Pick Us A Cannes Lions Winner (Part 2)

With UK agencies vying with their counterparts from all around the world once more, creative excellence is the name of the game in Cannes. Across this week, we'll be showcasing some of the UK entries to look out for on the winners' podium.

Stay tuned to find out what else has entered this year's awards throughout the week and keep up to date with our Cannes Lions 2025 coverage.

Next up is adam&eveDDB and DEPT.

Adam&eveDDB

Iams 'IAMS Presents: Waylon'

To shine an unmissable light on the issue of overweight dogs, IAMS pet food partnered with a real-life overweight dog named Waylon to put his story on a huge stage across Thanksgiving. The brand created a larger-than-life dog balloon that got ‘stuck’ between two buildings en route to the Chicago Thanksgiving Parade. Not actually an official entry in the parade, the two-story-tall balloon represents the many dogs across the country who are carrying extra weight.

The work saw a 784 per cent increase in traffic and 467 million impressions.

IAMS 'I Want a Puppy / Kitten Studios'

IAMS, part of the Mars family of brands, launched ‘I Want a Puppy/Kitten Studios’, making IAMS one of the first companies to use Google’s Veo 2 video generation model, allowing users across Canada to experience what it’s like to have a pet. 

The work helped create personalised and cinematic 60-second films that could convince someone in their life to open their home to a new puppy or kitten. Not only did the work grab attention with 11.7 million impressions, 984 per cent traffic increase, and a 440 per cent higher click rate, it also helped create the next generation of responsible pet parents.

CALM 'Missed Birthdays'

'Missed Birthdays' by Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) and ITV tackles the urgent issue of youth suicide in the UK.

Created by adam&eveDDB, it aims to turn the tragedy of young lives lost into a national conversation. With suicide now the leading cause of death for people under 34, and young women under 24 being the fastest-growing at-risk group, the project shines a light on this devastating reality.

At the heart of the campaign was a major activation at Westfield London, using birthday balloons to deliver a somber message of loss and raise awareness of the tragedy that is youth suicide. It featured 6,929 balloons, each one representing a young person who died by suicide in the last decade and the birthday they did not reach.

The work achieved 620 million impressions, a 700 per cent traffic increase, and 19m views.

The Walt Disney Company ‘The Boy and the Octopus’

Celebrating Christmas in magical style saw adam&eveDDB and Disney collaborate with Academy Award winner Taika Waititi to tell the heart-warming story of a young boy and an octopus. 

The work shines a light on the precious everyday moments of childhood and friendship, as much as the magic of the festive season.

The global campaign saw 83m views.

Twix, Mars 'Second Screen Staredown'

Launching Twix's brand platform 'Two is more than one' in the US, adam&eveDDB collaborated to hijack the Super Bowl.

Based off the insight that 79 per cent of viewers look to a second screen during the game, Twix asked people to stare at their phones during the ad breaks for a chance to win two solid gold bars worth approx. $170,000.

The results saw 2.5 million views, 761,000 total players, and 12,000 organic likes.

Twix, Mars 'Harmoniser'

Off the back of launching it new ‘Two is more than one’ brand platform, Twix introduced ‘Twix Harmoniser’ - a new digital tool created in partnership with Meta for WhatsApp that harnesses the idea of two voices to reach consumers in a new way.

Designed by adam&eveDDB London, the Twix Harmoniser allows users to turn their voice message on WhatsApp into one delivered in harmony using AI and digital technology to reimagine a solo voice message with two voices. 

The activation was the next step in Twix’s ambition to target an under-35 demographic, as voicenotes are the preferred communications method of 37 per cent of 18-34 year olds. 

The work saw 62 million impressions and 495,000 clicks to the tool.

Twix, Mars ‘Two is More Than one’

Twix launched its new brand platform ‘Two is More Than One’ with the aim to entice younger audiences into buying the much-loved product with a fresh angle. 

Social listening showed that Twix's ‘left vs right’ strategy was resonating less than enjoying BOTH bars, and looked to champion the power of two.

The new platform launched across the globe in a way that would drive fame for twoness and reignite the nostalgic love people for have Twix, by crafting a film that would entertain and surprise consumers in a way that only Twix could. 

PUMA 'Go Wild'

PUMA announced the launch of its biggest global campaign to date with ‘Go Wild’. The work marked an new evolution in its brand identity, reinforcing its commitment to redefining the game, and setting the stage for long-term, sustainable growth. 

The work looked to inspire younger generations, one runners' high at a time, and reached 10 million views in doing so.

Victoria & Albert Museum ‘If You’re Into It, It’s In The V&A’

The V&A and adam&eveDDB collaborated to showcase the incredible breadth of the V&A’s permanent collection of over 2.8 million objects, which tell a 5,000 year old story of creativity, spanning every creative discipline.

‘If You’re Into It, It’s In The V&A’ was designed to drive mass re-appraisal and tap into people’s niche passions - from punk to pottery, or stamps to streetwear -  to remind people that whatever your interests, you’re bound to find something for you in the V&A.

The campaign is based on the insight that whilst most people have heard of the V&A, fewer people feel familiar with what the museum offers. 

