The real cost of winning at Cannes

“Rahul, we won a Silver Glass Lion. Let’s get an online pass to watch our name on the Cannes stage.”

For most agencies, this would be a moment of unfiltered celebration. For us, an agency not even a year old—it should have been just that. Instead, my immediate reaction was, How much more is this going to cost us?

We had already maxed out our credit card submitting the entry and flying to Cannes to present the case. But the decision was made. We would buy the online pass. What followed was a frustrating 24-hour scramble—emails, AI chats, international calls—all because our login access didn’t work despite the payment. We missed the live stream.

And yet, when the access finally came through, I recorded those few seconds—our name on that prestigious stage—and sent it to the team. In that fleeting moment, all the financial strain and emotional whiplash felt worth it.

A game of odds

Cannes Lions is the Olympics of creativity. In 2024, over 26,000 entries competed for just 1,200 Lions—an acceptance rate of under 5%. That’s roughly the same odds as building a unicorn startup in India, cracking the UPSC mains, or getting into IIT.

What it really costs

We were always aware that Cannes would demand investment. What we underestimated was the human and emotional capital involved.

Let’s start with the numbers:

• A single early-bird entry costs ~₹80,000

• Late entries can cost ₹1.2 lakh or more

• Titanium categories? Nearly double that

While Indian award shows are more cost-efficient (and see entries submitted en masse), Cannes demands precision. We’re extremely selective in where we compete—three major Indian shows, a couple in Asia, and a handful globally. And yet, nearly 50% of our awards budget is reserved for Cannes.

The emotional cost of chasing Lions

Not every client brief is Cannes material. If we’re lucky, maybe 10% of incoming briefs have potential. But the real conversion—through ideation, client buy-in, production, and results—is closer to 1%. One winning entry per 100 briefs.

Large agencies and networks working across hundreds of campaigns a year can absorb this. But for a young, independent agency like ours, we must operate differently. We need to:

• Proactively develop Cannes-worthy ideas

• Pitch them to the right client

• Navigate approval cycles

• Execute flawlessly

• Package the work into a compelling case study

• Submit in the right categories

All while managing day-to-day deliverables for campaigns that are brand-led, sales-led, or somewhere in between.

The biggest drain? Rejection.
Ideas that get killed at pitch. Campaigns that fall apart a week before execution. In one case, we had an approved idea scrapped just days before the shoot—due to uncontrollable factors at the client’s side. Keeping morale high in such moments is the real leadership test.

Midnight oil and deadline pile-ups

Award season is brutal. This year, submission deadlines for Cannes, Goafest, and Kyoorius all overlapped.

For a lean team, that meant sleepless nights, version after version of the case films, constant reviews, and late-stage polish to ensure every entry was world-class. What keeps us going is the belief—that slim, electric chance—that the work might just make it.

Marketing budgets, agency style

Most brands allocate 10% of revenue to marketing. For agencies, the equivalent is awards. Winning at Cannes isn’t just about recognition—it’s our marketing, our validation, our growth driver.

• For small and mid-sized agencies, Cannes-related costs (entries, case film production, travel) can consume 5–10% of annual revenue.

• For large agencies, this may be lower—2–5%—but in absolute terms, it’s massive.

• I’ve known of one large agency spending the equivalent of 1% of its revenue just on crafting case films. That’s more than the profit margin of many smaller shops.

Closing thoughts

Cannes isn’t just an award—it’s a statement. One that signals creative credibility on a global stage.

But it needs to be approached with both ambition and caution. Overspending is as risky as underinvesting. The sweet spot? No more than 5% of revenue—allocated with foresight, discipline, and an honest assessment of the work’s potential.

Because while the cost of winning at Cannes is undeniably high, the cost of not trying—of never playing in that arena—may be even greater.

This article is penned by Rahul Vengalil, CEO & Co-founder, tgthr

Disclaimer: The article features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the stance of the publication.