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India asserted its creative prowess on Day 1 of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2025, bagging a total of nine Lions, more than doubling its Day 1 tally from 2024, which stood at four.
This year’s haul includes 2 Gold, 4 Silver, and 3 Bronze Lions, with a strong showing across categories such as Outdoor, Print & Publishing, Health & Wellness, and Pharma.
India’s strong Day 1 showing was powered by a diverse lineup of creative agencies, each bringing distinct storytelling flair to the global stage. FCB India led the charge with two wins for its campaign “Lucky Yatra” for Indian Railways, including a coveted Gold in Outdoor. Ogilvy continued its Cannes momentum with three Bronze wins across Outdoor and Health, while Talent earned recognition with a Silver for Britannia’s nature-inspired campaign. Havas India stood tall in Print & Publishing with a Gold for “Ink of Democracy” for The Times of India. FCB Kinnect, Godrej Creative Lab, and Lowe Lintas rounded out the medal tally with Silver Lions in Outdoor, Health & Wellness, and Pharma respectively—reflecting a robust and diversified showing from India’s leading creative shops.
Category-wise Breakdown:
Outdoor Lions Dominate Day 1
The Outdoor category emerged as the biggest win for Indian agencies, accounting for six of the nine medals.
FCB India’s “Lucky Yatra” for Indian Railways won big, taking home a Gold and a Bronze, recognizing its unique blend of cultural storytelling and public engagement.
Talent & Ogilvy also made their mark with “Nature Shapes Britannia” (Silver), “Chai Bansuri – The Tea Flute” (Bronze), and “Vi Guardian Beads” (Bronze).
FCB Kinnect bagged a Silver for “Too Yumm to Cheer!”, further cementing India’s dominance in the Outdoor space.
Print & Publishing
Havas India secured a Gold for “Ink of Democracy” for The Times of India, celebrating the power of journalism and civic engagement in a landmark election year.
Health & Pharma
India also picked up two Silver Lions in specialist categories:
“Naga Saint Eye Test” by Godrej Creative Lab for Eyebetes Foundation (Health & Wellness)
“Dawai Reader” by Lowe Lintas for Alkem Laboratories (Pharma)
Comparison with 2024
In 2024, India had clinched just four Lions on Day 1 — 1 Gold, 1 Silver, and 2 Bronze — primarily in Health & Wellness and Outdoor categories. McCann Worldgroup led the wins with a Gold and a Bronze for its “Fit My Feet” campaign for Buckaroo Footwear in the Health & Wellness category, showcasing an innovative solution to foot health. Ogilvy Mumbai took home a Silver in Outdoor for its visually striking “Taj Mahal Megh Santoor” billboard for Brooke Bond Taj Mahal Tea, and added a Bronze in Health & Wellness for its emotionally charged campaign “The Impossible Choice” for St. Jude India Childcare Centres. While modest in volume, the wins underscored India’s strength in socially relevant storytelling and public health narratives.
This year’s performance reflects a significant broadening of creative strength, with wins cutting across traditional and emerging platforms. Another notable factor about this year’s win was that India excelled especially in the outdoor category with one gold, two silvers and three bronze medals in comparison to last year’s silver. This highlighted the country’s emerging potential in the outdoor category.
India also managed to clinch a gold in the print & publishing and a silver in the pharma category which was lacking last year. In contrast, while India had a strong presence in the Health & Wellness category in 2024, including a Gold and Bronze, this year saw a more modest return with just a single Silver. This may reflect a shift in the creative momentum across categories.
The only miss came in the Audio & Radio category, where India failed to make the shortlist this year.
India’s impressive Day 1 tally positions the country as a formidable contender at this year’s Cannes Lions. With several high-profile campaigns still in the fray across Film, Digital, Design, Music, Sports, Creative Effectiveness, and Sustainable Development categories, the coming days could see India’s medal count rise further.
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