The CBO Favorites from Cannes Lions 2025

The Cannes Lions 2025 came to a close. Here are The CBO favorites.

Pharma Lions Grand Prix: Make Love Last - Bedroom’, for Viatris, by Ogilvy, Shanghai

The work sees Viagra, a brand that supports four hours of lasting intimacy, collaborate with a renowned artist to explore the intimacy stories of couples.

Pharma Lions Jury President Franklin Williams, Executive VP, Executive Experience Director, AREA 23, an IPG Health company, USA, commented: “This piece stood out by saying everything without needing to say a word. Its long-exposure technique delivered intimacy and product benefit with breathtaking subtlety, turning regulation into creative opportunity. Beautifully crafted and emotionally resonant, it made a pharmaceutical brand feel deeply human. For me, it was a bold yet quiet masterclass in storytelling and an unforgettable example of how craft can carry meaning.”

Entertainment Lions Grand Prix: ‘Night Fishing’ for Hyundai Motor Company, by INNOCEAN Seoul

From 735 entries received, 22 Lions were awarded: 5 Gold, 7 Silver, 9 Bronze. The Grand Prix went to ‘Night Fishing’ for Hyundai Motor Company, by INNOCEAN Seoul.

Filmed entirely using seven car cameras, the short film of an encounter between an anonymous agent and an unidentified being targeted the ad-skeptical MZ (millennials and Gen Z) generation for Hyundai’s flagship electric vehicle brand, IONIQ.

Commenting on the Grand Prix, Jury President David Rolfe, Global Head of Production, WPP/Hogarth, said: “‘Night Fishing’ is a somehow deeply humanistic, riveting and even bizarre action sci-fi piece, in the form of the highest order of branded entertainment. We were genuinely as awestruck by the craft and narrative as we were in admiration of its rootedness in IONIQ’s unique product attributes and brand identity.”

South Korea won its first-ever Entertainment Lion, securing a Grand Prix.

Brand Experience & Activation Lions Grand Prix and Digital Craft Lions Grand Prix: ‘Caption with Intention’ for Closed Captioning by FCB Chicago

The campaign has redefined the visual language of accessibility and is now part of the Academy’s official Oscar submission rule book. Through animation, typography and colour, it embeds emotional equity into the film experience for over 433 million Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals worldwide.

Brand Experience & Activation Lions Jury President Tara Ford, Chief Creative Officer, Droga5 London, part of Accenture Song, said: “‘Caption with Intention’ is an idea that will transform the experience of film and video in all its forms. Not only does it make this medium more accessible and immersive for the Deaf and hearing-impaired community, but it has the potential to be applied beyond film to all types of communication and entertainment with other applications in the future. It is a great example of how creativity can be applied beyond communications to solve real-world problems in a compelling way.”

Digital Craft Lions Jury President Naoki Tanaka, Chief Creative Officer, Dentsu Lab, said: “The Grand Prix-winning idea offered a brilliantly simple solution to a long-overlooked problem: making cinema truly accessible. By dynamically adapting captions to voice characteristics, the work balanced functionality and design with exceptional craft. A small innovation with enormous human impact.”

Film Lions Grand Prix:‘The Final Copy of Ilon Specht’ for L'Oréal Paris, by McCann, Paris.

Fifty years after “Because I’m Worth It” was written, its meaning had been eroded by time. This 17-minute documentary tells the untold story of Ilon Specht, the 23-year-old copywriter who wrote “Because I’m Worth It” in 1973, the first beauty ad voiced by a woman, turning the slogan into a living statement of self-worth.

Jury President, Kate Stanners commented: “Ilon resonated with us all. A brand telling a very timely story that authenticates and validates its core brand purpose: to champion women. It’s a masterful film that draws us into the wonderful life story of Ilon, the author of the campaign ‘Because I'm worth it’. Its perfect filmmaking keeps us watching, and its humanity lives with us long after the end."

Creative Strategy Lions Grand Prix and Glass: The Lion for Change Grand Prix: ‘Real Beauty: How a Soap Brand Created a Global Self-Esteem Movement’ for Dove by Ogilvy UK, London

To help more women feel more beautiful every day, Dove has framed everyday women as ‘Real Women’, representing real beauty. ‘Real Beauty’ is now more than a creative idea. It is the combination of a distinctive point of view that repeatedly fuels new campaign ideas.

Jury President KR Liu, Global Head of Product Innovation and Marketing Partnerships for Platforms and Devices, Google, said: “This year’s Grand Prix winner was selected because it moved beyond awareness to deliver consistent, measurable, societal impact. It showed what’s possible when creative brand storytelling is backed by community partnership and deep cultural understanding. In a field full of strong contenders, this work stood out for its continuous impact and commitment – not just as a campaign, but as a catalyst for real change for women and all aspects of the multiple communities they represent.”

All quotes are from www.canneslions.com