A trip to the heart of advertising: A Young Lion's perspective from Cannes
Intense 48-Hour Challenge: Cannes Young Lions Competition Condenses a Week's Worth of Work into Red-Eyed Sessions
The French Riviera, in all its dazzling glory, serves as the backdrop for the marketing world's brightest young minds converging at the Cannes Young Lion Competition. As Team USA representatives in the Digital category, Jessica Nugent and I found ourselves smack-dab in the middle of it all, ready to take on the challenge.
As we drank in the sun, the heat, and the breathtaking Croisette, we knew we were in for an exhilarating ride. But with the Young Lions' responsibilities looming, we braced ourselves for a whirlwind 24 hours. From the moment we received the brief, we would have just one day to conjure an innovative solution, backed by a single-page visual summary and a presentation.
With a plethora of talks and events vying for our attention, we knew the Young Lions competition would claim priority.
Now, without giving away too many details, let's delve into what this competition often entails. Typically, these national competitions, such as those in Canada and the Czech Republic, follow a similar format for the Digital Category:
- Team Structure: Two-person teams under 30 years old (or 30 inclusive).
- Task: A brief-based creative challenge, requiring innovative digital solutions such as campaigns or UX/UI concepts.
- Submission: All entries must be submitted within just 24 hours of receiving the brief.
As for the schedule, it often unfolds as follows, based on national models:
- Briefing Day: Against the backdrop of excitement, teams receive the brief and dive right into the challenge.
- 24-Hour Sprint: The clock ticks as teams race to submit their solutions.
- Presentations & Judging: There are dedicated days for pitching ideas and receiving feedback, usually a week after submissions.
- Winners Announced: Finally, the winners are announced during networking and award events.
Although the specifics of the Cannes Young Lions International aren't explicitly provided, the conferencing giant partnered with LinkedIn and Stagwell this year, hinting at an increased focus on digital and sports categories, although the exact mechanics for the Digital category remain undisclosed.
So, we could be in for some surprises! Stay tuned for updates on the global deadlines once national qualifiers conclude - we'll be sure to keep you posted!
For the time being, it's back to the grindstone as we put our creativity and skill to the test. After all, the Cannes Young Lion adventure doesn't come around every day!
- Jessica Nugent and I, as Team USA representatives in the Digital category, found ourselves competing against other young minds from around the world at the Cannes Young Lion Competition.
- For the Digital Category, the task for the Young Lions personnel is to create innovative digital solutions within 24 hours of receiving the brief.
- We're excited to see how the Cannes Young Lions International will focus on digital and sports categories this year, as they've partnered with LinkedIn and Stagwell.
- In light of the Cannes Young Lion competition, we're putting our creativity and skills to the test, knowing that this opportunity doesn't come around every day.