Results saw a 96 per cent sales increase, a 23 per cent traffic increase, and 300,000 impressions.

Playstation, Sony ‘Play Has No Limits’

PlayStation looked for a new way to reach a broader audience who didn’t usually interact with the brand. 

The heart of the campaign resided around the idea of play being ‘everything’, meaning  PlayStation sees the opportunities for play everywhere. The hero film showed an ordinary city transforming into play - from dustbins turning into basketball hoops and staircases converting into slides, and OOH work across the London Tube was accompanied with the hopes to reach the broadest possible audience.

James Wellbeloved, Mars Petcare ‘Soil for Life’

Mars Incorporated, a global leader in pet care products and services, released new research through its James Wellbeloved brand uncovering that UK dog owners care deeply about their pets' nutrition, but many don’t realise that the journey of their dog’s food begins long before it reaches their bowl.

As James Wellbeloved believes in the importance of healthy soil, the brand and adam&eveDDB unveiled a 15-foot giant mucky pup sculpture named Ellie in central London, alongside interactive elements. Ellie’s playful stance reflected on how soil makes dogs happy on the outside while also representing the four football fields of healthy soil degraded every second globally.

The Entertainer ‘Ray’

The Entertainer’s biggest-ever TV ad campaign for Christmas marked its debut work with adam&eveDDB. 

The 60-second film was inspired by the deep love kids develop for their toys – a passion which is shared by The Entertainer. The ad featured the endearing character of Ray, a once much-loved stuffed toy who is now feeling a bit lost as his owner has since turned her attention towards a remote-control monster truck.

The work saw 2.2 million impressions, a 54 per cent increase in brand awareness, and 1.4 million page engagements. 

Temptations, Mars Petcare ‘Cats Lose Their Cool: Teenage DJ Cat’ 

Mars Petcare brand Temptations expanded its offerings with a new product launch: Temptations Lickable Spoons treats that are 'purrrfect' for enhancing mealtime and creating new bonding experiences.

Alongside, the brand launched ‘DJ Cat’ to build upon its 'Cats lose their cool' brand platform - led by creative agency adam&eveDDB London.

The results saw 7.7 million sales in one year, and a 90 per cent traffic increase.

Volkswagen ‘YourWagen’

Volkswagen and adam&eveDDB celebrated the enduring role of the Volkswagen brand in the lives of their drivers and fans with the release of its new brand platform ‘YourWagen’. It stemmed from the Volkswagen brand name literally meaning ‘people’s car’, and commemorated the love and emotional connection that drivers from all walks of life have for Volkswagen cars. 

The hero 60-second spot illustrated the central role a Volkswagen car plays in the lives of so many, vividly brought to life through a series of family archive snapshots, home movies and specially-shot footage, all set to the 1970s hit ‘Thank You for Being a Friend’ by Andrew Gold.

Dreamies, Mars ‘Ad Attack’

No pack of Dreamies treats are safe as hundreds of cats clawed across billboards as part of its OOH and social campaign ‘Ad Attack’, showing the lengths cats will go to get their paws on the irresistible treats. 

The special build sites featured unmissable 3D models of moggies taking over the locations by climbing drainpipes, stalking rooftops and hanging off billboards. The hand-painted fibreglass felines were created using 3D renders based on poses of real cats looking for Dreamie treats.

DEPT

NVIDIA x American Society for Deaf Children 'Signs' - Categories: Design, Digital Craft, Glass, Sustainable Development goals

In the US, 11 million people are deaf or have significant hearing loss,  and growing. This highlights a critical need to break down communication barriers and foster connections between deaf and hearing communities.

‘Signs’ - a collaboration between Dept, NVIDIA and the American Society for Deaf Children, used AI to provide step-by-step guidance and real-time feedback through an intuitive and engaging platform to make learning sign language more accessible than ever.

Signs also grow with input. By contributing videos, the open-source dataset of signs expands, creating a resource that evolves over time and strengthens the bridge between deaf and hearing communities.

Just Eat Takeway x Netflix Squid Game 2 Partnership

Just Eat Takeaway and Netflix joined forces for the much-anticipated launch of Squid Game 2. With the help of DEPT, a bold, immersive experience was delivered that captured the attention of 18–34-year-olds across the UK and Ireland.

By borrowing a piece of popular culture loved by its audience, DEPT aligned two worlds,  bringing value to fans while positioning Just Eat Takeaway as the number one food and convenience delivery platform for Netflix fans.

The creative and strategic anchor of the campaign revolved around a one-of-a-kind, AI-powered multi-sensory game: ELIMINATE, aiming to “feed the fans”. It saw +500,000 players, +16.5 hours of gameplay, and +4,000 submitted scores.

Trainline 'Get Your Bum on Board' - Categories: Entertainment, Film, Film Craft

With travelling by train being a whopping 67 per cent less polluting than travelling by car, Trainline set to help crack net zero. Its ‘I came by train’ movement unveiled its new bold campaign ‘Bums on Board’ across the UK, aiming to make rail known as the sustainable choice, one bum at a time.