CANNES, FRANCE – Ten thousand miles away from The Philippines, there was no shortage of sun or heat in the city of Cannes. Delegates from all over the world descended upon the Le Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, but the small Filipino congregation made their presence known throughout the 2025 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity with representatives in the delegation and the jury both.
GIGIL Manila walked away with the only Lions for the country this year, two Bronzes for Miracle for RC Cola and Steal for Mandaue Foam Home Store in the Film Lions category.
The Philippines have been shortlisted twelve times across various categories this year, including GIGIL’s big feat. MullenLowe TREYNA’s award-winning campaign for Scoliosis Philippines, “Stripes Fit Check,” was recognized in two subcategories in the PR Lions: Sector: Non-profit/Charity/Government and Culture & Context: Breakthrough on a Budget. Additionally, it was shortlisted in the Health & Wellness Lions under Advocacy: Non-profit/Foundation-led Education & Awareness.
BBDO Guerrero’s “Play The Dew” campaign for PepsiCo Philippines (Mountain Dew) has been shortlisted in the Entertainment Lions for Gaming under the Audio-Visual Content subcategory and on the Digital Craft Lions under the Audio/Visual subcategory.
VML Manila’s celebrated “KitKat Break Bar” campaign for Nestlé Philippines earned a shortlist spot in the Outdoor Lions under Social Behavior, while TBWA\SMP was recognized in the Design Lions under Sustainability-Focused for their campaign “Washtag” for Dr. E-Laundry Doctor.
Leo Manila’s “Night Classroom” for McDonald’s Philippines was also recognized, earning a shortlist in the Brand Experience and Activation Lions, Single-Market Campaign subcategory.
This year, the following individuals were part of the 2025 jury line up. They lended their keen eye and expertise to the following juries:
- Margot Torres, Managing Director of McDonald’s Philippines, Creative Strategy Jury.
- Raoul Panes, Chief Creative Officer of Publicis Groupe Manila, Entertainment for Gaming Jury.
- Nikki Sunga, Associate Creative Director, BBDO Guerrero. Radio & Audio Jury
After an intense search locally, young creatives Hennina Salud and John Cedric Peji of VML Manila and Jacob Banog and Maxx Macalinao from Propel Manila went toe to toe with the other young guns globally at the annual Cannes Young Lions competition.
Hennina and Cedric competed in the film category while Jacob and Maxx tried to best other countries in the Digital category, joining delegates from 53 other countries to develop and hone their craft.
At the end of the week, they were given their briefs. Tasked by Bee:wild, participating teams in the Digital competition were challenged to tap into their Gen Z sensibilities and digital fluency to craft a campaign that not only lived on digital platforms but thrived because of them. The goal was to make wild bees famous through storytelling, education and the magnetic pull of collective action.
The Young Lions film brief came from Ovarian Cancer Action, calling on creatives to craft a powerful and uplifting film for World Ovarian Cancer Day on May 8. The challenge was to tell a story that not only raises awareness but also radiates hope. The aim was to showcase both bold storytelling and craft with a sense of purpose – a pretty big feat given the tight timeframe.
The team from Propel Manila made the Top 10 shortlist with “Save The Baggy Jeans” after 24 hours of intense work and two rounds of presenting to a panel of judges. The Young Creatives can walk away with their heads held high knowing their work stands amongst some of the best in the world.
On Wednesday, David Guerrero of BBDO Guerrero hosted a talk and meet up featuring Pathida Akkarajindanon (ECD, Wolf BKK) and Jody Xiong (Founder & Creative Director, The Nine, Shanghai) about How Asia Thinks. The panel was well attended by both those from the region and those outside of it looking to gain insight in the market.
The celebration culminated in a dinner hosted by the 4As Philippines on Wednesday at Tuk Tuk Thaï Cafe, a local haunt near the Palais serving delicious Thai fare and most importantly, rice. Attendees from The Philippines were encouraged to socialize, talk about their experience so far and commiserate about how hot it was.
Thursday featured an article written by Angel Guerrero, Editor-in-Chief of adobo Magazine in the Lions Daily. The Lions Daily is a daily roundup of the previous day’s goings on — including talks, sessions and winners. The article featured some of Asia’s most agile independent agencies including GIGIL Manila, CJ Worx Thailand, BLKJ Havas, GUT Asia, Into Creative India, Wondrlab India, and Serviceplan Group.
