Cannes Lions 2025: X3M Ideas’ “Blood Sacrifice” Campaign For Red Cross Wins At ACT Responsible
In a year already marked by global recognition, X3M Ideas has added yet another accolade to its growing list of achievements. At the prestigious ACT Responsible exhibition during the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the agency’s campaign, “Blood Sacrifice” for the Red Cross, was named Favourite Campaign under the Solidarity Category.
The emotionally charged campaign challenges cultural notions of ritual by reframing blood donation as a modern act of life-saving sacrifice. Its resonance with audiences from around the world reflects the power of culturally rooted storytelling with a global conscience.
ACT Responsible is an internationally recognized platform that curates and celebrates the most impactful purpose-driven campaigns in advertising. X3M Ideas’ standout win places it in the global spotlight for using African insight to address universal human challenges.
“We’re deeply honored that Blood Sacrifice struck a global chord,” said Steve Babaeko, CEO and Chief Creative Officer of X3M Ideas. “This recognition isn’t just for the agency, it’s for every African creative who believes our stories and our values can change the world. We don’t just do ads; we use creativity as a force for good.”
This win follows closely on the heels of X3M Ideas’ inclusion in the 2025 Financial Times list of Africa’s Fastest Growing Companies, a prestigious recognition of the agency’s business growth, resilience, and regional impact. From transforming local brands to leading social conversations through creative excellence, X3M Ideas continues to redefine what’s possible for African agencies on the global stage.
Recall that X3M Ideas is not new to achieving such great feat and recognition at Cannes Lions, in 2024, the agency was the only African agency to make the prestigious list of top 25 agencies in the world by the ACT Good Report.
Adding to this, X3M Ideas’ campaign “Motherhood Sentence” was also ranked 38th out of the 40 best campaigns featured in the report. The campaign was praised for its ability to capture the essence of the ACT Good Report’s mission and align with critical social realities.
X3M Ideas was founded in Lagos, Nigeria, X3M Ideas is one of Africa’s fastest-growing and most awarded independent creative agencies, with a growing footprint in Johannesburg, Nairobi, Lusaka, Dubai, Congo Brazzaville, and London. Known for bold ideas and human-centred storytelling, the agency remains committed to using creativity to inspire, innovate, and ignite change.
