Cannes Lions 2025 Gold Winner Analysis Part 4 (Media)

Cannes Lions 2025 Gold Winner Analysis Part 4
 

Media

1.Kraft Heinz "Can't Unsee It" – Deadpool & Wolverine Campaign

What Happened

• Brand: Kraft Heinz (Heinz Ketchup & Mustard)
• Agency: Rethink Toronto
• Campaign: Can't Unsee It
• Award: Cannes Lions Gold 2025 (Consumer Goods)
• Video Link: 

Campaign Overview

As the blockbuster "Deadpool & Wolverine" movie approached, fans online noticed the uncanny resemblance between Deadpool and Wolverine’s iconic red and yellow costumes and Heinz Ketchup & Mustard. Heinz seized this organic cultural moment, launching a campaign to ensure that once you saw the similarity, you literally “can’t unsee it.”

The campaign included:

• A Marvel-official “movie trailer” that flashed Heinz Ketchup and Mustard bottles in place of the superheroes, with Ryan Reynolds voiceover freeze-framing the comparison.
• OOH and digital ads in major cities, replacing the movie duo with Heinz bottles and the line “You Can’t Unsee It.”
• Cinema ads, in-theater product giveaways, and streaming promotions with Instacart discounts for ketchup and mustard.
• Limited-edition collectible bottles dressed as Deadpool and Wolverine.
• Social buzz amplified by Marvel, Heinz, and even the movie’s stars, with fans dressing as ketchup and mustard at premieres and Comic Con.

Why It Worked

1. Cultural Hijack:
   Heinz tapped into a real fan observation and meme, turning summer’s biggest movie into an unmissable ad for ketchup and mustard—organically inserting itself into pop culture.
2. Omnipresent Execution:
   The campaign spanned trailers, OOH, cinema, social, and even product design, ensuring that everywhere fans looked, they’d see Heinz in the movie’s colors.
3. Earned Media & Brand Love:
   The campaign drove 1.58 billion earned impressions, outperformed other blockbuster partnerships, and increased sales for both ketchup (+2.9%) and mustard (+8.5%).

What We Can Learn

1. Hack the Cultural Conversation:
   Find ways to authentically insert your brand into moments and memes your audience is already talking about.
2. Go Beyond Traditional Partnerships:
   Don’t just slap your logo on a movie—create a campaign that becomes part of the fan experience and pop culture itself.
3. Make the Brand the Hero:
   When your product is this iconic, you can let it take center stage—even in the middle of the summer’s biggest superhero movie.

Results

• 1.58 billion earned impressions
• 21,000 watch hours for the Heinz trailer
• 8.5% increase in mustard sales, 2.9% in ketchup
• Heinz mustard dollar share up 12% (4x private label growth)
• Fans and even stars joined in, cementing Heinz as a summer pop culture hero

2. Škoda Octavia "You Said It – Reddit Edit" Campaign

What Happened

• Brand: Škoda UK
• Campaign: You Said It – Reddit Edit (The Redditor Car Share)
• Award: Cannes Lions Gold 2025 (Automotive)
• Video Link: 

Description:
To launch the new Octavia, Škoda UK turned to its most passionate online community: Reddit. Instead of a traditional influencer or press launch, Škoda handed the very first new Octavia to the r/Skoda subreddit. Over four days, the car was passed from fan to fan, covering 1,494 miles across the UK. Each Redditor documented their experience, shared honest reviews, and answered questions from the community in real time. The entire journey was edited into a campaign film, using Redditors’ own words and reactions—making the fans the true voices of the launch.

Why It Worked

1. Community-Driven Authenticity:
   By giving the car to real fans and letting them share unfiltered opinions, Škoda built trust and credibility far beyond what traditional advertising could achieve.
2. User-Generated Content:
   The campaign harnessed the power of UGC, turning Redditors into both the stars and the storytellers, which increased engagement and relatability.
3. Celebrating Brand Advocates:
   Škoda recognized and rewarded its most loyal community, deepening brand love and encouraging advocacy both online and offline.

