Menu

Young Lions

Film_Digtital_Jury_LinkedIn_1200x627

Young Lions 2023: Meet the Film & Digital Jury!

, , , , , , , , ,

The 2023 Canadian Young Lions Competition is back, and we are excited to share the jurors for the Film and Digital Category for this year’s competition. 

 

The Film and Digital category is once again Chaired by Mary Maddever, EVP, Canadian Media Brands & Editorial Director, Brunico Communications, and includes: 

  • Alexandre Gadoua, VP, Creative Lead at Cossette

  • Darian Kovacs, Founder at Jelly Digital Marketing & PR

  • Fernando Muto Brevilieri, Creative Director at Critical Mass 

  • Francesco Grandi, Chief Creative Officer at Ogilvy

  • Jess Willis, Group Creative Director at Performance Art

  • Karen Howe, Canadian Cannes Advisory Board Member and Founder of The Township Group

  • Rica Eckersley, Executive Creative Director at DDB Canada

  • Zachary Bautista, Partner and Creative Director at Rethink Canada

Click here to learn more about the jury members. 

 

About the Young Lions Competition

The Young Lions competition, happening this year over the weekend of March 4 – March 6, 2023, is where teams of two will participate in a live competition in their registered category (over a 24 to 48- hour period), modeled after the global competitions in Cannes. A brief for a not-for-profit organization will be unveiled when the competition begins.

The winners from our Canadian qualifying competitions will go on to compete in person at the Global Young Lions Competition taking place during the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in Cannes, France from June 19-June 23, 2023.

Visit our competition website here for more information about Young Lions, including, how to register.

About the Globe and Mail

The Globe and Mail has been the Official Cannes Lions Festival Representative for the past 17 years and has had the privilege of sending over 60 Canadian teams to compete in the global competition that’s hosted in the south of France in Cannes against some of the best talents from around the world.

As the Competition Sponsor, The Globe awards a prize per Gold-winning team, which includes the registration fees for the virtual Global Young Lions Competition at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, delegate passes to attend the five-day festival, and the cost of flights and accommodation.

 

Cannes Lions Festival 2022 - The Moment Is Now

Cannes Lions Summary from Andrew Saunders

, , , , , ,

After two years, the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity was finally able to gather the global industry in the South of France to celebrate the best creativity from across the communications and advertising industry. To mark the end of the festival, I wanted to take this opportunity to congratulate all of the excellent Canadian work that was on display last month. Many thanks to the marketing, media, and advertising communities from across the country that supported our endeavors in championing and promoting our Canadian work and talent at home and on the global stage. 

We are immensely proud to share that Canada maintained its ranking of 6th in the world, securing 41 Lions, with 8 gold, 9 silver, and 24 bronze with Design being our most awarded category. In addition, Canada was well represented in the jury room, with 13 individuals selected to judge hundreds of entries from all over the world. To be selected to a Cannes Jury is considered one of the highest accolades in the industry and we are appreciative of their time and efforts in representing Canada. To view this year’s full Canadian jury list, click here.

Given the pause on programming and events over the past two years, The Globe decided to expand our festival coverage this year. We hosted training and networking sessions ahead of the festival, as well as a lively Jury mixer in late May, and a Toast to Cannes and Canadian Creativity Party in June. The Globe, in partnership with strategy, also participated in a roundtable discussion with top creative leaders from across the industry to discuss the strength of our Canadian work leading up to the festival. To capture live updates from the festival The Globe’s daily coverage was headed by Katherine Scarrow, general manager, Globe Content Studio, and included fresh insights and perspectives by our on-the-ground ambassadors and members of the Canadian Cannes Lions Advisory Board, Karen Howe, president of The Township Group, and Sonia Carreno, president of IAB Canada. Wrapping up our coverage, we had an Instagram live interview between Katherine and Karen, and throughout the month of July, we will be posting interviews with select jurors and attendees about their experiences from the festival, which you can read on our Cannes hub here.

Earlier this year at the end of February, The Globe and Mail’s Young Lions Competition had over 448 registrants, competing for the chance to participate in the Global Young Lions Competition at Cannes. As the Competition Sponsor, The Globe awards a prize per Gold-winning team, which includes the registration fees for the virtual Global Young Lions Competition, delegate passes to attend the five-day festival, and the cost of flights and accommodation.

The gold-winning teams from each of the 5 categories (Print, Media, Marketers, Digital, Film) went on to compete in the virtual competition, held from May 16 – June 7, 2022. They contended against some of the most creative teams from all over the world, and we were thrilled to hear “HANDS”, by the Quebec City team of Félix-Antoine Belleville and Zacharie Turgeon from lg2, was shortlisted in the film category. The Young Lions Competition is a chance for us to collectively profile our next generation of talent here in Canada and on a global stage, and we look forward to hosting the Young Lions Competition next year. To see all the 2022 Canadian Young Lions medal winners click here.

