37 Cannes Contenders from Asia
Binggrae & The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affair - Hearing 1945
‘Hearing 1945’ is an immersive sound experience restored with AI, recreating the roar of August 15, 1945, Liberation Day, when Korea regained freedom from Japanese rule.
Because audio recording technology had fallen behind under colonial rule, the sounds of that day were never preserved.
To overcome this, individual sound elements were generated using historical keywords and mixed after environment simulations. The effectiveness of this campaign extended far beyond a historical exhibition: it took the nation by storm, securing 98% media coverage and 12M organic viral views. Ultimately, its historic value was recognised nationwide as it was screened at the 21st Presidential Inauguration.
Bulk Homme - Your Skin is Your Armor
In Japan, skincare brands sell beauty and perfection, not protection. Bulk Homme, a men's skincare brand, saw an opening to speak a different language: health, function, and a quieter masculinity no brand in the category represented.
The answer lived in Japan’s own history: Kacchu, traditional samurai armour that was light, durable and built to protect. The perfect metaphor for what skincare should do daily against skin's most potent threats: dryness, wind, sunlight, and cold.
Partnering with Japanese craftsmen, Bulk Homme's entire product range (The Emulsion, The Body Wash, The Shaving Foam, The Face Wash) was meticulously transformed into a modern, stylised suit of samurai armour. A campaign film and photography series placed the armoured samurai against each of the four elemental threats, turning a skincare message into a cultural statement.
Cathay - Back to Kai Tak
Hong Kong’s infamous Kai Tak landing is the stuff of legend. Re-creating it wasn’t just nostalgia; it was a brave creative choice rooted in collective memory. For Hong Kongers, Cathay and the city’s original airport are cultural icons and a genuine source of pride. So, to launch the new stadium where Kai Tak once stood, Publics HK brought that feeling vividly back to life.
Colgate - Indianis Dentris
In India, toothbrushes are a blind spot. Because they don't visibly deplete like soap or shampoo, people forget to replace them for months – causing bristles to fray beyond reason and fuelling a national oral health crisis of gum damage, cavities, and sensitivity.
We turned the problem into its own cure. Using the visual language of botanical photography, we reframed India's frayed toothbrushes as a newly discovered flower species: Indianis Dentris.
A highly publicised photo exhibition at Mumbai Botanical Gardens put the ‘specimens’ on display, each accompanied by a QR code revealing time-lapse footage of the flowers ‘blooming’ from real worn-out brushes, before sending viewers straight to a microsite to buy a fresh one.
Daangn - Come Back Home
South Korea sees nearly 70,000 missing person cases every year. While the national alert system broadcasts information widely, its broad reach often leads to location mismatches and alert fatigue. Daangn, Korea’s leading hyperlocal community platform, reimagined the system with ‘Come Back Home’ – delivering missing person alerts only to neighbors within a 1.5-3km radius of the last known location.
By combining real-time police data, map-based visualisation, and community features such as comments and reporting, the campaign transformed passive notifications into active neighbourhood participation. Within one month, 1,233 missing cases were resolved, demonstrating how hyperlocal technology can become a real-time public safety network. The work was later recognized with top honors at the Korea Advertising Awards and ADFEST.
D.A.V. Public School & Classteacher - Bullying Decoder
What drew me to Bullying Decoder was its simplicity. Some of the most serious issues are often hidden in everyday interactions, disguised as jokes, slang, or coded language. By decoding those signals, the work transforms data into meaningful intervention. It’s a compelling example of how creativity, technology, and social impact come together to solve a real-world problem.
Heineken - Rooftop Revivals
Seoul is running out of room to socialise. Streets are crowded, homes are tight, but one solution was hiding in plain sight: rooftops. Empty, forgotten, and already green. So, Heineken and LePub Singapore revived the Pyeong Sang, Korea’s original social platform, turning idle rooftops into fresh new hangout spots for Seoulites to connect again.
