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Universal McCann tops media winners at Cannes Ad Festival with Media Grand Prix, 3 Gold Lions
At this year’s Cannes International Advertising Festival, Universal McCann Sydney, Australia, received the top accolade, the Media Grand Prix, for its Magnum Ice Cream “7 Deadly Sins” mixed media campaign on behalf of Unilever’s Magnum Ice Cream.
This is in addition to three Gold Lions awarded to UM: Puerto Rico for MasterCard (“Best Use of Television”), Sao Paolo, Brazil, for ACDelco Batteries (“Best Use of Outdoor”), and Sydney for Magnum Ice Cream (“Best Use of Mixed Media”), an official release says. In total, Universal McCann received more top honors than any other media agency at the Cannes Ad Festival.
Universal McCann also had seven additional shortlisted campaigns from around the globe, including in the “Kids” targeting and “Best Use of Radio” categories.
Universal McCann, with global billings of $17.9 billion, is the media arm of McCann-Erickson WorldGroup, which is a part of The Interpublic Group of Companies.
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Raghu Rai passes away at 83, leaves behind iconic legacy
Padma Shri-winning photographer documented history across 5 decades.
MUMBAI: The lens may have stilled, but the stories it captured will never fade. Raghu Rai, one of India’s most celebrated photojournalists, passed away on April 26, 2026, at the age of 83. He breathed his last at a private hospital in New Delhi after battling cancer and age-related health issues.
His son, Nitin Rai, revealed that Rai had been diagnosed with prostate cancer two years ago, which later spread to the stomach and, more recently, the brain. Despite multiple rounds of treatment, his health had declined in recent months.
Born in 1942 in Jhang, Punjab (now in Pakistan), Rai entered photography in his early twenties, inspired by his elder brother, photographer S. Paul. Beginning his career in the mid-1960s, he went on to build a body of work that spanned more than five decades, contributing to global publications such as Time, Life, GEO, Le Figaro, The New York Times, Vogue, GQ and Marie Claire.
His global recognition took a decisive leap in 1977 when legendary French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson nominated him to join Magnum Photos, placing him among the world’s most respected visual storytellers.
Rai’s lens chronicled both power and poignancy. He photographed towering figures such as Indira Gandhi, Dalai Lama, Bal Thackeray, Satyajit Ray and Mother Teresa, while also documenting defining moments like the Bhopal gas tragedy later captured in his book Exposure: A Corporate Crime.
Over the years, he published more than 18 books, building an archive that blended journalism with artistry. His contributions were recognised early when he was awarded the Padma Shri in 1972 for his coverage of the Bangladesh War and refugee crisis. In 1992, he was named “Photographer of the Year” in the United States for his work in National Geographic, and in 2009, he was honoured with the Officier des Arts et des Lettres by the French government.
Rai is survived by his wife Gurmeet, son Nitin, and daughters Lagan, Avani and Purvai. His last rites will be held at Lodhi Cremation Ground in New Delhi at 4 pm on Sunday.
With his passing, Indian photojournalism loses not just a pioneer, but a patient observer of history, one frame at a time.
