Can India Break the Jinx of Fluctuating Success at Cannes Lions 2024?
As the French Riviera gears up for the prestigious Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity 2024, India’s advertising industry is poised to showcase its most impactful campaigns on the global stage. The Cannes Lions, often referred to as the Oscars of the advertising world, will see fierce competition, especially given the pressure on Indian agencies to redeem themselves after a modest performance last year. Despite an impressive haul of 47 metals, including two Titanium Lions in 2022, the Indian contingent managed to secure only 25 Lions in 2023. Dentsu Creative, the star performer of 2022, is also in the running with a strong contender. Their Motorola ‘Deep Connect’ campaign, which facilitates communication for mine workers with their families, is both poignant and innovative, competing in 19 categories. This campaign exemplifies how advertising can blend creativity with social impact, a hallmark of winning entries at Cannes Lions. Cannes Contenders 2024 Leo Burnett In a nation of 1.4 billion, it’s surprising that only 2% play sports due to rapid urbanisation. Cities like Mumbai have lost open grounds to encroachment, leaving just one playground per million people. Consequently, 76% of Indians cite ‘lack of space’ as their reason for not playing. To address this, Gatorade, in partnership with Google Maps utilised historic data to identify when roads are empty, creating temporary play spaces. The campaign reimagines sports infrastructure, providing a solution for crowded cities and promoting sports engagement. Oreo noticed people struggling with questions like, “How do I ask my boss for a raise?” or “How do I apologise to my wife for forgetting her birthday?” Recognising that humor can lighten serious situations, the brand decided to make this “superpower” to ask difficult questions directly, accessible to all. Teaming up with Farhan Akhtar, who is known for his wit, Oreo printed alphabets on cookies that, when scanned, helped users “Say it With Oreo.” Using AI to generate responses in Farhan’s humorous voice, this campaign became Mondelez’s largest AI-led initiative, providing personalised, witty replies without human intervention. IKEA’s products are designed to save time in everyday tasks. To illustrate this, IKEA created “Ads that Save Time,” a series of YouTube pre-rolls. These ads featured characters using IKEA’s organizing products to press the skip button before the viewer could, highlighting the efficiency of IKEA’s solutions. This campaign aimed to demonstrate how organizing with IKEA products can help streamline daily routines. BBDO 57% of women decline work-related travel opportunities because they worry about their partner’s ability to manage the household chores in their absence. In the 7th edition of the multiple-Cannes Lions winning campaign for Ariel, #ShareTheLoad, BBDO aimed to tackle this mental load that women shoulder in addition to the physical housework. The campaign was further complemented by the development of a tech solution, Home Map. It functions like a map for your home, showing men where things are kept, which reduces the constant calls to women while they are away. The brand also surprised a prime-time news anchor with a video of her husband taking over the news screen during the live telecast, reassuring her that he had the home covered. Categories: Integrated, Film. In India, many women decline work-related travel opportunities, because they worry about their partners’ ability to manage the household chores in their absence. Ariel’s #ShareTheLoad movement wanted to change mindsets, and persuade men to step up at home, to share the partner’s mental load. For one night, while millions across India were tuned in, Ariel hijacked Prime-Time News to surprise the news anchor with a heartwarming message from her husband – showing him taking care of the home, while she was at work. This News Hijack was part of a larger integrated movement HomeTeams #ShareTheLoad that grew the conversation around the mental load of household chores on women. To reduce the mental load on women, Ariel, India’s leading detergent brand, developed a tech solution, Home Map. It’s like Maps for your home. With Home Map, men can find things at home without the constant calls to their wives. Putting an end to weaponised incompetence! Ariel’s ‘Home Map’ tells men where everything is kept at home. Home Map was part of a larger integrated movement HomeTeams #ShareTheLoad, that grew the conversation around the mental load of household chores on women. The combined impact of the HomeTeams movement was seen on the brand and society. 