ‘Ink of Democracy’ campaign

    Havas Creative India paints Cannes purple with ‘Ink of Democracy’ campaign

    MUMBAI: Havas Creative India has left an indelible impression at Cannes Lions 2025, taking home one Gold in Print & Publishing and two Bronze Lions in Direct and Best Use of Media for its bold campaign ‘Ink of Democracy’, created in partnership with The Times of India.

    The campaign transformed the newspaper’s editorial page into a wall of silent protest — printing it entirely in electoral ink purple, the same hue used to mark voters’ fingers. The striking visual served as a powerful reminder ahead of the general elections: democracy thrives when ink hits paper and the ballot.

    Havas India, Group CEO, South East Asia and North Asia, Rana Barua said, “Our momentum at Cannes Lions 2025 has been incredible with one Gold in Print & Publishing and two Bronze Lions in Direct and Media for Ink of Democracy. These wins reflect the kind of culture we’ve been nurturing at Havas, a culture rooted in meaning, collaboration, and fearless creativity. It is also a testament of the product and ecosystem we’ve built over the last 7 years. I’m incredibly proud of Anu and our young talents who brought home the lions. A big thank you to Joji and our global teams for the continuous support. Our hearts are full, and I believe this is just the beginning for us.”

    Havas Creative India, joint MD & CCO, Anupama Ramaswamy added, “We’re incredibly overwhelmed and humbled to bring home two more Bronze Lions for Times of India – Ink of Democracy in Direct and Best Use of Media, along with our Gold in Print & Publishing. For a country that still begins its day with the newspaper, this was more than a campaign, it was a responsibility. And what could be more direct than telling 1.4 billion people to leave their homes and go vote? We didn’t chase engagement; we sparked participation. We didn’t count likes; we counted inked fingers. This is creativity serving democracy. A heartfelt thank you to our incredible partners at The Times of India, and a big shout out to my brilliantly talented young team — Soham, Ravinder, and Annie. You made this real. These wins matter. They bring visibility, open doors, and most importantly, they shine a light on the next generation of talent. At Havas we are committed to making sure they’re seen, heard, and celebrated.”

    Stripped of headlines but not of intent, the campaign challenged apathy with colour and symbolism, proving that sometimes, silence shouts the loudest.

  • Havas Worldwide India duo clinches TOI & ECI’s Power of Print Contest 2024

    Havas Worldwide India duo clinches TOI & ECI’s Power of Print Contest 2024

    Mumbai: With over 15.8 crore Indians eligible to cast their votes in the ongoing General Elections of the world’s largest democracy, two young creatives of Havas Worldwide India have crafted a groundbreaking campaign, to remind citizens of their democratic rights and responsibilities.

    The Power of Print Contest 2024 is run by The Times of India Group in collaboration with the Election Commission of India. Havas Worldwide India’s creative talents, Soham Ghosh, Creative Supervisor (Copy), and Ravinder Kumar, Associate Creative Director, have won the coveted award and will represent the agency at Cannes Lions 2025.

    The winning entry, selected from over 560 entries from across the country on the theme ‘I Vote For Sure’, aims to inspire greater voter turnout by highlighting the significance of every individual’s vote.

    Unveiled in The Economic Times, Bengaluru edition on April 26, 2024, coinciding with the city’s voting day for the second phase of the 18th Lok Sabha Elections, the winning concept employs a striking visual metaphor. The entire newspaper page has been rendered in purple ink, symbolising the unused electoral ink from the 2019 elections. This innovative approach serves as a hard-hitting reminder of the wasted potential inherent in unmarked fingers and uncast votes. To motivate people from across the country to vote, the campaign will be published in the most important markets of the publication over the next two weeks.

    Times of India head of creative strategy, innovation, branded content and trade marketing for BCCL Response Sagnik Ghosh said, “After a tough competition and intense evaluation by the eminent jury, the fifth edition of The Times Power of Print, supported by the Election Commission of India, has its winners. Among the many strong entries, the winning ad stood out for its effective portrayal of the urgency of the issue of low voter turnout and the masterful use of print as a versatile medium, open to innovative possibilities. We hope that this ad is inspiring to the readers and motivates them to exercise their right to vote on D-Day.”

    Speaking about the idea, Havas Worldwide India chief creative officer Anupama Ramaswamy said, “At Havas Worldwide India, we truly believe in the power of ideas to drive meaningful change. Soham and Ravinder’s powerful idea exemplifies our commitment to leveraging creativity for social good, empowering citizens to shape the future of our nation.”

    Soham Ghosh said, “Our idea stemmed from the low voter count in the last Lok Sabha Elections. The insight was simple yet powerful – if people are not getting their fingers marked with purple ink, then they’re not just wasting the electoral ink, they’re also wasting the power of democracy. So, we suggested printing an entire page of the newspaper using purple ink for people to take notice of the unused electoral ink.”

    For Ravinder Kumar, this campaign is much more important than just winning tickets to the Cannes Lions next year. He said, “Going to the Cannes Lions Festival has been a life-long dream but with this newspaper innovation using purple ink, if we can inspire even one person to step out and vote this time, it will be a bigger victory for us.”