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Cannes Lions Day 3: Dentsu Creative bags second Grand Prix, India scores 10 more Lions
Mumbai: The Indian contingent continued its dominant run on day three of Cannes Lions, doubling its tally of 10 metals across 6 categories in one of its best performances at the event.
The latest 10-metal tally includes one Grand Prix, two Gold Lions, five Silver Lions, and two Bronze Lions across Brand Experience & Activation, Creative Business Transformation, Creative Commerce, Innovation, Mobile, and Creative Effectiveness Lions.
Meanwhile, Dentsu Creative created history by winning its second Grand Prix this year in the Brand Experience and Activations category for Vice Media’s ‘The Unfiltered History Tour’ campaign.
Additionally, India scored 50 more shortlists, taking its total shortlists tally to a stunning 107.
Here’s the breakdown of the day three’s wins under various categories:
Brand Experience & Activation
The leading campaign of the year from India, ‘The Unfiltered Selfie’ won a Grand Prix (use of mobile devices) and one Silver Lion (new realities & voice activation). The campaign created by Dentsu Creative for Vice Media now has two Grand Prix, one Gold, two Silver, and two Bronze Lions in its kitty and around 24 shortlists thus far.
Dentsu Creative group chief creative officer India Ajay Gahlaut exulted at the agency’s performance, “Today, we have made history with another tremendous victory. A Grand Prix and Silver!! Kudos to the entire team for the massive win. I am enthralled with the mark ‘The Unfiltered History Tour’ campaign and everyone behind it has left. My heartiest congratulations to all of them. It’s time to celebrate while we wait to increase the number of our wins.”
Dentsu Creative CEO India Amit Wadhwa said, “It is our third day at Cannes and we are on top of the world to win yet another Grand Prix and Silver Lion. It is indeed blissful to take back two Grand Prix in addition to the many metals. It has been a mind-blowing experience so far. While we party harder for this one, I am in awe of the level of global creativity and innovation displayed at the festival. We are totally looking forward to witnessing more innovation ahead and expecting many more wins, fingers crossed!”
‘The Nominate Me Selfie’ campaign created by FCB for Political Shakti – a non-partisan women’s collective passionate about female leaders in politics, that appeared in The Times of India won a Silver in the category under Use of Mobile & Devices Section.
The second Silver in the category was won by the ‘Shah Rukh Khan – My Ad’ campaign created by Ogilvy for Cadbury Celebrations under Tech-led Brand Experience subcategory.
Creative Business Transformation
The ‘Smart Fill’ initiative of Unilever, conceptualised by VMLY&R Commerce won a Silver Lion under the Brand Purpose & Impact subcategory.
Creative Commerce Winners
‘Smart Fill’ also won a Gold Metal in Creative Commerce Lions under the Sustainable Commerce subcategory.
Reacting to the wins, VMLY&R Commerce executive creative director Arpan Jain said, “There are ideas and there are awards, but there are only a few pieces of work that have a purpose at the heart of consumer experience and actually have the power to change the world. I’m happy to see Smart Fill being recognized as one such piece of amazing work.”
A Gold came for McCann for its ‘Shagun Ka Lifafa’ campaign created for Ujjivan Small Finance Bank under the subcategory of Social Behaviour and Cultural Insight.
Innovation
VMLY&R Mumbai’s winning campaign ‘The Killer Pack’ secured a Silver Lion in Innovation (product innovation) category.
Mobile
The only win in the category came for Vice Media’s ‘The Unfiltered History Tour’ created by Dentsu Creative, scoring a Silver Lion under the Mobile-led Creativity subcategory.
Creative Effectiveness
‘Project Free Period’ an initiative by P&G’s Stayfree sanitary pads, conceptualised and executed by DDB Mudra picked a Bronze Lion under the Creative Effectiveness for Good subcategory.
Shortlists
13 shortlists were garnered by ‘Chatpat’, a ten-year-old brand ambassador for SOS Children’s Villages of India NGO and its campaign ‘No Child Alone’. The campaign got three shortlists in Direct (not-for-profit/charity/government, use of social platforms, breakthrough on a budget), three in Media (not-for-profit/charity/government, use of stunts, use of social platforms), three in PR (content creation & production, innovative use of influencers, breakthrough on a budget), and four in Social & Influencer (not-for-profit/charity/government, innovative use of influencers, social film series, breakthrough on a budget).
‘Unbox Me’ campaign for Unaids by FCB India and FCB Chicago got six shortlists, including three in PR (innovative use of influencers, cultural insight, social engagement) and three in Social & Influencers (not-for-profit/charity/government, social purpose, cultural insight).
The Cadbury Celebrations’ ‘Shah Rukh Khan – My Ad’ campaign created by Ogilvy, Political Shakti + The Times of India’s ‘The Nominate Me Selfie’ by FCB, and Vice Media’s ‘The Unfiltered History’ also scored six shortlists each.
Further, the ‘Adeli’ campaign created by VMLY&R for Unipads got three shortlists. The campaign got shortlisted in PR Lions (corporate purpose & social responsibility, use of events & stunts, social behaviour).
BBDO India’s ‘See Equal #ShareTheLoad (Integrated)’ campaign for P&G’s Ariel also got three shortlists – one in Media (corporate purpose & social responsibility) and two in PR (single market campaign, consumer goods).