103, a women’s safety helpline was launched by the Mumbai Police. Despite announcing the helpline across mainstream media, very few women knew about it. 88% of women in Mumbai said they had no idea about 103. In India, culture reaches where mainstream media can’t. So, BBDO turned to culture – to Raksha Bandhan – a traditional Indian festival, wherein the agency took the Rakhi and turned it into a medium to spotlight the helpline. ‘The 103 RAKHI’ was launched with a guerrilla act. Dentsu Creative India’s 330k+ coal miners work deep underground in the darkness for over 10 hours a day. Within these dangerous subterrains, they are completely isolated and disconnected from their loved ones as mobile phones are prohibited in the mines for safety reasons. Motorola Deep Connect is an innovative solution developed by Motorola and executed by Dentsu Creative India. The technology utilises miners’ existing communication infrastructure - walkie-talkies, and converts radio signals into voice calls, enabling them to connect with their families back home through smartphones. A custom module installed at the surface of coal mines makes this two-way communication possible. Gurbaksh Singh tgthr. Imagine a day on the road. For men, there’s little to worry about, but for women in India, the struggle begins. Seventy percent can’t find a clean public toilet, and those available often have broken doors, filthy conditions, and no running water. This forces women to avoid drinking water or hold their urine for up to 12 hours, causing pain, dehydration, UTIs, and long-term kidney and bladder issues. Addressing this, Harpic India launched the Loocator app, helping women find, rate, and add public toilets. The campaign, through various media, reached over 163 million women, earning INR 8.2 crore and 63,000+ app downloads. Aalap Desai MullenLowe Lintas Group A recent UNICEF report reveals that around 818 million children worldwide lack basic hand washing facilities at their schools, increasing their risk of COVID-19 and other diseases. To address this, Hindustan Unilever Limited’s leading hygiene soap brand, Lifebuoy, launched the largest virtual hygiene drive in the Metaverse—Gift of the Ganga. This unique Minecraft initiative aims to transform pollution into germ protection. Gamers fish out plastic from a recreated Ganga, prompting Lifebuoy to remove an equivalent amount from the real river. The campaign educates people on disease prevention and highlights the importance of hygiene, waste segregation, According to the Oral Health Observatory, Indians are the world’s largest consumers of sugary food — both in quantity and frequency. The frequent use of sweets however, has led to 70% of Indian children having been affected by tooth decay at some point in their childhood. The oral health category has historically focused on habit-building to promote products designed for brushing twice daily. Pepsodent wanted to change this. The focus therefore was to champion good oral hygiene with the right products, as the key to protect children from cavities - so the unavoidable sweets are not harmful. The strategic implication of the insight meant that Pepsodent could reframe what sweets mean, so that Indian consumers understand that sweets are double-edged swords that can lead to cavities. Since its inception Britannia NutriChoice has been championing the cause of motivating Indians to pursue a healthy lifestyle. However, to own the larger narrative on ‘health’, it became imperative for NutriChoice to go beyond ‘biscuits’. This is the story of how a leading health biscuit brand came up with a mobile-based solution, NutriPlus app, that for the first-time empowered Indians to measure health in the most holistic manner and breaking a long-held notion that being physically fit is equal to being healthy. With this campaign Tetley set out to challenge the idea of what ‘fit’ looks like. They aimed to start a movement to stretch and lift the definition of fitness. They asked the customers to take the power of their inner potential and go beyond the surface idea of what fitness looks like. With MullenLowe Lintas’ efforts, ‘My body can, your body can, #everyBodycan becomes a war cry, establishing a refreshing take on fitness. DDB Mudra Group India has 700 spoken languages and 22 major regional languages, but over 125 million LGBTQIA+ people lack respectful terminology. Disney Star sought to change this by introducing words of respect for the community through its vast network reaching 700 million homes. They created Words of Pride, a glossary of respectful terms, with an accessible website featuring pronunciations and examples. This project involved 150 linguists, experts, queer groups, and allies over 30 months, uncovering 246+ respectful words in seven regional languages. Visual appeal is crucial in the food experience, triggering cravings and anticipation. However, for the 70 million colour-blind individuals in India, this visual magic fades. Therefore, expanding its EatQual initiative, McDonald’s addressed this inequity by developing India’s first colour-blind-friendly delivery app. Launched on World Sight Day last year, the app offers three colour enhancement options to help users see food more accurately. McDonald’s commercials and in-store experiences now include colour-blind options, improving brand perception and positively impacting revenue, with 16% of McDelivery orders using this feature. In today’s digital world, online personas are crucial, with identities and achievements linked to virtual presence. Battlegrounds Mobile India by Krafton launched a new Royale Pass, offering exclusive gear and enhancing player ranks, acting as a prestigious calling card in Battlegrounds Mobile India, symbolising distinction and online clout. An ad depicting a gamer with a Royale Pass tattoo, instantly recognised by fellow players who humorously drop in mock defeat was also released. By linking the Royale Pass to online clout, the brand elevated the virtual experience for serious players. The film garnered over 10 million views and 6 million engagements within days. White Rivers Media Created to tackle gender inequality and water scarcity in Piplantri, Rajasthan the campaign for Astral Foundation supported the cause of eco-feminism. The foundation installed a 13-km water pipeline for the plantation sites and planted 5,000 trees. As a result, it seamlessly nurtured the entire forest oasis with a total of over 300,000 lakh trees now bringing water from almost 800 meters below to ground level, inviting biodiversity. The efforts delivered 6M+ liters of water monthly and 5,000+ saplings – transforming the landscape, benefiting 400K+ trees, 10,000+ lives, and diversified agriculture for The campaign was created for Amazon miniTV’s show ‘Hip Hop India’ that spotlighted the country’s thriving underground hip-hop scene. A dance event was organised to promote the show where 1864 dancers performed, sparking a movement and giving voice to a vibrant youth culture. The dance event also found a mention in the Guinness World Record as the biggest hip-hop dance event. This AI-driven campaign narrated the tale of Lokmanya Tilak, the visionary leader who laid the foundation for the auspicious festival of Ganesh Chaturthi in the 1890s during the British Rule in India, sparking India’s freedom movement. It vividly portrayed his relentless efforts during the pre-independence era, as he aimed to reinvigorate patriotism among the people by uniting them through Ganesh Chaturthi. The brand also partnered with Lalbaugcha Raja in Maharashtra creating a Ganesha idol using different flavours of Pulse candy. Visitors taking blessings at the ‘Pulse Ka Pandal’ were also treated with special modak-shaped Pulse candies. FCB India In India’s booming $400+ smartphone market, Google Pixel faced tough competition with only 1% market share and 6% awareness, while Apple and Samsung dominated. Instead of using Bollywood stars like other brands, Pixel leveraged the enduring charm of Mr. India, a beloved Bollywood hero known for his invisibility—a perfect parallel to Pixel’s feature of removing unwanted elements from photos. This nostalgic approach resonated deeply, achieving over 17 million earned media impressions, a 55% increase from the previous campaign, and a 5.5x boost in press coverage. By tapping into cultural nostalgia, Google Pixel significantly enhanced its brand awareness and consideration. Categories: Film Lions FCB Ulka Inspiring true stories of financially and socially successful Amul-female-dairy-farmers were presented in a unique photo-exhibition to motivate millions of women in the country to be self-dependent. The photos were hydrographically printed on milk with their success stories presented on the side, creating a novel, first-time-ever experience for the visitors. Categories: Print & Publishing, Industry