MAM
Cannes Lions Day 2: India secures 20 more shortlists for six categories
Mumbai: After the grand opening success of the Indian contingent on day one of the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity 2022 with a seven-metal haul, which includes two Grand Prix, three Silvers, two Bronzes and 20 shortlists across five categories, the Indian contingent has clocked in 20 more shortlists on the second day.
On Day-2 of Cannes Lions 2022, 20 more shortlists for six categories across Brand Experience & Activation (10), Creative Business Transformation (1), Creative Commerce (4), Mobile (4), Creative Effectiveness (1), and Creative Strategy were released.
Brand Experience & Activation
In the Brand Experience & Activation category, 10 shortlists were selected from 71 entries from India.
Ogilvy India has two shortlists for ‘Shahrukh Khan – My Ad,’ while Dentsu Creative India has three for Vice Media’s “The Unfiltered History Tour.”
VMLY&R’s commerce division received one shortlist for Unilever’s ‘Smart Fill’ campaign, while its advertising division received one finalist for Unipad’s ‘Adeli’ campaign.
Three shortlists have been compiled by FCB India and FCB Chicago for the Times of India campaign ‘The Nominate Me Selfie’.
Creative Business Transformation
In this category, VMLY&R Commerce’s campaign ‘Smart fill’ for Unilever is the only Indian entry on the shortlist.
From India, 8 entries were submitted in this category.
Creative Commerce
In the Creative Commerce category this year, India submitted 14 entries.
Three shortlists have been announced for VMLY&R Commerce’s ‘Smart Fill’ campaign for Unilever.
For the campaign ‘Shagun ka Lifafa’ created for Ujjivan Small Finance Bank, McCann Worldgroup India has received its first shortlist.
Mobile Lions
‘The Unfiltered History Tour’ has secured three shortlists in Activation by Location, mobile-led creativity and social purpose subcategories under the mobile category. The campaign for Vice Media has already won a grand prix, one silver, and two bronze.
Further, out of 19 entries in the Mobile Lions category from India, #NothingCoin for Cadbury 5 Star created by Ogilvy Mumbai has been shortlisted.
Creative Effectiveness
Out of 20 Indian entries, DDB Mudra Mumbai’s “Stayfree Project Free Period” was the only one to make the shortlist in the Creative Effectiveness category.
Creative Strategy
In the Creative Strategy category, which had 29 submissions, there was no participation from India.
MAM
Lego brings Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappé, Vinicius together
Campaign clocks 314 million views ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 buzz.
MUMBAI: Four legends, one frame and not a single tackle in sight. Lego has pulled off a crossover few thought possible, uniting Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior in a single campaign ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 only this time, they’re building dreams brick by brick.
Titled “Everyone wants a piece”, the campaign features the quartet assembling a Lego version of the World Cup trophy, before placing miniature versions of themselves atop it, a playful nod to football’s ultimate prize. Shared widely across social media, the ad carries a pointed disclaimer: it is not AI-generated, a subtle but telling signal in an era where even reality is often questioned.
The numbers tell their own story. The campaign has already crossed 314 million views on Instagram across the players’ accounts, with fans hailing it as a rare, almost nostalgic moment particularly for the reunion of Messi and Ronaldo, whose last shared campaign ahead of the 2022 World Cup became one of the platform’s most-liked posts.
Beyond the film, Lego is extending the play with exclusive, player-themed sets tied to each of the four stars, part of a broader football-led programme designed to ride the global momentum building towards 2026. The idea, as echoed by the players themselves, leans into the parallels between football and play experimentation, creativity, failure, and triumph.
Messi described the sets as a way to bring on-pitch moments into an imaginative, hands-on world, while Ronaldo called the transformation into a Lego figure a rare honour, blending sport with storytelling. Vinícius, meanwhile, struck a more personal note, recalling childhood moments of building with Lego and framing creativity as a universal language that transcends borders.
The timing is no accident. With the 2026 World Cup set to run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, and featuring an expanded 48-team format, global anticipation is already building. Argentina, led by Messi, will enter as defending champions, adding another layer of intrigue.
For Lego, the campaign does more than celebrate football, it taps into its mythology. Because when icons become figurines and rivalries turn into play, the beautiful game finds a new kind of pitch. one built, quite literally, by hand.
