India bags 23 shortlists at Cannes Lions 2025
The Indian agencies with shortlisted work include Ogilvy (6), FCB India (5), Havas Creative (3), Talented (2), Lowe Lintas (2), and one each for Leo, Godrej Creative Lab, FCB Kinnect, Tribes Communications, and Famous Innovations.
18 Jun 2025 | 312 Views | By WhatPackaging? Team
India has secured 23 shortlists across four categories out of five announced at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2025. The four categories that agencies in India secured shortlists include health & wellness, outdoor, pharma, and publishing. There were no shortlists for India in the fifth category, audio & radio.
Three Indian campaigns have been shortlisted in the health & wellness category. This includes Leo for Whisper’s ‘Project Early Periods’, Ogilvy for Titan Eyewear’s ‘Eye Test Menu’, and Godrej Creative Lab’s ‘Naga Saint Eye Test’.
The outdoor category accounted for the highest number, with 13 shortlists for agencies in India. Ogilvy earned five, including two for Titan Eyewear’s ‘Eye Test Menu’ and one each for Brooke Bond Taj Mahal Tea’s ‘Chai Bansuri’, Coca-Cola’s ‘Coke Zero Auditions’, and Vi’s ‘Guardian Beads’. FCB India received four shortlists for Indian Railways’ ‘Lucky Yatra’, while Talented earned two for Britannia’s ‘Nature Shapes’. FCB Kinnect was shortlisted for Too Yumm’s ‘Too Yumm To Cheer’, and Tribes Communication for Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India’s ‘Dry Thru’.
Lowe Lintas has secured two shortlists for Alkem Laboratories’ ‘The Dawai Reader’ in the pharma category. In print & publishing, Havas Creative earned three shortlists for The Times of India’s ‘The Ink of Democracy’. Famous Innovations received one for BMC’s ‘Seven Layers of Truth’.
| Agency | Number of Shortlists |
|---|---|
| Ogilvy | 6 |
| FCB India | 5 |
| Havas Creative | 3 |
| Talented | 2 |
| Lowe Lintas | 2 |
| Famous Innovations | 1 |
| FCB Kinnect | 1 |
| Godrej Creative Lab | 1 |
| Leo | 1 |
| Tribes Communications | 1 |
Meanwhile, the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has confirmed a total of 26,900 entries from across 96 markets for its 2025 awards.
The year 2025 has seen growth in entries across various categories. The Design Lions, updated to better reflect the strategic and behavioural impact of design, saw a 17% rise in entries. The submissions for Creative B2B grew by 13%, and the Entertainment Lions for Sport by 15%, indicating the rising importance of creativity in performance-led industries.
The entries for Strategy Track, which covers Creative Strategy and Creative Effectiveness Lions, rose by 10%—its fifth consecutive year of expansion. Submissions for Glass: The Lion for Change, which marks its tenth anniversary this year, increased by 53%, led by more intersectional work dealing with systemic issues.
Entries from independent agencies jumped by 18%, indicating a growing appetite for innovation outside large network structures. Latin America saw a 16% annualised growth in participation, indicating regional momentum.
In line with evolving content trends, 18% of entries to the Social & Influencer Lions were received under new sub-categories for creator-led content.
The shortlists for Glass: The Lion for Change, Dan Wieden Titanium Lions, and Innovation Lions have been released. The remaining shortlists will be announced by 18 June. The award ceremonies are expected to take place in Cannes from 16 to 20 June 2025.
This story was originally published on Campaign India.