India had a quiet outing at Cannes Lions 2026, bagging only five Lions (two silver, three bronze) and 24 shortlists — a significant slowdown from 32 Lions (including a Grand Prix and nine golds) last year. Some felt it was due to fewer entries — 676 versus 982 in 2025.

Indian wins included ‘The unofficial sound of F1’ by Leo Burnett India for Pepsico’s Sting (silver lion) and Tata 1mg’s ‘Sawaal Uthao’ by Humour Me (bronze).

Amid heightened scrutiny around entries, there was a dip in submissions globally too.

OpenAI’s open pitch

OpenAI made an impressive debut at the 2026 Cannes Lions Festival, pitching ChatGPT as the perfect platform for the ad industry and AI as the new operating model for brands. The OpenAI leadership, notably VP of Global Ads David Dugan and CRO Denise Dresser, talked about how the AI platform was already a strong advertising channel, especially for brands in the travel, retail, health, beauty and financial services. Did the agencies bite? Early days yet, but they certainly chewed on it.

The connection economy

If OpenAI talked about the “intelligence economy” as opposed to the “attention economy”, then luxury marketers like Coach’s Chief Market- ing Officer Joon Silver- stein talked about the “connection economy”. “The brands that win will be the brands that don’t just reach people, but bring people together,” he said. He talked about identity and self-expression becoming big, especially among younger consumers and the need for luxury brands to reshape their marketing strategy around this, rather than status.

Creators get more autonomy

At this edition of the festival of creativity, creators grabbed the spotlight and the acknowledgement came that they are now central to brand strategy. Over 250 creators — TikTokers, YouTubers and Instagrammers — descended on the event and were recognised and feted. Some of the sessions explored how independent creators are full-fledged media agencies and the new ‘kings and queens’ of the ad world.

Watch parties

Conversations at Cannes inevitably turned to football and the ongoing World Cup — after all, the favourite playground of brands. Forecasts suggest there will be an additional $10.5 billion injected into the global ad market during the tournament. With FIFA allowing ads during the hydration breaks as well, and broadcasters thinking creatively about ad placements, the opportunities for brands to score have risen. No surprises that there were plenty of football watch parties on the Riviera.

Published on June 29, 2026