‘Simplicity combined with sharp insight and craft allows brand to make a real connection’

For injury prone Dhruv Warrior, a fractured foot and crutches was not an impediment when it came to travelling all the way from Bengaluru to Cannes to be part of the Print & Publishing jury this year. 

Warrior shares his experience, learnings, subtle advertising, favourite campaigns and more. 

Experience of judging at Cannes Lions 

This is my second time judging at Cannes. I was part of the Direct Lions shortlist jury in 2019, and this year I've had the opportunity to serve on the Print & Publishing awarding jury. The experience, this time, with my fellow jurors was great. 

We had a very culturally diverse jury, which was very cool because you got to see a single piece of work from multiple perspectives. Print functions differently across countries and cultures. The medium carries different relevance depending on the socio-cultural and political context of each market. From an advertising perspective, while we did see a slight decline in the volume of entries, there were several standout pieces.

Print is often described as a declining medium globally. What was your experience judging the category?

I don't believe print is dead at all as there is still space to explore. It will continue to have a role to play. An interesting trend was a strong emphasis placed on human touch and connection. What was encouraging was the breadth — from traditional print ads to work that commented on AI and technology, and even innovative ideas that reimagined the future of the medium. At a time when everyone is talking about AI, people are increasingly valuing tangible, real-world experiences. 

There’s something inherently human about holding a newspaper in your hands, and print continues to deliver that connection. We also saw powerful examples of print being used as a force for social change, addressing important issues and driving meaningful impact.

Trends observed in the Print category this year

A big trend across categories was the ability to say something without explicitly showing the product. The Heinz Ketchup campaign, ‘Look Familiar,’ the Grand Prix winner was a great example—you never actually see a Heinz bottle or sachet, yet the brand is unmistakably present.

The best work combined simplicity with sharp insight and craft and the message lands and allows the brand to make a real connection with the consumer. In print, you don't have 30 seconds like a film does. 

Another interesting trend was the reinterpretation of traditional print advertising in contemporary ways, particularly when it came to craft. 

We also saw digital conversations and behaviours being translated into print. One example was a Burger King campaign, ‘Hungry Street View Drivers’ that used an image of a Google Street View imagery showing car drivers stopping at Burger King takeaway outlets—a digital insight expressed through print.

Lessons  for Indian marketers and creatives 

India has a significant advantage—we still have a thriving print ecosystem. We should be leveraging that advantage and use our prowess as we have talented writers, artists, illustrators, and creative thinkers. We need to use print as a canvas for stronger self-expression and bolder storytelling. Every time I come to Cannes, I see work from around the world and feel jealous and also want our brands to feel the same way.

For both brands and agencies, the key is to believe in strong ideas as great ideas are central to a brand’s growth. Every conversation about ROI, effectiveness, and business growth ultimately starts there. 

Campaigns that stood out

“No Blue, No Green” by SOS Oceano (Brazil): 

This was my favorite piece. The print element of the campaign was brilliant. As part of a conservation effort, the initial phase of campaign removed the blue and green colour form the Brazilian flag. The message that went out was that if you don't look after the blue, which is the ocean, there is no green. 

In Phase two, the campaign featured six original screen-printed artworks, each pairing a marine species with its terrestrial counterpart within the iconic yellow diamond of the Brazilian flag. For the print element, they brought the blue and yellow together to give you the green - the colours of the Brazilian flag. The result, the Brazilian President signed off at a conservation effort that resulted in 1.6 million hectares of ocean space being protected.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_DyGULrLBI 

30Under30: Lives Cut Short (USA)

30Under30 was an extremely powerful piece done for gun violence in the USA. It was released during Forbes of 30 under 30 awards where a magazine was released which featured 30 young individuals under the age of 30 with immense potential who lost their lives to gun violence. The art direction was beautiful. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPH6VPnn_kg 

The Trojan Fax by IUCN French Committee x Fujifilm Print (France)”

Does a fax machine still exist, this campaign saw the return of a fax machine. The campaign was to get mayors across France to cordon off public spaces for people. The majors were reached through a fax and the print copy used special characters of a keyboard - *, #, %, & etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs9zvpCYcpI  

Silent Edition: Jeep (Canada):

Jeep launched a silent hybrid car, and approached an award-winning wildlife photographer to shoot animals in the wild from the car at a close distance. The stunning photographs taken ended up as the campaign with a beautiful body copy. The product is integral to a wildlife photographer and Jeep as a brand is all about exploring the world and exploring terrains that people don't get to go.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6O0TXJ2FrM