In 2022, India celebrated a breakthrough year at Cannes Lions, winning a record 47 metals, with Dentsu Creative crowned Agency of the Year. The performance reinforced the belief that India was on track to become advertising’s next creative superpower, much like Brazil.
What, then, does it signify when the same market manages to win only five Lions four years later? India’s performance at Cannes Lions 2026 was as alarming as it was disappointing. The country recorded its lowest metal tally in two decades, winning just two Silver and three Bronze Lions, from 24 shortlists. If 2025, with 85 shortlists and 32 metals, suggested India was building on 2022’s winning momentum, this year’s performance delivered a brutal reality check.
The collapse was particularly evident in categories that had recently been India’s strongest. In 2025, Outdoor and PR emerged as standout performers, highlighted by FCB India’s Grand Prix-winning ‘Lucky Yatra’ campaign. This year, neither category managed a single shortlist, let alone a metal.
The absence is significant, not only because some of India’s most successful categories went missing from the winners’ list, but because it reflects a broader pattern that defined India’s Cannes 2026 campaign. Across categories, the country struggled to convert entries into shortlists, and shortlists into metals.
Among the five metals, Leo India won one Silver Lion in the Audio & Radio category for the ‘The Unofficial Official Sound of F1’ campaign, created for Sting (PepsiCo). Interestingly, it was the agency’s first global project for the brand. The Refinery and Brand David Communications (part of Ogilvy India) won a Silver Lion in the Health & Wellness category for ‘Indiana Dentris’, created for Colgate. Ogilvy, which has been a consistent performer for India, bagged one Bronze Lion in the same category for ‘Renu Vs The City’ for St. Jude India ChildCare Centres. It proved to be a positive year for Humour Me, which won a Bronze Lion in the Pharma category for its first-ever Cannes Lions entry—‘Sawaal Uthao’ for Tata 1mg. The last metal—a Bronze—was bagged by TBWA\Lintas in the Film Craft category for ‘Don’t Look Up’ campaign, created for Steadfast’s Fake Money Detector.
However, these victories could not mask the broader disappointment of a showing that represented a massive low for India at Cannes Lions. Gour Gupta, Chairman, Tribes, however, says, “India’s performance at Cannes Lions 2026 may not have translated into a high medal tally, but the work that stood out reinforced the strength of Indian creativity. The campaigns that earned recognition were deeply rooted in culture, solved real human challenges, and proved that authenticity remains our greatest creative advantage. At the same time, this year highlighted the need for greater consistency in converting strong ideas into winning work across categories.”
But what really went wrong this year? Some believe the festival’s strict rules had a role to play. Abhijat Bharadwaj, Chief Creative Officer, Dentsu Creative Isobar remarks, “Before we write eulogies for Indian creativity, we should ask why last year’s number was so high in the first place. Cannes 2025 was followed by one of the worst scandal cycles the festival has ever seen. Grand Prix awards were stripped. AI-fabricated case studies were exposed. Indian work specifically came under fire for questionable impact claims and campaigns that existed more in jury rooms than in the real world. Agencies globally were caught inflating results, fabricating footage, and entering work that barely anyone in the target audience had encountered. So, Cannes Lions tightened everything—mandatory AI disclosures, real client signoffs, an Integrity Council vetting entries, and three-year ban threats for agencies gaming the system. Essentially, the campaigns that used to sneak through on a beautifully crafted case film and a technically compliant client letter are getting stopped at the door now.”
The enhanced compliance procedure at Cannes Lions 2026 required all submissions to include proof of impact supporting any claims made in the entry. In addition, every submission had to be personally endorsed through the Cannes Lions platform by both the agency’s Chief Executive (or the individual with P&L responsibility for the business) and the Chief Marketing Officer (or an equivalent senior marketing leader) of the commissioning brand. The rules also mandated that entrants explicitly disclose any AI-generated or AI-assisted content used in their work or case studies. Organisations that violated these requirements could face sanctions, including a ban from entering the awards for up to three years.
Stricter compliance requirements appear to have contributed to a broader slowdown in participation at Cannes Lions this year, with global entries falling by 25.46 per cent. India mirrored this trend, recording a 31.16 per cent decline. From 982 entries in 2025, only 676 reached the jury rooms in 2026.
On the surface, this drop could be attributed to tighter rules and more rigorous verification processes. But it also raises a more uncomfortable question: were previous years inflated by work that would not withstand stricter scrutiny? Not necessarily.
Jane Lin-Baden, CEO APAC, Publicis Groupe cautions against deriving a direct correlation between the drop in entries and stricter regulations. “This year, even without the change of the rules, we would have seen less entries due to several factors—geopolitics, the macro economy situation, and also how the holding companies organised themselves,” she says.
The strict regulations also spark a debate about whether the growing emphasis on demonstrable impact inadvertently favours scale, making it harder for smaller brands to compete with larger advertisers.
