Chicago agencies and clients continued to show up on the Cannes Lions winners lists, with BBDO Chicago, BarkleyOKRP Chicago, Zeno Group Chicago, Kraft Heinz Chicago, and Weber Shandwick Chicago among the local names credited across the Festival’s Day Three categories.
While Cannes Lions’ third Awards Show honored global work across Creative Data, Media, Direct, PR, and Social & Creator, the Chicago story came through most clearly in Direct, PR, and Social & Creator. The local credits span consumer packaged goods, fast food, insurance, and some of the world’s most recognizable brands, including M&M’s, Burger King, Heinz, and The General.
“Wednesday’s Lion-winning work demonstrates the power of creativity to drive growth for business, people, and society at large,” said Simon Cook, CEO, LIONS. “Thanks, once again, to our exceptional Juries for setting the global creative benchmark for the industry.”
Direct Lions
BBDO Chicago earned a Bronze Lion in the Direct Lions for “Protect the Peanut” for M&M’s / Mars Snacking. The work was entered by BBDO Chicago, with production by Nobodys in Fort Mill and Omnicom Production Chicago. Post-production credits include LOBO São Paulo and Omnicom Production Chicago.
Chicago also appears in the Direct Lions through “Heinz Dipper” for Heinz Ketchup, entered by Rethink Toronto. Zeno Group Chicago is credited in PR, alongside Zeno Group Toronto, while Kraft Heinz Chicago is listed among the additional credits with The Promotions Specialist Toronto. The work appeared multiple times in the Direct Lions winners list, including Gold and Silver recognition.
The Direct Lions Grand Prix went to “Uva Uva Bombón” for UVA App by de la Cruz Ogilvy, San Juan. The challenger delivery app used the momentum around Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl headline set to turn a global cultural moment into immediate consumer action.
The category received 1,325 entries and awarded 42 Lions: 7 Gold, 13 Silver, and 21 Bronze.
Joaquín Cubría, Chief Creative Officer of GUT Argentina and Direct Lions Jury President, said the Grand Prix showed the power of courage over budget. “In an industry obsessed with control, this work proved that courage is still our most valuable currency,” Cubría said. “A challenger brand chose the most expensive advertising day of the year not to outspend the competition, but to outsmart it. A bold, simple idea that turned uncertainty into disproportionate impact.”
PR Lions
BarkleyOKRP Chicago was credited in the PR Lions for “The Bite” for Burger King / The Whopper, entered by Mojo Supermarket New York and BarkleyOKRP Chicago. The work is listed with BarkleyOKRP Chicago in the production column and appears more than once in the PR winners list.
The campaign gives Chicago another Cannes connection in a category whose Grand Prix went to “The KitKat Heist” for KitKat by Burson, London, and VML London. The work boosted brand perception by turning a KitKat theft into a global call to action.
The PR Lions received 1,156 entries and awarded 37 Lions: 7 Gold, 12 Silver, and 17 Bronze.
Dana Tahir, CEO of HAVAS Red Middle East and Egypt and PR Lions Jury President, said the winning work expanded the definition of crisis communications. “Crisis communications has long been the discipline of caution, protecting reputation, minimizing damage, staying safe,” Tahir noted. “But this year’s work rewrote those rules entirely. KitKat didn’t just manage a crisis; they transformed it into a cultural moment, proving that creative bravery and crisis counsel can coexist.”
Tahir added that the work showed how risk can become opportunity when handled with precision. “This work didn’t eliminate risk, it choreographed it,” she said. “Every pun, every quote was calibrated to keep the brand on the right side of the line. And in doing so, it set a new standard for what’s possible when brands trust their instincts and lean into the unexpected.”
Social & Creator Lions
BBDO Chicago also scored in Social & Creator with “Road Test Royale” for The General Auto Insurance, which won a Bronze Lion. The Media, PR, and additional credits include Publicis Collective Chicago and Spool Marketing and Communications Chicago, with The General Auto Insurance in Nashville also credited.
The agency picked up another Bronze Lion in Social & Creator for “M&M’s RickTok” for M&M’s. The work was entered by BBDO Chicago, with production by Bows & Arrows Brooklyn and post-production by Omnicom Production Chicago. Weber Shandwick Chicago is also listed in the Media, PR, and additional credits, alongside Mars Wrigley Newark.
BarkleyOKRP Chicago appears again in Social & Creator for “The Bite” for Burger King / The Whopper, entered with Mojo Supermarket New York. BarkleyOKRP Chicago is listed in the production column, with Mojo Supermarket New York in post-production.
The Social & Creator Lions Grand Prix went to “Could Have Been a Heineken” for Heineken by LePub, Milan, and LePub São Paulo. The campaign transformed WhatsApp voice notes into an invitation to reconnect in person, rewarding people for stepping away from their screens and sharing a beer.
The category received 1,413 entries and awarded 44 Lions: 8 Gold, 14 Silver and 21 Bronze.
Mihnea Gheorghiu, Global Chief Creative Officer of LePub and President of the Social & Creator Lions Jury, said the work turned a new social behavior back into an old one. “Voice notes make connection easier, faster. But for a new social behavior, do they really make us more social?” Gheorghiu said. “Heineken makes a beautifully crafted argument that a long voice note is best delivered in person. Whether you love voice notes or hate them, you can’t really argue with that.”
For Chicago, the Day Three takeaway is clear: while the Grand Prix hardware went elsewhere, local agencies and brand teams remained part of Cannes Lions-winning work across several major categories.
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