Cannes Lions 2026 Day 1: India opens metal tally with 2 Silver, 2 Bronze Lions

India made its presence felt at the 73^rd edition of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, bagging two Silver Lions and two Bronze Lions on the first day of the festival. The Gold and Grand Prix remained elusive for Indian agencies in the seven categories announced today. 

Cannes Lions 2026 commenced with the announcement of winners in the Creative Brand, Audio & Radio, Outdoor, Print & Publishing, Creative B2B, Health & Wellness, and Pharma categories. 

Among the standout entries from India was Leo India’s The Unofficial Official Sound of F1 for Sting (PepsiCo), which bagged a Silver Lion in the Audio & Radio category. The campaign, which marked the launch of Sting’s partnership with Formula One, transformed F1’s iconic engine roar into a cultural talking point. DJ Armin van Buuren claimed he could hear the word ‘Stinggg’ hidden within the sound of an F1 engine, sparking replays, remixes and debate across social media.

Next, India won two metals—1 Silver and 1 Bronze—in the Health & Wellness category.

Colgate’s Indianis Dentris by The Refinery Mumbai and Brand David Communications (part of Ogilvy India) won the Silver Lion in the Industry Craft: Photography sub-category. The campaign turned overused toothbrushes into a fictional flower species to make the ignored habit of using toothbrushes beyond their recommended life impossible to overlook. Real frayed toothbrushes were photographed like botanical specimens, creating images that appeared beautiful and organic before revealing their true identity.

In a moment of shared joy, Harshad Rajadhyaksha, Sukesh Nayak and Kainaz Karmakar, Chief Creative Officers, Ogilvy India, said, “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 the 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.”

In the same category, Ogilvy India’s Renu vs The City for St. Jude India ChildCare Centres bagged a Bronze Lion in the Film Craft: Script sub-category. The campaign highlights the struggles faced by cancer-stricken children and their families, as they are forced to live on the streets or abandon treatment due to the absence or shortage of affordable or free accommodation. In the film, a young girl named Renu Kadam gives a heartbreaking ‘tour’ of how to survive cancer while living on the streets.

Sharing their excitement on the recognition, Rajadhyaksha, Nayak and Karmakar remarked, “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 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 done 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 this client. The win is theirs.”

Rounding out the wins, Tata 1mg’s Sawaal Uthao campaign by Humour Me secured a Bronze Lion in the Pharma category, bringing the Day 1 tally to 4 metals. The campaign, which was planned as a behaviour change movement, encouraged patients to ask the question, “Is my medicine genuine?” Moving beyond just communication, the brand and the agency created a QR-based traceability system enabling users to check the origin of their medicines.

Commenting on the win, Prashant Tandon, CEO & Co-founder, Tata 1mg said, “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 helps further the conversation around transparency, accountability, and empowering consumers to make informed healthcare choices. It is wonderful to see the great work done by our partner agency Humour Me, and the amazing team we have at Tata 1mg, get appreciation."

India had secured eight shortlists across the seven categories unveiled today. There was one shortlist each in the Creative Brand, Audio & Radio, Print & Publishing, and Pharma categories, while the Health and Wellness category led with four shortlists. India didn't get a spot in the Outdoor and Creative B2B shortlists. Out of the eight shortlists, four converted into metals on Day 1 of the festival. 

This marks a drop from 2025, when India had secured 22 shortlists and nine metals across the same categories. Last year, Indian agencies won six Lions in the Outdoor category, followed by one each in Print & Publishing, Health & Wellness and Pharma categories.

How India Fared In These Categories In 2025

Rooted in creativity that drives social and cultural impact, India’s performance at Cannes Lions 2026 so far tells a story of ideas that transcend the awards stage and resonate meaningfully on a global scale.

Here is the list of Silver and Bronze winners on Day 1:

AUDIO & RADIO – 1 SILVER

1. The Unofficial Official Sound of F1 for Sting (PepsiCo) by Leo India

HEALTH & WELLNESS – 1 SILVER, 1 BRONZE

1. Indianis Dentris for Colgate by The Refinery Mumbai and Brand David Communications – Silver
2. Renu vs The City for St. Jude India ChildCare Centres by Ogilvy India – Bronze

PHARMA – 1 BRONZE

1. Sawaal Uthao for Tata 1mg by Humour Me

So far, India has scored 18 shortlists across 24 categories. The road ahead remains promising, with several key categories yet to announce their shortlists, including Creative Business Transformation, Creative Commerce, Luxury, Creative Effectiveness, Creative Strategy, Sustainable Development Goals and Film.