Beyond Cannes: Why creativity needs unlearning, not just Lions

India’s creative legends took centre stage at the Tata Theatre, NCPA, for Campaign India’s Cannes Homecoming—a first-of-its-kind initiative created to celebrate and honour the Indian contingent that made a splash at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity this year.

The panel discussion, presented by Mercedes-Benz India, brought together some of the country’s most celebrated creative leaders for an honest and thought-provoking reflection on creativity, awards, and what comes next.

The first conversation on the day wasn’t about the trophies; it was about what happens after. This is because the real threat, in the age of algorithmic art and manufactured virality, isn’t losing awards; it’s losing perspective.

“Don't let yourself get so mesmerised that you can't keep greed and obsession at bay. These forces will kill creativity, and in the days to come, they'll kill countries,” Piyush Pandey, chief advisor of Ogilvy India, averred while discussing the trends in global creativity.

“I don't want any of us, including myself, to ever do anything that demeans ourselves, our agencies, or our country. Cannes is a good thing, but don't get obsessed,” he said, while adding that lay people appreciating your work is “ten times more valuable than a Cannes Lion”. 

The discussion brought together titans of Indian advertising: Rajdeepak Das, chief executive officer and chief creative officer, and chairman, Creative Council, Publicis Groupe, South Asia; Agnello Dias, co-founder of Spinach Experience Design; and Partha Sinha, senior adviser—Consumer Practice at McKinsey & Co., besides Pandey. Josy Paul, chairperson and chief creative officer at BBDO India, was the moderator.

Blending humility with creativity

Paul began the proceedings with personal insights he gained during his time as the jury president at Cannes Lions 2025. “I realised I wasn’t an expert. I was a lover. I love this business so much that I’m open to new ideas. The problem with being an 'expert' is you think you know it all, and that can lead to resistance.”

His reflection set the tone for a broader conversation on unlearning, humility, and how Cannes forces even the most seasoned creatives to rethink their approach.

Pandey, who attended his 30th Cannes Lions this year, echoed the sentiment. “There’s something new that surprises you. You ask yourself: ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’ And it’s often coming from someone who’s 22 or 24. That’s what keeps you humble.”

Das shared his emotional journey of attending his first-ever Cannes with his own money, only to not win anything that year. “Cannes is where you go thinking you’ve done great work and come back with the itch to do better. It keeps you grounded.”

Dias described Cannes as a creative battleground, not just a celebration. “There’s no place to hide there. You realise everyone around you is just as creative, if not more. You stop thinking of yourself as the most creative person in the room and start working harder.”

Sinha added a strategic lens by highlighting a shift in the definition of creativity itself: “Creativity starts not at execution, but at the problem-solving stage. The best work begins with how you think about the brief.”

He also debunked the notion of “cultural irrelevance” as a hindrance to success at global festivals. “The work that wins, whether it’s from Brazil, Puerto Rico, or Argentina, tells a fundamental human story. If it’s good, it will be understood across cultures.”

Decoding the anatomy of Cannes-worthy work

One of the most candid moments during the discussion saw the veterans reflect on what it truly means to win and what’s often lost in the process of chasing awards.

Dias pointed out a distinction that struck a chord with the room. “There’s a difference between an advertisement and advertising. All advertisements are advertising, but all advertising is not just an advertisement.”

He made a clear distinction between the ad as a format (a film, a print, a banner, etc.) and advertising as a discipline that can include products, experiences, services, tech-enabled tools, or even intellectual property.

Dias also flipped the long-standing perception that advertising equals creating ads on its head to drive home the point that the best work in forums like Cannes is blurring categories. Is it a product? Is it a social idea? Is it a utility? It challenges traditional formats.

Great modern advertising may not look like an ad at all. It might be an app that solves a problem, a branded tool that becomes part of culture, or a platform that empowers communities, according to Dias.

