Cannes Lions 2025: Grand Prix winners round-up

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2025 wrapped up on Friday, 20 June, and Creative Moment has rounded up the Grand Prix winners, with a few musings.

Tired, but buoyant, creatives landed back on home turf after a week in the sunny South of France. The lucky few who bagged the Grand Prix, Titanium, and Gold gongs at the event will be particularly elated, however.

Spanning social impact, technology, and storytelling, the winning campaigns are notable for capturing something of the zeitgeist, and no doubt shaping the creative direction of the months and years ahead.

From tackling global issues like inequality and child marriage to leveraging AI and gaming, the 2025 Grand Prix winners are rounded up neatly below for your chin scratching pleasure.

(PS - we never fail to be surprised at how tricky it is to find working video links to some adverts nowadays, but we did our best!)

Grand Prix Winners

Titanium + Creative Business Transformation + Direct: ‘Three Words’ by Publicis Conseil, Paris for AXA

This poignant campaign for insurance giant AXA uses three simple words to add domestic violence coverage to home insurance policies, offering women emergency support. The video shows how small changes can have profound impacts, earning multiple Grand Prix for its transformative impact.

The ad features a montage of intimate scenes of women finding safety, supported by AXA’s services, with subtle branding, and a genuine act of change by AXA.

Titanium + Brand Experience & Activation + Design + Digital Craft: 'Caption with Intention' by FCB Chicago for Chicago Hearing Society

This campaign takes on an unsung cause and redefines closed captioning for film and TV, using dynamic timing and animations to convey emotional nuance. The video showcases its impact on accessibility, earning multiple Grand Prix for its design and societal contribution.

The ad features a montage of captioned film scenes, highlighting enhanced emotional depth for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers, with testimonials from the community. There’s something visually satisfying about how it subverts nostalgic aesthetics. See what you think.

Titanium + Health & Wellness + Social & Influencer: 'Vaseline Verified' by Ogilvy Singapore for Unilever

Vaseline’s campaign tackles health misinformation by verifying viral skincare hacks through science. The video shows creators testing hacks, earning Grand Prix for its blend of joy, science, and influencer culture in promoting wellness.

Light-hearted scenes of creators applying Vaseline, with lab tests validating hacks, are shared across social platforms.

Titanium: 'Pedigree Caramelo' by AlmapBBDO São Paulo for Pedigree

Like the captions advert, this campaign takes on another niche but important issue, focusing on pet adoption by celebrating the unique charm of mixed-breed dogs like 'Caramelo.' The video tells a heartwarming story of a stray finding a home, earning a Titanium Grand Prix for its emotional resonance.

Vibrant visuals of a mixed-breed dog’s journey, with families sharing adoption stories, emphasising Pedigree’s advocacy.

Creative B2B: 'Act Like You Know' by Quality Meats Creative New York for GoDaddy

GoDaddy’s campaign launches its AI-powered brand builder, Airo, with Man of the Moment, actor Walton Goggins humorously showcasing its business potential. The video blends wit and tech with snappy production.

The ad features comedic scenes of Goggins launching a spoof brand using Airo, highlighting GoDaddy’s tool for entrepreneurs. It’s upbeat and memorable.

Creative Commerce: ‘Preserved Promos’ by VML New York for Ziploc

Ziploc’s campaign tackles a very pressing issue for all of us: inflation. Its products fit in neatly here, and the ad encourages preserving promotional items in its storage bags. The video humorously shows fans saving memorabilia, earning the Creative Commerce Grand Prix for its practical creativity.

The ad is mainly made up of quirky scenes of people sealing tickets and trinkets in Ziploc bags, with a playful tone emphasising durability.

Creative Effectiveness: 'Shot on iPhone' by TBWA\Media Arts Lab Los Angeles for Apple

Apple’s decade-long campaign showcases user-generated iPhone content, and we’ve covered a fair few on this very site. The winning video highlights stunning global visuals, earning the Creative Effectiveness Grand Prix for its enduring impact.

An impressive montage of iPhone-shot photos and videos, from landscapes to candid moments, set to an inspiring score, obviously won the judges over.

