WARC (now part of Cannes Lions)| has chosen its five effectiveness Grand Prix winners for 2025: from India, Netherlands, Spain and the US.
Here’s what they say:
Channel Pioneer Grand Prix: ‘Find Your Summer’ for Magnum by Lola MullenLowe, Madrid
Ice cream brand Magnum challenged the seasonality of ice cream sales in the UK by encouraging consumers to indulge in ice cream during winter with its Find Your Summer campaign. Magnum launched a black-and-white film portraying moments of warmth and pleasure with Magnum and provided real-time information about sunlight and nearby stores.
Magnum achieved a remarkable 38.9% sales uplift during winter, marking its best season ever, while also increasing brand power and purpose perception significantly.
Customer Experience Grand Prix: ‘Horror Codes’ for Uber Eats by Rethink, New York
Delivery brand Uber Eats drove awareness and trial of its non-restaurant delivery verticals in the USA by gamifying the Halloween shopping experience with its Horror Codes campaign. The campaign featured iconic horror movie quotes turned into promo codes, which consumers had to complete correctly to unlock discounts on Halloween candy.
Horror Codes resulted in over 2 million promo code applications, with a 20% increase in convenience orders, an 18% increase in grocery orders, and a 65% larger average basket size for users engaged in the campaign.
Partnerships & Sponsorships Grand Prix: ‘Michael CeraVe’ for CeraVe by Ogilvy, New York
Skincare brand CeraVe enhanced cultural relevance and consumer engagement around its moisturizing cream through a humorous and interconnected media strategy in the USA. The Super Bowl campaign leveraged organic mentions of a connection between actor Michael Cera and CeraVe, leading to a playful conspiracy theory that engaged both new consumers and loyalists.
The campaign achieved 30 billion earned impressions, 1.44 billion paid media impressions and a 9% brand lift, while also generating the highest ever week in sales for CeraVe’s moisturizers post-Super Bowl.
Strategic Thinking Grand Prix: ‘A Piece of Me’ for KPN by Dentsu Creative, Amsterdam
Dutch telecommunications firm KPN launched its #BetterInternet campaign to raise awareness of intimate photographs being shared without consent. Musician MEAU wrote a song based on conversations with victims and the music video was seeded across various channels including social media, television, and public relations.
The film went viral on TikTok, the story was featured across national tabloids, academic journals and disability support websites, and both brand relevance and product sales increased.
Use of Data Grand Prix: ‘Turf Finder’ for Gatorade by Leo, Mumbai
Sports drink Gatorade revitalised its brand relevance in India by transforming urban spaces into play areas, addressing the lack of opportunities for sports participation. Using 20 years of Google Maps traffic data, Gatorade set up modular turfs in low-traffic areas, creating temporary sports arenas and engaging over 50,000 participants through targeted ads and influencer collaborations.
The campaign resulted in a remarkable 59% growth overall, with a 124% increase in Mumbai, while also doubling top-of-mind awareness and generating significant earned media coverage.
The WARC Awards 2025 saw a total of 71 winners across 11 categories for the five regional award shows. Globally, 32 bronze, 19 silver, and 20 gold awards were awarded with five golds elevated to Global Grand Prix status.