As the official representative for the Cannes Lions Festival in Canada for the past 17 years, The Globe is proud to not only support Canadian creativity but champion it as well. We thank you again for joining us in showcasing Canada’s creative talent and we look forward to celebrating next year’s festival together.

Andrew Saunders
Chief Revenue Officer
Chair, Canadian Cannes Lions Advisory Board
The Globe and Mail

Hero_1000x667

Cannes Q&A: Canadian creativity not ‘playing catch up’ on global stage

, , , , , , , ,

Anton Mwewa, senior art director at Citizen Relations share insights from his time at the 2022 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

Which festival theme really stood out to you this year?

Diversity, equity and inclusion. This is a cause that has been important to me ever since I started working in advertising, and it remains one of the biggest issues we still face. It was great to see some strides being made at the festival with more women and speakers of colour, but much more can still be done to make Cannes truly equitable.

Under the duress of the pandemic, businesses turned to creativity as the ultimate problem solver. Do you agree with this statement?

Yes, because the pandemic forced us to ramp up our creativity and in different ways. Much like the new hybrid work model, the last few years have fundamentally altered how we think creatively, and I don’t think going back to pre-pandemic modes of thought will ever be an option.

In terms of creativity, where does Canada stand on the global stage?

It feels like there’s a common misconception about Canadian creativity playing catch up with the rest of the world that has no basis in reality. Canada has proven we can hold our own on the world stage time and time again.

The future of creative is: being dreamt up right now.


The Globe is the official Canadian representative of Cannes Lions — the world’s most prestigious and coveted advertising and marketing awards. Since its first outing in 1954, the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has been bringing the creative communications industry together every year at its one-of-a-kind event in Cannes to learn, network, and celebrate.

Hero_1000x667

Cannes Q&A: The future of creative rooted in ‘evolved tech’

, , , , , , ,

Karine Courtemanche, CEO of two of OMG’s national Canadian agencies, PHD and Touché! Canada, and Chair of the Canadian Media Directors Council, share insights from her time at the 2022 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

Which festival theme really stood out to you this year?

Cannes Lions participants leave with a different point of view depending on the sessions and conferences they choose to attend. My media colleagues and I were heavily exposed to the theme of sustainability. I would even broaden that theme to the overall notion of “purposeful media choices”. By it, I mean that media experts have great power because they manage the bulk of global advertising budgets. And how we invest in media budgets has a big impact on our society. Media groups have varying carbon footprints, hold different political points of view, deal with changing data privacy issues, can choose to support professional journalism and fight fake news, etc. All these issues confront the media industry with the importance of doing a better job of educating its professionals on the impacts of their media investment choices. Every company, brand, and leader has heightened awareness of their responsibility to be sustainable. 

What surprised you most about your involvement and experience in the festival? And why?

On top of the conferences, Cannes is filled with great networking opportunities. Yet despite these social events, the conferences and sessions were more popular than ever. It was impossible to get into many of them unless you waited long before the gates opened. It felt as though participants really sought inspiration over networking. I guess two years of remote working puts your creativity to the test!

Under the duress of the pandemic, businesses turned to creativity as the ultimate problem solver. Do you agree with this statement?

I believe this is what should have happened but unfortunately, with the pandemic, many businesses reverted to traditional tactical execution such as promotions and short-term sales pushes. With the global supply crisis, many brands and advertisers were left short of products to sell. This context did not create a very fertile ground for creativity. As a matter of fact, especially in the media category, I believe 2022 will be remembered as a transition year for the Cannes Lions.

Another big Cannes 2022 theme, however, was the notion of courage: how advertisers can make bold marketing moves despite the pressure they face to go for the safest commercial options. A lot of Cannes’ sessions focused on that theme, so there is hope for a bright creative future ahead of us.

There is an abundance of research that proves that creative campaigns are more memorable and will therefore always create disproportionate growth versus short-term, price-based initiatives. I hope that we will strengthen our focus on this marketing principle, but faced with the fear of a recession, our industry has a responsibility to constantly educate advertisers on the power of creativity and innovation.

In terms of creativity, where does Canada stand on the global stage?

Canadian agencies were awarded a total of 43 Lions, including nine Gold. It is the third-highest total for Canadian agencies in a single festival. And our global ranking is trending up at #6.

The future of creative is: rooted in evolved technology. The notion of commercial creativity is always evolving, so what was considered “creative” a few months back is already yesterday’s news. As an industry, by keeping ahead with the pace of innovation, we can bring added value to Canadian advertisers by helping them stay relevant to their consumers.

The Globe is the official Canadian representative of Cannes Lions — the world’s most prestigious and coveted advertising and marketing awards. Since its first outing in 1954, the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has been bringing the creative communications industry together every year at its one-of-a-kind event in Cannes to learn, network, and celebrate.

