The Future is Brave, Verified, and Real: My Top 3 Breakthroughs from Cannes Lions 2025
As marketing professionals, the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity is our North Star. It’s not just about the rosé or the Riviera; it is the single most important barometer for where our industry is heading. It separates the "cool ads" from the work that actually shifts culture and transforms businesses.
Insights
Apr 30, 2025
As a marketing professional, staying plugged into Cannes is non-negotiable. I spent the last week glued to livestreams, dissecting shortlists, and debating with peers over which campaigns actually moved the needle versus those that just made a loud noise. I rely heavily on real-time analysis from sources like Campaign Brief Asia to cut through the clutter and identify genuine innovation.
Why? Because Cannes is where we see the "next practice" before it becomes "best practice." It’s about spotting breakthroughs in how brands solve business problems, not just advertising problems.
The 2025 winners have signaled a massive shift. We are moving away from purpose-washing and complex tech-for-tech's-sake demonstrations. The work that won big this year was incredibly human, operationally brave, and obsessed with building trust.
Here are my top three picks from the 2025 Cannes Lions, and why they matter to every CMO right now.
1. The Game Changer: AXA — "Three Words" (Publicis Conseil, Paris)
Winners of: The Dan Wieden Titanium Lion, Creative Business Transformation, and Direct Lions.
When a campaign takes home the Titanium Lion—the award dedicated to work that forces the industry to stop and reconsider the way forward—you pay attention. When it also wins for Creative Business Transformation, you realize this isn't just an ad; it's an operational overhaul.
Insurance is notoriously complex, opaque, and frustrating. AXA’s "Three Words" tackled this legacy problem head-on. While the specifics of the campaign are what landed the awards, the premise is what struck me: radical simplification as a business strategy.
2. The Trust Architect: Vaseline — "Vaseline Verified" (Ogilvy Singapore)
Winners of: Health & Wellness and Social & Creator Lions.
We live in the era of the "skincare influencer," where misinformation spreads faster than a viral dance challenge. Consumers are drowning in contradictory advice on TikTok and Instagram. Ogilvy Singapore recognized this massive cultural tension and positioned Vaseline not just as a product, but as the antidote to the chaos.
"Vaseline Verified" is a masterclass in modern Health & Wellness marketing. By winning in the Social & Creator category, Vaseline proved they understand that in 2025, authority isn't claimed by the brand; it's conferred by the community.
Why it’s a breakthrough: Instead of just shouting "we are the best," Vaseline utilized the very platforms causing the confusion to fix it. They likely leveraged credentialed dermatologists and credible creators to "verify" truths about skincare, anchoring the conversation back to science—and conveniently, their legacy products.
This campaign brilliantly bridges the gap between clinical credibility and the creator economy. It shows that a heritage brand can dominate social spaces by being useful, factual, and the adult in the room.
3. The Enduring Icon: Dove — "Real Beauty" (Ogilvy UK)
Winners of: Glass: The Lion for Change and Creative Strategy Lions.
Some might ask, "Dove Real Beauty? Again?" Yes, again. And that is exactly the point.
Seeing Dove win the Glass Lion (the award for work that shatters gender stereotypes) and the Creative Strategy Lion in 2025, nearly two decades after the original campaign launched, is perhaps the most important lesson of the entire festival.
We are obsessed with the "new." We constantly pivot our brand platforms to chase trends. Dove has done the opposite. They uncovered a deep, universal human truth—the struggle with self-esteem and warped beauty standards—and they have never let go.
Why it’s a breakthrough: This win isn't about a single execution. It’s an award for consistency, stamina, and the strategic rigor required to keep a brand purpose relevant for twenty years across generations. They haven't just run ads; they've built a global self-esteem movement that adapts to new challenges like social media filters and AI.
If there is a thread connecting these three, it is substance. AXA changed its contract, Vaseline used real science, and Dove relied on a 20-year commitment.