Hyundai Motor Company - Hello, Future Mobility
Hyundai has long reframed mobility beyond automobiles, seeing robotics as a partner that amplifies human capability. As robotics still feels distant from everyday consumers,
‘Hello, Future Mobility’ set out to make it tangible, relatable, and meaningful through Hyundai’s human-centric brand vision.
The campaign showed that robotics, as part of future mobility, can expand human capability across industries and everyday moments. Through long-term communications culminating at CES 2026, Hyundai brought real humanoid robots into the public spotlight and showcased their use cases through film, helping people imagine life with robotics as a partner.
By turning advanced technology into real human experiences, the campaign built strong relevance in robotics, generating media buzz that contributed to corporate value and sustained brand growth.
Hyundai Motor Group - The Firefighter’s Eyes
Every year, more than 69,000 firefighters worldwide are killed or injured in fire scenes. One of their greatest threats is not the flames themselves, but dense smoke, which can reduce visibility to as little as 25 centimeters during peak fire conditions. To address this challenge, Hyundai Motor Group developed a new concept of unmanned firefighting mobility that enters hazardous environments ahead of firefighters to detect unseen dangers before human entry.
Rather than simply introducing a technology, ‘The Firefighter’s Eyes’ highlighted the reality of fire scenes and the importance of firefighter safety through the voices and experiences of firefighters who directly participated in its development. While conventional fire engines support firefighters from behind, this mobility solution was designed to become their eyes, identifying risks before they advance.
Within three weeks of launch, the campaign generated more than 30 million views and earned over 300 media coverages. More importantly, the unmanned firefighting mobility was deployed in two real large-scale fire incidents – the Eumseong logistics warehouse fire in Chungbuk and the Daejeon factory fire – where it supported frontline operations without firefighter casualties, demonstrating its real-world effectiveness.
Hyundai Motor Company - Wearable Robot Weathercaster
‘Wearable Robot Weathercaster’ is a campaign featuring the world’s first weathercaster with paraplegia delivering a live broadcast enabled by a wearable robot. It was designed to demonstrate the real benefits of Hyundai’s X-ble MEX, a wearable robot that helps wheelchair users stand and walk.
To address low awareness and use rates despite its proven high effectiveness, we used weather forecasts, which wheelchair users watch and check daily. In collaboration with a paraplegic influencer and Korea’s national broadcaster KBS, we presented the unprecedented debut of the first paraplegic weathercaster on primetime news on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
The campaign generated over 100 million views and strong engagement, especially among wheelchair users, the core target of X-ble MEX. As a result, we saw a substantial increase in awareness of robotic rehabilitation and consumer inquiries compared to before the campaign.
Kalapuri - The Kolhapuri
When Kolhapuri sandals, a thousand-year-old craft from Kolhapur, India, appeared on the global fashion stage without credit to the artisans who created them, it sparked outrage across the country. The challenge was to reclaim recognition for the craft and its makers without escalating conflict, and to bring the global fashion industry closer to the true origins of Kolhapuri sandals.
We created The Kolhapuri, a handcrafted book, documenting the craft’s thousand-year journey and the artisans behind it. Sent as an invitation to Prada’s designers, the book offered a deeper understanding of the heritage and its makers.
The Kolhapuri sparked strong engagement across the design, fashion, and cultural communities. The work generated conversation around cultural credit and the recognition of traditional artisans in global fashion. The book was shared across design platforms, forums, and exhibitions, bringing visibility to Kolhapuri artisans and their thousand-year-old craft.
Kia - Kia EV5 with Five guys
In South Korea’s hyper-competitive SUV market, Kia and INNOCEAN sought to position the new EV5 as a trendy lifestyle icon for ‘Young Families’. The campaign unlocked a unique cultural intersection by collaborating with the cult-favourite burger brand, Five Guys.
Driven by the strategic synergy of the number 5, both brands united under a shared family-centric philosophy, transforming flagship stores into powerful media channels. The core idea featured a provocative visual hook: wrapping the entire EV5 in Five Guys’ iconic silver foil, serving as a visceral metaphor for a ‘freshly launched’ product. This location-based artwork drove massive impact, achieving over 34,000 potential reaches, nearly 6,000 actual visitors, and an overwhelming 99% satisfaction rate, ultimately winning Grand Prix accolades.