Hero_1000x667

Cannes Q&A: Exciting time for creatives as tech giants descend upon Cannes

, , , , , , , ,

Zachary Bautista, creative director, and Geoff Baillie, associate creative director at Rethink share insights from their time at the 2022 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

Which festival theme really stood out to you this year?

Diversity and inclusion were top of mind at the festival for us. It was great to see diversity represented in the types of ideas that were showcased at the festival and the people and agencies behind those ideas. It was a common thread among speakers and honorees at the festival to point out that the industry has made strides in diversity, but that there’s still more work to be done. 

What surprised you most about your involvement and experience in the festival? And why?

This year Cannes almost felt like a creative tech conference. Tech companies were a huge presence throughout the festival grounds, and there’s more integration of tech into the ideas that were recognized on stage. New tech leads to new opportunities, so it’s an exciting time to be a creative. 

Under the duress of the pandemic, businesses turned to creativity as the ultimate problem solver. Do you agree with this statement?

Creativity always adapts to culture. Pandemic or not, our work always reflects the times. Adapting to COVID restrictions definitely led to new ways of thinking and new kinds of ideas. But as much as COVID separated us, it also brought people together. Being able to work remotely allowed us to collaborate with people from all over the world.

In terms of creativity, where does Canada stand on the global stage?

Canada has a smaller audience with smaller budgets, so we’re always looking for creative ways to expand our reach. There’s often a scrappiness and all-hands-on-deck creative problem solving that goes along with that. But that mentality leads to great ideas that get recognized, which is why you see so much great Canadian work recognized at Cannes.

The future of creative is: It’s OK to have fun. At award shows you see a lot of cause-oriented advertising, which has its own merit, but the work that we’re enthusiastic about is work that’s fun, lighthearted and clever. The kind that brings a smile to your face. That’s the work we’re most excited about doing.

Globe is the official Canadian representative of Cannes Lions — the world’s most prestigious and coveted advertising and marketing awards. Since its first outing in 1954, the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has been bringing the creative communications industry together every year at its one-of-a-kind event in Cannes to learn, network, and celebrate.

LinkedIn_1200x627

Cannes Q&A: Canada still not getting credit it deserves, says Canadian Tire VP

, , , , , , ,

Eva Salem, senior vice-president of marketing and brand for Canadian Tire Corporation, insights from her time at the 2022 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

Which festival theme really stood out to you this year?

For me, the festival really shone a spotlight on sustainability grounded in Brand Purpose. There was a lot of discussion on our role as brands and marketers in this space and the need to step up with courage and new solutions. One particularly poignant moment for me was when a surprise speaker (part of Good Life 2030) spoke about how the sustainability crisis we are facing is not going to be solved by governance, legal, risk, etc. We have been approaching the problem with the wrong disciplines in mind. We need to put people on the job who know how to lead cultural shifts. We need people to think differently so that they can act differently and who better than our industry to help do that.  

What surprised you most about your involvement and experience in the festival? And why?

I was a little worried that this year’s festival would be a bit watered down given the past two years and would be ‘stuck’ in pandemic management and discussion. It was not. Attendance felt as strong as in previous years, the quality of speakers and their content was as thought-provoking and inspiring as I had hoped, and the themes were material to the challenges we are all facing today. I didn’t realize how badly I missed and needed the Festival untilI was there.

Under the duress of the pandemic, businesses turned to creativity as the ultimate problem solver. Do you agree with this statement?

I think smart brands were able to use creative problem-solving during the pandemic to differentiate and not only survive but thrive. The problem though, was that for the most part, there was so much brand risk at the time that most brands ended up in the sea of sameness. With everything that was happening in the world, I found most brands to be even more risk-averse which resulted in less standout creative and generally a more monotone brand voice.  

In terms of creativity, where does Canada stand on the global stage?

I have always felt that Canada is undervalued globally in terms of its creative strength. We usually have a couple of big winners, but overall, I don’t think we get the credit we deserve. There’s definitely an opportunity for us to unite, be more supportive of one another’s work, and do what we can to get the word out and create some buzz.

The future of creative is: limitless. 

The Globe is the official Canadian representative of Cannes Lions — the world’s most prestigious and coveted advertising and marketing awards. Since its first outing in 1954, the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has been bringing the creative communications industry together every year at its one-of-a-kind event in Cannes to learn, network, and celebrate.

1200x627_Cannes_InstagramLive_C01 (1)

Cannes Lions Wrap-Up: IG Live

, , , , , , , ,

On July 7, Karen Howe, Cannes Advisory Board Member for Canada and founder of the Township Group, joined Katherine Scarrow, general manager of Globe Content Studio, to decode behind-the-scenes intel from this year’s Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. 