What We Can Learn

1. Empower Your Superfans:
   Letting your most passionate customers lead the conversation can generate authentic buzz and advocacy.
2. Leverage Online Communities:
   Tapping into active, niche communities like Reddit can yield highly credible, targeted, and viral campaigns.
3. Transparency Builds Trust:
   Unfiltered, honest feedback—especially when showcased in marketing—can strengthen credibility and set your brand apart.

3."The Final Exam" – Change The Ref

Agency: Energy BBDO
Video:

Campaign Overview

What is it?
"The Final Exam" is a groundbreaking video game created by Change The Ref and Energy BBDO to challenge the false narrative that video games cause gun violence. Instead, it uses the immersive power of gaming to educate players about life-saving gun legislation and motivate political action.

How does it work?
Players experience a hyper-realistic survival scenario set during a school shooting, based on real data from incidents like Columbine and Parkland. The game avoids graphic violence and instead focuses on survival tactics taught in US schools—barricading, hiding, and controlled breathing. To “win,” players must find and unlock five real-life gun control bills hidden throughout the school, turning education into the path to survival.

Execution:

• Developed from scratch in Unreal Engine (8,000+ hours, five production companies, three countries).
• Launched at TwitchCon, distributed on Steam and other platforms for free.
• Supported by a 360° campaign, influencer outreach, and a Capitol Hill event for lawmakers.

Why It Worked

1. Purposeful, Data-Driven Storytelling:
   The campaign transformed real, harrowing data from school shootings into an emotionally immersive, educational experience, making the issue urgent and personal for players.
2. Innovative Use of Gaming:
   By leveraging the popularity and reach of survival games, it reached younger audiences in their own language, using the medium often scapegoated by politicians as a tool for advocacy and learning.
3. Actionable Advocacy:
   The only way to “survive” is to collect and learn about real gun control bills—empowering players to understand and advocate for policy change, not just awareness.

What We Can Learn

1. Turn Narrative on Its Head:
   Reframing a scapegoated medium (video games) as a force for good can break through entrenched debates and capture public attention.
2. Meet Audiences Where They Are:
   Using platforms and formats familiar to the target audience (gamers, streamers) ensures deeper engagement and broader reach.
3. From Awareness to Action:
   The campaign didn’t stop at education—it drove real-world advocacy, sparked policy debate, and even contributed to the introduction of new gun violence prevention legislation.

Results

• 2.5 billion impressions with $0 paid media
• 120,000+ gameplay hours across 62 countries, 250,000+ players exposed to gun legislation
• Hundreds of organic live streams and use as an educational tool at the University of North Carolina
• Featured in major media (CNN, Vice, IGN, The New Yorker) 
• Helped spur a bill in Congress to create the first Office of Gun Violence Prevention

Awards

• The One Show 2025:
  • Gold Pencil, Use of Gaming as a Tool
  • Golds in Gaming for Good, Innovation, PR for Good, and more
  • Multiple Silvers and Bronzes across Gaming, Experiential, Digital, and Craft categories
• Cannes Lions 2025:
  • Gold Lion, Media
  • Gold & Bronze, Entertainment for Gaming
  • Bronze, Digital Craft4

4.Heineken "Pub Succession" 

What Happened

• Brand: Heineken
• Campaign: Pub Succession
• Agency: Le Pub Italy
• Award: Cannes Lions 2025 – Three Silver Lions (Outdoor, Media, Brand Experience & Activation), Two Bronze Lions (Direct)
• Video Link:

Campaign Overview

Heineken’s "Pub Succession" campaign set a new standard for cultural engagement by creatively addressing the challenge of historic pub closures in Ireland. The initiative launched a recruitment drive to find a new successor for a storied Irish pub, blending real-life storytelling with brand marketing. The campaign highlighted the cultural and community significance of pubs, positioning Heineken as a champion of social connection and heritage.