He said that the best way to overcome the first major hurdle at Cannes is to ensure that your piece of work starts a debate in the jury room about whether it even fits into a category. But breaking into the judging process is no small feat. Dias noted that the only way to survive the first round is often based on a famous brand, country recognition, or a famous creator. Everything else risks being swiped left.

Das added a sobering reminder that no one remembers which metal you win at Cannes, but they remember what you won for. “The work should be benchmark-worthy. It should make your mother proud.”

Piyush concurred with clarity: “Bring back respect. Bring back fame. Bring back love for the country and the craft.”

Dias, meanwhile, pointed out a growing disconnect: “We now need an ad campaign to promote our ad campaign. The presentation film is often more creative than the actual work.”

He flagged this trend as a genuine concern, highlighting how case films are slick, compelling juries to fact-check claims, website responses, and social traction. “You can’t fool anyone. If you try, you’ll fall on your face and hurt your back,” he quipped.

He urged the industry to treat Cannes not as a last-minute checkpoint but a part of the creative journey itself. Paul chimed in with a pithy observation that one cannot play tennis with their eyes on the scoreboard.

Creativity as an ecosystem

Paul described his experience at Cannes Lions as a kind of personal reset. He then turned to Das, asking if any new themes stood out this year. The response was a compelling reframing of what constitutes a complete idea in today’s world.

“An idea isn’t complete anymore unless it leads to interaction. The consumer must touch it, live with it, talk about it, for the idea to be complete.” He pointed to the AXA “3 Words” campaign as a standout example.

Rajdeepak explained that AXA didn’t just respond with a creative film. They built an ecosystem.  They turned their creative solution into a large-scale systemic intervention with 2.5 million insurance contracts updated, transforming the way home insurance functions in France.

Sinha added that this evolution marks a shift in what creativity means in the business context. “We’re now designing balance sheet products with creativity. It changes business outcomes, and yet it also changes lives. The industry is finally realising that creativity is not just for messaging. It’s for building solutions.”

Paul summed it up poignantly. “We’re beginning to reframe creativity, not just to sell, but to serve. At its core, creativity is about sensitivity.”

On trust, tenacity, and client-creative bonds

When asked about the secret behind his long-lasting relationships with clients, Pandey cut through the noise with a reminder of what sustains great creative work: honesty and long-term client relationships.

“It’s all about honesty,” Pandey said. “Stick with the client through thick and thin till you reach a resolution: good or bad.” He shared how real relationships aren’t forged from childhood but are built, tested, and deepened through work.

He championed friendship over transactional engagement. It’s not about “what I got out of it today,” but what we build together across time.

Dias underscored the importance of “putting yourself in the client’s shoes”. “Creative people become clients, too. When you get a haircut or stitch a suit, you don’t blindly trust the expert. You ask for fabric options, the cut, the stitch. So why expect clients to blindly accept your work?”

He called for building client journeys, not just campaigns. “How many of us, when we go back to pitch a new brief, actually ask about the performance of the last film. That’s how you travel on a journey with your client, not just pop in and ask for approval.”

“You’re judged not by your best idea, but by how good your sixth idea is after the first five have been rejected. That’s what defines a great creative.”

“Make work that scares you—and your client,” Paul observed while summing up a collective belief that great creativity starts with discomfort. “Good work answers the brief, but great work questions the world. Good work informs. Great work transforms.”

These are the ideals, the panel reminded the audience, that Cannes stands for. But it is not a finish line; it’s a spotlight. It may highlight great work, but it’s not the motivation to do good work, they advised.

“Seek expression, not approval,” was a recurring theme in the closing remarks. Starting from a place of approval, the panel warned, can paralyse original thinking.

They also warned against chasing awards blindly, urging creatives to instead look for what they called “shooting stars”, the overlooked ideas that shine light on the path of the industry in the coming years.

Cannes Homecoming, organised by Campaign India, was co-powered by Truecaller, with Mercedes Benz as the Luxury Partner, Pernod Ricard as the Conviviality Partner, NCPA as the Venue Partner and tgthr. as the Concept Partner.