But beyond questions of compliance and scale, another factor may be at play behind reduced entries from India—the country’s own approach to award submissions. Anisha Iyer, CEO, OMD India and Media Lions Juror, Cannes Lions 2026 points out, “In India, and APAC, we are often overly critical of our own work. We tend to underestimate what deserves to be entered. If a campaign has delivered a strong impact and solved a problem creatively, submit it. We see Indian work shining at local and regional award shows all the time. If that’s the case, then why isn’t more of it being entered at Cannes? The more we enter, the more India is represented and the more diversity of Indian creativity gets showcased globally.”
Binda Dey, Global Chief Marketing Officer, Knight Riders Sports, who served in the jury for Entertainment Lions for Sport, backs India’s creative potential, saying, “This is not a question of India lacking creativity. If anything, Indian agencies and brands continue to produce some of the most culturally-rich and insightful work in the world. The challenge, in my view, is that Cannes Lions is a global competition. Sometimes, Indian entries rely on cultural nuances that aren’t always articulated clearly enough in the case study, causing some of the context and impact to be lost. The second factor is that the global benchmark continues to rise. Winning work today is not just creatively strong; it is often exceptional in craft, execution, measurable impact, and storytelling clarity.”
Music composer Subhajit Mukherjee, who served on the jury for Entertainment Lions for Music—a category where we bagged a Silver Lion last year—says Indian entries in the category this year lacked a creative spark. “If I had to compare the few Indian entries I got to judge with other pieces of work, I would say the former was somewhere not up to the mark creatively or execution-wise. A piece of work stands out when you look at it and feel, ‘Wow, this is it.’ I just didn’t see or hear anything like that from our country this year. Do we have the potential? Absolutely. This year, maybe we did not push ourselves.”
However, India’s award performance tells only part of the story. This year, India had one of its strongest-ever representation in the jury rooms at Cannes Lions, with 13 jurors from the country, including two Jury Presidents. Such representation or inclusion is not symbolic; it serves a clear purpose. Jurors are expected to provide cultural context, decode local nuances, and help fellow judges understand work that may otherwise be difficult to fully decode from an outsider’s perspective. In fact, almost every jury member who took the Cannes Lions stage this year spoke about the cultural dimension while judging creative work.
That makes it imperative for Indian jury members to actively advocate for and contextualise entries from their region. If a juror chooses to remain silent, the entry has already lost. A creative professional, who didn’t wish to be named, says, “Latin American jury members are always pulling each other up in the jury room, even if they are from competing agencies in their market. In India, we are afraid if an Indian jury member is present, because it is very likely they could scuttle the idea.”
Several agency leaders believe that first-time Cannes Lions jurors should get a structured induction on what to expect in the jury room and the role they can play in championing work they genuinely believe deserves recognition. Without that guidance, the process can feel intimidating, and silence often becomes the default response.
Kainaz Karmakar, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy India, who was the Jury President of Health & Wellness Lions this year, however, remarks, “If you are coming from a deep cultural truth, then you have to make that extremely clear in your case study. If that is not understood, a lot of people might keep wondering what is happening here and why is it happening. Before we enter the room, there is a shortlist that happens where you are not there to explain, even if you’re from that particular country.”
Beyond India, despite APAC being flagged as a key creative and growth region by global agency leaders, the region’s presence in the winners’ list remained limited, as Latin America and Europe secured a high share of top honours. Did the jury composition shape this outcome? When certain regions or perspectives are underrepresented in the room, it raises questions about how effectively local context is understood and factored into judging. Iyer refutes this, giving reference of the Media Lions jury. “We had wonderful representation. Our Jury President was an Indian-origin person from Singapore. I represented India. There was representation from South Africa, Dubai, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, and the US. The ones who won deserved to win regardless of where they originated from.” But all is not lost. As Josy Paul, Chairman, BBDO India, says, “Congratulations to the teams from India that picked up metals at Cannes Lions 2026! It means a lot in a year of less. It is disappointing when India’s immense creative talent isn’t fully reflected on the global winners’ stage. Maybe it’s the industry’s way of telling us to take a few more risks. Perhaps we need more courage to experiment, to deviate, to play a few more unorthodox shots. One quiet year doesn’t define India. The next great idea could already be on someone’s desk. The game is still on.”
Overall, Cannes Lions 2026, which was marked by a sharp fall in metals, waning shortlist presence and a drop in conversion across categories, will be remembered as one of the lowest points in India’s recent creative history. The outcome also sits within a broader regional paradox, where APAC’s recognition as a creative powerhouse is not proportionately reflected in its performance. The prevailing sentiment, however, is not that India (or APAC) lacks creative strength, but that Cannes Lions outcomes are shaped by a more complex intersection of evolving creative standards, contextual interpretation and heightened scrutiny.
‘We’re Moving at the Speed of Light’
Rob Reilly
Global Chief Creative Officer, WPP
Q] Ogilvy and VML are your two biggest creative networks. VML seems to be firing globally and at Cannes, but in India, Ogilvy remains the undisputed creative leader. Why do you think VML hasn’t earned the same level of client confidence or creative reputation in India despite the mergers and scale?