KFC Thailand - The Kaprao Criminals
Krungsri First Choice - The Giant
We all dream of the day a financial client says, “Make our new ‘credit card’ film more Thai… oh, and make it super entertaining while you’re at it.” Until then, we’ll keep living vicariously through Leo Thailand’s joyful, mad, unpredictable humour. I know I do.
McDonald’s Philippines - GamFries
McDonald’s slipped into the Nintendo Switch global launch with an unofficial partnership. By tapping gamers’ love of 3D printing, BBH Singapore and Leo Manila turned McDonald’s into a playful, build-it-yourself PR moment. Feeds lit up, 3D printers worked overtime, and gamers absolutely ate it up.
McDonald’s Taiwan - Kung Fries
A universal truth: “Don’t touch my McD fries!” So, Leo Taiwan turned Kung Fu culture into fry defence, dropping a kung-fu homage in cinemas and across social that taught fans the moves. Soon, Taiwan was practising Kung Fries everywhere, guarding their golden beauties like Bruce Lee.
Mercedes - Test Drive Before the Test Drive
Mikkeller - The Switch Hit
Baseball is Taiwan's national sport, but caring too much has created a uniquely Taiwanese phenomenon: the ‘jinx curse’. Fearing they might cost Team Taiwan the game, thousands of fans want to watch, but don't dare.
During the World Baseball Classic (WBC), Mikkeller hosted ‘The Switch Hit’, an ‘unwatch party’ at its Taipei flagship bar. On screen, classic Taiwanese period dramas. Hidden underneath, the live baseball game, delivered in real time through the characters' own voices.
A live WBC data feed was fed into a text-to-speech engine powered by ElevenLabs voice cloning, recreating each period drama character's voice. Real-time lip sync software synchronised the actors' mouths to the new commentary, while live broadcast direction swapped out the original audio. Qing dynasty characters delivered lines like "Tseng retires the red-hot Kim Do-young on a fly ball to right!" in perfect sync. Coincidentally, Taiwan beat Korea 5:4 that day, its first-ever WBC win over Korea.
MINI - Find Your Way
In a country with maximum chaos and congestion, the best way to get around is in MINI.
To bring this to life, we turned everyday chaos in India into intricate, hand-drawn illustrations. Tracking the busiest streets and roads across the country, we mapped them into hyper-detailed artworks. Every choke point, every turn, every tangle and the entire, unpredictable chaos of a place was meticulously recreated by hundreds of hand-crafted illustrations on each of the 10 posters. While each artwork showed how MINI effortlessly finds its way through maximum congestion, all of them came together to form the iconic MINI logo.
Bringing craft and storytelling together on a canvas like never before. Showing how India finds its way in a MINI and how MINI finds its way in India.
Nikka Whisky - Dear Difference
Without showing a single drop of whisky, ‘Dear Difference’ conveys the profound depth of TAKETSURU PURE MALT. Through microscopic analogue dots created from physical paint experiments, it crafted an artwork that visualises both the harmonious blending process of whisky and the life story of its founder. By seamlessly integrating every touchpoint – from print media to immersive spatial experiences – it created a new dimension of luxury brand experience that captured the attention of culturally influential audiences with a highly refined sense of aesthetics
NTT - Waves of Will
Innovation without emotion is just a tech stack. This project demonstrates that when you design human-first, the technology gains meaning beyond function.
POCO - The Fastest BS Service
Samyang Foods - Ride the Buldak High
To drive the next stage of growth for the Buldak brand, we needed to strengthen awareness of its core product: Buldak Sauce.
To overcome a highly limited budget, we turned the campaign into an organic meme for young audiences. First, we embraced the raw consumer reaction, "It’s so spicy, fire comes out of my butt," creating bold visuals of characters blasting skyward.
