Leo Australia.
Long-term creative ambition took the stage of Cannes 2026, with Australia winning two Grand Prix this year, including Leo Australia’s Dan Wieden Titanium Grand Prix for Haven for Suncorp Insurance, and Special Australia’s Media Grand Prix for Uber Eats’ 'Build Your Own Super Bowl Commercial'.
What made the campaigns stand out? 2026 Cannes Juror, Social & Creator Lions and creative chairman of HERO, Ben Lilley, told AdNews this year’s winners saw universal human truths brought to life through technology innovations and media hacks that reward people for their time and attention.
“After judging 300 Lions entries this year, the winning traits were clear," Lilley said.
"The best Lions work, as always, is based on universal human truths that people immediately resonate with. Sometimes through genuine utility, as Suncorp did so well. And sometimes through an emotionally engaging or just plain funny experience, like Uber Eats.
“Above all though, the very best work has a strong and unique voice that could only have come from the country, culture and brand behind it.
“This is where both Uber Eats and Suncorp both did so well. They’re Australian-made campaigns, each with an unmistakable Australian voice that harness the very best of Aussie creativity.”
Lilley said that both Suncorp and Uber Eats succeeded by finding an unexpected way into culture, then craft it into something new.
“Suncorp hacked its own risk data and turned it into something genuinely valuable for Aussie homeowners. Uber Eats hacked the single most watched ad break of the year – the Super Bowl – and let the audience turn it into their own creative moment.
“A culture hack alone isn’t enough to win a Lion though. The global creative community has had to reset after last year's Cannes scandals. And that’s a good thing. Anything borderline’s been banished and this 2026 Lion entries were down by 25%, so the quality was better than ever.
“The Lion juries rewarded proof over polish and Australia’s lean, but quality final tally of just 11 Lions is testament to this.”
LEO Sydney and Suncorp Insurance took home one silver Creative Business Transformation Lion in 2025 for ‘Building a More Resilient Australia.’
Leo Australia was also named Pacific Regional Agency of the Year.
Andrew Fergusson, Leo Australia's CCO, said that the Titanium category is about setting the bar for where the industry is heading.
"And Haven shows what is possible when there is long-term ambition and trust between the client and agency," said Fergusson.
“The jury seemed to appreciate the long-term commitment and collaboration that it took to make Haven a reality.
“It was a behavioural idea that went beyond traditional advertising and redefined the role of an insurer.
“While cutting edge technology and data was at the heart of the idea, it was the humanity in the insight and execution that made it resonate.
Fergusson said there has been an increased focus on effectiveness, meaning that Cannes will award long-term scale and ambitious creative submission.
“Ensuring that every idea has legitimate results and strategic rigour behind it. Juries seemed to be looking for meaningful work on big brands over one-off stunts," he said.
“We have a lot of ambitious agencies and creative brands in this market. But there can be a tendency to focus on the short-term wins, which may win awards, but perhaps not at the highest level.
“We seem to win big when brands take the time to go all in on bigger, more impactful ideas that cut through on the world stage.
“That’s true of our work with Suncorp, and it was true with Telstra’s Film Craft Grand Prix last year, which was praised for its scale and creative ambition.”
Independent Adrian Elton Creative said the Grand Prix-winning Uber Eats campaign blurred the lines between entertainment, advertising and the mechanics of shifting product.
“The scale, complexity, and ultimate seamlessness of this campaign was staggering," said Elton.
"Shooting over 1,000 new footage sequences, jam packed with beloved celebrities, so that punters could build their own versions of the Super Bowl ad from within the app, which simultaneously served up localised deals, was audacious beyond compare.
“Rewriting the rules, albeit in a more serious and existentially consequential way, the Haven 'Grand Prix' win, for their work for Suncorp Insurance, showed that Australia still has what it takes to punch upwards, from all the way down under.
Elton said the Suncorp campaign wasn't advertising in the traditional sense, it was so much more.
“And in daring to step out of advertising's lane, by designing homes optimised for climate resilience, Haven demonstrated the power of creative thinking of a profoundly higher order.
“The significance of the Haven win for the Australian advertising industry, leaves no shadow of a doubt, that when it comes to producing big ideas that 'shift the needle', Australia most emphatically Canne.
“Furthermore, the overall takeaway for both of these wins is in the reckoning that the judiciary of Cannes is increasingly rewarding ads that shape shift the practise and delivery of advertising, far beyond the traditional measures.”
Luma Research CEO Sally Joubert said that ‘Haven’ was game changing for the insurance sector, moving their role from risk and insurance to a public service initiative available to everyone.
“It repositions Suncorp around prevention and resilience through a tool that is both compelling and highly relevant, particularly given the prevalence of extreme weather events in Australia," said Joubert.
“Crucially, it gives Suncorp a genuine point of difference in a category which is too often reduced into a pure price comparison. And by allowing customers and non-customers to genuinely interact with the brand in a meaningful way, the bond is strengthened."
Joubert said the Uber Eats' win was a game changer because it transformed the Uber Eats app itself into the creative device.
“It drove attention with engagement starting before game, continuing through it and living on well after the game.
“It also drove positive feelings toward the brand, because it was something fun to do in the app while the game was on and rival ads competed for eyeballs.
“And the branding was exceptional, tying straight back to the ‘real’ Super Bowl ad and ongoing gag that the game was invented to sell food!
“These strong wins at Cannes confirm what we already knew. Australian marketers, creatives, planners, data and insights specialists and developers are at the top of their game.
“They also prove something bigger: when all the disciplines come together we can build tools that are creative and commercial at the same time."
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