VML’s reputation globally is fantastic and it’s only getting stronger. They’re killing it here at Cannes. Frankly, we’re having an incredible Cannes. VML is doing well, Ogilvy is doing well and Grey, which is part of Ogilvy, is doing well too. Sometimes a company has such a strong reputation that it’s harder for others to break through. Ogilvy has built an incredibly strong reputation in India, and it’s probably the only market where it feels this pronounced. At the end of the day, results are what people look at. The more swings we take, the more work we put out into the world and the more work that wins here, even if it’s not from India, the more people will start paying attention to VML. It’s the largest network in the world for us. To be that size and to be that good is pretty remarkable.
It’s only a matter of time before VML has the level of creative success in India that it has globally. The desire is there. The talent is there. We have great clients. We just need a few more pieces of work each year that get people talking, get the press writing about them and get people sharing them. It’s not a question of if. It’s a question of when.
Q] WPP reported a 6.6% decline in Q1, while markets such as China and the Middle East saw double-digit declines. India, however, posted growth. What is India doing right?
That’s why we love India. We have a very strong media practice there. I don’t know the exact percentage, but we’re part of a huge portion of the market. When you have that level of buying power, that level of influence and some of the best talent in the world on the media side, combined with incredible creative talent, it’s a winning model. If we had thIS model everywhere in the world, things might look a little different.
At the same time, numbers can be misleading. We’ve led new business wins over the last couple of quarters on the media side, and we’ve also won creative pitches such as Henkel. There’s a lot of momentum in the business. The focus can be on negative numbers, but I prefer to look at what we’ve achieved. We’ve been number one for two quarters in a row when it comes to business, not just creatively but on the media side as well. Cindy Rose has been in the role for less than a year, and the impact she’s had has been phenomenal. She’s made some difficult decisions around people, agencies, structure, enterprise solutions and production, and she’s done it very quickly. We’re moving at the speed of light to some degree. She’s done an incredible job. We’re all rowing in the same direction. It sounds obvious, but it’s incredibly powerful. And she’s cool.
Q] Cannes Lions has reportedly seen a 25% decline in entries this year. Has WPP also entered fewer campaigns, and what do you make of that decline?
Yes we have. It’s easy to take shots at Cannes. A lot of people say it’s become too much about tech and media, but I don’t see it that way. It’s still the centre of culture. Within a mile, you have marketers, technologists, creatives, production people, artists and musicians all in one place. If you care about creativity, Cannes is still an incredible experience.
That said, there were mistakes made last year. I do think Holding Company of the Year and Network of the Year awards have caused some bad behaviour because the pressure to win is so high. What we should be celebrating are the brands brave enough to back bold ideas and the people who make the work. The holding company doesn’t need the recognition. Cannes has responded with stricter entry rules. Some of it may have gone a little too far initially, but they’re trying to fix things. If people use AI to doctor campaigns again, hopefully it’s a lifetime ban.
We’re not chasing Network of the Year. We’re chasing our brands winning and our people winning, especially young people. We’ve won Holding Company of the Year four out of the last five years, but the bigger goal is for the industry to win. If fewer entries help make the show better, everybody benefits.
‘I see less friction and more agility than before’
George Manas
Chief Growth & Solutions Officer, Omnicom
Q] With consolidation comes greater scale, but also concerns around friction, fragmentation and slower innovation. How do you manage that?
We’ve spent the last seven months diligently integrating the resources of IPG and Omnicom. We’re very pleased with achieving our key integration milestones, like connecting our capabilities. We’ve delivered a simpler overall structure to the organisation so that our media teams can better connect with our creative teams, our CRM teams and so on. We’ve also unified our data and technology architecture under one leadership structure that sits centrally at Omnicom and supports the entirety of the organisation.
So yes, we’ve gained scale, but that scale translates into lots of capability unlock. As the world’s largest media buyer, we’ve been using that scale to unlock innovation and co-develop new capabilities with partners like Amazon, Netflix, Disney and Meta.
I don’t necessarily see it as big versus small or fast versus slow. We’ve built a much stronger organisation by combining the two entities, and we’re using our scale to innovate around what matters most to our clients. I actually see less friction than previously. I see more speed and agility than previously. The market we’re operating in, particularly around AI, requires investment in new kinds of resources and capabilities. We’re better positioned than ever to advance and progress within AI. Overall, we’ve been very pleased with the integration.
Q] What capabilities from IPG are you most excited about integrating into Omnicom?
Let me tackle that in three parts. First, talent. The quality of leadership and expertise at IPG is outstanding. We couldn’t be more pleased to have that talent become part of this combined organisation. Second, Acxiom and Real ID. The strength of the underlying data and identity assets is phenomenal. One of our priorities during the integration was ensuring that we could embed Acxiom and identity across our broader organisation.
Third, because it’s top of mind for me, is sports. More and more clients are looking to play and win in a sports and entertainment environment. It’s such an important opportunity for them to build deep and meaningful relationships with existing and new consumers. IPG brought unbelievable sports capabilities into Omnicom through Octagon and Momentum across sponsorship, talent management and experiential. As a combined organisation, we’re incredibly well positioned to help our clients not just win in sports today, but shape the sports marketplace for the future.
