As Cannes Lions 2025 drew to a close, independent agencies proved that great storytelling and purposeful creativity don’t require holding company resources. With an incredible 23 Film Lions, the prestigious Grand Prix for Good, and wins across Glass and SDG categories, indies showed they can compete—and win—in the festival’s most competitive categories.
The only category that eluded indies on Day 5 was the Dan Wieden Titanium Lions, but with 30 total wins on the final day alone, there was plenty to celebrate.
Indie Agency News Members Earn Top Honors
Serviceplan Group – Multiple Agency of the Year Wins
The Munich-based independent was recognized as one of three Independent Networks of the Year (alongside Rethink and Wieden+Kennedy) and dominated the track awards:
- Independent Agency of the Year – Classic
- Independent Agency of the Year – Experience
- Independent Agency of the Year – Good (tied with L&C New York)
Their “Price Packs” campaign from earlier in the week helped drive their impressive point total across multiple categories, proving that one breakthrough idea can elevate an agency across the entire festival.
Non-Member Indies Show Strategic Excellence
Rethink Claims Multiple Crowns
Toronto’s Rethink earned major recognition:
- Independent Network of the Year (alongside Serviceplan and Wieden+Kennedy)
- Independent Agency of the Year – Strategy
- Independent Agency of the Year – Engagement
The agency’s strategic prowess throughout the week culminated in these prestigious honors.
Wieden+Kennedy Maintains Legendary Status
The original indie powerhouse was named one of three Independent Networks of the Year, cementing its continued relevance and excellence in the global creative landscape.
Track Winners Span the Globe
- Bear Meets Eagle On Fire (Sydney): Independent Agency of the Year – Craft
- Artplan (São Paulo): Independent Agency of the Year – Health
- BigTime Creative Shop (Riyadh): Independent Agency of the Year – Entertainment
- L&C (New York): Independent Agency of the Year – Good (tied with Serviceplan)
Day 5 Lions: Indies Strike Gold with Purpose
Grand Prix for Good – Indies Take Top Honor!
FINCH (Sydney) / Motion Sickness (Auckland) / NZ Herpes Foundation claimed the festival’s most prestigious purpose-driven award with “The Best Place in the World to Have Herpes.” This audacious campaign that turned herpes destigmatization into a matter of national pride proved that indies can lead on the world’s biggest stages. The same campaign also won a Silver Lion in the SDG category, showing its multi-faceted impact.
Sustainable Development Goals – 4 Indie Winners
The SDG category saw solid indie representation with both members and non-members taking home Lions:
Silver Lion:
- Serviceplan (Munich) / L&C (New York) – “Animal Alerts” for PETPACE: A smart-collar-powered project using AI to analyze dog behavior as an early warning signal for earthquakes. A brilliant collaboration between our German member and NYC indie L&C.
- FINCH (Sydney) / Motion Sickness (Auckland) / NZ Herpes Foundation – “The Best Place in the World to Have Herpes”: The campaign that’s been winning all week added an SDG Lion to its collection, proving that destigmatization is indeed sustainable development.
Film Lions – Indies Dominate with 23 Lions!
The Film category proved to be indie territory with an impressive haul across all metal levels:
Gold Lions (5):
- BANANAS (Johannesburg) / BRAINS & BRAWN (Bangkok) – “Let There Be Cake” for KFC Thailand
- JOSIANE (Paris) – “The Last Birthday” for Association Valentin Haüy
- Bear Meets Eagle On Fire (Sydney) – “Telstra – Better on a Better Network” (also won Bronze campaign)
- FINCH/Motion Sickness/NZ Herpes Foundation – “The Best Place in the World to Have Herpes” (adding to their Grand Prix for Good!)
- SPECIAL (Los Angeles) / UBER (San Francisco) – “Brian Cox Goes to College” for Uber One (member!)
Silver Lions (6):
- Wieden+Kennedy Portland – Multiple wins including “Jordan Can’t Ban Greatness” and “Winning Isn’t for Everyone” for Nike
- SOLOMON WINTER (Hamburg) – “100 Years of Meisterstück” for Montblanc with Wes Anderson
- NEWSLAB (Oslo) – “Is It Even a City?” for Visit Oslo
- INNOCEAN (Seoul) – “Night Fishing” for Hyundai (member!)
- Klick Health (Toronto) – “Love Captured” for The Exodus Road (member!)
Bronze Lions (12): Including wins from GIGIL (Manila) with two Bronze Lions, BigTime Creative Shop (Riyadh), POL (Oslo), JOHANNES LEONARDO (New York), ANONIMO (Mexico City/Bogota), SPECIAL (Los Angeles) with “Century of Cravings” for Uber Eats (member!), and more.
Glass: The Lion for Change – 2 Indie Winners
Indies proved their commitment to challenging inequality and prejudice:
Gold Lion:
- HERALBONY (Iwate, Japan) – Self-titled campaign showcasing Japanese indie excellence in addressing social issues.
Bronze Lion:
- EDELMAN (New York) – “Dove Love Your Hair” for Unilever: Continuing Dove’s mission to normalize and celebrate natural hair, proving indies can partner with major brands on purposeful work.
The Day 5 Tally: 30 Lions for Indies!
- Film Lions: 23 wins (5 Gold, 6 Silver, 12 Bronze)
- Grand Prix for Good: 1 win (the festival’s top purpose award!)
- Sustainable Development Goals: 4 wins (2 Silver, 2 Bronze)
- Glass: The Lion for Change: 2 wins (1 Gold, 1 Bronze)
- Dan Wieden Titanium Lions: 0 wins
The Week That Was: Special Awards Recognition
Beyond the individual Lions, indies dominated the Special Awards:
Independent Network of the Year
- Serviceplan Agenturgruppe (member!)
- Rethink (Toronto)
- Wieden+Kennedy
Independent Agency of the Year by Track
- Strategy: Rethink, Toronto
- Classic: Serviceplan, Munich (member!)
- Craft: Bear Meets Eagle On Fire, Sydney
- Engagement: Rethink, Toronto
- Entertainment: BigTime Creative Shop, Riyadh
- Experience: Serviceplan, Munich (member!)
- Good: Serviceplan, Munich & L&C, New York (tie)
- Health: Artplan, São Paulo
The Indie Perspective
A quiet Day 5 doesn’t diminish what was an exceptional week for independent agencies. The Special Awards recognize sustained excellence across the entire festival, and indies claimed their share of these prestigious honors.
The fact that three indies—Serviceplan, Rethink, and Wieden+Kennedy—were named Independent Networks of the Year speaks to the consistent quality and impact of independent work across multiple categories and days.
Sometimes the most important victories aren’t in individual Lions but in proving, year after year, that independence fosters the kind of creativity that competes at the highest levels of our industry.
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