In our final 2025 Top Tips for Cannes (it’s on if you’ve missed it) Richard Denney, joint CCO of St Luke’s picks his possible winners. Many thanks to all our contributors.
Top Tips for Cannes
Lynx – ‘Catnip’
Following last year’s Cannes success with Robbery and Funeral, Lynx has continued its creative resurgence with a campaign that’s equal parts irreverent and culturally sharp. LOLA MullenLowe has once again tapped into the brand’s mischievous DNA, this time launching a limited-edition Lynx variant infused with catnip.
Rooted in the insight that 60% of cat owners wouldn’t date someone their cat doesn’t like, the idea is unexpected, charmingly absurd, and strategically sound. It reframes the classic “Lynx Effect” for a new generations, swapping laddish bravado for a more self-aware, tongue-in-cheek tone that feels bang on for today’s audience.
This is more than just a witty product launch. It’s a smart evolution of the brand platform, underpinned by strong cultural insight and executed with confident, distinctive flair. Expect it to pick up recognition across multiple categories, not just for the creative, but for its ability to refresh a legacy brand without losing its edge.
British Heart Foundation – ‘England ’Til I Died’
The British Heart Foundation is no stranger to powerful, disruptive work and its latest campaign continues that tradition with stark emotional clarity. Best known for the unforgettable Staying Alive spot featuring Vinnie Jones (which took home Gold at Cannes in 2012), the charity has returned with a campaign that’s as timely as it is heartbreaking.
Timed to coincide with the run-up to the 2024 Euros, the campaign sees twelve large-scale murals appear across the UK, each featuring a portrait of a young England football fan alongside the line: ‘England ’til I died.’ The number isn’t arbitrary. It’s a sobering statistic: every week, 12 young people in the UK die suddenly from undiagnosed heart conditions.
The creative is visually striking, contextually relevant, and emotionally resonant. It’s a masterclass in using public space and national moments to drive awareness and spark urgent conversations. This is purpose at its most potent. Clear, courageous, and impossible to ignore.
Burger King – Bundles of Joy
BK delivered a Whopper of an idea. Take a simple, human truth, after giving birth, new mums don’t want a salad. They want something far more joyful. After all that hard work, they want a bloody burger. And Burger King built something brilliant around it.
No gimmicks. No overthinking. Just insight, execution, and a brand with the guts to lean in.
The genius lies in how BK let the realness do the heavy lifting. They invited expectant mums to take part in this beautifully honest campaign…and they embraced it. Then BK went one better, setting up a hotline outside hospitals so new mums could get their fix straight away. That’s when you know a brand truly gets it.
It’s emotional without being cheesy, funny without trying too hard, and smart without showing off. And of course, it blew up on social because it actually deserved to.
This one will clean up. And rightly so. Simple, bold, culturally bang-on. You can already hear the jury muttering: “Wish I’d done that.”
Richard Denney is joint chief creative officer at St Luke’s