Q] Are there any capabilities that are still missing?
We’re always looking to stay out ahead. One of the areas we’re continuing to double down on is our transformation consultancy practice. We acquired Credera seven or eight years ago and have been building and acquiring around it for some time. We’re seeing increased demand from clients looking for a partner that can help modernise their internal infrastructure, data architecture and operating model for agentic capabilities. That’s going to continue to be a focus for us as we look to be the most influential growth partner to our clients for this new era.
Q] Omnicom has introduced a centralised client solutions structure, bringing together experts from across agencies. How will that work, especially during pitches?
As part of the new company, we’ve established an integrated client leadership structure, which ensures that our clients have simplified access to the breadth and depth of talent and capability across the organisation. This isn’t new. It’s something we’ve been practising with some of the world’s largest and most complex advertisers. If you look at how we organise around Apple, Nissan, Mercedes or Bayer, these are innovative operating models where an integrated client leader serves at an Omnicom level and is accountable for ensuring the best of Omnicom comes forward for that client.
As we enter new business with existing clients, we’re looking to create that integrated structure around a single client leader. Those are enterprise-level relationships that aren’t dependent on a single capability area. They’re Omnicom-to-enterprise partnerships that deliver significant value to clients while allowing us to integrate more of their marketing ecosystem and drive better results.
‘Challenger mindset is a must’
Ellen Griffin
Global Brand President, OMD
Charlotte Lee
President, OMD APAC
Q] A lot of culturally sound work from Latin America, India, and APAC was awarded at Cannes Lions this year. Are clients willing to learn from the Asian markets today or is inspiration still coming from the West to Asia?
Lee: Markets in APAC, like China and India, are becoming innovation hubs, and creating solutions, platforms and culturally resonant ideas that other markets are really turning to for inspiration and learning. What has really changed is the coming together of scale, digital infrastructure and the constantly maturing talent in the region. If you look at India, for example, the public digital infrastructure is creating a more connected population than ever before, fuelled by an entrepreneurial ecosystem. It means that you see markets like India creating new models for marketing, commerce and consumer engagement. The flow is no longer just one-way; it’s actually two-way. Global clients are looking for these connected solutions, regardless of where they are originating from.
Q] One thing that global networks often get criticised for is how they create sameness. How do you create a global product—an agency known for something good—and yet, give the option to local markets to take creative risks and do something specific to their taste there?
Griffin: That is an ongoing challenge. How we approach it at OMD is—how do we actually make our local countries more brilliant? From a raise-the-floor approach, we look at things that we can help take off of the local teams’ plates—things that would take so much time for each country to figure out—and make that seamless and easier. Also, how do we make sure that there are resources that can help each country look at what’s next, which is exactly what OMD is known for, so that they can work on the brilliance they have without having to worry about the rest.
When you look at a country like India, there is so much brilliance—its complexity, digital-first nature, and other things. What we need to do, if I do my job correctly, is to make sure that this brilliance is scaling fast. It is not about taking things from the headquarters and pushing them down; it is about taking the brilliance of what is happening in some of our most sophisticated and emerging countries and scaling those. That, to me, is not about sameness, but about scalability and reducing complexity.
Q] APAC is often described as the fastest-growing region and one that is increasingly setting the agenda for global companies. Yet your Q1 results show that the US still contributes nearly 60% of revenue, while APAC contributes around 10%. Where do you think APAC is outperforming other markets?
Griffin: One of the most brilliant things happening in APAC is that there isn’t necessarily a recipe that works. The landscape is evolving so quickly that we actually have more of that ambition, not just to be the best media network, but to be the best partner in agentic marketing for our clients. To me, that’s one of the biggest learnings from the region. The complexity, the innovation and the way consumers are purchasing are much further ahead than what we’re seeing in some other markets.
It’s not just about technology and tools. It’s also about the way we connect across disciplines. Many of the briefs we’re receiving across APAC already connect content and media in a way that’s far more advanced than what we’re seeing in markets like the US. That’s one of the reasons we’re seeing such momentum in the region.
Lee: APAC is really leading in areas such as innovation and future-facing capabilities. If you look at India, for example, we’re leading in connected commerce solutions. That’s largely because of the landscape in India, where you’ve seen the rise of quick commerce and increasingly connected ecosystems. It’s shaping how brands drive outcomes in the market and, increasingly, what the rest of the world can learn from. Another area where we’re leading is in operating models and talent. We’re building agile organisations by combining experienced leadership with new talent and capabilities coming through the pipeline, alongside a culture that is inherently adaptive and entrepreneurial. We’re seeing the benefits of that in high client retention, strong talent retention and continued business growth.
‘If it doesn’t connect back to the brand, it doesn’t matter how big the idea is’
Liz Taylor
Global Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy
Kainaz Karmakar
CCO, Ogilvy India
Q] Ogilvy has always been one of the top scorers from India. Even this year, you are. But is it less satisfying considering the number of medals? And it’s not just for Ogilvy; it’s for the whole country. What do you think has really gone wrong?
