DM9’s Creative Data Grand Prix for its ‘Efficient Way to Pay’ campaign has been withdrawn from the 2025 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity after an investigation found that the agency used AI-generated and manipulated content in its entry.
In a statement issued on June 27, Cannes Lions said the case study included AI-generated and manipulated content that was used “to simulate real-world events and campaign outcomes,” constituting a breach of the festival’s rules on factual representation.
The decision followed consultation with DM9, a DDB agency based in Brazil, which agreed to the withdrawal after the festival initiated a formal review supported by independent auditors.
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How the issue emerged
The controversy began after concerns were raised about the authenticity of DM9’s case study film for Consul, a Whirlpool brand. Industry media, including Adweek, reported that footage appearing to show media coverage of the campaign was in fact AI-manipulated. One segment was found to include altered footage from a CNN Brasil broadcast, used without permission and modified to appear as if it covered the campaign.
CNN Brasil filed a formal complaint to DM9 and Whirlpool, triggering further scrutiny.
In response, DM9 issued a public statement on LinkedIn acknowledging it had found that three of its entries submitted to Cannes contained ”serious inconsistencies related to the veracity or legitimacy of the works presented.” In addition to ‘Efficient Way to Pay,’ it had also agreed to withdraw two other campaigns from the festival: ‘Plastic Blood’ for OKA Biotech, and ‘Gold = Death’ for Urihi Yanomami. Cannes Lions confirmed that all awards connected to these entries will also be withdrawn.
The fallout led to the resignation of DM9 co-president and chief creative officer Icaro Doria earlier in the week. In its LinkedIn post, DM9 stated it is implementing internal reforms, including the creation of an AI Ethics Committee to prevent similar issues.
New measures from Cannes Lions
In its statement, Cannes Lions announced a suite of new measures designed to strengthen entry requirements and review processes for the AI age.
These include:
- A revised Code of Conduct that all entrants must sign
- Mandatory disclosure of AI use in entry materials, with failure to do so resulting in disqualification or withdrawal
- Use of content detection tools to identify AI-generated or manipulated material
- Establishment of an adjudication committee with expertise in AI, ethics and content integrity
- Formal enforcement procedures, including public disclosure and award revocation in future cases
Cannes Lions said these changes reflect its commitment to “truth, fairness, transparency and creative excellence,” adding that the measures aim to protect the integrity of its awards and the trust placed in them by the industry.
