Print’s sensory power resurfaces at Cannes Lions

Print advertising is making a comeback on the global stage, with Cannes Lions 2025 juries rewarding campaigns that go beyond ink and paper to create multi-sensory brand experiences.

The resurgence comes at a time when marketers and agencies remain heavily focused on digital channels and easily measurable metrics. Rory Sutherland, vice-chairman at Ogilvy UK, has criticised this “quantification bias”, arguing that the obsession with short-term digital results leaves little room for media that work more slowly but more deeply.

Print’s distinctive strength lies in its ability to trigger several senses at once. Martin Lindstrom, author of Brand Sense, has shown that campaigns engaging more than three senses increase brand impact and engagement by over 70 per cent. From textured paper stock to scented pages, print invites readers to pause, touch and respond in ways that screens cannot.

Yet the expertise needed to realise such campaigns has diminished. Printers are often seen as mere suppliers, while the production managers who once bridged creative and technical worlds have largely disappeared from agency teams. As a result, opportunities for print media innovation risk being lost.

Cannes Lions 2025 offered a counterpoint. This year’s winners and shortlists highlighted inventive uses of print that challenge assumptions about the medium.

BIC – handwriting Shakespeare with AI

To celebrate its 75th anniversary, BIC partnered with VML Brazil to produce a 212-page handwritten edition of Romeo and Juliet using just one Cristal Dura+ pen and a robotic arm programmed to replicate Shakespeare’s handwriting. The campaign won awards in Print & Publishing, Special Editions & Bespoke Items, and Innovative Use of Print, showing how technology and tradition can coexist to create powerful storytelling.

Amnesty International – ink made from faeces

From South Africa, Amnesty International’s “Faeces” campaign took a far grittier route. Created with agency Joe Public, the ad was printed with ink made from sterilised human faeces sourced from illegal pit toilets still used in thousands of schools. “Reading this should make you sick,” the copy declared, confronting readers with the scale of a public health crisis. Amnesty’s executive director Shenilla Mohamed said the ad aimed to shock the government into eradicating the toilets by the end of 2024.

Nana – a sensory guide to menstruation

In the Middle East, Nana, the Essity brand, launched Ruby Blooms, the world’s first sensory guidebook to menstruation for girls on the autism spectrum. Pages were designed to recreate the sounds, textures and smells associated with periods to reduce anxiety and build confidence. Saatchi & Saatchi Middle East developed the project with autism specialists to ensure inclusivity.

Fruittella – books that come alive in the sun

 In Brazil, confectionery brand Fruittella created a children’s book that only reveals its pages when exposed to sunlight. Titled Lá Fora É Mais Legal (“Outside is More Fun”), the book encourages children to put down screens and rediscover outdoor play. “Sunlight is our ally,” said Victor Castelo, creative director at VML, highlighting how interactive print can inspire healthier behaviours.

Vick – bedtime stories that smell of relief

Healthcare brand Vick also turned to print to ease family life. Working with Grey Argentina, it produced Cuentos del Alivio (“Stories of Relief”), a bedtime storybook infused with the scent of Vicks VapoRub. As parents read to their children, the aroma was released, transforming the stressful routine of treating a cold into a calming ritual.

Atacama – printing on textile waste

Perhaps the boldest example of material innovation came from Chile. The Atacama project used textile waste collected from the desert — a stark reminder of fast-fashion’s environmental toll — to create a new substrate for print. A calendar produced on this unconventional surface highlighted both environmental urgency and the adaptability of print to sustainable alternatives.

Other sensory print campaigns

Other notable entries included Amnesty’s “Plastic Blood”, which used plastic ink to raise awareness of plastic pollution; “Dehydrating”, a campaign in which water revealed hidden drought messages; and Natura’s scented catalogue, which doubled as an olfactory test to detect early signs of neurodegenerative diseases. Though less high-profile, these projects reinforced the same principle: multi-sensory marketing grabs attention and provokes action.

Looking forward: print as an opportunity

For brands and agencies, the opportunity is clear. These campaigns prove that print advertising can surprise and engage consumers in ways that digital cannot. But seizing that potential requires stronger collaboration with print suppliers, whose expertise in materials and techniques can unlock creativity.

It also calls for better metrics. Too many campaigns fall into what has been described as “dull media and dull creative”, generating little active attention. By contrast, multi-sensory print campaigns extend the time audiences spend with a message, increasing recall and emotional connection.

In an advertising landscape dominated by screens, the brands that dare to experiment with texture, scent, light and alternative substrates will be the ones that stand out. The lesson from Cannes is simple: when you engage more senses, you win more attention — and with it, more meaningful consumer engagement.