Karmakar: It’s been bittersweet, and I’ll tell you why. First of all, we missed the gold. There’s no running away from that. As a country, we don’t have a gold metal. As yet, I don’t know what’s going to happen today, but we don’t have gold yet.
I’ll tell you the sweet part, though. We won a Silver for Colgate with ‘Indianis Dentris’, and it is Colgate India’s first Lion. Yesterday, we had a workshop with them, and they were thrilled about it. They’re really excited to do more work like that.
Then there’s ‘Renu vs the City’, which is such a low-budget piece of work. For the second year in a row, St. Jude’s has made its mark at Cannes in Writing. Previously, it was ‘The Impossible Choice’, and now it’s ‘Renu vs the City’. It’s made on such a small budget, yet the work has made a true difference in India, and it’s winning at Cannes. So, for us, there is a sweet part as well.
Taylor: Cannes is never the goal for us. It’s always a happy outcome if we win. So, when you asked me at the beginning, I felt the work was spectacular for the biggest clients in our biggest markets. For me, that’s the win. Cannes is the icing on the cake if and when we win.
So, we’re not judging whether the work coming out of India, or any other region, is declining in any way. That’s what I would say about that.
Q] Every country has a certain perception in the jury room. India, for instance, is often associated with large societal issues like poverty, hygiene or population. Do campaigns addressing these challenges have a better chance of winning because they fit that perception? Or should India focus more on smaller, niche problems, as many Western campaigns do?
Taylor: At the end of the day, the key is having the best insights that truly connect the brand to the consumer. Then, obviously, there’s the cultural context of wherever the work is going to play, and that factors into it.
But no brand should do something that has no relevance to them just because it’s an issue or a problem in their market. It still has to connect back to their purpose and what they do.
Q] So, does the size of the problem matter less than the strength of the brand connection?
Taylor: The responsibility of the jury room is to understand what the business problem was, what the insight was, the strategy behind it, what they were trying to achieve, and whether they achieved it. Then they consider the cultural nuances.
That’s why, for the most part, Cannes does a pretty good job of having a diverse jury, so different perspectives are represented. The Heinz ketchup campaign is a good example. It’s based on a human behaviour insight: when you get a serving of fries on the go, where do you put the ketchup? It solved an interesting consumer need and probably a frustration they uncovered through social listening.
On the other hand, you have something like hair discrimination laws in the U.S., which Dove addressed. That’s an issue specific to the U.S., but it still connects back to Dove’s purpose of real beauty. Ultimately, it always has to tie back to the client, their purpose, and their business objectives.
Q] Can you think of Indian work that demonstrates this balance well?
Karmakar: Take two very different examples from India this year. ‘Indianis Dentris’ is not only fresh and creative, but it also comes from a fresh brief. I don’t see any other campaign tackling the fact that people in India don’t throw away their toothbrushes until they’re really old and almost worn out. That’s where the idea came from.
Then, at the other end, there’s ‘Renu vs the City’ for St. Jude’s. It’s a very different brief, but one that is completely relevant to the client. A lot of people come to Mumbai for cancer treatment, but then they have to fight the city itself. There’s no place to stay, and it’s a very expensive city. The client has a right to play in that space, and that’s why they’re playing there.
‘Human Intelligence Remains Our Biggest Differentiator’
Christian Flouch
Global Brand President, PHD
Eileen Ooi
APAC CEO, PHD
Q] PHD is known as a challenger brand within the broader Omnicom ecosystem. With the expanded mandate and network, what will be the distinct identity of PHD going forward?
Flouch: From a differentiation standpoint, PHD has always been known for its strategic planning and thinking. We were founded 40 years ago on the premise of challenging the industry, and that’s something that remains core to all of us—to Eileen and the 6,500 people around the world who work for PHD. That can be summed up as human thinking. At a time when we’re seeing so much transformation, not just in our industry but in society at large, our differentiation comes from putting people at the centre of everything we do.
Q] What are some of the structural and cultural differences across the APAC markets you lead? How are you bringing them together under the PHD Intelligence Connected ecosystem?
Ooi: That’s almost an oxymoron because APAC’s diversity is what makes it so special. Look at China and the speed of innovation there. Then look at India, which is a melting pot of cultures. We often refer to India as one market, but in reality, it’s made up of many regions and cultures.
More than anything, we need to embrace that diversity because the cultural energy across Asia fuels creativity. To answer your question about Intelligence Connected, I’d come back to culture and behaviours.
We focus on three core behaviours: outthink, outpace and outgrow. That’s the red thread connecting our network. We’re now globally cascading how we want to bring this philosophy to life for clients. India has been particularly successful and has delivered strong growth. I love what Monaz Todywalla and her team are driving there.
The culture we’re building is becoming a real strength for the network. But ultimately, outthink, outpace and outgrow are the common behaviours that connect us all.
