After a quieter Day 2, India made a thundering comeback on Day 3 at the 72nd Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, racking up 14 metals — 1 Grand Prix, 4 Gold, 2 Silver, and 7 Bronze. The wins reflected not just creative flair but a strong commitment to purpose-led innovation, showing the world that Indian agencies are playing to win.
The biggest cheer of the day came for Lucky Yatra by FCB India for Indian Railways, which won the prestigious Grand Prix in the PR category. This standout campaign transformed ordinary train tickets into lottery entries, offering a clever and culturally resonant solution to tackle ticketless travel.
It was also awarded a Gold in both the Direct and PR categories and a Silver in PR, marking it as one of the most celebrated Indian campaigns at Cannes this year. Notably, it had already bagged a Gold in the Outdoor category on Day 1, making it a cross-category powerhouse.
Sharing his excitement on FCB India's Grand Prix, 2 Gold Lions & 1 Silver Lion wins on Day 3 of Cannes 2025, Dheeraj Sinha, Group CEO, FCB India & South Asia, says, "It is both a team ambition and team victory, the agencies come together, the team has come together to bring home not just a Grand Prix but also two golds today and one silver. This is absolutely amazing, its an idea for a public transit system which is getting changed with creativity and this restores faith in the idea of creativity in today's world."
Also making headlines was Erase Valentine's Day by Ogilvy India for Mondelez. This refreshingly irreverent campaign, which involved a fictional time-travel vessel named the F.N.S. Cringe Crusader that 'skipped' the day entirely, picked up a Gold in the Social & Creator category on Day 3. With its “Do Nothing” proposition, the campaign successfully turned anti-Valentine sentiment into a cultural moment.
“We won three lions today and we’re super proud of each one of them. The gold for 5- Star 'Erase Valentine’s Day' in Social & Creator is so special because it is a testament to the fact that when everyone is working towards making the impossible possible, it happens. The client being on the stage with us is amazing because this was impossible without their belief. We won a second bronze for ‘Titan Eye Test Menu’. This time in Media. This campaign has been winning at every show but winning at Cannes seals the deal for the creative soul. ‘Amazon Box to Beds’ won a bronze in the category PR. This campaign has just started its journey and has bagged a lion already. We thank all our teams, clients and partners because each of these ideas needed a village to raise them,” Kainaz Karmakar, Harshad Rajadhyaksha & Sukesh Nayak, CCOs, Ogilvy India, share joyfully.
Another Gold winner was Acko 'Tailor Test 'by Leo India for Acko in the Creative Data category. The campaign tapped into the everyday wisdom of local tailors, using waist-to-hip ratios as an indicator of heart health. It beautifully blended data with on-ground human insight, turning a routine tailoring appointment into a life-saving health check.
Sharing his joy on Leo India's first gold win at Cannes 2025, Rajdeepak Das (Spiky), CCO Publicis Groupe South Asia and Chairman, Leo South Asia, says, “At Leo, we have always believed in the power of data—but more importantly, in the power of human insight. This campaign is a perfect expression of our Humankind philosophy, where creativity begins not with a brand, but with a deep understanding of people. Sometimes, the most profound insights are found in places we least expect, quietly embedded in everyday behavior. We discovered that nearly every Indian family has a trusted tailor—someone who’s not only measured our clothes but inadvertently tracked our health over the years. That simple realization became the heart of a powerful idea. Kudos to ACKO for believing in it, and to the incredible teams at Leo who’ve made it a habit to uncover the extraordinary in the ordinary. This is creativity with purpose, designed to impact lives at scale—true to our belief in ideas that can impact a billion."
Among the Silver winners, 'Takeoff Takeover' by Leo India for Cathay Pacific in the Media category stood out for its strategic brilliance. Using real-time flight data to power a hyper-personalised airport campaign, it outwitted rather than outspent the competition, a testament to smart media thinking.
On the Bronze front, 'Ink of Democracy' by Havas India for The Times of India earned two Bronze Lions in the Direct and Media categories. With newspaper editions printed using unused electoral ink, it offered a tactile and symbolic reminder of our democratic duty.
Anupama Ramaswamy, Joint MD & Chief Creative Officer, Havas Creative India, cheers for her team, saying , “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.”
'Eye Test Menu' by Ogilvy India for Titan brought design thinking to the fore. By reimagining highway dhaba menus as eye charts, it helped India’s truckers check their vision, earning a Bronze in the Media category for its elegant problem-solving.
Also in the Media category, 'Garuda Rakshak' by Dentsu Creative for DSP Mutual Funds showcased tech for good. The drone-based search-and-rescue system designed for mass gatherings was a functional innovation with real-world impact.
'Nature Shapes Britannia' by Talented for Britannia Industries won Bronze in Media for literally growing its message. The campaign used biodegradable billboards shaped around living trees, proving that green messaging can be both literal and lyrical.
Expressing his excitement at the win, Gautam Reghunath, Co-Founder & CEO of Talented, says, "A lot of humans put so much of their care, heart and effort into this piece of work. The awards are a nice sweetener to an exceptionally fulfilling journey for the team behind this. The creative mattered. The media placement & strategy mattered. And we’re grateful for the recognition."
In PR, 'Box to Beds' by Ogilvy India for Amazon offered a practical, compassionate solution, converting packaging waste into foldable beds for Kumbh Mela pilgrims. A Bronze win that highlighted scale with soul.
Lastly, 'Bassi Vs Men’s Facewash' by BBH India for Garnier bagged a Bronze in Social & Creator. Featuring Anubhav Singh Bassi, the campaign challenged stereotypes in male grooming using humour, pop culture, and razor-sharp writing.
Parikshit Bhattaccharya, CCO, BBH India, shares gleefully, “Bassi Vs Men’s Face Wash" is an iconic campaign. One that started on social and ended up on broadcast. With all the attention the work has already garnered for the brand, a Cannes Lions metal is a great cherry on top. We couldn’t be happier for the teams at BBH and Garnier.”
With bold storytelling, culturally grounded insights, and a flair for disruption, Indian creatives continued to raise the bar, proving once again that when India shows up, it shows off with impact.
Total Metal Tally: 26 (9 + 3 + 14)
Metal Tally Day 3: 14 (1 Grand Prix, 4 Gold, 2 Silver, 7 Bronze)
Cannes Lions 2025 – Day 3 Category Breakdown
Creative Data (1 Gold)
Acko Tailor Test by Leo India for Acko – Gold
Direct: (1 Gold, 1 Bronze)
Lucky Yatra by FCB India for Indian Railways – Gold
Ink of Democracy by Havas India for The Times of India – Bronze
Media: (1 Silver, 4 Bronze)
Takeoff Takeover by Leo India for Cathay Pacific – Silver
Eye Test Menu by Ogilvy India for Titan Company Ltd – Bronze
Ink of Democracy by Havas India for The Times of India – Bronze
Garuda Rakshak by Dentsu Creative for DSP Mutual Funds – Bronze
Nature Shapes Britannia by Talented for Britannia Industries Ltd – Bronze
PR: (1 Grand Prix, 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze)
Lucky Yatra by FCB India for Indian Railways – Grand Prix, Gold & Silver
Box to Beds by Ogilvy India for Amazon – Bronze
Social & Creator: (1 Gold, 1 Bronze)
Erase Valentine's Day by Ogilvy India for Mondelez – Gold
Bassi Vs Men's Facewash by BBH India for Garnier – Bronze
