“If It Doesn’t Entertain, It Doesn’t Win”
CANNES, FRANCE – At the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2025, Valerie Madon — Chief Creative Officer, Asia Pacific at McCann Worldgroup — served as a jury member for the prestigious Film Lions category. In an exclusive conversation with adobo magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, Angel Guerrero, Valerie shared powerful insights into what made this year’s standout work win, in film craft, and why cultural nuance, client relationships, and the courage to entertain are more essential than ever.
What makes a film truly award-worthy at Cannes? For Valerie and the jury, chaired by Kate Stanners, Chairwoman and Global CCO, Saatchi & Saatchi, it came down to one rule: let the film speak for itself. The film should entertain and engage without needing to read the write-up or view the case study.
Valerie echoed this sentiment: “With film, the connection is instant and visceral. The one essential quality that came up again and again was entertainment. If a film doesn’t entertain, it won’t connect — no matter how functional or serious the subject.”
But entertainment, she clarified, is not limited to laughs. “It can be scary, sad, or profound. This year’s winning work offered a spectrum of emotional tones — from dark humor to subtle wit.”
Winning Work: Humor, Humanity, and the Unexpected
Among the standout entries, Channel 4’s “Paris Paralympics 2024: Considering What?” campaign won a well-deserved Grand Prix. “You think they’ve reached the limit, then they show you another level,” said Valerie. “Every line of the voiceover was a headline. The sound design — especially the use of a laughing man to open the film — was mad and brilliant.”
The second Grand Prix, “The Final Copy of Ilon Specht” for L’Oréal Paris by McCann Paris, told the untold story of the woman behind the slogan “Because I’m worth it.” Madon noted: “It’s long, it’s a documentary — but you can’t stop watching. That’s the power of storytelling.”
Even Apple’s series of short films — Find Your Friends, Flock, and Someday — were repeatedly admired. “They made the functional feel human. It’s hard to ignore when something is that good.”
On Asian Creativity, Cultural Sensitivity and Judging Diverse Work
Valerie expressed both pride when discussing the performance of APAC entries. “Thailand showed up strong. Their work is rooted in storytelling and humor. It connects immediately.” She loved the shortlisted KFC Thailand Rice Bowl spot from Wolf Bangkok and the Philippines’ Mandaue Foam ‘Steal’ campaign by GIGIL, which earned laughs in the jury room.
The Mandaue Foam campaign won a Bronze Lion. “The problem wasn’t the craft or the story — it was brand fit. That ad would’ve done better if it had been made for an insurance company.”
She noted that, “We need to ensure more representation from the region, and that means understanding how to bridge local nuance with global storytelling.”
Valerie highlighted how cultural context plays a crucial role in evaluating work from regions like APAC. “Some jurors were uncomfortable with humor in Thai films that touched on sex or violence. But in Thailand, clients ask for bold, absurd humor — even on serious topics.”
Tech’s Role and the Future of Craft
Is technology reshaping what qualifies as excellent film? Valerie believes tech plays a supporting role, but craft still reigns supreme.
“Take Night Fishing from Innocean Korea. It had aliens and surreal visuals, but what stood out was the cinematography. At the end of the day, film is still about how it’s made and how it feels.”
She also called attention to the lack of strong short-form entries. “We were scrambling to find smart short films. The standout was Telstra’s ‘Better on a Better Network’. It’s proof you can do short, funny, and effective.”
Her advice to agencies: explain cultural nuances in the case video and write-up. “If jurors don’t get the context, the work risks being misjudged.”
On Women in Leadership: Continuing the Conversation
As one of the few female creative leaders in APAC, Valerie remains committed to elevating women in the industry.
“We can’t stop talking about women. In some markets, women are still figuring out their worth. The next question we need to ask is: what’s missing for the women who are already here?”
She encouraged informal mentoring and more peer-to-peer support: “I’m happy to give time to a young female creative.That’s how we keep this movement alive.”
Client Power and Creative Courage
A recurring theme in Valerie’s Cannes experience was the power of client-agency relationships.
“One of my clients flew in with their whole team and held a global workshop after Cannes. That’s the kind of partnership we need — clients who see the value of creativity.”
She urged agencies to put clients on the stage, not just chase awards. “L’Oréal and MasterCard — they’re the ones enabling the work. Creativity leads to earned media, and that’s how you create relevance.”
Final Thoughts: Staying Grounded in Uncertain Times
In a time of mergers, restructures, and uncertainty, Valerie has one piece of advice: head down, do the work.
“There’s anxiety in the industry, but our job is to protect the work, celebrate our clients, and keep creativity moving forward.”
As Cannes Lions 2025 draws to a close, Valerie Madon leaves us with a reminder that resonates far beyond the Palais: “If it doesn’t entertain, it doesn’t connect. And if it doesn’t connect, it doesn’t change anything.”
About Valerie Madon
Valerie is the Chief Creative Officer for McCann Worldgroup Asia Pacific and one of the few female creative leaders in the region. Though she never envisioned becoming a leader after graduating from art school, her passion for painting since childhood evolved into a 20+ year creative career. She has worked with top brands like Zespri, Caltex, HP, P&G, Singapore Airlines, HSBC, Burger King, Shell and the Singapore Tourism Board.
Previously, she led Meta’s Creative Shop for Southeast Asia & Emerging Markets, where she elevated creative effectiveness across Meta’s media platforms. Today, she finds the most joy leading regional creative work for Mastercard and Ferrero, grounded in McCann’s “Truth Well Told” philosophy.
Valerie has judged and been recognized at global award shows including Cannes Lions (four times), D&AD (jury president), One Show, Effies and Spikes Asia. Passionate about mentoring, she champions female creatives through initiatives like “See It Be It” at Spikes, McCann’s “Ambition Collective,” and AdFest’s “Shape My Portfolio.”
Besides creativity at work, her creative spirit takes new form through her own ice cream brand called “Licktionary”, where her unique flavors are inspired by words from her husband, and her newfound love of pottery where she pushes the artistic boundaries of form and function.
Valerie was named ‘Creative Captain’ at Campaign Asia’s “Women Leading Change Awards” 2025.
