Australia’s Lift To 7th In Cannes Rankings Due To “Brave Ideas Backed By Brave Clients”
Australia has climbed from 11th to 7th on the global rankings at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in 2025, with industry figures pointing to long-term thinking, strong client partnerships, and a broader commitment to creative ambition and craft as reasons for the jump.
“Absolutely no surprise here. The spike comes down to brave ideas backed by brave clients,” Saatchi & Saatchi CCO Mandie van der Merwe told LBB.
“The work that converted this year wasn’t just smart. It was bold, emotionally resonant, culturally specific and beautifully executed. Campaigns like Motion Sickness and FINCH’s ‘The Best Place on Earth to Have Herpes’ and BMEOF’s Film Craft Grand Prix didn’t come from short-term thinking. They came from long-term creative partnerships, deep trust, and clients willing to shape culture, not just content.”
For Droga5 CCO Barbara Humphries, “It was great to see wins across indies and network agencies, across so many categories. I think that also says a lot about the collective creative ambition and standards. But consistency over multiple pieces of work is a major factor – hats off to BMEOF, Revolver and Finch.”
In 2024 Australia won 18 Lions, with that number rising to 28 in 2025. Asked what was behind the spike in awards this year, Telstra CMO Brent Smart laughed, “Can I say Telstra?”
“Our haul of 8 Lions definitely helped. It’s also good to see local work on global brands picking up, with lions for Coke, VW, Samsung and Netflix.”
Last year’s 11th-place finish drew criticism of the Australian creative industry, with suggestions that the country’s standards were slipping after years as a major player in the Cannes rankings. Mandie said the issue was never about talent.
“The criticism last year wasn’t just about rankings. It was about creative ambition. We didn’t lack talent then, and we don’t now. What we lacked was opportunity. This year, we had a wider spread of enthusiastic clients willing to back brave ideas and see creativity as a growth lever. That’s all it takes.
“Reclaiming our position at number seven this year proves that when we get the right combination of creative firepower and client courage, we’re right up there with the best in the world.”
Barbara added, “While we were 11th last year – Australia still took home the Film Grand Prix and there were multiple agencies, clients and production companies who won in 24 and 25. Given the size of our industry, Australia has a bigger impact than the rankings suggest.”
Speaking on a SXSW Sydney panel last year, Brent admitted, "I don't think it's a great time for creativity right now.” Fast forward to the end of Cannes 2025, and he said it was good to see Australia back in the top 10 “because this market has always been creatively ambitious and over-delivered for its size.”
In saying that, he added “I think we need another really big idea that dominates at Cannes, like a ‘Meet Graham’ or ‘Dumb Ways to Die’, to feel we are back to our best.”
With Cannes Lions already registering interest for the 2026 festival, it will take long-term relationships and an ongoing commitment to craft to keep the momentum going.
“We need our best brands to be doing the best creative work, that is certainly what we are trying to achieve at Telstra,” said Brent.
Mandie said the industry needs to “invest in trust, not just talent.”
“The best work we saw this year came from deep, long-term relationships between clients and agencies. That’s how you build consistency and courage. Every CMO should be asking: Have I found my ride-or-die creative partner yet? Because that’s where the breakthrough work starts.”
“And let’s not overlook craft. Production companies like FINCH and Revolver aren’t just delivering content, they’re protecting the standard. That matters.”
For Barbara, “After such a great year for the industry, I hope to see brands doubling down on creativity and continuing to buy and back ambitious and bold work that creates outsized impact.”
