The 72nd edition of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, which started yesterday 16 June, has announced its first set of winners. The categories include Health & Wellness, Outdoor, Pharma, Print & Publishing and Audio & Radio Lions.
Commenting on the awards, Simon Cook, CEO of LIONS, said, “It’s always an exciting moment when we see the results of our Juries’ hard work in establishing the global creative benchmark. We’re seeing work that not only pushes creative boundaries but also demonstrates the tangible impact creativity can have on business and society. Thank you to all our Jurors for their commitment, time and expertise in selecting the ideas that truly move the industry forward.”
In the Pharma Lions, which celebrate creative communications for pharmaceutical clients and services with work that brings science and innovation to life, from 305 entries received, 9 Lions were awarded: 1 Gold, 3 Silver, and 4 Bronze Lions. The Jury awarded the Grand Prix to ‘Make Love Last – Bedroom’, for Viatris, by Ogilvy, Shanghai. The work sees Viagra, a brand that supports four hours of lasting intimacy, collaborate with a renowned artist to explore the intimacy stories of couples.
Pharma Lions Jury President Franklin Williams, Executive VP, Executive Experience Director, AREA 23, an IPG Health company, USA, commented, “This piece stood out by saying everything without needing to say a word. Its long-exposure technique delivered intimacy and product benefits with breathtaking subtlety, turning regulation into a creative opportunity. Beautifully crafted and emotionally resonant, it made a pharmaceutical brand feel deeply human. For me, it was a bold yet quiet masterclass in storytelling and an unforgettable example of how craft can carry meaning.”
In the Health & Wellness Lions, honouring creativity for personal well-being, from 1169 entries received, 33 Lions were awarded: 6 Gold, 11 Silver, and 15 Bronze. The Grand Prix went to ‘Vaseline Verified’, for Unilever, by Ogilvy, Singapore, which saw Vaseline scientists take viral hacks to the lab to test them. The campaign officially verified (or debunked) hacks through science, with findings shared directly with creators.
Commenting on the Grand Prix winner, Health & Wellness Jury President Eric Weisberg, Global Chief Creative Officer, Havas Health Network, Global, said: “People run toward light and away from darkness. With health misinformation becoming a global emergency, we found a bright light in ‘Vaseline Verified’ – —our Grand Prix winner. This work proves how creativity, joy, science, and influencer culture can powerfully unite to fight false narratives, educate, and transform lives.”
The Lions Health and United Nations Grand Prix for Good went to ‘The Best Place In The World To Have Herpes’, for New Zealand Herpes Foundation, FINCH, Sydney / Motion Sickness, Auckland / NZ Herpes Foundation, Auckland. Featuring a first-of-its-kind ‘Herpes Destigmatisation Course’, a global ranking system underpinned by live data, and plenty of irreverent humour, this campaign took an unusual approach to reducing herpes stigma – framing it as the key to restoring New Zealand’s diminished sense of national pride.
Jury President, David Ohana, Chief Communications & Marketing Officer, United Nations Foundation, said, “This year’s Lions Health Grand Prix for Good unabashedly uses humour to tackle a challenging subject and stigmatization. Forget doom & gloom, there’s enough of that already to go around. Our 2025 awardee took a taboo topic and turned it on its head – showing that with a great strategy, a big bold crazy idea (…can only imagine the pitch…), and humour for days, anything is possible. Brilliant.”
The Audio & Radio Lions, celebrating creativity that is wired for sound, received 714 entries, and 21 Lions were awarded: 3 Gold, 8 Silver, 9 Bronze and the Grand Prix that went to ‘One Second Ads’, for Budweiser, by Africa Creative DDB, São Paulo. In an effort to connect even deeper with music fans, Budweiser created a series of ads just 1 second long, featuring only the first notes of the world’s most iconic songs. Fans were then challenged to guess the songs on social media.
Audio & Radio Jury President, Xolisa Dyeshana, Chief Creative Officer, Joe Public, Africa and Middle East, said: “Budweiser’s ‘1 Second Ads’ campaign was exceptionally creative, insightful, and fresh. It resonated with the brand, the medium, and most importantly, the target audience. It was an audio-first idea that couldn’t have been pulled off without the power of sound. The execution was flawless, and it achieved the ultimate goal of all communication: keeping people coming back for more.”
In the Print & Publishing Lions, which honour creativity in circulation, with 769 entries received, 23 Lions were awarded: 4 Gold, 8 Silver, and 10 Bronze. The Grand Prix went to ‘Price Packs’, for PENNY, by Serviceplan, Munich, which saw PENNY launch bold, price-focused packaging designed to leverage its reputation for affordability, focusing its packaging entirely on price.
From 2001 entries received for the Outdoor Lions, 57 Lions were awarded: 9 Gold, 19 Silver, 27 Bronze. There were two Grands Prix awards within the Outdoor Lions this year. The first went to KitKat for the ‘Phone Break’ campaign – ‘Crowd’, ‘Public Transport’, ‘Street’, VML, Prague – signalling the Czech Republic’s first Grand Prix. The campaign recreated familiar public moments – commuters waiting, pedestrians scrolling, friends looking at screens instead of each other – and swapped the phones with KitKats, triggering the iconic line “Have a break, have a KitKat”.
The second Grand Prix was awarded to ‘Olympic Games Opening Ceremony Paris 2024’, for Paris 2024, by Paname 24, Paris / AUDITOIRE, Paris / Double 2, Paris / OBO, Paris / Havas Paris / Havas Events Paris. The creative vision reimagined what an Olympic ceremony could be by taking it out of a stadium and into the heart of Paris. By transforming the Seine into a 6-kilometre stage, it created an immersive experience that embodied France’s fundamental values of “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.”