Is the ‘Mother of All Problems’ the reason behind our Cannes Lions poor show problem?

The lights dim, the bass drops, and the silver screen at the Palais Des Festivals at the Cannes Lions flickers to life. If you are watching an Indian case study, you can almost script the first 10 seconds yourself: a sweeping drone shot of a crowded slum, a poignant sitar or flute swell, and a voiceover starkly rattling off statistics about the country’s population, poverty, or lack of clean water or the uncontrollable crowd and chaos at the colourful Kumbh Mela.

But as I watched Heinz in Toronto sweep a Grand Prix with nothing more than a clever fold in a cardboard fry box, to simply hold some sauce, it hit me hard. Why must Indian creativity carry the weight of the entire developing world on its shoulders just to win a trophy? Why do the examples we take to Cannes need to impact millions of people, and not a select few, if it is just that cohort that truly matters for the brand? Why do they need to be solving problems for all of mankind in the country as opposed to just the brand via the advertising. If we produce work of the other kind, will we not get accepted in the hallowed jury room of Cannes Lions?

This year India hit rock-bottom, with 5 Lions, and not a single Gold or Grand Prix, making it one of our worst ever performances at the advertising festival. Talking about a certain kind of formula that holds true for India, Jitender Dabas, CEO, BBDO Group India says, “Are we entering that kind of work because it aligns with the jury’s perception of India or because it is easy to win that? Or are we entering a different kind of work but that doesn’t win because global juries sometimes respond more readily to a familiar narrative of India, looking at a simplified narrative of India, the Slumdog Millionaire kind. As Indian marketing and advertising starts to develop, our work should reflect a more contemporary India—one that is building technology, shaping culture, solving complex problems and creating global brands—not just the stories the world has historically associated with us. The next wave of Indian creativity shouldn’t just tell stories about India. It should demonstrate what India is capable of building, solving and contributing to the world.”

As Dabas put in, we have become master storytellers of our own misery, treating systemic, generational trauma as the ultimate creative fuel. Yes, there are exceptions, the Shahrukh Khan ad for Mondelez by Ogilvy, Leo’s Roads that Honk or Gatorade – Turf Finder commercial, BBDO’s Share the Load, The Last Laugh by Medulla Communications, The Punishing Signal by FCB that won at Cannes Lions in the past few years, but those examples are far and few.  

For years we have struggled with a massive ideological divide – product ingenuity vs social purpose, an everyday micro frustration vs a macro crisis, small design tweaks vs massive awareness drives in collaboration with NGOs. And when it comes to emotion; the ‘aha’ moment of accomplishing something clever and practical for a brand vs. that ‘Oh’ moment which is built on a heartbreaking or noble premise. And then there is the question of ---is the Cannes Lions jury expecting this from Indian entries, will they reward us for our resilience in the face of adversity instead of accepting our technological wit.

Anisha Iyer, CEO of OMD, in India, ‘There is a slight undertone of under confidence which reflects in the kind of entries that get submitted and the number of entries we think are worthy of being submitted. Even if you did an incredible campaign in one state of India which yielded great results for the brand in one small region, then please enter it. Learn from the Latin Americans, they do a great job of celebrating every little corner of their continent.’

There is a certain perception about every market out there, to give an example of one outside of India, let’s say Middle East where gender inequality becomes a bone of contention every now and then. But the question is, are we simply giving the jury what they ‘expected’ to see from us. On one end Cannes Lions entries have dropped by 25%, while India’s entries have dropped by 1/3rd this year and yet by sheer numbers we have crossed 600, but then why are they not shocking the jury enough to convert an entry into a metal? 5 metals for a market that was oft compared to Brazil and pinned as the next emerging creative hub, can be quite a dampener. 

It is often cheaper and safer for a brand to sponsor a temporary social initiative for a case video than it is to completely re-engineer their product, supply chain, or packaging like Heinz did, Leo is one agency that has repeatedly taken strong strides in this direction with its work like Bajaj V where it built patriotism into the physical steel of the product and going on to generate commercial profitability, instead of taking an easy shortcut to emotional gravity. Similarly, Ogilvy and Wavemaker’s Erase Valentine’s Day was an incredibly funny take on Valentine’s Day which synced beautifully with the brand thought for 5-Star; FCB’s Lucky Yatra win last year, despite all the controversy, was a quirky pilot to solve Railways ticketing problems. But are the others still referring to the old playbook of cracking Cannes Lions? 

Giving a global perspective on Indian entries, Liz Taylor, Global CCO, Ogilvy, says, ‘At the end of the day, the key is the best insights that really connect the brand to the consumer. But no brand should do something that has no relevance to them, just because it is an issue or a problem in their market. The idea still has to connect back to the purpose of the brand. The Heinz ketchup example is a human behavioural insight--- when you get a packet of fries where do you put the ketchup if you are on the go. So that solves an interesting consumer need.’

Experts say, it is far easier to win a Lion by serving the West a simplified narrative of Indian struggle than it is to compete on the global stage with cutting-edge, tech-driven commercial work. If Le Pub can take home a Grand Prix for saving a pub in a local village in Ireland (The Pub That Refused to Die) which was indeed a beautiful thought, why then is India which is considered to be a nation of ‘jugaads’ and full of micro insights still struggling to channel that sharp wit into product design, UI/UX, and frictionless utility instead of relying on the crutch of social guilt? Can brand purpose be king in India, and not larger social purpose. Let’s hope we have answers till Cannes Lions 2027.