Cannes Lions has announced the winners from its third Awards Show of the week, honoring work across the Creative Data, Media, Direct, PR, and Social & Creator Lions.
Day three brought Grand Prix wins for work from Peru, Puerto Rico, the U.S., the U.K., and Italy, with Cannes Lions CEO Simon Cook pointing to the broader impact of the winning campaigns.
“Wednesday’s Lion-winning work demonstrates the power of creativity to drive growth for business, people, and society at large,” said Cook. “Thanks, once again, to our exceptional Juries for setting the global creative benchmark for the industry.”
Creative Data Lions
In the Creative Data Lions, the Grand Prix went to “SOS POS” for BCP by Circus Grey, Lima. The tool supports victims of phone theft by turning regular POS terminals into account-blocking points, reaching more than 34 million Peruvians.
The Creative Data Lions received 391 entries, with the jury awarding 13 Lions: 2 Gold, 4 Silver and 6 Bronze.
Anupriya Acharya, CEO of Publicis Groupe South Asia and Creative Data Lions Jury President, praised the work for its simplicity and human utility. “Our Grand Prix work stood apart for the beautiful simplicity of its idea and the imaginative use of data, data used to protect data,” Acharya said. “It turned an everyday payment terminal into a lifeline at a moment of real vulnerability. It solved a human problem, strengthened trust in a difficult-to-differentiate banking category, and showed how Creative Data can drive business impact while scaling protection for people and society in a way that can transcend boundaries.”
Media Lions
The Media Lions Grand Prix went to “Build Your Own Super Bowl” for Uber Eats by Special, Los Angeles. The campaign created what Cannes described as a world-first in-app restaurant that allowed fans to build their own Super Bowl commercial, connecting with new audiences and driving record-breaking sales.
The Media Lions received 1,432 entries and awarded 45 Lions: 7 Gold, 16 Silver and 21 Bronze. Sindhuja Rai, Chief Client Officer of WPP Media APMEA and Media Lions Jury President, called the work “modern marketing at its most transformative.”
“Rather than using communications to drive consumers to the product, it turned the product itself into the communications platform, seamlessly uniting creativity, media, technology, talent, commerce, and personalization into a single connected experience, effectively collapsing the traditional funnel,” Rai continued. “The result was a campaign that didn’t just capture attention; it converted participation and engagement directly into business growth.”
Direct Lions
The Grand Prix was awarded to “Uva Uva Bombón” for UVA App by de la Cruz Ogilvy, San Juan. The challenger delivery app used the momentum around Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl headline set to turn a global cultural moment into immediate consumer action.
The Direct Lions received 1,325 entries, with 42 Lions awarded: 7 Gold, 13 Silver, and 21 Bronze. Joaquín Cubría, Chief Creative Officer of GUT Argentina and Direct Lions Jury President, said the work showed the value of courage over budget.
“In an industry obsessed with control, this work proved that courage is still our most valuable currency,” Cubría said. “A challenger brand chose the most expensive advertising day of the year not to outspend the competition, but to outsmart it. A bold, simple idea that turned uncertainty into disproportionate impact.”
PR Lions
The PR Lions Grand Prix went to “The KitKat Heist” for KitKat by Burson, London. The campaign turned a KitKat theft into a global call to action, boosting brand perception by transforming a potential crisis into a cultural moment.
The PR Lions received 1,156 entries and awarded 37 Lions: 7 Gold, 12 Silver and 17 Bronze.
Dana Tahir, CEO of HAVAS Red Middle East and Egypt and PR Lions Jury President, said the work redefined what crisis communications can be. “Crisis communications has long been the discipline of caution, protecting reputation, minimizing damage, staying safe,” Tahir said. “But this year’s work rewrote those rules entirely. KitKat didn’t just manage a crisis; they transformed it into a cultural moment, proving that creative bravery and crisis counsel can coexist.”
Tahir added that the campaign demonstrated how brands can turn risk into opportunity when handled with precision and courage. “This work didn’t eliminate risk, it choreographed it,” she said. “Every pun, every quote was calibrated to keep the brand on the right side of the line. And in doing so, it set a new standard for what’s possible when brands trust their instincts and lean into the unexpected.”
Social & Creator Lions
In the Social & Creator Lions, the Grand Prix was awarded to “Could Have Been a Heineken” for Heineken by LePub, Milan. The campaign transformed WhatsApp voice notes into an invitation to reconnect in person, rewarding people for stepping away from their screens and sharing a beer.
The Social & Creator Lions received 1,413 entries and awarded 44 Lions: 8 Gold, 14 Silver, and 21 Bronze.
Mihnea Gheorghiu, Global Chief Creative Officer of LePub and Social & Creator Lions Jury President, said the campaign used a modern behavior to make a simple social point. “Voice notes make connection easier, faster. But for a new social behavior, do they really make us more social?” Gheorghiu said. “Heineken makes a beautifully crafted argument that a long voice note is best delivered in person. Whether you love voice notes or hate them, you can’t really argue with that.”
Cannes Lions also announced several special awards on day three.
Media Network of the Year:
- Carat
- OMD Worldwide
- PHD Worldwide
Healthcare Agency of the Year:
- Burson, London
- Golin Ketchum, London
- Ninch Company, Buenos Aires
All shortlists and winners are available on The Work, with additional information here.
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