Craft, Design, Direct, Sustainable Development Goals Since time immemorial, a woman’s hair has been intertwined with religion, culture, sexuality, and patriarchy, binding her to society’s rules. The protests in Iran highlighted this injustice bringing support from countries across the world, except India, that chose to remain silent. This campaign aims to raise a voice of support to the women of Iran by bringing their plight close to home and heart, awakening Indian women to the truth that Iran’s issue is not Iran’s alone, but every woman’s issue. Categories: Brand Experience & Activation, Craft, Print & Publishing FCB Kinnect Online financial fraud surges during festive and sale seasons, with fraudsters now using AI to scam people. Traditional PSAs often fail to engage optimistic Indians. Enter Vigil Aunty from HDFC Bank, India’s first fraud awareness influencer, aiming to protect and empower the masses. During the End-Of-Season-Sale, Vigil Aunty teamed up with Nora Fatehi to create Lulumelon, a fake brand with bogus social media pages, websites, and deepfake ads. Those who clicked on the ads were directed to a reveal site, learning to spot fake websites and deepfakes. 1.4 million people fell for the scam, and 750 thousand joined the Vigil Army on WhatsApp for ongoing Categories: Direct, PR and Social & Influencer Lions In the second season of the TATA Women’s Premier League, an accidental moment sparked a groundbreaking marketing strategy. When Ellyse Perry shattered a Punch.ev display car window with a powerful shot, it became a symbol of women’s cricket and breaking stereotypes. A special ‘PerryPowerfulPunch’ award, crafted from the shattered glass in just 7 days, was presented to Perry. This swift execution garnered attention, reaching 18.22 million people organically and earning Rs 2.3 million in media coverage. The final match set a record for the most attended women’s sports event globally, boosting interest in TATA WPL and Punch.ev, and championing women’s empowerment in sports. Category: PR Lions FCB Kinnect & Good Fellas Studio The Lenovo Yoga series, designed for creators, faced stagnant market share in India while competitors doubled theirs annually. To appeal to creative individuals, Lenovo highlighted the Intel-powered Yoga as a creator’s best friend. Understanding that their audience values the creative process, Lenovo produced “BRAVE NEW ART,” a unique reality series featuring artists from various mediums tackling creative challenges with Lenovo Yoga laptops. Collaborations included a mural artist with a VR expert and an AI specialist with a 3D artist. The series aired on Disney+ Hotstar and YouTube, achieving 40 million views, a 9.5 IMDB rating, and an 88% sales increase in Q3. Brand awareness and favorability also rose by 6% and 4%, respectively. Categories: Entertainment Lions Havas Worldwide India To pay homage to goddess Durga, Mamaearth collaborated with artists to reimagine her nine avatars using makeup products like lipsticks, foundations, concealer, compact, lip & eye tint, kajal, kohl, & eye liner as paint colours. The sketches represented the nine facets of womanhood: strength, devotion, knowledge, fierceness, empathy, fearlessness, wisdom, and success. Through the campaign, the brand celebrated women and their virtues and reaffirmed that every woman is an embodiment of the diverse avatars of Maa Durga. Categories: Brand Experience & Activation (Single-Market Campaign), Design (Design-Driven Effectiveness), PR (Use of PR Stunts). Diwali, a significant festival in India, sees homes opening to welcome Goddess Lakshmi. However, this tradition also exposes households to mosquitoes, posing health risks. Mortein, dedicated to combating Dengue and Malaria, introduced “Raksha Jyoti” - a diya infused with mosquito repellent. Through compelling storytelling, Mortein addressed this issue without compromising the sentiment associated with the festival, offering a solution that aligned with cherished traditions while promoting health and safety. Categories: Brand Experience & Activation (Social Behaviour & Cultural Insight), Direct (Social Behaviour & Cultural Insight), Health & Wellness (Brand Led Education & Awareness - Brand Experience & Activation; Direct; Outdoor Ambient), Innovation (Societal Innovation), Media (Small Scale Media), Outdoor (Promotional Items & Printed Idea). Anupama Ramaswamy Grapes Out of India’s 135 crore population, women constitute 48 percent of the total rural population. 