adam&eveDDB: Still Top of the Lions' Share

Once again, adam&eveDDB cemented its place at the forefront of British creativity at this year’s Cannes Lions, picking up more awards than any other UK agency. It was a fitting tribute to a creative department that has not only delivered with consistency over the past decade but also demonstrated that it can keep the bar high under new leadership.

This was the agency’s first Cannes under joint chief creative officers Ant Nelson and Mike Sutherland, who took the reins earlier this year from the creative titan Rick Brim [co-founder of start-up Ace of Hearts]. Their creative stewardship got off to a confident start, with the agency's campaigns — including Twix Harmoniser and Missed Birthdays — earning well-deserved recognition on the Croisette.

The haul included one gold Lion, two silvers and six bronzes; its work for ITV and mental health charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) took a gold, silver and bronze for “Missed Birthdays”, while the Twix campaign scored a silver Lion and three bronzes.

Beyond their own success, adam&eveDDB’s performance contributed to a broader triumph for its parent network, with DDB Worldwide named Network of the Year. The combination of creative excellence, consistency, and new momentum signals an agency in confident stride — evolving but not losing the distinctive energy that has made it a Cannes stalwart.

We caught up with Ant and Mike shortly after the festival to talk about what the wins mean to the team, how they handle the pressure of expectation, and where they see commercial creativity going next.

Ant Nelson And Mike Sutherland, Chief Creative Officers, adam&eveDDB, On Winning In Cannes

What does it actually mean to win at Cannes? What does that recognition mean for the creative department?

Ant Nelson: Fom me personally, winning in Cannes is one of the biggest achievements. When I was young, it was actually one of the first awards that me and Mike ever won together. We won a Grand Prix at our first ever Cannes. So yeah, we really got lucky with that. We were, what—23? 25?

What was that for?

Ant: 'Club 18–30'. You remember that campaign?

Were you at Saatchi then?

Mike Sutherland: Yeah, that was the first Cannes we ever went to. We won there. So Cannes has a very special place in our hearts, that’s where it all started. It’s the biggest global award stage. There are so many eyeballs on it. We love the whole thing and the process of it.

Ant: I also think it’s a good celebration of the effort that goes into the work. When you see the finished product, that’s great—but the amount of effort that goes into creating something award-worthy is huge. So it’s amazing when it gets recognised. It’s not just about the two creatives—it’s everyone who sat through meetings, dealt with issues. That recognition is amazing.

And there’s something else we sometimes underestimate: awards are a brilliant recruitment tool. If the agency’s pulled in a few Golds or a Grand Prix, it’s more attractive to better creatives. It makes it far easier when people know they can do great work here.

And when you walk into the department after a big award show—does it still give the team a buzz?

Mike: Definitely. It lifts everyone. It validates the hard work everyone’s put in. We don’t do good work for awards—we do it because we love it and because it’s right for the client. The awards are a nice-to-have. But yeah, it’s a real booster.

Having judged Cannes, I realise just how hard it is to win—let alone get shortlisted. There are thousands of entries. So it still feels good. And for me, the more you win, the more it drives that ambition to come back and do it again next year.

Ant: It’s brilliant for the teams that wrote the work, but also a kick up the arse for the other teams. Departments are competitive—if the team next door is doing better than you, it pushes you.

And clients are more invested than ever. There’s been a shift. It’s just as important for them to show up at Cannes. You’re in it together more than ever. Awards used to be seen as trinkets, but now clients understand the importance. It’s great to be recognised side by side with them.

And what if the work doesn’t win? How much do clients care?

Mike: I think it is important for clients to get that recognition. But first and foremost, they’re solving a business problem. If it wins at Cannes, great—but that’s not the main goal. We try to create the best work we can to answer the brief. If that goes on to win, brilliant. If it doesn’t, we’ll try harder next year.

For you two, having started with such a high bar—how do you keep that standard?

Ant: There’s always pressure—always. But mostly it’s healthy. If you don’t win for a few years, it can affect you a bit. You just have to keep your hand in, do the best you can. If it wins, great. If not, it doesn’t mean the work is bad—it just might not be the jury’s flavour that year.

Mike: For us, the pressure is more personal. We’re very competitive. We hate being beaten. There’ve been award shows where we’ve walked away with nothing—and it supercharges you. Win or lose, it gives you fire in the belly. You want to go back and win. So the pressure’s more about making sure the work coming out of here is the best it can be.

And this was your first year as the big cheeses. Did doing well at Cannes this year feel like important validation?

Ant: Yeah, it definitely helps. Especially for the teams. You don’t want to go from Rick [Brim], who’s had so much success, to suddenly dropping the ball. It’s good validation that we’ve had a strong start. Personally, it wasn’t quite as good as we’d imagined. We thought 'Twix Staredown', after winning a Yellow Pencil at D&AD, would definitely win something. But it only got two shortlists—we were gobsmacked.

'Twix Harmoniser' did well. 'Missed Birthdays' did okay. So, yeah—it’s a good start.

Mike, you judged this year. What were your reflections on the overall state of creativity—and how the UK fits into that?

Mike: It’s something a lot of people were talking about—why UK work didn’t seem to click as much. I think UK work is still strong, but the rest of the world has seriously upped its game. Ten years ago, the UK was one of a few dominant markets. Now, great work is coming from everywhere.

So the competition is getting harder globally. That gives us more fire to push. There was great work from UK agencies that didn’t do as well as I thought it would. But the bar is just incredibly high right now.

This year, Cannes felt physically divided—AI and tech giants along the Croisette, and creative agencies feeling a bit more on the sidelined. Did you sense that?

Mike: It’s interesting. The festival’s evolved so much. When we first went, the Croisette was full of big agency tents—Leo Burnett, Publicis, McCann. Then production companies took over. Now it’s all the big media and tech players. It feels more like a media event, not just a creative one. But Cannes still awards creativity. It’s still about the work.

Ant: Once you’re in the Palais, looking at the work, you don’t feel that outside weight as much. It’s still about big ideas for recognisable brands. That hasn’t changed.

Mike: The festival is now a mix—half media, half creativity. But the work still matters. That’s what keeps it inspiring.