Mumbai: Consistency in creativity, the strategic use of humour, and a willingness to disrupt the market have emerged as three critical drivers of business growth, according to a new study by WARC, the global authority on marketing effectiveness.
The findings are detailed in Creative Effectiveness Lions 2025 – Insights from the Winners, a report that examines the campaigns honoured at this year’s Cannes Creative Effectiveness Lions. The awards recognise work that not only demonstrates exceptional creativity but also delivers on business objectives and generates long-term, sustainable impact.
Drawing on an in-depth analysis of award entries and jury deliberations, the WARC report distils common themes and success factors from the winning campaigns. It offers actionable guidance for advertisers, agencies, and media owners seeking to develop creative strategies that achieve both cultural resonance and measurable commercial results.
John Bizzell, Awards Lead, WARC, said, “Marketers will learn a lot from this year’s crop of winners. These campaigns are using the power of creativity to solve real business and societal challenges whilst driving growth.”
Andrea Diquez, Global CEO, GUT, and jury president, added, “Everything this jury saw had won or been shortlisted for creativity in a previous year, so the body of work is always very impressive. When evaluating the entries this year, it was critical for us to assess the boldness of the ideas together with the significance of the impact. We were looking for work that was courageous and authentic.”
Key themes from the 2025 winners:
1.Compound creativity drives long-term success
Brands that maintain consistent creative platforms or themes over time see stronger recognition, loyalty, and financial results. System1 research presented at Cannes by Andrew Tindell, SVP Global Partnerships, found that consistent brands generate 27% more very large brand effects and 28% more very large business effects. Examples include Apple’s Shot on iPhone campaign, which reported 14 billion views over its ten-year run and contributed to a 5% market share growth, and Dove’s long-running Real Beauty platform.
2.Humour resonates with audiences
WARC’s research shows that humorous advertising triggers brain reward systems, improving memorability and distinctiveness. A study by The Martin Agency found that 72% of consumers prefer brands using humour, with 91% favouring funny brands overall. Winning examples include Specsavers’ The Misheard Version (Gold), CeraVe’s Michael CeraVe (Bronze), and Sheba’s The Gravy Race (Bronze).
3.Market disruption drives breakthrough results
Challenging sector norms can deliver significant competitive advantages. Vaseline’s Transition Body Lotion (Bronze) addressed the needs of an underserved community, Magnum’s Find Your Summer (Silver) broke seasonal consumption barriers, and McDonald’s No Smiles (Silver) redefined workplace culture to better connect with Gen Z employees.
Summing up, John Bizzell noted, “Prioritising consistent, long-term, emotionally resonant creative that challenge category conventions while remaining culturally relevant and authentic, is the key to Creative Effectiveness.”
Bizzell added, “Having spent two long days in the jury room, I learnt exactly what you need to do (and not do) to come out on top in this category. Focus your energy on telling the jury the story of the campaign’s impact. It breaks down to three simple things: connect your results to your objectives, keep it simple, make it interesting.”
