With less than a month to go for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Manifest has started its Cannes Contenders series.

Through this, we aim to showcase India's work for the Lions before the festival kicks off, as the country looks to better its 18-Lions haul from 2024.

Here's BBDO India's entries.

Ariel #ShareTheLoad (10 Years)

Ariel #ShareTheLoad is the longest running social movement by a brand against unequal distribution of household chores, that started in 2015 with a pertinent question, ‘Is laundry only a woman’s job?’. In 2016, Ariel addressed the deep-rooted conditioning, with a heart-felt apology letter from a father to his daughter. In 2018, Ariel asked, ‘Are we teaching our sons what we are been teaching our daughters?’. In 2020, we addressed the impact of this inequality on women’s health, rallying for Equal Sleep for women. In 2022, Ariel got the nation to discuss the hidden bias, ‘If men can share household work with other men, then why not with their wives?’. In 2023, Ariel addressed the emotional distance that creeps into marriage due to unequal distribution of household chores with ‘Silent Separation’. In 2024, Ariel addressed the mental load that is holding women back. 57% women declined work-related travel opportunities due to household chores. Ariel rewrote the rules with a new focus on household dynamics, asking, ‘How strong is your home team?’ Year after year, Ariel has spread the message of #ShareTheLoad through unique touchpoints: Wash Care Label, Comic Books, Detergent packs with names of hundreds of Indian men and Home Map – that shows men where things are kept at home. The decade long movement has been covered by over 1900+ publications across 40 countries and has even been discussed at the World Economic Forum. The movement has impacted culture and transformed Ariel into a highly effective world-famous brand.

Tata Ultra Marathon - Feet Of Glory

For generations, pledges have always been made with hands. The pledge to love, to lead, to protect, to change. But never has a pledge been made with... feet. In a country where millions of children lack proper footwear, runners used their strength and determination to protect those who run barefoot. For the first time in the history of pledges, we got runners to pledge using their feet. We invited runners to make a pledge by dipping their feet in vibrant colours, creating colourful footprints. Each footprint became a pledge for Tata to donate a pair of running shoes to underprivileged children across India. The Tata Ultra Marathon ‘Feet of Glory’ campaign was amplified nationwide through social media, on-ground events, and partnerships.

WhatsApp - Oye Lucky

How WhatsApp turned a scam warning into a moment of dancing!!

In 2024, digital payment scams skyrocketed in India. To warn people about scams, without fearmongering, WhatsApp created a highly engaging awareness campaign with a warning song that people can dance to. We recreated Bollywood’s peppiest song and made a dance video featuring popular Indian celebrity- Abhay Deol. We used the power of song and dance to remind people to stay vigilant and cautious, without inducing fear.  #ScamSeBacho campaign video got over 50 million organic views and had a positive impact on WhatsApp’s brand metrics.

Candid Dusting Powder - Scratch Music

With a tropical and changing climate, Indians are particularly at higher risk of skin infections. The itching and irritation leads to irresistible urge to scratch the skin infection. But it only increases the risk of spreading it. As a market leader in a stagnant category, it was up to Candid Dusting Powder to move the needle.

We manifested the irresistible urge to scratch the itch with Indian classical melody, reminding people that while it feels tempting, one should not scratch their skin infection, and choose trusted Candid Dusting Powder instead.

In our brand film, the protagonist blissfully sings, oblivious to onlookers, as he gives into the involuntary need to scratch - slowly transitioning into an unsettling singing when the rash is finally revealed.