Second, we optimised vertical-first content for Shorts and Reels to maximise virality. Finally, we expanded touchpoints through a ‘BULDAK HIGH’ custom game and a physical Coachella activation. As a result, the campaign went viral, achieving 337 million total views with 68.8% organic reach, successfully boosting awareness while cutting paid media costs.
Shinsegae Property - The Biggest Lifeguard
How do you yell, "Get out of the water!" to 10 million beachgoers over crashing waves and a barrier of a dozen different languages? At Haeundae Beach, you don't use a megaphone – you build a giant. ‘The Biggest Lifeguard’ campaign hijacked a massive, high-yield commercial billboard and wired it directly to national maritime data APIs.
Instead of selling soda, the screen spawned a 31-meter-tall anamorphic rescue chief who speaks fluent hand signals. Safe waters got a friendly wave; rip current risks triggered urgent red-flag alerts. This clever tech flip bypassed language barriers entirely, skyrocketing evacuation efficiency by 215% and keeping fatalities at absolute zero. Talk about a billboard that actually watches your back.
Speak - Say It PROnD
This campaign hit the nail on the head by targeting the common fear among Taiwanese people of making mistakes in English, flipping the script to embrace imperfection instead. By partnering with national hero, Lee Yang and his famously charming ‘Taiwanese English’, they boldly turned pronunciation slip into a symbol of pure confidence. Instead of preaching like a traditional learning app, it uses humour and inclusivity to gently wash away a collective anxiety about speaking out loud. Rooted in deep cultural insight, this story balances a light-hearted tone with profound social impact, making it a truly exceptional piece of work that stays with you.
St. Jude India ChildCare Centres - Renu vs. The City
Every year, 32,000 Indian families travel from poor villages to cities for free cancer treatment for their children. Treatment takes months. Savings run out within weeks. Most end up living on the footpath, mistaken by passersby for the homeless.
Instead of asking people to watch suffering, we let a child show us survival. ‘Renu vs. The City’ is a film where nine-year-old Renu, a real cancer patient, calmly offers viewers a ‘guide’ to living on the pavement while battling the disease.
Shot in a single continuous take with no relief cuts, the film uses Renu's innocent, matter of-fact voice to deliver an unbearable truth with dignity. The childlike eagerness draws viewers in. The reality she reveals makes it impossible to look away, long enough to understand both the problem and the role St. Jude plays in solving it.
STING - The Unofficial Sound of F1
Listen closely, and once you do, you can’t unhear it. Leo India pulled off a perfect sponsorship hijack by inventing a ‘signature sound’, cleverly seeding the Sting ‘sting’ into culture, and letting fans, influencers, celebrities, even F1 drivers, do the amplification.
Thai Life Insurance - Unfading Love
In 2024, Oxford named ‘brain rot’ its Word of the Year, describing the excessive consumption of low-value, toxic online content. In Thailand, this negativity continues to spread across social platforms year after year. As a brand rooted in the enduring values of love and life for over 80 years, Thai Life Insurance wanted to invite people to make social media meaningful again.
In Thailand, parents never stop being parents. No matter how old their children become, they continue to worry, care, and protect. ‘Unfading Love’ brings this truth to life through the story of a mother living with Alzheimer’s, whose grown son has asthma. Afraid that one day she may forget the name of his medicine, she chooses to have it tattooed onto her skin in her son’s own handwriting.
Rather than relying on overt branding or conventional health messaging, the film lets the human story lead. Through restrained direction, authentic performance, and visual symbolism, the defining moment of the tattoo becomes more than a plot point. It makes love permanent. The film extended beyond the screen through #MakeSocialMediaMeaningful, inspiring people across generations to share their own stories of care, love, and meaning.
The Coca-Cola Company - Cokesticks
With Western food, Coke is the default choice. But with Asian food, Coke isn't always the first drink that comes to mind. The challenge was simple: how do we put Coke back on every dining table across Southeast Asia?