The agency got another shortlist in Media Lions (use of ambient media: small scale) for the same brand’s ‘Name Change Pack #ShareTheLoad’ campaign.” These special packs were customised with some of the most common Indian male names instead of the brand name.
Ogilvy got two shortlists for the ‘Perk Disclaimers’ campaign that asked people who tend to take offence quickly, to ‘take it light’. The shortlists came in Media Lions (food & drink, use of social platforms).
Another shortlist for Ogivy came for Cadbury 5 Stars ‘NothingCoin’ in PR Lions (use of technology).
McCann’s ‘Shagun Ka Lifafa’ campaign created for Ujjivan Small Finance Bank got another shortlist in Direct Lions (social behaviour).
Mindshare’s ‘Bringing Back Colours In the Lives of Weavers’ created for Sunlight Detergent secured one shortlist in Media (local brands) Lions.
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Lessons from global media markets on building enduring content franchises
Rose Audio Visuals COO and CFO Mitesh Patel.
MUMBAI: The global media landscape has undergone a fundamental shift. Success today is no longer defined by a single hit show. It is defined by the ability to build intellectual property (IP) that travels, evolves, and compounds over time.
At Rose Audio Visuals, this shift is central to how we think about content pitching and creation. We are no longer in the business of just making shows. We are in the business of building IP ecosystems.
From Hits to Franchises
Globally, the most successful content is designed to extend beyond its first outing. It travels across: Seasons, Platforms (TV → OTT → Digital), Formats (series → spin-offs) Shows like Stranger Things and Money Heist are not just successful series they are multi-layered franchises with global recall, fan engagement, and long-term monetisation. The key learning is simple: If content cannot scale beyond one season or one platform, it remains a project not a franchise.
Local Stories, Global Impact
One of the most powerful global trends is the rise of culturally rooted storytelling. Platforms today reward local authenticity combined with universal emotion. Stories that are deeply regional are no longer limited by geography they are amplified by it. Consider the global impact of Squid Game or India’s own Sacred Games. The takeaway is clear: The more authentic the story, the greater its potential to travel if the emotion resonates universally.
Monetisation Begins After the First Window
A critical global learning is that the true value of content is not realised at launch, it is realised over time.
Strong franchises unlock multiple revenue streams: Licensing, International remakes, Brand integrations, Digital extensions , Events and immersive experiences
Global players like The Walt Disney Company have mastered this approach, turning content into long-term ecosystems that extend far beyond the screen.
The first window is just the beginning. The real value lies in what follows.
At Rose Audio Visuals, we increasingly evaluate projects not just on commissioning value, but on their long-term franchise potential.
The Rise of Creator-Led Franchises
An important global shift is the emergence of creator-led IP ecosystems.
Creators today are not just content producers they are building full-scale franchises across platforms, formats, and businesses.
A powerful example is MrBeast. What started as YouTube videos has evolved into: Multiple content formats, Global audience scale , Brand extensions and businesses, High-impact experiential content This is a fundamentally different model digital-first, audience-owned, and infinitely scalable.
This model is still in its early stages in Indian but it represents a massive opportunity.
The next wave of Indian content franchises may not come from traditional studios alone but from creators who think like media companies.
Balancing Data with Creative Instinct
Streaming platforms today are deeply data-driven. Data helps Identify emerging genres, Predict audience behaviour , Inform commissioning decisions However, global experience shows that data alone does not create hits. Data informs scale, but storytelling creates impact.
Talent is the Foundation of Franchises
Enduring franchises are rarely accidental they are built through long-term creative partnerships. Globally, there is a clear focus on nurturing Actors, Writter, Show runner and director. Franchises are not built on scripts alone they are built on creators. This is an area where we continue to invest deeply building long-term relationships with talent rather than project-based collaborations.
Multi-Platform Thinking from Day One
Content consumption today is inherently multi-platform. A successful show must be designed not just for its primary platform, but for: Short-form extensions, Social media amplification, Digital-first engagement. Every show today needs a second life beyond its original format.
India: A Market at an Inflection Point
India today stands at a unique moment in its content journey.
We are seeing significant opportunity in Regional markets (Telugu, Tamil, Marathi and others) Emerging formats such as micro-dramas, Scalable, franchise-driven fiction IP
India does not lack stories. What we have historically lacked is structured franchise thinking something that is now beginning to evolve.
The Way Forward
The biggest lesson from global markets is this: The future belongs to companies that do not chase hits, but systematically build franchises. Because while hits may deliver immediate success, franchises create long-term value, recall, and compounding growth.
At Rose Audio Visuals, this belief shapes how we develop, greenlight, and scale content across platforms.
For content companies today, the question is no longer “Will this show work?” It is: “Can this become a franchise?”
A Personal Note
Having worked across content, business, and strategy, one thing has become increasingly clear to me, the most valuable companies in our industry will not be those that create the most content, but those that create content that endures.
Building a franchise requires patience, conviction, and a long-term lens something that the industry is only now beginning to fully embrace.As we continue this journey at Rose Audio Visuals, our focus remains simple: to move from volume-driven creation to value-driven storytelling. Because in the end, stories may start conversations but franchises build legacies.
