Fresh off a strong showing on Day 1 of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Indian agencies are poised for another round of global recognition, with 17 shortlists across seven categories in contention for awards being presented Tuesday night.
India’s creative strengths are spread across categories including Design, Entertainment for Music, Entertainment for Sport, Entertainment for Gaming, Film Craft, and Industry Craft. While there are no shortlists in Digital Craft or Entertainment, several standout campaigns are competing across multiple categories and subcategories.
The Design category brings in five shortlists. Ogilvy India’s ‘Eye Test Menu’ for Titan Eyewear and Famous Innovations’ ‘Seven Layers of Truth’ for Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation each earn two nods in different subcategories, including Posters, Promotional Items, and Design for Behavioural Change. TGTHR India also joins the list with ‘UV Lync’ for Ultraviolette, shortlisted in Sustainability-Focused Design.
In Entertainment Lions for Music, India has three shortlists. BBDO India’s WhatsApp campaign ‘Oye Lucky’ is featured in Brand Integration, while VML India’s ‘The Girl Who Played the Tutari’ for Coca-Cola’s Coke Studio Bharat appears twice, in both Original Composition and Cultural Engagement.
The Entertainment Lions for Sport category also sees three Indian entries shortlisted. Talented’s ‘Avani’s Gold’ for Britannia Marie Gold gets double recognition in Brand Storytelling and Partnerships with Sports Talent, while Leo India’s ‘Oreo History in the Baking’ reappears for Fan Engagement.
In Entertainment Lions for Gaming, DDB Mudra’s ‘Great In-Game Wedding’ for Battlegrounds Mobile India gets two nods — one in Community Management and another in Cultural Engagement.
The Film Craft category features three shortlists: Lowe Lintas for ‘Dirty Money’ (Steadfast), TBWA India for its Apple MacBook ad ‘Work Is Worth It,’ and Eeksaurus India for ‘Desi Oon’ (Centre for Pastoralism), which is recognised for its animation.
Finally, Industry Craft features one Indian shortlist — ‘Nature Shapes Britannia’ by Talented, for its work under Art Direction in Outdoor. Notably, this campaign has already won a silver in the outdoor category on day one.
Among the agencies, Ogilvy India leads the tally with the highest number of shortlists, largely driven by its work for Titan, Coca-Cola, and Vodafone Idea. Leo India, FCB India, Famous Innovations, Talented, and VML India also feature prominently in the Day 2 lineup.
After a glorious Day 1 that saw India clinch nine Lions, including 2 Gold, 4 Silver, and 3 Bronze, the spotlight now shifts to Tuesday night. All eyes are on how many of these entries will convert into Lions — and whether India can keep up the creative momentum.
