More than just advertising: Cannes Lions 2025
By Neville Shah
In the chaos of Cannes, sometimes quietly, sometimes with an ovation, you're reminded that an idea can move the world.
The wins are a testament to how much sharper, braver, and more diverse our creative voice is becoming. But this piece isn't about medals. It's about meaning. About momentum
There's a deeper pulse to Cannes this year. In every panel, every session, every debate, there seems to be a relentless pursuit of
creativity
. And not just the big-ticket celebrity talks. Even the more nuanced, niche panels are packed.
What's truly wonderful is there are more young people here than I've ever seen. Bright-eyed, curious, overwhelmed, slightly hungover, and wildly optimistic. That kind of energy is contagious. And necessary.
There is something else that's shifted too. The
Indian contingent
feels super connected this year. You can see it in the way we clap and cheer for each other. In taking photos and photobombing each other. In the hooting and clapping from the aisles. Less side-eye, more side-hugs. Less competition, more community. And that, more than the wins, might be the real breakthrough.
Every year, Cannes adds more categories, more
awards
, and honours more pioneers. But even as the festival grows, it still rewards vulnerability. Because at the heart of every entry, every win, every shortlist, is someone who said: here's a piece of me. My idea. My belief. And now I'm going to put it out into the world for you to judge.
That. Takes. Guts.
And when a jury of peers from all over the world say, this is the piece of work, we honour, it's a reminder of why this work matters. Because
advertising
, at its best, isn't just selling. It's shifting minds. Changing laws. Creating access. Giving voice. And it's not 'just advertising' if it moves people, changes lives, and pushes business forward.
So yes, the cases are beautiful. But behind each is a mountain of unseen effort. Edits that didn't make it. Ideas that almost died. Choices that shaped the outcome. And above all, the tenacity to push through.
That's what stays with me. That's what I'm taking back. I'm leaving with more hunger than I came with. To build. To back the brave. To keep going.
Because this isn't just advertising. It never was.
It's a quiet rebellion. A mad religion. A scattered tribe of people who believe that no matter the brief, the politics, the pressure - the only thing that truly matters is the idea.
(The writer is the CCO of FCB Kinnect & FCB/SIX India. He is a Grand Prix winner at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2025. Views expressed are personal.)
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