Dentsu Creative India's Cannes 2025 entries focus on meaningful change

Cannes Lions is a space where brands are expected to go beyond attention-grabbing ads and demonstrate a deeper understanding of the world they operate in. 

Dentsu Creative India is among the agencies putting forward a spectrum of campaigns shaped by different realities, from ensuring child safety at mass gatherings to promoting breast cancer awareness and improving communication in hazardous work environments. The agency’s 2025 entries span categories as varied as Innovation, Health & Wellness, and Entertainment.

Here’s a closer look at the campaigns the agency is betting on this year.

Garuda Rakshak - DSP Mutual Fund

DSP Mutual Fund's 'Garuda Rakshak' campaign addressed the critical issue of child disappearances at the Purna Maha Kumbh, a massive gathering of over 660 million people. Recognizing the failure of traditional technology in such a chaotic environment, DSP partnered with Falco Robotics to develop drones modeled after the mythological Garuda. These drones used 1970s-era 8-bit communication technology and ultra-low frequency signals from wristbands worn by children to track their location offline and in real-time. The campaign successfully reunited every child wearing a wristband, with 78% located in under five minutes.

Gurbaksh Singh, Chief Innovation Officer, Dentsu Creative India, stated, "Garuda Rakshak deserves a place in Cannes because it solved a real human problem in the toughest setting… This is true impact: technology serving people, not just for show." He also highlighted the campaign's impact on DSP Mutual Fund: "For DSP Mutual Fund, it shifted brand perception from just finance to a trusted guardian, boosting affinity by 11% and consideration by 7%."

Hug of Life, a Thanks A Dot initiative by SBI Life

This campaign tackles the low rate of breast self-exams among Indian women, despite breast cancer being the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women in India. 'Hug of Life' transformed a common household object—the hot water bottle, often used for menstruation pain—into a tactile guide for self-exams. This innovative approach transformed awareness into action by providing a familiar and accessible tool for women to learn and perform self-examinations.

Singh noted, "Hug of Life creatively blends cultural heritage with health innovation… It’s a powerful example of how creativity can inspire preventive care and reach millions with a meaningful message."

Motorola Deep Connect

Motorola's 'Deep Connect' addresses the dangerous communication challenges faced by over 330,000 workers in India's coal mining industry. The technology leverages existing walkie-talkie infrastructure to provide safe communication between miners and their families, using a frequency-based ID system that prevents explosions. The affordable solution ($200 per unit) saw immediate adoption and is set for national expansion, potentially impacting 1.65 million workers and their families.

Singh explained, "Motorola Deep Connect blends creativity with real impact by solving deadly communication challenges in coal mines… Its instant adoption and scaling potential prove that creativity can save lives and empower communities."

Live Amazing, Do Amazing - Amdocs

This campaign aimed to attract top Indian IT talent to Amdocs, competing with well-established companies. Instead of a traditional recruitment ad, Amdocs created a music video featuring Grammy-nominated artist Raja Kumari. This culturally relevant approach resonated with young talent, showcasing Amdocs as a vibrant and exciting workplace. The music video, released through Kumari's channels, garnered significant attention before any brand mention, making it highly engaging and shareable.

Siddharth Shervegar, Group Executive Creative Director, Dentsu Creative Webchutney, and Chinmay Karandikar, Senior Director, Brand Strategy, Dentsu Creative Webchutney, highlighted the campaign's success: "Most brands struggle to hold viewers' attention for even 5 seconds, but our music video was seen in its entirety, by a whopping 36% of viewers (a gargantuan 89.5 million)… The Amdocs talent pool grew by over 5,000 in India."

These campaigns from Dentsu Creative India are geared towards addressing diverse challenges from safety and health to cultural connection and talent acquisition. As the agency braces itself for the coveted Lions it will be worthwhile to see how the campaigns are received by the jury.