More to Discover
The Future is Brave, Verified, and Real: My Top 3 Breakthroughs from Cannes Lions 2025
As marketing professionals, the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity is our North Star. It’s not just about the rosé or the Riviera; it is the single most important barometer for where our industry is heading. It separates the "cool ads" from the work that actually shifts culture and transforms businesses.
Insights
Apr 30, 2025
As a marketing professional, staying plugged into Cannes is non-negotiable. I spent the last week glued to livestreams, dissecting shortlists, and debating with peers over which campaigns actually moved the needle versus those that just made a loud noise. I rely heavily on real-time analysis from sources like Campaign Brief Asia to cut through the clutter and identify genuine innovation.
Why? Because Cannes is where we see the "next practice" before it becomes "best practice." It’s about spotting breakthroughs in how brands solve business problems, not just advertising problems.
The 2025 winners have signaled a massive shift. We are moving away from purpose-washing and complex tech-for-tech's-sake demonstrations. The work that won big this year was incredibly human, operationally brave, and obsessed with building trust.
Here are my top three picks from the 2025 Cannes Lions, and why they matter to every CMO right now.
1. The Game Changer: AXA — "Three Words" (Publicis Conseil, Paris)
Winners of: The Dan Wieden Titanium Lion, Creative Business Transformation, and Direct Lions.
When a campaign takes home the Titanium Lion—the award dedicated to work that forces the industry to stop and reconsider the way forward—you pay attention. When it also wins for Creative Business Transformation, you realize this isn't just an ad; it's an operational overhaul.
Insurance is notoriously complex, opaque, and frustrating. AXA’s "Three Words" tackled this legacy problem head-on. While the specifics of the campaign are what landed the awards, the premise is what struck me: radical simplification as a business strategy.
2. The Trust Architect: Vaseline — "Vaseline Verified" (Ogilvy Singapore)
Winners of: Health & Wellness and Social & Creator Lions.
We live in the era of the "skincare influencer," where misinformation spreads faster than a viral dance challenge. Consumers are drowning in contradictory advice on TikTok and Instagram. Ogilvy Singapore recognized this massive cultural tension and positioned Vaseline not just as a product, but as the antidote to the chaos.
"Vaseline Verified" is a masterclass in modern Health & Wellness marketing. By winning in the Social & Creator category, Vaseline proved they understand that in 2025, authority isn't claimed by the brand; it's conferred by the community.
Why it’s a breakthrough: Instead of just shouting "we are the best," Vaseline utilized the very platforms causing the confusion to fix it. They likely leveraged credentialed dermatologists and credible creators to "verify" truths about skincare, anchoring the conversation back to science—and conveniently, their legacy products.
This campaign brilliantly bridges the gap between clinical credibility and the creator economy. It shows that a heritage brand can dominate social spaces by being useful, factual, and the adult in the room.
3. The Enduring Icon: Dove — "Real Beauty" (Ogilvy UK)
Winners of: Glass: The Lion for Change and Creative Strategy Lions.
Some might ask, "Dove Real Beauty? Again?" Yes, again. And that is exactly the point.
Seeing Dove win the Glass Lion (the award for work that shatters gender stereotypes) and the Creative Strategy Lion in 2025, nearly two decades after the original campaign launched, is perhaps the most important lesson of the entire festival.
We are obsessed with the "new." We constantly pivot our brand platforms to chase trends. Dove has done the opposite. They uncovered a deep, universal human truth—the struggle with self-esteem and warped beauty standards—and they have never let go.
Why it’s a breakthrough: This win isn't about a single execution. It’s an award for consistency, stamina, and the strategic rigor required to keep a brand purpose relevant for twenty years across generations. They haven't just run ads; they've built a global self-esteem movement that adapts to new challenges like social media filters and AI.
If there is a thread connecting these three, it is substance. AXA changed its contract, Vaseline used real science, and Dove relied on a 20-year commitment.