Creative Strategy + Glass: The Lion for Change: 'Real Beauty: How a Soap Brand Created a Global Self-Esteem Movement' by Ogilvy London for Dove

Dove’s 20-year 'Real Beauty' campaign redefines beauty standards, promoting self-esteem. The winning video chronicles its global impact, earning Grand Prix in Creative Strategy and Glass for its societal change.

The ad features emotional testimonials from diverse women, with archival footage of Dove’s initiatives, highlighting body positivity. We’ve often covered Dove’s efforts, which in many ways spearheaded a lot of the commonplace issues highlighted in a variety of beauty ads today.

Entertainment: 'Night Fishing' by Innocean Seoul for Hyundai Motor Company

Hyundai’s poetic campaign, shot using IONIQ car cameras, tells a story of environmental stewardship. The video’s cinematic quality earned the Entertainment Grand Prix.

The film features serene nighttime fishing scenes, reflecting on nature, with Hyundai’s eco-friendly vehicle subtly featured.

Entertainment Lions for Gaming: 'Call of Discounts' by Gut São Paulo for Mercado Livre

Mercado Livre’s campaign gamifies Black Friday shopping with a 'quest' for discounts. The video immerses viewers in a gaming world, earning the Gaming Grand Prix.

Fast-paced gaming visuals of users hunting deals, blends e-commerce and entertainment. Think the metaverse, IRL. Or something like that.

Entertainment Lions for Music: 'Tracking Bad Bunny' by DDB Latina Puerto Rico for Rimas Music

Like the above effort, DDB’s ad also plays on very modern aesthetics. This campaign for Bad Bunny’s album uses tracking technology for an interactive fan experience. The video showcases fan engagement, earning the Music Grand Prix.

Vibrant visuals of fans using tech to follow Bad Bunny’s music features, with concert footage and digital interfaces.

Entertainment Lions for Sport: 'Haaland Payback Time' by David New York for Supercell

Featuring Erling Haaland, this campaign once again plays to gaming fans. The ad blends sport and gaming for Clash of Clans, with Haaland in a virtual 'payback' mission, earning the Sport Grand Prix.

High-energy scenes of Haaland in a game world blend real-life and animated battles. There’s a warmth to the ad, given that Erling is a real-life fan. His distinctive look crosses over well, we reckon.

Film: 'Paris Paralympics 2024: Considering What?' by Biscuit Filmworks London for Channel 4

This campaign for the Paris Paralympics 2024 challenges perceptions of disability in a distinctive and thoughtful manner. The video showcases Paralympians’ strength and earning a Film Grand Prix.

Dynamic footage of Paralympic athletes, with a provocative voiceover questioning stereotypes, ending with a call to action.

Film: 'The Final Copy of Ilon Specht' by McCann Paris for L’Oréal Paris

This 18-minute film explores the legacy of Ilon Specht, creator of L’Oréal’s 'Because I’m Worth It' tagline. The video delves into women’s empowerment, earning a Film Grand Prix.

Archival and dramatic scenes trace Specht’s story, with reflections on gender in advertising. As PR creatives, we get the power of this timeless slogan. It’ll be interesting to watch the full film to see if it has a universal appeal outside our little bubble.

Film Craft: 'Better on a Better Network' by Bear Meets Eagle On Fire +61 for Telstra

Telstra’s stop-motion campaign uses Australian wildlife puppets to highlight rural connectivity. The video’s craft earned the Film Craft Grand Prix.

Whimsical stop-motion scenes of animals interacting abound, showcasing Telstra’s network strength. An unlikely way to depict a niche issue, but we’re here for it.

Grand Prix for Good + Lions Health Grand Prix for Good: 'The Best Place to Have Herpes' by Finch Sydney for The New Zealand Herpes Foundation

This campaign destigmatises herpes with humour, framing New Zealand as the best place to live with it. The video’s bold approach earned dual Grand Prix for Good.

Celebrities and data-driven rankings combine to promote education and pride. It’s a long way from the hard-hitting HIV ads that used to give me nightmares.

