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Mint
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
India roars at Cannes, but global creative dominance still eludes us
MUMBAI: India has never looked more confident on the global creative stage. With a rich haul of 32 Lions at this year's Cannes Lions International Festival, including a Grand Prix, nine Golds, nine Silvers, and 13 Bronzes, this was India's best outing since 2022. But behind the celebration lies a more sobering question: while Indian ad agencies are solving real-world problems and building culturally powerful narratives, are we still falling short of creating globally scaled, exportable creative intellectual property (IP)? The wins spanned newer, impact-led categories like PR, creative data, social and influencer, creative strategy and brand experience—marking a clear departure from the era when India's strength lay in print or radio. Among the most celebrated campaigns this year were FCB India's Lucky Yatra, which gamified Indian Railways' unreserved ticketing system to reward underserved travellers; Leo Burnett's Tailor Test, which used neighbourhood tailors to push men toward preventive health check-ups; and Ogilvy's Erase Valentine's Day, which continued 5Star's irreverent tone and won Gold for its culturally subversive social play. Also read: Advertising sentiment remains subdued during festive quarter 'India's performance at Cannes this year has been nothing short of inspiring, and I think it is the result of a steady evolution and not a sudden breakthrough," said Rana Barua, group chief executive officer, Havas India, SEA and North Asia (Japan and South Korea). 'We've been sharpening our strategic thinking while staying rooted in culture and elevating the craft to meet global standards. What's really working in our favour now is our ability to tell stories that are both deeply local but also hold universal relevance." Havas India picked up metals for Ink of Democracy, which turned a newspaper front page purple—the colour of India's voting ink—to nudge readers to vote. The campaign was high on cultural resonance and symbolic weight and reflected the kind of idea Cannes increasingly rewards. 'We're witnessing a definitive shift toward 'purpose with proof'. It's no longer enough for a campaign to simply say something meaningful; it also has to do with the right messaging and effective impact," Barua said. 'The work that wins today is emotionally compelling, but also measurable, actionable, and anchored in truth." Even traditional advertisers are leaning into this shift. Mondelez India's 5Star was again among the Cannes winners for its quirky, anti-Valentine's Day campaign. 'Winning Gold at Cannes is a moment of immense pride for us," said Nitin Saini, vice-president—marketing, Mondelez India. 'We aim to deliver bold, clutter-breaking work that drives both brand love and business impact." Also read: Music labels crack the whip as influencers flout copyright rules on social media Saini underlined that the brand doesn't create work just to win awards. 'Our briefs are always anchored on winning with consumers, keeping in mind our key brand objectives and with a laser focus on consumer impact," he said. 'But when the work is insightful, disruptive, and hits the right cultural nerve, it often earns recognition." He also pointed out that risk-taking is less about timing and more about internal culture. 'At Mondelez, we encourage our teams to deeply understand the consumer, the cultural context and our brands and from that foundation, we give them the freedom to experiment." But despite the optimism, some remain unconvinced that this success marks a permanent shift. Karthik Srinivasan, independent communications consultant, said, 'There is good work coming out of India, most definitely, but we could do a lot better in terms of scale and ambition." Srinivasan noted that many of the wins came from purpose-led interventions, where there's greater creative flexibility than in product-led advertising. 'Purpose-led activations have always been the well of creative thought, unshackled from the need to sell, which is the traditional bedrock of advertising. So it's no wonder that they offer better width for agencies to unleash creativity. But the real magic would be in producing such creativity in service of selling traditional products, using traditional brand storytelling." He also raised a deeper issue: India still hasn't created a globally exportable brand idea. 'We still lack the ambition to create ideas that can be scaled globally. For instance, Surf Excel's Daag Achche Hain, Snickers' You're Not You When You're Hungry, or Pepsi's No Lays, No Game were all successfully adapted in India and not originated. While we go hard on local relevance, when we create ideas that can work locally and can be successfully imported to other markets, that would signal something very different about Indian creativity." Some of this year's top winners weren't without controversy. Lucky Yatra drew criticism over execution claims, while a Britannia film raised concerns about exaggerated outcomes—rekindling debates around the line between case study storytelling and fact-based results. Also read: Former Disney India legal head Mihir Rale joins Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas 'Creativity, on its own, does matter," Srinivasan said. 'But when in advertising, there's a subsequent question: 'Did it work?' That depends on other factors—whether there was enough money and appropriate media vehicles used in service of the idea, and whether the intended audience gained from it. Awards matter when they are defined sharply." Barua believes that Indian agencies are moving in the right direction—investing in system-level change, not just in campaign flash. 'Great work doesn't happen by accident. It takes intent, collaboration, and a culture that champions both excellence and empathy," he said. 'Our Village model brings together creative, media, CX (consumer experience), design, PR, tech and health under one roof. We're not just making ads, we're solving complex business problems." This year's Cannes wins weren't dominated by any single holding company or city. FCB, Leo Burnett, Ogilvy, Havas, Dentsu Creative, Godrej Creative Lab and BBH all contributed, suggesting a broader base of ambition and capability across the ecosystem. But the question of consistency remains. 'We're absolutely capable of becoming consistent global forces," Barua said. 'What's holding us back is a mix of scale, mindset, and opportunity. We're often operating in a value-conscious, risk-averse environment, but that's changing." What's encouraging is that Indian creatives are no longer thinking in just 30-second TVCs or radio spots. They're thinking in platforms, formats and ecosystems. And this year's winners prove India can deliver culturally rooted, globally relevant storytelling. The challenge now is whether we can build on this momentum and create ideas that don't just win, but endure. India may not have had its Droga5 moment yet. But Cannes 2025 suggests we're no longer chasing others. We're finally beginning to lead.