Q] We’ve seen commerce, connected TV, and influencer marketing emerge as major growth areas in media, particularly in APAC. What do you think will be the next big platform or trend that will make a mark in APAC and eventually go global?
Ooi: Social commerce is certainly growing rapidly in APAC. But if I had to place a bet, it would be on the convergence of content and media.
When we look at the creators and influencers emerging from APAC today, they’re increasingly shaping culture around the world. One of the biggest conversations we’re having with clients is around how content and media can work together more effectively.
In some ways, it’s an age-old question, but the ecosystem and platforms have changed dramatically. It’s no longer just about producing content. It’s about powering content with data and intelligent solutions. I believe content is going to play an even bigger role within the media landscape.
Flouch: From an AI platform perspective, we’re very interested in how AI will impact social platforms and the web. We’re already seeing platforms such as OpenAI introducing advertising opportunities, which will become increasingly relevant from a media perspective.
The audio capabilities of these platforms are already incredibly advanced, and they’re changing how people interact with technology. Instead of typing, people will increasingly rely on voice conversations. That shift will fundamentally change advertising experiences because they will become more personalised and conversational.
You’re not necessarily going to be looking at a screen anymore. I’m excited to see what AI companies develop next, especially screenless experiences and what those could mean for media platforms.
Ooi: When people think about content, they usually think about video. But one of the conversations we’ve had with Google is about the future of search. Everyone talks about how to win in the search era, but very few are discussing what Google AI Overviews, Gemini and AI-powered search mean for content strategy.
Search is no longer just about text. If brands want to appear organically within AI-generated results, they need a completely different content strategy. Those conversations are beginning now, but they’re only going to accelerate.
‘Agencies That Can’t Make Smart Platform Decisions Have No Future’
Jarrod Martin
Chief Transformation Officer, Omnicom Media Group and CEO, Acxiom
Q] For years, media agencies have claimed that data is their competitive advantage. But companies like Amazon, Meta and Google arguably have far richer datasets. So, what becomes the competitive advantage?
We’re never going to have richer first-party data than Amazon, and we’re not trying to compete with them on that. What’s becoming more important than data is identity—the ability to stitch together different data sources. We’re seeing growing interest from both clients and partners in sharing data in privacy-safe ways. Acxiom’s Real ID acts as the Rosetta Stone that connects and translates those datasets. In many ways, that’s more valuable than the data itself.
For example, we can access Amazon data in a privacy-safe way and combine it with first-party data to generate new insights, build new audiences and drive better outcomes. So, it’s not about having more data than publishers or platforms—it’s about connecting data to create a clearer understanding of consumers and deliver stronger results for clients.
Q] AI is everywhere at Cannes this year. Yet the industry still struggles with disconnected data systems, fragmented data and measurement challenges. Is AI solving those problems or creating new ones?
AI is making some things simpler and other things more complex. When we think about workflows—from receiving a brief to launching a campaign—that entire process is becoming faster, simpler and easier to produce. But once we move into activation, things become much more complicated. There are millions of possible ways to reach consumers across DSPs, SSPs, publisher-direct relationships and curated environments. The challenge becomes identifying the best path to reach a consumer and then measuring the outcome accurately. So, we’re seeing simplification in workflow, but increasing complexity in activation.
What we’re doing is embedding Real ID across the ad-tech and mar-tech ecosystem. Identity becomes the train tracks that activation runs on. It allows us to bring performance data back together, understand deduplicated outcomes and move investment intelligently across walled gardens and open-web inventory. That’s where we believe our value lies. In my opinion, an agency or holding company that can’t make smart decisions between platforms doesn’t have a long-term future. That’s our big bet.
Q] Marketers have spent years pursuing personalisation. But consumers increasingly feel uncomfortable when advertising becomes too intrusive. What does the next phase of consumer targeting look like?
There are a few elements to that. The first is better frequency management. What people often perceive as stalking is simply excessive repetition. If we can connect data sources and create a unified view of consumers, we can ensure we’re not communicating with someone too many times, regardless of platform. The second is consent. Understanding what consumers have opted into, where personalisation is appropriate and how to execute against those preferences accurately will be critical.
The third is data provenance. I might do a Google search about something that I’ve just spoken about to somebody, and I’ve not done anything about it before, and somehow I was able to predict what I’m about to type. I think we need to be clearer as marketers about the provenance of that data and be very careful about where we are using it and where we are not using it, independent of consent.
Q] As AI agents become more sophisticated, could marketers eventually be marketing to algorithms rather than consumers?
I can imagine a future where the advertising ecosystem becomes a buying agent talking to a selling agent. In that world, advertising becomes partly about optimising the connection between the buying agent and the selling agent. How do we ensure the buying agent has all the information it needs to make the right decisions? I also think sampling will become more important. Brands may proactively put products into consumers’ hands to influence future purchasing decisions. Experiential and live events will also continue to play a significant role.
