As the advertising world gears up for the Cannes Lions 2025, Vikram Pandey - 'Spiky', Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett India, returns to the global stage not just as a creator of award-winning work but as a juror in the Creative Data Lions category of Cannes Lions 2025. From his early days, winning the Young Lions competition to leading breakthrough campaigns like 'Turf Finder' for Gatorade, Pandey has witnessed first-hand how data and creativity have become inseparable forces in modern advertising. In this conversation with IMPACT, he shares what this recognition means to him, how India is carving a niche in data-led creativity, and why the future belongs to those who can blend insight with imagination.
Edited Excerpts:
Q] Congratulations on being selected as a juror for the Creative Data Lions category. What does this recognition mean to you personally and professionally?
Personally, Cannes has always held a special place in my heart. Early in my career, I had the good fortune of winning the Young Lions competition, which allowed me to attend the festival. It was there that I truly fell in love with advertising and knew this was what I would like to do for the rest of my life.
Over the years, Cannes has become a recurring and meaningful destination for me, especially with my wife being a highly awarded creative herself, it has turned into our annual pilgrimage. One of my most cherished memories is from two years ago, when Leo won Gold for Airtel 175, and my 7-year-old daughter joined us on stage. That moment will remain etched in my memory.
Professionally, being selected as a juror for Cannes is both an honor and a humbling experience. It’s the pinnacle of recognition in the world of creativity, and being chosen to represent India is a moment of immense pride. At the same time, judging at Cannes is unlike any other festival. You’re surrounded by individuals behind some of the most transformative work in the industry, and the scale of entries is staggering. The responsibility of identifying the ideas that will shape the future of our industry is not only exciting but also deeply daunting.
Q] Last year, Leo Burnett India made headlines by winning a Gold Lion in the Creative Data category for ‘Turf Finder,’ a campaign that ingeniously used Google traffic data to create new play spaces for Gatorade. As Leo’s CCO and now a juror for the same category, how do you think India’s approach to data-driven creativity has evolved since that win, and what kind of innovative thinking do you hope to see from this year’s entrants?
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Creative Data Lions, a category that was introduced in 2015 to spotlight how data is being used to challenge conventions and drive innovation in our industry. Over the years, it has celebrated some truly groundbreaking work, campaigns like WeCapital’s Data Tenda, Stella Artois’ The Artois Probability, and Mastercard’s Room for Everyone have set the benchmark for what this Lion stands for.
Looking ahead, I believe the category will continue to evolve along the same trajectory, with AI and data enabling unprecedented solutions and more deeply human-centric experiences.
From an Indian perspective, it took us a little time to fully grasp the nuances of this category and understand what kind of work resonates here. For the first few years, we didn’t see major wins from India. But that’s changed in the last three years, with campaigns like Shah Rukh Khan-My-Ad, Lay’s Smart Farm, and last year’s Turf Finder leading the way. I’m hopeful and excited to see even more outstanding work from India making a mark this year.
Q] With increasing concerns around privacy and ethical use of data, how important is it for jury members to assess the responsibility with which data is being applied?
A few years ago, the use of data in advertising was largely limited to targeting, retargeting, and optimising media choices. But today, we’re witnessing data becoming a true catalyst for creative business transformation. It’s influencing creative commerce and shaping entirely new brand experiences. What’s exciting is how data insights are now powering creative intuition. Sometimes it's a unique data point that sparks a powerful creative idea, and other times, a strong creative expression is amplified exponentially through data inputs. Whichever way you look at it, we’re in an era where creativity and data are deeply intertwined; neither can truly thrive without the other. When it comes to concerns around privacy and the ethical use of data, as jurors, we place a degree of trust in the brands and entrants that they’ve done their due diligence before bringing the work to the table. That said, if something seems to cross an ethical line, Cannes Lions provides a robust framework that allows us to ask the entrants specific questions to clarify intent and execution. Data ethics is undoubtedly a critical topic, and I expect it will prompt some important and nuanced conversations in the jury room.
Q] Could you share an example of a data-driven campaign, one from India and one from the international stage, that stood out to you for its creativity and impact? What, in your opinion, made these campaigns truly exceptional?
Mastercard’s Room for Everyone is a standout example of how data can move beyond traditional metrics to empower people and communities. If you haven’t come across this campaign yet, I highly recommend watching it and reading about the impact it’s had, not just on the brand, but on the lives it touched. Closer to home, it might be a bit partial to highlight our work on Gatorade Turf Finder or Lay’s Smart Farm. So instead, I’d like to spotlight another powerful piece Cadbury’s Shah Rukh Khan-My-Ad. It’s a brilliant example of how data, technology, and celebrity influence can seamlessly come together to deliver a scalable, meaningful impact for small businesses across the country.
Q] Finally, how do you envision the future of creative data in advertising over the next five years, and what advice would you give to young creatives looking to excel in this domain?
Creative use of data in advertising isn’t a trend; it’s the new normal. And with the growing integration of AI, data’s role is only going to become more powerful, more efficient, and more widespread. If you're a young creative reading this, here’s my advice: don’t wait for the perfect brief that invites you to use data creatively. Start now. Use data to uncover new insights. Use it to validate your creative instincts. Use it to craft fresh brand experiences. Use it to question conventions. Use it to amplify your ideas. The old-school mantra of “learning by doing” still holds—even when you're navigating new, data-powered frontiers.
Q] What kind of data-led work would you love to see coming out of India? And how do you think Indian creativity is being perceived globally in this particular category?
Some of the most globally recognized and successful data-led work from India has emerged by addressing problems that are uniquely Indian or solutions that are deeply rooted in our context. In a country of 1.4 billion people, data and technology aren’t just enablers; they’re essential tools to solve for scale. Data gives us the ability to create work that’s not only insightful but also vast in reach and deep in impact. I hope to see more ideas emerging from India that embrace this scale and ambition.
At Leo, we live by the ambition to Impact a Billion. It’s our way of ensuring that the work we do creates significant value for businesses, for people, and for culture. Whether it was our campaign for Bajaj V, where we used metal from the decommissioned warship INS Vikrant to build motorcycles, or our recent campaign for Mountain Dew Nepal, which shines a light on the lesser-known peaks of the Himalayas—the aim has always been to create work that drives meaningful, large-scale change.