Time Magazine
6 days ago
- Business
- Time Magazine
At TIME100 Talk, Executives Discuss the Power of Digital Inclusivity and Positivity
For most people across the globe, social media is a daily part of life. Billions of people interact with brands, stories, influencers, and other content across various platforms everyday. With the impact that this content carries for consumers, discussing positivity, inclusivity, and the role that brands play is essential. At the Cannes Lions International Festival, TIME CEO Jessica Sibley hosted a roundtable talk with industry leaders to discuss what they are up to in a rapidly changing online environment. The discussions began when CEO Bill Ready of Pinterest—which presented the event—brought up the challenges young people face today, and the importance of cultivating a healthy online platform. He recalls one decision he made to limit access to harmful content for those under 16. 'As a parent, I truly believed I didn't want young people engaging with strangers online,' he said. Ready said that younger users have taken notice of Pinterest's overall approach as a platform where you can 'get away from the toxicity elsewhere.' Others business leaders echoed similar concerns. Jim Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, which reviews the safety of social media platforms, said that his biggest worry is that 'we have waited a long time to deal with' the issue and that it's important to young people everywhere. 'The same concerns we have in the U.S. are global,' he adds. Brieane Olson, CEO of retail company PacSun, says that businesses need to learn about the needs and wants of Gen Z users. 'What has surprised me the most is how misunderstood Gen Z has become through the digital lens,' she said. 'As adults in the room,' added Sadé Mohammed, the Chief Impact and Marketing Officer at TIME, 'there's a feeling of not being included in real life. I think about what we can do to facilitate that community in person instead.' Some executives also highlighted the needs of specific younger audiences. Laurie Lam, Chief Brand Officer at e.l.f. Beauty, a cosmetics firm in California, said more companies need to focus on making young women feel seen and heard. 'As a mom to two girls, our ethos is so rooted in lifting [up] others,' she said. For her part, Ndidi Oteh, incoming CEO of Accenture Song, a creative agency, raised the question of brand accountability. 'It's a reoccurring theme, how do you hold your influencers accountable, how do you make sure that you act with responsibility … to make sure that we're actually moving towards a more positive world.' Industry leaders at the roundtable in Cannes also shed light on their own personal challenges. Erin Andrews, a sports broadcaster and co-founder of women's apparel company WEAR, revealed her experiences in the spotlight. Over time, she said, she found herself more open about her private life, including her treatment for cervical cancer. "It was really difficult," she said. Andrews continues to stay motivated about getting female fans to attend games. 'It brings tears to my eyes when dad's come up to me and say 'I want my daughter to do what you do',' she said. Other attendees of the rountable included Aki Mandhar, CEO of Chelsea Women FC; Lisa McKnight, Chief Brand Officer and Executive Vice President at Mattel; Jimmy Smith, CEO & Chief Creative Officer at Amusement Park Entertainment; Casper Lee, Chief Vision Officer at Creator Ventures; Alexis Ohanian, Founder of Seven Seven Six and Athlos; Rachel Delphin, Chief Marketing Officer of Twitch; Carla Hassan, Chief Marketing Officer at JP Morgan Chase; Andréa Mallard, Global Chief Marketing Officer at Pinterest; and Renata Ferraiolo, CEO of SC Johnson Lifestyle Brands and Blakely Thornton, Culture Critic and Podcast Host.
