e4m@Cannes:  India bags 14 Lions on Day 3; Grand Prix for FCB India

India’s creative momentum surged back into the global spotlight on Day 3 of the 2024 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity with a total of 14 wins—1 Grand Prix, 4 Golds, 2 Silvers, and 7 Bronze Lions, proving that when Indian agencies combine purpose with originality, the world takes notice.

Leading the metal haul was Lucky Yatra by FCB India for Indian Railways, which earned the prestigious Grand Prix in the PR category. Tackling the age-old problem of ticketless travel, the campaign transformed legitimate railway tickets into entries for a national lottery. It struck a cultural chord by turning something as mundane as a train ticket into a symbol of luck, encouraging honest travel through a rewards system that felt exciting and meaningful. Seamlessly integrating on-ground outreach with digital amplification, Lucky Yatra combined relevance with resonance to become one of India’s most awarded campaigns this year. In addition to the Grand Prix, it also won Golds in the PR and Direct categories, and a Silver in PR, cementing its cross-category strength and creative versatility.

Sharing his excitement on FCB India's Grand Prix, 2 Gold Lions & 1 Silver Lion wins on Day 3 of Cannes 2025, Dheeraj Sinha, Group CEO, FCB India & South Asia highlights, "It is both a team ambition and team victory, the agencies come together, the team has come together to bring home not just a Grand Prix but also two golds today and one silver. This is absolutely amazing, its an idea for a public transit system which is getting changed with creativity and this restores faith in the idea of creativity in today's world."

Also joining the Gold roster was Erase Valentine's Day by Ogilvy India for Mondelez, which picked up top honours in the Social & Creator category. Cadbury 5 Star’s campaign used a cheeky and culturally attuned narrative—built around a fictional time-travel vessel named the F.N.S. Cringe Crusader, to literally “skip” Valentine’s Day by crossing the International Date Line. It was a rebellious, funny, and perfectly timed cultural subversion that resonated with Gen Z audiences while delivering sharp brand recall.

“We won three lions today and we’re super proud of each one of them. The gold for 5- Star Erase Valentine’s Day in Social & Creator is so special because it is a testament to the fact that when everyone is working towards making the impossible possible, it happens. The client being on the stage with us is amazing because this was impossible without their belief. We won a second bronze for ‘Titan Eye Test Menu’. This time in Media. This campaign has been winning at every show but winning at Cannes seals the deal for the creative soul. ‘Amazon Box to Beds’ won a bronze in the category PR. This campaign has just started its journey and has bagged a lion already. We thank all our teams, clients and partners because each of these ideas needed a village to raise them,” said Kainaz Karmakar, Harshad Rajadhyaksha & Sukesh Nayak, CCOs, Ogilvy India.

Acko Tailor Test by Leo India for Acko won Gold in the Creative Data category with a beautifully human insight-driven campaign. By partnering with local tailors to measure waist-to-hip ratios, an early indicator of heart disease, the campaign turned everyday measurement moments into potentially life-saving interventions. It blended data, community trust, and health awareness to elevate Acko’s brand purpose in a manner that was both scalable and intimate.

“At Leo, we have always believed in the power of data—but more importantly, in the power of human insight. This campaign is a perfect expression of our Humankind philosophy, where creativity begins not with a brand, but with a deep understanding of people. Sometimes, the most profound insights are found in places we least expect, quietly embedded in everyday behavior. We discovered that nearly every Indian family has a trusted tailor—someone who’s not only measured our clothes but inadvertently tracked our health over the years. That simple realization became the heart of a powerful idea. Kudos to ACKO for believing in it, and to the incredible teams at Leo who’ve made it a habit to uncover the extraordinary in the ordinary. This is creativity with purpose, designed to impact lives at scale—true to our belief in ideas that can impact a billion," said Rajdeepak Das, CCO Publicis Groupe South Asia and Chairman, Leo South Asia.

Rounding out the day were 2 Silver and 7 Bronze Lions awarded across categories including Media, PR, Direct, Creative Data and Social & Creator, with agencies like Leo India, Ogilvy, Havas, Dentsu Creative, BBH India and Talented contributing to India’s strong and diverse showing.

Total Metal Tally: 26 (9 + 3 + 14)

Metal Tally Day 3: 14 (1 Grand Prix, 4 Gold, 2 Silver, 7 Bronze)

Cannes Lions 2025 – Day 3 Category Breakdown

Creative Data (1 Gold)

Acko Tailor Test by Leo India for Acko – Gold

Direct: (1 Gold, 1 Bronze)

Lucky Yatra by FCB India for Indian Railways – Gold

Ink of Democracy by Havas India for The Times of India – Bronze

Media: (1 Silver, 4 Bronze)

Takeoff Takeover by Leo India for Cathay Pacific – Silver

Eye Test Menu by Ogilvy India for Titan Company Ltd – Bronze

Ink of Democracy by Havas India for The Times of India – Bronze

Garuda Rakshak by Dentsu Creative for DSP Mutual Funds – Bronze

Nature Shapes Britannia by Talented for Britannia Industries Ltd – Bronze

PR: (1 Grand Prix, 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze)

Lucky Yatra by FCB India for Indian Railways – Grand Prix, Gold & Silver

Box to Beds by Ogilvy India for Amazon – Bronze

Social & Creator: (1 Gold, 1 Bronze)

Erase Valentine's Day by Ogilvy India for Mondelez – Gold

Bassi Vs Men's Facewash by BBH India for Garnier – Bronze