Industry Craft: 'Nigrum Corpus' by Artplan São Paulo for Idomed

This medical book tackles racism in healthcare, highlighting disparities in Brazil (a country that features heavily in the Grand Prix winner list). The video showcases its impact, earning the Industry Craft Grand Prix.

Visuals of the book’s design are showcased elegantly, with stories of Black patients facing medical errors, urging reform. There’s a documentary feel to the ad (another common style among the winning ads).

Innovation: 'Sounds Right' by AKQA Copenhagen for UN Live, Spotify

This campaign credits 'NATURE' as an artist, with royalties funding conservation. The video shows artists like David Bowie releasing nature-infused tracks, earning the Innovation Grand Prix.

Clips of nature-inspired music, with artists and conservationists discussing impact, make up the action here. We like the soothing voiceover, stunning montage effects and bright fonts.

Luxury & Lifestyle: 'The Partnership That Changed Everything' by Havas Play Paris for LVMH

LVMH’s co-creation of the Paris 2024 Olympics redefined sponsorship. The video highlights contributions like Dior’s costumes and Chaumet’s medals, earning the Luxury Grand Prix.

The ad shows elegant visuals of Olympic moments, showcasing LVMH’s artistry in medals and attire. Our pattern recognition detectors are once again triggered by the creative use of fonts, docu-style production and archive footage: all of which pop up frequently in this list.

Media: 'Dove Real Beauty Redefined for the AI Era' by Mindshare New York for Dove

Dove’s campaign adapts 'Real Beauty' to challenge AI-generated beauty standards. The video showcases its media strategy, earning the Media Grand Prix.

Clips of AI-generated imagery are juxtaposed with real women, promoting authentic beauty. Once again, Dove makes its long-running awareness campaign relevant to modern audiences.

Outdoor: 'Olympic Games Opening Ceremony Paris 2024' by Paname 24 for Paris 2024

This campaign transformed the Paris 2024 Olympic opening into a global spectacle. The video captures its grandeur, earning an Outdoor Grand Prix.

Epic scenes of the Seine River ceremony, with athletes and cultural performances, feature in an effort which cuts straight to the chase.

Outdoor: 'Phone Break' by VML Prague for KitKat

KitKat’s campaign swaps smartphones with KitKat bars in outdoor ads, critiquing screen addiction. The video’s bold visuals earned an Outdoor Grand Prix.

Scenes of people holding KitKat bars instead of phones are mixed with a witty social commentary that is notable for being instantly relatable.

Pharma: 'Make Love Last' by Ogilvy Shanghai for Viatris

Viatris’ unbranded campaign opens dialogue about intimacy in China, despite advertising restrictions. The video features couples’ stories, earning the Pharma Grand Prix.

The ad features a time-lapse montage of intimate moments, sparking public conversation on sex. It's a clever and creative way to grab attention and change the culture.

PR: 'Lucky Yatra' by FCB India for Indian Railways

Indian Railways’ campaign turns train tickets into lottery tickets, boosting sales. The video showcases its impact, earning the PR Grand Prix.

By capturing scenes of passengers buying tickets, with stories of winners and infrastructure gains, the ad makes a powerful and visually cohesive impact.

Print & Publishing: 'Price Packs' by Serviceplan Germany for Penny

Penny’s campaign prints prices on packaging to promise stability amid inflation, the second time this issue features in the Grand Prix list. The video highlights its bold design, earning the Print & Publishing Grand Prix.

Radio & Audio: 'One Second Ads' by Africa Creative DDB São Paulo for Budweiser

Budweiser’s campaign uses one-second song clips to engage fans on social media. The video shows fans guessing tunes, earning the Audio & Radio Grand Prix.

This was a great effort, we reckon, showing clips of fans reacting to one-second ads, with discount codes driving engagement, while tempting viewers to play the guessing game themselves.

Sustainable Development Goals: 'The Amazon Greenventory' by Africa Creative DDB São Paulo for Natura

Natura’s campaign uses AI and drones for the largest Amazon tree inventory. The video showcases conservation efforts, earning the SDG Grand Prix.

In a sea of ads focused on change, this one stands out for its lush Amazon visuals, with drones mapping trees and indigenous voices sharing impact.