INNOCEAN and Hyundai Motor Company won the Grand Prix in the Entertainment category at the 2025 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity for their short branded film, “Night Fishing.” INNOCEAN also received a Silver Lion in the Film category.
This marks the second consecutive year INNOCEAN has won the festival’s highest honor, following last year’s Grand Prix win for good. The company is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
“Night Fishing,” a 13-minute thriller featuring actor Sukku Son and Hyundai’s IONIQ 5, was also the first branded film to screen in Korean cinemas. The campaign has garnered multiple international awards, including the Clio Awards Grand Prix and the Spikes Asia Grand Prix.
Set around a mysterious incident at an electric vehicle charging station, the film was released theatrically following review by the Korea Media Rating Board. Tickets were priced at $1 won.
INNOCEAN led all stages of the project, including concept development, international submissions, and marketing. The campaign received praise for presenting branded content as a cinematic experience and for its innovative use of car-mounted cameras and narrative structure.
“‘Night Fishing’ is a somehow deeply humanistic, riveting and even bizarre action sci-fi piece, in the form of the highest order of branded entertainment,” said Grand Prix, Jury President David Rolfe, Global Head of Production, WPP/Hogarth.
“We were genuinely as awestruck by the craft and narrative as we were in admiration of its rootedness in IONIQ’s unique product attributes and brand identity.”
INNOCEAN also won two Bronze awards. One was for the ‘KIA SOUNDSCAPES’ campaign for the Kia EV9 in the Digital Craft category. Submitted by INNOCEAN Berlin, the campaign uses AI to create soundscapes that help visually impaired individuals experience driving environments.
The second Bronze went to the ‘CAMDOM’ campaign in the Brand Experience & Activation category. Developed with Billy Boy, the digital condom app disables cameras and microphones to prevent unauthorized recordings during intimate moments.
“We’re honored to win the Grand Prix for the second year in a row—last year by our Berlin office, and this year by our Seoul headquarters. This achievement reaffirms our standing as a truly global top-tier marketing communications company,” said Yongwoo Lee, Global CEO of INNOCEAN.
The 72nd Cannes Lions Festival was held from June 16 to 20, featuring entries from over 90 countries. The event included awards in 30 categories, seminars with marketing leaders, educational programs, and networking opportunities.