More to Discover
The Future is Brave, Verified, and Real: My Top 3 Breakthroughs from Cannes Lions 2025
As marketing professionals, the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity is our North Star. It’s not just about the rosé or the Riviera; it is the single most important barometer for where our industry is heading. It separates the "cool ads" from the work that actually shifts culture and transforms businesses.
Insights
Apr 30, 2025
As a marketing professional, staying plugged into Cannes is non-negotiable. I spent the last week glued to livestreams, dissecting shortlists, and debating with peers over which campaigns actually moved the needle versus those that just made a loud noise. I rely heavily on real-time analysis from sources like Campaign Brief Asia to cut through the clutter and identify genuine innovation.
Why? Because Cannes is where we see the "next practice" before it becomes "best practice." It’s about spotting breakthroughs in how brands solve business problems, not just advertising problems.
The 2025 winners have signaled a massive shift. We are moving away from purpose-washing and complex tech-for-tech's-sake demonstrations. The work that won big this year was incredibly human, operationally brave, and obsessed with building trust.
Here are my top three picks from the 2025 Cannes Lions, and why they matter to every CMO right now.
1. The Game Changer: AXA — "Three Words" (Publicis Conseil, Paris)
Winners of: The Dan Wieden Titanium Lion, Creative Business Transformation, and Direct Lions.
When a campaign takes home the Titanium Lion—the award dedicated to work that forces the industry to stop and reconsider the way forward—you pay attention. When it also wins for Creative Business Transformation, you realize this isn't just an ad; it's an operational overhaul.
Insurance is notoriously complex, opaque, and frustrating. AXA’s "Three Words" tackled this legacy problem head-on. While the specifics of the campaign are what landed the awards, the premise is what struck me: radical simplification as a business strategy.
2. The Trust Architect: Vaseline — "Vaseline Verified" (Ogilvy Singapore)
Winners of: Health & Wellness and Social & Creator Lions.
We live in the era of the "skincare influencer," where misinformation spreads faster than a viral dance challenge. Consumers are drowning in contradictory advice on TikTok and Instagram. Ogilvy Singapore recognized this massive cultural tension and positioned Vaseline not just as a product, but as the antidote to the chaos.
"Vaseline Verified" is a masterclass in modern Health & Wellness marketing. By winning in the Social & Creator category, Vaseline proved they understand that in 2025, authority isn't claimed by the brand; it's conferred by the community.
Why it’s a breakthrough: Instead of just shouting "we are the best," Vaseline utilized the very platforms causing the confusion to fix it. They likely leveraged credentialed dermatologists and credible creators to "verify" truths about skincare, anchoring the conversation back to science—and conveniently, their legacy products.
This campaign brilliantly bridges the gap between clinical credibility and the creator economy. It shows that a heritage brand can dominate social spaces by being useful, factual, and the adult in the room.
3. The Enduring Icon: Dove — "Real Beauty" (Ogilvy UK)
Winners of: Glass: The Lion for Change and Creative Strategy Lions.
Some might ask, "Dove Real Beauty? Again?" Yes, again. And that is exactly the point.
Seeing Dove win the Glass Lion (the award for work that shatters gender stereotypes) and the Creative Strategy Lion in 2025, nearly two decades after the original campaign launched, is perhaps the most important lesson of the entire festival.
We are obsessed with the "new." We constantly pivot our brand platforms to chase trends. Dove has done the opposite. They uncovered a deep, universal human truth—the struggle with self-esteem and warped beauty standards—and they have never let go.
Why it’s a breakthrough: This win isn't about a single execution. It’s an award for consistency, stamina, and the strategic rigor required to keep a brand purpose relevant for twenty years across generations. They haven't just run ads; they've built a global self-esteem movement that adapts to new challenges like social media filters and AI.
If there is a thread connecting these three, it is substance. AXA changed its contract, Vaseline used real science, and Dove relied on a 20-year commitment.