74.8 percent of women are agricultural workers. Yet, they face a complete lack of acknowledgement and recognition for their efforts everywhere. Be it the common masses, imagery in government adverts and portals or even Google search results. Grapes partnered with DS Group to eulogise the efforts of these female farmers missing from common perception using ‘Invisible Farmers’ as a creative device. The campaign became a symbol of the apathy and ignorance that female farmers face on a day to day basis. Catch Foods transformed its proposition from ‘Catch Ka Koi Match Nahi 100%’ to ‘Kyunki Khana Sirf Khana Nahi Hota’ to resonate on a deeper emotional level. This new direction aimed to highlight the cherished role of food in shared experiences. On Mother’s Day, the campaign focused on a heartwarming story of Nimmi and her mother. Nimmi’s mother, a prostitute, selflessly sent homemade meals to her daughter in an orphanage, maintaining a loving bond through food. The #MaaKaEhsaas campaign garnered 4.27 Cr impressions, reaching 1.68 Cr people, and was recognized as a successful Google Case Study. Priyadarshi Khastgir Mindshare India Hand-hygiene penetration was consistently dropping to all-time lows in India, lower than it was before the pandemic, with the highest impact seen in West Bengal. This alarming revelation compelled Lifebuoy to increase hand hygiene relevance, improve handwashing habits, and build salience for their ‘protection’ proposition in this market. Therefore, the brand created 'Maa’s Message', a campaign that brought the goddess of strength and protection alive inside the pandal. AI-generated QR codes camouflaged within the idol led unsuspecting, photo-hungry devotees to a real-time, contextual AR experience, where a virtual avatar of Maa came to life to safeguard her children from diseases by sharing a safety message with them. Handwashing stations placed strategically with food stalls, awaited them at the end of the pandal, which ensured that people washed their hands right after receiving her message. This left a memorable impact on visitors. Britannia 50-50 Golmaal crackers, known for their unique combination of sweet, salty and spicy flavors, is positioned on GOLMAAL, the colloquial term 'for something with a Twist'. To build a deeper connection, the concept of 'Golmaal' was brought to life during the ultimate cricketing event held in India - the World Cup, with brand ambassador, Ravi Shastri. The campaign generated AI-powered text-to-video responses for audience queries combining ChatGPT4 with a Text-to-Video engine. According to a Nielsen Study, 48% of women in India desire to be entrepreneurs, but unfortunately, only 13% of total entrepreneurs are women. BMG aims to be a beacon of empowerment for these women, transforming the traditional role of biscuits into a catalyst for change and progress. The campaign and the show were launched on Star Jalsha and Disney+ HOTSTAR, aiming to inspire the shortlisted 50 women entrepreneurs (out of the35K entries) to pitch their innovative business ideas. The platform provided upskilling resources for business growth, mentorship to pitch, and INR 1.7 Cr. monetary grants to 17 ideas. The campaign included a call for entries, contest website, QR packtivation, and 360 degree media amplification through TV vignettes, OOH, Influencers, PR, DTH, and Radio. Eighty-four percent of Indians reported becoming more health-conscious post-COVID, leading many to switch to digestive biscuits. However, few realised that Britannia Nutrichoice Digestive is made with 100% whole wheat and no refined wheat flour. To communicate this, Britannia introduced 'The 30-Second Print Ad,' combining the trust in print media with the widespread use of mobile phones. Readers could scan the print ad, which then came alive on their phones as a video. In the video, Ranveer Singh explained that Britannia Nutrichoice is made from 100% whole wheat and no refined flour. This technology, powered by deep-learning AI for image recognition, transformed a traditional print ad into an engaging digital experience, shifting consumer behaviour from passive ad consumption to active engagement. While families worldwide often travel by car, Indians frequently rely on a family bike. It is common to see entire families on scooters or motorcycles, especially in smaller cities like Jaipur and Ahmedabad, where one in two households owns a two-wheeler. However, Indian roads and driving habits pose significant risks. According to state transport departments, approximately 5,000 people