MAM
Good news for Ogilvy & Mather India at Cannes
O&M India has struck gold at Cannes this year. In the Press and Outdoor categories, the company bagged two golds for an ad that discourages smoking. The ad was made for the Cancer Patients Aid Association, say reports.
At this year’s Cannes Advertising festival, considered the equivalent of the Oscars for the ad community, the Publicis Groupe’s Saatchi & Saatchi’s campaign for Club 18-30 walked away with the Press Grand Prix . The print campaign displayed 20 year olds vacationing, interspersed with several erotic situations covertly.
Leo Burnett, Oslo, was awarded the first ever Grand Prix in the Outdoor category for a campaign for Oslo Piercing Studio. It took advantage of environmental elements that literally “pierce” the posters. Twenty-eight Gold Lions were awarded in Press and Outdoor this year. The UK won seven while Spain bagged four.
However, the US won the most Lions – 14. Interpublic’s Carmichael Lynch, Minneapolis, was awarded a Silver for an ad for Harley-Davidson while Havas’ Arnold Worldwide won a Silver and a Bronze for Boeri Helmets and Volkswagen respectively.
Meanwhile, Universal McCann from Australia won the Media Grand Prix for its integrated campaign for Magnum Ice Cream. The campaign revolved around the seven deadly sins. Each flavour of the ice cream was positioned so as to match the sins.
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.
