INNOCEAN Wins Second Consecutive Grand Prix at Cannes Lions for ‘Night Fishing’

INNOCEAN won the Grand Prix and a Silver, the highest award, at the Cannes Lions 2025 for its 'Night Fishing' campaign; INNOCEAN employees celebrate on the Cannes Lions stage after receiving the award

​INNOCEAN won the Grand Prix, the highest award at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity (Cannes Lions), the world's largest and most prestigious international advertising festival, for the second consecutive year.

INNOCEAN global CEO, Yongwoo Lee, announced on June 22 that 'Night Fishing', its branded content created in collaboration with Hyundai Motor Company, has achieved the remarkable feat of winning the Grand Prix in the Entertainment category and brought home a Silver Lion in the Film category at the 2025 Cannes Lions.

This year’s Cannes Grand Prix win holds special meaning for INNOCEAN. Following its historic win of the first Grand Prix for good win at Cannes Lions, this marks the second consecutive year of winning the Grand Prix at the world's premier advertising festival. Industry observers have called this a ground breaking achievement without precedent in the history of Korean advertising.

‘Night Fishing’ also added a Silver in the Film category. The Film category is one of the most prestigious at the festival, awarded to video campaigns that demonstrate impressive brand storytelling. It is traditionally announced at the very end of the awards ceremony, highlighting its significance.

The ‘Night Fishing’ campaign, a short branded film and the first of its kind to be screened in Korean cinemas, has captured widespread attention and earned multiple awards both at home and abroad, praised for its ground breaking creativity. With ‘Night Fishing’, INNOCEAN has won top honours at three major global advertising festivals this year alone, including the Clio Awards Grand Prix and the Spikes Asia Grand Prix, solidifying its position as a global top-tier marketing communications company.

The campaign stars actor Sukku Son and Hyundai Motor Company’s IONIQ 5 in a humanistic thriller set around a mysterious incident and plot twist at an electric vehicle charging station. With a total running time of approximately 13 minutes including end credits, the film became the first branded content to receive official theatrical release following review by the Korea Media Rating Board. The unusually low ticket price of $1 won also drew attention.

INNOCEAN led the project from its initial concept, through international film festival submissions, to full-scale promotion and marketing. The film earned high praise for boldly introducing a new form of branded content—not as a traditional advertisement, but as a cinematic experience created by an advertising agency. With its ground breaking use of car-mounted cameras and an engaging narrative structure, the film powerfully conveys the innovative spirit of the Hyundai Motor Company brand.

The jury for the Entertainment category at Cannes Lions highly praised the film, stating, “Most of the jury had no objections to awarding ‘Night Fishing’ the Grand Prix—it was that outstanding.” They added, “The Entertainment category is typically filled with large-scale, high-budget productions, but none felt as fresh or visionary as ‘Night Fishing,’ which truly showcased the future of branded content.”

INNOCEAN also added two Bronze awards at this year’s Cannes Lions. INNOCEAN won a bronze in the Digital Craft category for the ‘KIA SOUNDSCAPES’ campaign for the Kia EV9, submitted by INNOCEAN Berlin. This campaign is a new concept project where Kia uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help people with visual impairments 'hear and feel' scenery on the road. Using AI-based emotional technology that turns scenery into sound, the campaign conveys a more immersive driving experience to those with visual impairments.

Another Bronze in the Brand Experience & Activation category was awarded for the ‘CAMDOM’ campaign, developed in collaboration with Billy Boy, a company specialising in male contraception.

The campaign highlights the importance of digital privacy through CAMDOM, a digital condom app that protects young adults during intimate moments by blocking all camera and microphone functions, helping to prevent the unauthorised recording or leaking of audio, photos, or videos.

Global CEO Yongwoo Lee of INNOCEAN stated, “We’re honoured to win the Grand Prix for the second year in a row—last year by our Berlin office, and this year by our Seoul headquarters. This achievement reaffirms our standing as a truly global top-tier marketing communications company.”