die annually in accidents in Jaipur and 7,000 in Ahmedabad, with only 20% of two-wheeler riders wearing helmets. Despite numerous brands promoting rider safety, none focus on children, who rarely wear helmets. Addressing this, 'Little Helmets' were introduced, specifically designed for children with snug fittings, movable safety visors, ISI certification, and extra-soft cushioning. During IPL match days, traffic police in Jaipur and Ahmedabad distributed these helmets and educated family bikers. SBI Life and Rajasthan Royals created awareness content, including a 20ft helmet installation at the team’s stadium, reaching close to 10 million fans. The initiative engaged 10,000 family bikers and featured a rally of 500 traffic-police bikes with children as pillion riders, highlighting child safety and gaining extensive media coverage. India transports 70% of its domestic freight by road, amounting to approximately 4.6 billion tonnes and costing Rs 9.5 lakh crore. Six million truck drivers power this commerce annually, forming the backbone of the supply chain. These drivers often face harsh working conditions, low wages, health issues, and unscheduled hours, contributing to road crashes and fatalities. The unorganised nature of the trucking industry, with no formal training and limited upskilling opportunities, stunts growth and leaves these unsung heroes without a voice. Castrol CRB TURBOMAX, relaunched with a promise of 3X engine protection, introduced 'Pragati Ki Paathshaala – The School of Progress,' a mobile classroom initiative. This programme educates truckers, providing health check-ups and skill development across India. The campaign, supported by philanthropist Sonu Sood and endorsed by Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, travelled over 8,000 miles, delivering over 19,000 hours of sessions and offering health check-ups, with real-time updates available on a dedicated microsite.
This pattern of fluctuating success at Cannes Lions is not new for India. A similar decline was observed following the 2017 performance when India won 40 metals, only to see the tally halved over the subsequent three years. Prior to that, the 34-metal triumph of 2014 was unmatched for three years. Such trends might tempt one to be superstitious about the fate of the entries this year.
However, the broader Indian contingent is expected to bring a variety of creative and compelling campaigns to the festival. The industry is thus quite positive about the country’s performance at the festival this year.
The entries accessed by IMPACT propose a promising trend with several campaigns using culture and India-specific nuances as the highlight. Since such campaigns often have a strong chance to win on a global scale, the Indian adland seems to be ready to break the jinx. There are several promising entries in the mix.
Leo Burnett, last year’s top performer, has submitted several impressive works. Its Gatorade ‘Turf Finder’ campaign, which creatively integrates technology to help people locate suitable empty streets to turn into playgrounds, stands out. Further, ‘Say It With Oreo’ campaign offers a playful yet impactful way to communicate emotions using the iconic cookie, while IKEA’s ‘Ads That Save Time’ promises to engage viewers with its innovative approach to advertising efficiency.
The curiosity is palpating and butterflies are fluttering in the hearts of many as the Indian contingent gears up for the upcoming Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity 2024. The ad-land is putting on display some of the most successful, inspiring, path-breaking, and revolutionary campaigns at the French Riviera to compete with their counterparts from the global world. Here’s a sneak peek into some of the entries that Indian agencies have sent to fight for the coveted metals.
At a women’s safety event, a well-known activist surprised the Mumbai Commissioner of Police with this specially designed 103 Rakhi to raise awareness about the helpline. The Commissioner of Police also shared this special moment on his widely popular Instagram page. 103 Rakhis were available at stores, where it captured the attention of women shopping for Rakhis.
Chief Innovation Officer, Dentsu Creative India
Co-Founder & CCO, tgthr.
and upcycling.
3,000+ livestock.
Shrenik Gandhi
Co-founder and CEO, White Rivers Media
fraud updates.
Chief Creative Officer & Joint Managing Director, Havas Worldwide India
Senior Creative Director, Grapes
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