India at Cannes: White Rivers Media

The agency has shared three entries for this year's Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity kicks off on 17 June 2024. Manifest's coverage for the festival continues with its 'India at Cannes' series. This series will showcase all of India's entries to this year's festival, speakers giving a sneak peek of their talks, and those attending the festival sharing expectations.

In this piece, we showcase White Rivers Media's entries for this year's festival. The agency has shared three entries.

Astral Foundation: Daughters of Piplantri

Daughters of Piplantri is a powerful film-led campaign by Astral Foundation that tackled gender inequality and water scarcity in Piplantri, Rajasthan, by supporting the cause of eco-feminism. Delivering 6M+ litres of water monthly, 13,000+ meters of pipelines, and 5,000 plus saplings, their efforts transformed the landscape, benefiting 400K+ trees, 10,000+ lives, and diversified agriculture for 3,000 plus livestock.

Amazon miniTV: Hip Hop India

Next was our campaign for Amazon miniTV's show 'Hip Hop India' that spotlighted the country's thriving underground hip-hop scene. The show also broke a Guinness World Record for the biggest hip-hop dance event with 1,864 dancers, sparking a movement and giving voice to a vibrant youth culture.

Amazon Mini TV

Pulse Candy: Pulse of defiance

Finally, 'Pulse of Defiance' by DS Group’s Pulse Candy, a digital storytelling campaign that used AI-generated visuals to educate millions about the lesser-known story of Lokmanya Tilak sparking India's freedom movement through the first public Ganesh Chaturthi celebration.

Shrenik Gandhi, co-founder and CEO, White Rivers Media talking about the entries and India at Cannes, said, “India is capturing the global spotlight with its thriving startups and vibrant advertising sector. This momentum carries us to Cannes Lions, the advertising Olympics, where we're here to push ourselves and learn from the best. Our success is evident in rising ad revenues, but our true impact comes from our continuous innovation. At Cannes Lions, it's time India has a Lion’s share of voice. Our representation in the juries, and our stories on the global platform–a welcome change–is not just deserved but necessary. They are the bridges that connect diverse perspectives, enriching the global creative landscape with the depth and vibrancy of India.”

Gandhi added, “So, what's the way forward? To champion collaboration, contribution, inclusion, not isolation. We need to foster a culture of mutual respect and support within the industry. Celebrating the success of peers and collaboration can strengthen India's collective creative output. This united front will inspire a generation of young creative minds, showcasing the power of working together. With this collaborative spirit in mind, WRM has tried to put its best foot forward to highlight Indian creativity on the biggest global advertising stage.”