Gabrielle Lapointe and Louis Chevallier say that going for the Canadian Young Lions competition is like a rite of passage in their agency, Touché! – in fact, it goes back almost to the very inception. So you can imagine the company’s excitement when the duo became the first-ever team from their agency to win gold.
“Having them there with us when we won made it very special, and they were like our proud parents, basically,” Gabrielle said, emphasizing the support they received from their Touché! colleagues and mentors at the winners’ announcement on April 24.
Now, the Montreal-based team is gearing up for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity to face the best of the best in the global Young Lions competition.
This year saw a record-breaking 796 individuals compete across seven categories, ending with a shortlist that featured participants from coast to coast. Sponsored by Snap Inc., media saw 157 teams vying for gold – the highest number in any category.
This was Louis’ third time participating in the competition, and his second time teaming up with Gabrielle. They say they learned so much from previous years, which got them to where they are today, and were ready to put their “knowledge to the test” again.
“Our VP did [the competition], our CEO did it, and it’s so inspiring to see all these people who did it. And now we’re also here going to Cannes, I think it’s very motivating for us for the future to see where we’re going to head,” said Gabrielle.
Louis said that last year, he and Gabrielle were shooting out many ideas, hoping one would be great. But this year, he explained, they took a very “theoretical approach.”
The two started the day on competition weekend, by speaking honestly about what they felt: “We’re not trying to win this time. It would be great if we do, but we’re just trying to have a great idea and just be proud of it.”
“It was made very naturally compared to last year, where we were kind of forcing the idea into the brief. This year was just like one thing after another, an idea kept popping, and it was just perfect,” said Gabrielle.
“We identified what the consumer problem, the brand truth and a consumer insight. And putting all of these together, is what gave us the big idea,” said Louis.
The consumer problem was that the cause felt too distant for Gen Z to see how they could make a difference. The insight wasn’t that Gen Z is apathetic; it’s that they are more likely to support causes that feel closer to home and are represented by the people experiencing the impact firsthand. And then there’s the last part of the formula: the brand truth. In this case, an integral part of the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada is working with local Indigenous communities.
The Path – or the Miskanaw collection, the Cree translation – is the result of the team’s method. The winning brand strategy concept is Symbolic hiking footwear, crafted by Indigenous artists to inspire collective action for Hike for Hope, a new event that was one of Dr. Goodall’s last messages and a call to action to young Canadians.
They plan on putting this year’s approach to the ultimate test at Cannes. “It’s probably something that we’re going to do again when we’re in Cannes. This approach worked this time, and we also use it in our day-to-day when we actually work on campaigns, so it’s a tested method that we’re going to keep using,” said Louis.
For the team, putting the Indigenous community at the forefront of the shoe footwear concept was a no-brainer. They understood that Indigenous people have ancestral knowledge about the environment, and could offer a powerful and authentic way to talk about the land.
“They believe that helping communities live better is by default going to also help the environment around them, and so it’s that brand truth, it’s how they work. That’s what makes them legitimate to work with these communities to carry the message,” said Louis.
Gabrielle added that Jane’s work, and the institute’s, is mostly known for her work in Africa, which can make the cause feel so far away – “when in reality, it’s actually so close.” Involving the Indigenous community was a way to bridge the gap for Canadian Gen Z.
Where they felt the most pressure wasn’t the 24-hour time crunch, but rather having to come up with the presentation after being selected in the top five. At that moment, they realized the pressure was bigger than before. They wanted to make a good impression – for the jury, and for their own team at Touché! who had a long history with the competition.
“We have people on our team who really want us to win, and who are giving us feedback, and we just practice our scripts. It was every day, in the morning, at lunchtime, after work, every single day, and after that, you know, it’s almost like a little PTSD of having to take another week after the presentation, of letting everything go,” said Louis.
This perspective also shapes their advice for aspiring Young Lions competitors. “Winning is great, but the competition is also an opportunity to sharpen your skills, challenge yourself, and learn from the experience. That’s why I’d encourage people to sign up—you never know what might happen,” said Gabrielle.
About the Young Lions Competition
The Globe and Mail has been the official Canadian representative of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity since 2005, and has hosted the Canadian Young Lions competitions since 2007.
Strategy Magazine, Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA) and The Canadian Media Directors’ Council (CMDC), support the competition as Canadian program partners. Snap Inc. is a sponsor of the 2026 Media category. Edelman Canada is a sponsor of the 2026 PR category. Interac is a sponsor of the 2026 Marketers category.
IG: @GlobeMediaGroup
Hashtag: #YoungLions2026
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/globemediagroup
For more information about this year’s Young Lions Competition, visit globeandmailyounglions.ca. To learn more about The Cannes Lions Program in Canada, visit globemediagroup.ca/cannes-lions/.