Why It Worked

1. Cultural Storytelling:
   The campaign wove the brand’s values and mission into a real, emotionally resonant narrative about preserving local culture.
2. Community Engagement:
   By involving the public in the search for a new pub owner, Heineken fostered genuine participation and social buzz.
3. Multi-Channel Impact:
   The story played out across outdoor, media, and experiential channels, maximizing reach and engagement.

What We Can Learn

1. Champion Local Culture:
   Brands can build lasting affinity by supporting and celebrating the communities and traditions at the heart of their markets.
2. Blend Marketing with Real-World Action:
   Campaigns that drive tangible, positive outcomes for people and places go beyond advertising to create true impact.
3. Narrative Depth Drives Results:
   Emotional, authentic storytelling—especially when rooted in real challenges—can elevate brand relevance and effectiveness.

5. HBO "House of the Dragon" – "Raise Your Banners" Campaign

Agency: Giant Spoon
Award: Cannes Lions 2025 Gold (Brand Experience & Activation)
Video: HBO_Trailer_House_of_Dragons

Campaign Overview

To launch the highly anticipated second season of HBO’s "House of the Dragon," Giant Spoon created a global, fan-powered spectacle called "Raise Your Banners." The campaign invited fans from around the world to pledge allegiance to their favorite Westerosi house. Using a mix of digital engagement and real-world spectacle, fans’ support was visualized through massive, CGI-generated house banners unfurling over iconic global landmarks—such as the Sydney Opera House, the Empire State Building, and London’s Tower Bridge.

The banners appeared to drape these landmarks in the colors and sigils of the show’s great houses, creating viral moments that blurred the lines between reality and fantasy. The campaign was amplified by social media, influencer partnerships, and interactive digital experiences, letting fans see their allegiances reflected in real time.

Why It Worked

1. Global Fan Engagement:
   The campaign turned passive viewers into active participants, letting them shape the narrative and see their choices celebrated on a global stage.
2. Spectacular Visuals:
   The use of hyper-realistic CGI to "transform" world landmarks generated massive buzz, with images and videos widely shared across social and news media.
3. Cultural Moment Creation:
   By merging digital and physical worlds, the campaign created a sense of worldwide event status, making the show’s return feel like a true cultural phenomenon.

What We Can Learn

1. Empower Fandom:
   Inviting fans to actively participate in a campaign deepens emotional investment and drives organic sharing.
2. Blend Reality and Fantasy:
   Using technology to create “impossible” spectacles can make a brand launch feel truly magical and newsworthy.
3. Make It Shareable:
   Visual moments designed for social media amplification can turn a campaign into a global conversation, reaching far beyond paid media.

6.Retro Influencers" – Skol, GUT São Paulo

Video: IGReel_RetroInfluencers

Overview

"Retro Influencers" is a Cannes Lions 2025 Media Gold-winning campaign by Skol (AB InBev) and GUT São Paulo. The campaign cleverly revived iconic Brazilian personalities from the pre-internet era—such as 1980s and 1990s TV stars, musicians, and pop culture figures—and transformed them into “influencers” for a new generation. These retro celebrities took over Skol’s digital and social channels, creating content, memes, and partnerships as if they were modern-day creators.

Why It Worked

1. Nostalgia Meets Modernity:
   By blending the nostalgia of beloved retro figures with the formats and humor of today’s influencer culture, Skol bridged generations and sparked conversation among both younger and older audiences.
2. Cultural Relevance:
   The campaign tapped into Brazil’s deep affection for its pop culture history, making the brand feel both timeless and timely.
3. Earned Media & Virality:
   The unexpected pairing of old-school celebrities with contemporary digital culture generated widespread social buzz, media coverage, and organic sharing—amplifying Skol’s brand presence far beyond paid media.

What We Can Learn

1. Reinvent the Familiar:
   Reviving and recontextualizing cultural icons can create fresh relevance and emotional connection for legacy brands.
2. Cross-Generational Appeal:
   Campaigns that unite different age groups through shared references and humor can expand brand reach and resonance.
3. Social-First Storytelling:
   Leveraging the mechanics of influencer culture and meme formats can turn even the most traditional brands into digital conversation starters.

