Cannes, France: After a strong start on the opening day of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2025, India’s performance slowed on Day Two, with the nation adding only three more medals to its tally—two Silver Lions and one Bronze. Despite the dip in daily wins, India’s cumulative count now stands at 12, ahead of the nine medals secured by the end of Day Two last year.
WPP-owned creative agency VML opened its account at this year’s festival with a Silver Lion in The Entertainment Lions for Music category. The accolade came for “The Girl Who Played The Tutari”, a compelling campaign developed for Coca-Cola’s Coke Studio Bharat. The initiative spotlighted a young girl breaking gender norms through a traditional Maharashtrian wind instrument, seamlessly blending music, culture, and progressive storytelling.
Independent agency Talented notched its second Silver Lion, this time in the Entertainment Lions for Sport category. The awarded work, “Avani’s Gold” for Britannia Marie Gold, paid tribute to para-athlete Avani Lekhara and underscored the brand’s support for women breaking barriers in sports.
Meanwhile, legacy agency Ogilvy Mumbai added a Bronze Lion in the Design category for “The Eye Test Menu”, an innovative campaign for Titan Eye Plus. Targeting truck drivers at highway dhabas, Ogilvy replaced standard menus with specially designed versions that doubled as vision tests. The initiative aimed to raise awareness about eye health, supported by on-site optometrists offering real-time check-ups.
While the medal haul on Day Two didn’t match the high of Day One—which saw India collect two Golds, four Silvers, and three Bronzes—the overall performance continues to reflect the depth and diversity of Indian creativity on a global stage.
With several marquee categories still to be announced in the coming days, the Indian contingent remains optimistic about expanding its medal tally further.