‘We’re a little bit on the path of quantity over quality’
Andrés Ordóñez
Global Chief Creative Officer, McCann Worldgroup
Q] Now you’ve been with FCB for six years, roughly. On one hand, your former home was retired by Omnicom. On the other side, now you’re leading one of the three most powerful networks under the Omnicom umbrella. Did the consolidation make you happy or sad?
Happy and sad. If I focus on the sad side, then I don’t think you move forward. But if you see it as the opportunity that came with it, it was amazing. I always look at it this way: we were FCB, and now we’re four times bigger. But we carry our energy, and we adopted a beautiful energy from McCann. It’s been a beautiful moment of two energies colliding together and creating what hopefully will be the new McCann.
Q] Tyler Turnbull, Global CEO, McCann recently spoke about what he called a growth crisis. He pointed to the shrinking share of client revenue being invested in advertising, and at a surprising pace. What do agencies need to do today to make themselves irreplaceable? And is there a genuine need for a pivot?
Change is the only constant in life. Yes, we can be more efficient, and we can move at a very different speed with the tools that exist right now. But at the same time, there has to be an understanding that, at the end of the day, ideas and creativity are what drive change, business and growth. The world believes these tools will give us the ability to create more content. Right now, we’re a little bit on the path of quantity over quality. But the pendulum is going to swing back, and people will once again understand the power of quality. We’re going through a little bit of a transition.
Q] You once said that machines can’t give you goosebumps. What is one recent piece of work from the Indian market that gave you goosebumps?
One of the pieces I will always remember is Lucky Yatra. I remember sitting in a conference room with Dheeraj Sinha and the team, and they brought this idea to us. They said, “We have this idea built around a lottery and a beautiful human truth about travelling by train in India.” That gave birth to Lucky Yatra. I will always carry that piece with me. Now that I’m with McCann, I keep telling Sinha that I need to come back and find our next Lucky Yatra.
Q] There was also a bit of controversy that erupted after Lucky Yatra. What is your view on it?
There’s always that. Great work always comes with a little bit of everything. Great work has many fathers, and it brings tension. Bad work doesn’t have any parents, so no one really wants to talk about it. It is what it is. But at the end of the day, if you take it for what it was worth, it was a beautiful, incredible and insightful idea that could travel. We should be grateful for it. We should celebrate it and keep doing it.
Q] What role does India play today in the global McCann ecosystem? Are there more strategies or more campaigns from India which you would like to apply in other markets?
Yes, actually, in my new role, I’ve been working quite a bit with McCann India on Nestlé globally. The ideas and the work coming out of India are really great. Every time I speak to Sinha, I’m amazed by the extent of his involvement. He works here, he works there, he works everywhere. So I think we’re going to see a lot more of India on the global stage.
‘A 25% drop in entries? Honestly, it’s healthy.’
Jane Lin Baden
CEO APAC, Publicis Groupe
Q] What is that one big commerce or consumer behaviour trend that is brewing in Asia, but perhaps the world is still sleeping?
A lot of things. If you look at the scale, complexity and speed of this region, it is already making a dent because many of these consumer trends are deeply rooted here.
Take quick commerce, for example. In India and China, quick commerce is moving at incredible speed. Even this year, it continues to dominate headlines in India, with multiple players and business models emerging. If you look at the GMV flowing through quick commerce platforms, the growth is extraordinary.
The same is true in China. Look at how much investment media and commerce platforms have poured into quick commerce, resulting in thousands of what we call ‘lightning warehouses’—similar to what we’re seeing in India. You simply don’t see this at the same scale in many other markets. I would say quick commerce is the number one trend in the region, and there is a lot that other parts of the world can learn from Asia.
Q] Beyond quick commerce, what other shifts do you believe will redefine consumer behaviour over the next few years?
The second trend is social commerce. Social commerce in Southeast Asia is booming. Look at how platforms like TikTok and other social commerce ecosystems are driving GMV. You don’t see that happening at the same scale elsewhere. I believe this will become huge in the US and Europe, and they can learn a great deal from what’s happening in Southeast Asia.
The third trend is around consumers themselves. If you look at ageing populations, the 60-plus consumer segment is growing rapidly across the region. When we talk about ageing, we need to be clear about definitions—we’re talking about consumers aged 60 and above, and perhaps even breaking that down further into 70-plus and 80-plus cohorts. But the 60-plus segment alone is already a very significant and growing group.
Q] Are brands moving quickly enough to cater to this demographic, or are they still overly focused on Gen Z?
In China, around 20% to 23% of the population is over 60, and they are big spenders. We’re seeing brands create products not just for Gen Z, but increasingly for older consumers. They have money, and they have time, so brands should focus on them.
We’re already seeing brands rethink SKUs, design thinking and user experiences for the 60-plus consumer. I think this is going to be a major consumer trend in the future, and it’s something that many markets outside the region are still underestimating.
Q] Interestingly, we saw what happened last year, and there were a few scams and cheating scandals. Then this year, after all those measures were put in place, we’re seeing a 25% drop. Does that send a bad signal about the industry, 25% drop means that many people were not really submitting real work.
