On Thursday, the fourth day of the Cannes Lions Festival 2025, I had the opportunity to listen to a man popularly called ‘the chocolate guy’. Chef Amaury Guichon is a global sensation because of his mind blowing chocolate sculptures, which include a 7 feet tall chocolate giraffe, as well as the world’s largest chocolate banana. His videos of how he makes these delectable sculptures are avidly followed on Instagram, where he has an amazing 17 million followers.

Chef Guichon talked about how he has built an iconic brand that commands so much viewer attention on social media. “All of us have an emotional connection to chocolate”, he said, as he spoke about how he always tries to find mesmerizing new ways of capturing what he does. It is this originality that works for him all the time, bringing in hundreds of millions of views. And this is why multiple global brands wish to collaborate with him.

Chef Guichon’s session highlighted the power of short form videos and influencer marketing. Influencers now connect with their audiences in fun ways, but what really appeals to viewers’ hearts is their authenticity. Chef Guichon’s genuine passion for chocolate making, expressed through his videos, is at the core of his influencer status.

The prolific daydreamer

From the world of influencers we moved to the studio of the creative genius, in the form of David Droga. Here is a man who describes himself as a “prolific daydreamer”. He is the most awarded creative at Cannes Lions, and one of the most influential creative leaders in the world.

I have heard Droga at previous editions in Cannes, yet he is remarkably refreshing every time. He spoke of his very successful career journey, and how he has always wanted to make work that he loved, and could be proud of. His method - “Start with the reaction you want from the audience, and then work backwards”. Droga urged marketers and creative people to put ambition, audacity, purity and care into their work. And he also urged them to stand against compromise, apathy and mediocrity.

What resonated greatly with me was the one principle he has always carried with him throughout his career. “I deeply care about the work I do, and I deeply care about how I treat people.” He said this came to him from his mother. This is a principle that each of us can bear in mind, whether we are in the creative profession or in any other space.

Indian agencies have had a good haul of awards at Cannes Lions thus far. I was very happy to see FCB India win a Grand Prix for their campaign ‘Lucky Yatra’ for Indian Railways. Among other awards, Ogilvy India picked up three bronze Lions for its clever ‘Eye Test Menu’ campaign for Titan Eye Plus. This is a remarkable idea from Titan, focused on improving the vision of Indian truck drivers.  Congratulations to all winners, and here’s hoping that India’s winning streak continues until the end of this week!

Harish Bhat is an avid marketer and bestselling author. He was previously the Brand Custodian at Tata Sons.

Published on June 19, 2025