Introducing ‘Cokesticks’. We took something quintessentially Asian and reimagined it in the silhouette of Coca-Cola’s iconic contour bottle. A small, playful format that turned every meal into a Coke moment, making people think of Coke before they had even ordered.
We placed ‘Cokesticks’ where food decisions happen: restaurants, street food stalls, and delivery apps. Then we amplified them through KOLs, turning every bite into a Coke moment. Available across Southeast Asia, the campaign made Coke feel like the missing piece of the meal. So when people think Asian food, they think Coca-Cola.
The Coca-Cola Company - Coke Holi
Going beyond conventional festive advertising, ‘Coke Holi’ created a culturally relevant experience people could participate in. In India, Holi represents the diversity of celebrations, local identity, and the shared traditions of joy, togetherness, renewal and revival. ‘Coke Holi’ built on this idea by making Holi a kaleidoscope of cultural expressions. Each one, inimitable. Individualistic. Incomparable.
Tra Mongkut - Soil Stay
Unilever (Vaseline) - Love Hurts
Across diverse Black diasporic communities, applying Vaseline before leaving the house is a daily ritual. It is instinctive, physical, and deeply embedded in family health and wellbeing. A gesture of protection most children resist and most parents insist on, rarely captured on screen.
‘Love Hurts’ set out to immortalise this ritual through cinematic storytelling. Rather than explaining the behaviour, the film observes it, letting performance, pacing, and visual detail do the work. The hands. The movement. The resistance. The care.
The film pairs the ritual with a stripped-back cover of ‘Love Hurts’ by Nazareth, whose title became the creative inspiration. The track holds the ritual's emotional complexity, acknowledging the physical discomfort of the application while carrying the shift from childhood resistance to adult recognition of care. No product claims. No voiceover. A wellness message transformed into something felt rather than stated.
Unilever (Vaseline) - Vaseline and the Real Nigerian Prince
When counterfeiters steal your brand, the smartest response is to hijack it back. To tackle fake Vaseline products in Nigeria, Leo Singapore partnered with a real Nigerian Prince. Yes, an actual one. And turned one of the internet’s oldest scams into a clever awareness campaign and a practical tool to detect fake packs.
Unilever - Vaseline Originals
Vaseline has been shaped by 3.5M+ organic ‘hacks’ shared online, from brow tamers to primers. But the internet rewards virality over originality, and the creators who started those hacks are usually the first to be forgotten.
We didn't just verify Vaseline's most popular hacks. We tracked down the people who started them. Creators like Jen Chae (@frmheadtotoe) and Lauren Luke (@panacea81), whose hacks date back to 2008, became Vaseline OGs, with their hacks turned into official Vaseline products.
Every product credited the creator, and every sale paid them. Launched via TikTok Live and TikTok Shop with the OG creators front and centre, the programme grew into an ongoing network and product pipeline. Hailed by Financial Times as "setting a new standard for creator collaboration" and by Elle L'Officiel as "an important step in the influencer equity industry.”
Unilever (Vaseline) - The Nipple Sponsorship
Every year, 100,000+ marathon finishers cross the line with bleeding nipples. Runners have long known the hack: Vaseline. But amid the flood of training, pacing, and hydration tips dominating marathon prep content, protection against nipple chafing kept getting buried.
Vaseline signed the first-ever sponsorship deal not with athletes, but with their nipples. Runners who had long championed the hack became Official Nipple Ambassadors, with real sponsorship perks: gear, supply, and marathon tickets.
Ambassadors hijacked marathon prep content across social, turning carb-loading and pacing videos into nipple-protection content, making skin protection an essential part of every runner’s plan. Through TikTok Shop, they promoted Vaseline to their communities, with every purchase generating a revenue share back to the ambassadors.
Zespri - The Missing Verse
What excites me about ‘The Missing Verse’ is that it didn't interrupt culture – it became part of it. By building on a song that already lived in people's memories, the work edited culture from within rather than creating something entirely new. That cultural relevance not only sparked conversation but ultimately drove meaningful business results for the brand.