Recognition:
"Retro Influencers" for Skol by GUT São Paulo was a Cannes Lions 2025 Media Gold Lion winner, celebrated for its creativity in driving engagement and cultural buzz

7.Tata "The Rewards Bag" – VML Montevideo

What Happened

• Brand: Tata (Uruguay’s largest supermarket chain)
• Agency: VML Montevideo
• Campaign: The Rewards Bag
• Award: Cannes Lions 2025 Gold (Retail Media)
• Video Link: 

Campaign Overview

After Uruguay banned single-use plastic bags in 2018, reusable bags became popular—but shoppers frequently forgot to bring them, leading to frustration, less shopping, and a pile-up of unused bags at home. Tata, known for its low prices, identified that while customers often forgot their bags, they never forgot to seek out discounts.

Solution: Tata created the “Rewards Bag”—a smart, reusable bag linked to each shopper’s ID via a unique code. When customers scanned the bag at the store entrance, they received a personalized list of discounts tailored to their shopping habits. Scanning the bag again at checkout applied the savings automatically, integrating sustainability with loyalty and sales incentives.

Results:

• Store sales grew by 16%
• Registered customers increased by 62%
• Sales of new bags dropped by 92%
• Customers were motivated to remember their bags, benefiting both their wallets and the environment

Why It Worked

1. Behavioral Insight: Tata identified a real behavioral barrier (forgetting reusable bags) and connected the solution to something customers never forget—discounts.
2. Integrated Incentives: The campaign seamlessly combined sustainability with personalized savings, making eco-friendly behavior rewarding and habitual.
3. Business & Environmental Impact: The initiative drove sales and loyalty while drastically reducing new bag consumption, aligning business growth with environmental responsibility.

What We Can Learn

1. Solve for Real-World Behavior: Addressing the actual habits and pain points of customers leads to more effective, lasting solutions.
2. Tie Sustainability to Personal Benefit: Integrating eco-friendly actions with tangible rewards boosts participation and brand loyalty.
3. Tech-Enabled Simplicity: Simple tech (like a scannable code) can bridge the gap between sustainability and convenience, driving both business and social good.

8."Fictional Insurance" – RCN/Prime Video x DDB Colombia

Video Link:

Cannes Lions 2025 Gold Lion, Media Category

What Happened

DDB Colombia’s "Fictional Insurance" campaign for RCN/Prime Video won Gold in the fiercely competitive Media category at Cannes Lions 2025. The campaign ingeniously merged entertainment with real-world insurance education by creating “insurance policies” for the fictional characters of RCN’s hit telenovelas and Prime Video series.

Campaign Overview

The insight: In action, drama, and crime series, characters constantly face disasters, losses, and risks—but never seem to have insurance. DDB Colombia turned this observation into a playful, interactive campaign:

• Viewers could visit a website to read about each character and “insure” them against death, illness, or accident before a series premiered.
• If a viewer’s prediction about a character’s fate was correct, they’d receive a “payout” (a prize or reward).
• The campaign played out across TV, radio, OOH, and digital, with creative content showing how the characters could have avoided disaster with the right insurance.
• After participating, viewers were contacted by real insurance agents to help them find suitable policies for themselves in real life.

Why It Worked

1. Entertainment-Driven Engagement:
   By integrating insurance into the world of beloved TV characters, the campaign made a traditionally “cold” product fun, accessible, and emotionally resonant.
2. Cross-Platform Activation:
   The idea lived across television, digital, OOH, and even in the narrative of the shows, turning media channels into an extension of the fictional world.
3. Real-World Impact:
   The campaign not only generated buzz and social conversation but also converted engagement into real insurance leads and sales, demonstrating the power of creativity to transform perceptions and drive action.

What We Can Learn

1. Make the Abstract Tangible:
   Turning an intangible product (insurance) into a game with real stakes makes the category relevant and memorable.
2. Leverage Emotional Connections:
   Tapping into viewers’ bonds with fictional characters creates a bridge to real-life behavior change.
3. Media as Narrative:
   When media channels become part of the story—rather than just a delivery vehicle—the result is deeper engagement and cultural resonance.

