The 72nd edition of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is in full swing, and on its third day, awards were handed out in six categories – Creative B2B Lions, Creative Data Lions, Direct Lions, Media Lions, PR Lions, and Social & Creator Lions. In addition to the awards in these six categories, the USA stood out with three Grand Prix wins, while Brazil, India, and Singapore each took home one.
It was an exciting night for Belgium and Puerto Rico as well, who won their first-ever Lions in the Social & Creator Lions category. The Media Network of the Year 2025 title went to OMD Worldwide, with Mindshare in second place and PHD Worldwide in third.
Creative B2B Lions
Out of 417 evaluated entries, only 13 were awarded Lions: 2 Gold, 4 Silver, and 6 Bronze, while the Grand Prix went to ‘B2B: Act Like You Know’ for GoDaddy Airo by GoDaddy, from the USA.
GoDaddy, receiving its first-ever Cannes Lions award, partnered with actor Walton Goggins to launch a pair of glasses aimed at showing that small businesses can also harness AI to build their online presence.
“This year’s Grand Prix stood out for its bravery, confident execution, and authentic B2B creativity,” said Jury President Wendy Walker, VP Marketing ASEAN.
Creative Data Lions
In addition to the Grand Prix, the Creative Data Lions category awarded 18 Lions! The category received a total of 597 submissions, representing a 63.1% year-over-year increase.
The Grand Prix went to ‘Efficient Way To Pay’ for Consul Appliances by agency DM9 from Brazil. The campaign demonstrated how data can drive innovation and social impact by creating a new business model for the brand: enabling low-income households in Brazil to test energy-efficient appliances and pay for them using the savings from reduced electricity bills.
Direct Lions
An impressive 2,038 entries led to 60 Lions awarded: 10 Gold, 20 Silver, and 29 Bronze! The Grand Prix in the Direct Lions category went to France – their first ever in this category – for the campaign ‘AXA – Three Words’ by Publicis Conseil for AXA, based on three words that can change lives.
By adding just three words -“and domestic violence” – to the most common and standard insurance contracts in France, the company enabled women to exit abusive relationships.
“This is an idea people will remember even ten years from now,” said Jury President Gaëtan du Peloux, adding that this revolutionary idea sets new standards.
Media Lions
Another category seeing growth in submissions for the fourth consecutive year! This year, 66 Lions were awarded in the Media Lions category, with the Grand Prix going to ‘Dove Real Beauty Redefined for the AI Era’ for Dove, created by Mindshare.
The campaign aimed to combat unrealistic AI-generated beauty standards in partnership with Pinterest. They worked on adapting algorithms to ensure that AI presents a more inclusive and diverse representation of beauty.
PR Lions
The PR Lions jury awarded 44 Lions, and for the first time ever, the Grand Prix went to India! The campaign ‘Lucky Yatra’, created for Indian Railways by FCB India, won unanimous praise.
Combining the deep-rooted cultural belief in luck, every train ticket was turned into a lottery ticket, giving passengers an extra reason and motivation to travel. “The campaign had engagement, likability, talkability, and integration,” said Jury President Tom Beckman, affirming the decision was an easy one.
Social & Creator Lions
The Grand Prix in this category went to ‘Vaseline Verified’ for Unilever, created by Ogilvy Singapore. The brand established a creative connection with users by putting an end to the viral “hack” videos circulating online that misused Vaseline products.
“The campaign embraced the duality of social media – the fact that UGC can both help and harm – and confronted the challenge head-on by uniting the brand, community, and creators around one undeniable idea,” said Jury President Beth Keamy.
As the names of other winners will be revealed throughout the festival, running until June 20, this iconic event proves – night after night – its relevance not only to the creative industry but to society at large.
