MUMBAI: A facewash, a punchline, and 400 million views later, influencer marketing got its Cannes moment. Animeta Brandstar, the influencer engine behind some of India’s most viral campaigns, struck gold—or rather, Bronze—with its collaboration on the ‘Bassi vs Garnier Men Facewash’ campaign. The effort earned a Bronze Lion at the 2025 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

The spark? Comedian Anubhav Singh Bassi casually dropped a satirical clip online poking fun at men’s skincare. What followed was a masterclass in agile brand storytelling. Garnier, alongside its agency Publicis Groupe, saw an opening and ran with it. Animeta swooped in to power the influencer machine—fast.

Animeta's key move was getting Bassi on board with remarkable speed to ride the viral wave. The campaign went further when fellow comedian and Bassi's close friend Harsh Gujral entered the frame, adding layers of relatability and momentum.

The campaign crescendoed with Bassi trying a men’s facewash on camera for the first time—a moment of comic catharsis for his fans. Animeta handled the nuts and bolts: from coordinating the DVC shoot and syncing influencer content, to managing creator interactions with Garnier brand ambassador John Abraham.

The result? More than 400 million views tracked across Bassi's Instagram and Youtube channels, all measured via Animeta Brandstar's analytics platform. It was moment marketing done right—spontaneous, sharp, and scalable.

"We are incredibly proud to have been a part of this groundbreaking campaign that resonated so deeply with audiences and garnered international recognition at Cannes”, said Branded Content and Creator Strategy SVP Vishu Ray. "This win underscores the power of authentic influencer collaboration and agile moment marketing in creating truly memorable and effective advertising".

For Animeta, the campaign wasn’t just a win for Garnier—it cemented the company’s place in the global conversation on what modern advertising should look like: quick on the uptake, creator-led, and built for scroll-stopping impact.