Recognition

• Gold Lion, Media Category – Cannes Lions 2025
• Praised for using media not just as a channel, but as an essential part of the campaign narrative, and for connecting creativity, context, and measurable results

9.Rocket & Zenith – "First Ever Live Commercial Crossover" Campaign

IG_Post

What Happened

The campaign you referenced on Instagram—Rocket’s "First Ever Live Commercial Crossover," executed with Zenith—is a Cannes Lions 2025-winning innovation in live media and branded entertainment.

Description:
During a major live broadcast (such as a high-profile sports event), Rocket orchestrated the world’s first live commercial crossover:

• The TV commercial began as a standard spot, but then seamlessly transitioned into a live, in-stadium activation, with the broadcast cutting directly to real-time action involving the audience and brand ambassadors.
• The Instagram post showcases behind-the-scenes footage and audience reactions, highlighting how the commercial and live event merged into a single, interactive brand experience.

Why It Worked

1. Media Innovation:
   It broke the boundary between pre-recorded advertising and live event coverage, creating an unmissable, real-time brand moment.
2. Audience Participation:
   By involving the live crowd and viewers at home, the campaign turned passive audiences into active participants, amplifying engagement and memorability.
3. Earned Media & Buzz:
   The novelty and spectacle of the crossover generated significant social sharing, press coverage, and industry recognition, positioning Rocket and Zenith as pioneers in live branded entertainment.

What We Can Learn

1. Blend Channels for Impact:
   Merging live and broadcast media can deliver breakthrough experiences that stand out in crowded event environments.
2. Make the Audience the Star:
   Real-time participation drives deeper emotional connection and social amplification.
3. Innovate with Purpose:
   Pushing creative and technical boundaries, when aligned with a strong brand message, can set new standards for engagement and effectiveness.

10. Waitrose "Sweet Suspicion: A Waitrose Mystery" – Cannes Lions 2025 Gold Winner (Media: Use of Channel Integration)

What Happened

Waitrose’s 2024 Christmas campaign, "Sweet Suspicion: A Waitrose Mystery," created by Saatchi & Saatchi, was a two-part, star-studded whodunnit that became the retailer’s biggest festive campaign to date. The story centers on a family gathering thrown into chaos when the show-stopping No.1 Red Velvet Bauble Dessert goes missing. Matthew Macfadyen stars as the amateur detective, with a cast including Sian Clifford, Joe Wilkinson, Rakhee Thakrar, and more, all playing suspects in this comedic, Agatha Christie-style mystery.

Why It Worked

1. Channel Integration & Interactivity:
   The campaign ran across TV, BVOD, online video, social media, print, radio, OOH, and in-store, with each channel offering clues, polls, and diary-room videos that encouraged the public to play detective and guess the culprit.
2. Entertainment-Driven Storytelling:
   By serializing the ad and withholding the big reveal for a second film, Waitrose kept the nation guessing and talking for weeks, blending Christmas advertising with big-audience entertainment.
3. Engagement at Every Touchpoint:
   In-store staff wore “suspect” t-shirts, evidence boards appeared at Kings Cross, and exclusive partnerships with ITV and The Times extended the mystery into real-world and digital environments, maximizing both reach and participation.

What We Can Learn

1. Integrated Campaigns Drive Deeper Engagement:
   When every channel and touchpoint is part of the story, brands can create immersive, memorable experiences that go beyond traditional advertising.
2. Serial Storytelling Sustains Conversation:
   A two-part, cliffhanger format keeps audiences invested and talking, turning a campaign into an event.
3. Blend Brand & Entertainment:
   By making the product (the dessert) the heart of a fun, culturally relevant mystery, Waitrose showcased its range in a way that felt fresh and entertaining, not just promotional.

Award Recognition

• Cannes Lions 2025: Gold Lion for Media – Use of Channel Integration.

Watch the Campaign