I don’t think we should read it that way, even though it’s easy to draw that correlation. That’s partly because of the broader macroeconomic environment, geopolitical uncertainty, and even changes in how holding companies are organising themselves. Now, is it possible that a portion of the 25% decline came from people feeling they might not meet the new regulations and therefore chose not to enter? Perhaps there’s some element of that. But honestly, I think that’s healthy. We may see a dip in the first year, whatever the reason. Setting a higher benchmark and establishing a clear threshold is a good thing.
Different markets will always behave differently. If a market is performing well, it may naturally submit more work. At the same time, we’re also seeing some markets—and even some clients—not entering as much work, and we need to understand those dynamics as well.
One thing I strongly believe in is recognising real work and big work—work that delivers meaningful impact. Having served as a Jury President last year, I can say it’s always exciting to see outstanding creativity. But I also think we do a tremendous amount of work for clients who are investing real budgets to build their brands and grow their businesses, and I love seeing that work recognised.
To me, that’s what the industry should celebrate: work that reflects the real job we’re doing.
Vikram Pandey and Sachin Kamble
Chief Creative Officers, Leo South Asia
"This award is incredibly special for us as this was our first global project with PepsiCo. For our very first collaboration to be recognised at Cannes is a wonderful validation of the partnership we’ve built and the ambition we share to create work that pushes creative boundaries. Congratulations to the amazing teams at both PepsiCo and Leo on this win.”
Russell Barrett
Chief Creative Experience Officer, TBWA\ Lintas
"This is the first international award for TBWA\ Lintas and we all couldn’t be prouder of what this signals. The best way to answer doubts and questions is to simply put your head down and do the work. The credit for this rests entirely with Kapil Batra, who cracked and wrote this absolute gem of a script. A craft award for scriptwriting makes it even sweeter. I have huge respect for Raylin Valles and Ducktape Studios for making one of the most well-crafted films in recent times. And of course, for the most inspiring client, Vikram Raj, Chairman of Transtronix India, who insists on only the most famous work for all his brands, including Steadfast. While ‘Don’t Look Up’ won, we collectively have a lot to look forward to.”
Kainaz Karmakar, Harshad Rajadhyaksha, and Sukesh Nayak
Chief Creative Officers, Ogilvy India
"This work is very close to our hearts. It is an honour that we can contribute our creativity to something that affects the lives of children. We would like to take this opportunity to first thank our client Anil Nair, who not only believes in the power of creativity, but has always come back saying that the work has worked. That is bigger than any award. The win is in the ‘Script’ sub-category but this would not have won had our director, Mahesh Gharat, not narrated the story the way he did, or if Dharam Valia, our producer, did not support us, or if the music by Subhajit Mukherjee was not so magical. The creative team led by Fritz Gonsalves and Jayesh Raut has made it a habit of creating brilliant work for this cause and client. The win is theirs.”
Kainaz Karmakar, Harshad Rajadhyaksha, and Sukesh Nayak
Chief Creative Officers, Ogilvy India
"This piece has got a lot of love from the day it got released. The complete unexpectedness of the reveal from a gorgeous flower to an ugly toothbrush was not an easy execution at all. Hats off to director Mahesh Gharat and our photographer Jignesh Jhaveri for pulling it off. This has been a year-long journey and our team led by Juneston Mathana has been relentless. A big thank you to our client partners—Gunjit Jain, Prabha Narsimha and Samir Singh. Also, a big thank you to our boss, Reed Collins, who worked with us to polish the case study and make it a winner.”
Jignesh Jhaveri
Photographer, The Refinery
"Really happy that Indianis Dentris has won a Silver Lion in Photography at Cannes. For me this one is special because it’s a craft (photography) win. Every flower in the campaign is a real worn-out toothbrush, shot for real in-studio under a macro lens, with no CGI or AI. We did the whole series at The Refinery, and to see practical photography recognised at Cannes means a lot to me.”
Dhruv Sachdeva
Founder & CCO, Humour Me
"Representing India on the global stage and bringing home the country’s only Pharma Lion this year for Tata 1mg means more to us than the award itself. ‘Sawaal Uthao’ was built to solve a real problem by encouraging people to question the medicines they consume, and we’re grateful that work with genuine human impact was awarded at Cannes. This honour belongs to our partners at Tata 1mg and the entire Humour Me team who worked on the idea.”
Prashant Tandon
CEO & Co-founder, Tata 1mg
"We are delighted and proud that our ‘Sawaal Uthao’ campaign has been awarded a Bronze Lion at Cannes Lions. We believe all consumers deserve full transparency in the healthcare they receive, and they should feel empowered to ask the right questions. At Tata 1mg, we have ensured end-to-end supply chain integrity and transparency, from the pharma company to the consumer. Through this campaign, we urged our customers to always verify and ask an important question: ‘Is my medicine genuine?’ In healthcare, trust is everything. We hope this recognition further helps the conversation around transparency, accountability, and empowering consumers to make informed healthcare choices. It is wonderful to see great work done by our partner agency, Humour Me, and the amazing team we have at Tata 1mg, win appreciation.”