Karen is freshly back from the French Riviera where she immersed herself in Cannes Lions’ live programming, the many activations on the Palais, and networking events throughout the festival. Watch the full chat below, and make sure to follow @globemediagroup to catch our next interview!

GAM_Y22M06D20A-PHOTO_RAW-CAM_A-0549 copy

Event Recap: A Toast to Cannes Party

, , , , , , ,

The Globe and Mail Cannes party, typically reserved for the sandy beaches of the French Riviera, was instead held this year in Toronto. On June 20th the spirit of the 2022 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity was on full display as the Canadian advertising and marketing community gathered for a much-awaited reunion at our Toast to Cannes party held at Daniels Artscape Launchpad overlooking Sugar Beach.

Tracy Day, Managing Director, Creative Studio and Ad Innovation at The Globe and Mail, kicked off the evening’s festivities, inviting an esteemed and award-winning panel to the stage for a discussion on the importance and power of Canadian Creativity.

Moderated by Shannon Lewis, President of CMDC, the panel included Wain Choi, Executive Creative Director at Zulu Alpha Kilo, Susan Irving, Chief Marketing Officer at Kruger Products, Mooren Bofill, Partner and Creative Director at 123 West and Brooke Leland, Managing Partner at Jungle Media. This cross-section of the media, marketing, and creative communities, discussed a range of topics and issues, from how Covid has affected the past year of work, what it’s like in the jury room at Cannes, what the future of the advertising industry looks like, and why Canada is such a hotbed of creativity.

GAM_Y22M06D20A-PHOTO_RAW-CAM_A-0510 (1)
GAM_Y22M06D20A-PHOTO_RAW-CAM_A-0510 (1)
A Toast To Cannes (Web Size) - 0020
A Toast To Cannes (Web Size) - 0077
A Toast To Cannes (Web Size) - 0092
A Toast To Cannes (Web Size) - 0096
A Toast To Cannes (Web Size) - 0105
A Toast To Cannes (Web Size) - 0115
A Toast To Cannes (Web Size) - 0118
A Toast To Cannes (Web Size) - 0124
A Toast To Cannes (Web Size) - 0128
A Toast To Cannes (Web Size) - 0186
A Toast To Cannes (Web Size) - 0136
A Toast To Cannes (Web Size) - 0139
A Toast To Cannes (Web Size) - 0144
A Toast To Cannes (Web Size) - 0197
A Toast To Cannes (Web Size) - 0200
A Toast To Cannes (Web Size) - 0337
A Toast To Cannes (Web Size) - 0342
A Toast To Cannes (Web Size) - 0361
A Toast To Cannes (Web Size) - 0363
A Toast To Cannes (Web Size) - 0366
A Toast To Cannes (Web Size) - 0389
A Toast To Cannes (Web Size) - 0427
GAM_Y22M06D20A-PHOTO_RAW-CAM_A-0549

 

Here are 5 takeaways from the panel discussion:

  1. Empowerment and empathy lead the way: Shannon Lewis talked about how one of the buzzwords from Cannes this year is capital C Creativity, which to her is all about having a sense of empathy and how empathy, not only from a brand level but also from a leadership level can flourish into empowerment. Wain Choi, referencing the petition that got Heinz and Wonder Bread to solve their odd-numbered hotdog wiener to bun packs, talked about how it’s not only about making ads, it’s that we actually have the power to change something, to change our world, and that idea should be embraced by every client and every agency.
  2. Put the consumer first: Using an award-winning example, Susan Irving talked about Kruger’s Unapologetically Human campaign, from 2021. At the start of the pandemic, as the supply shortages were wreaking havoc on the toilet paper and paper towel business, Kruger had to pull all of their advertising and pivot to something new. All of the sudden changes in the marketplace actually served as an opportunity to put the consumer first, and talk about what we were all collectively going through.
  3. Be yourself and don’t sell yourself short: When Moreen Bofill was growing up in the ad industry, she recalled only seeing two women that looked like her, Helen Pak (SVP of Creative at Disney) and Judy John (Global CCO at Edelman). While there is still much more work to be done, she is proud to see the growing diversity within the industry, and is hopeful that it will continue to build teams that represent the culture that is within Canada, in both hiring efforts as well as mentorship efforts. Prompted with advice to give her younger self, Mo said, “If you can’t find a seat at the table, make your own table, and lean into what makes you unique.”
  4. Change with the times: Wain remarked on an idea his agency, Zulu Alpha Kilo, came up with for their client, Harry Rosen. The Green screen shirt was a shirt people could wear Monday-Friday on Zoom calls working from home, and with the push of a button could change the shirt into different patterns. Having a client being open to change and adaptability bred a truly creative campaign idea.
  5. You are much smarter than your boss: Thinking about what to tell your 25 year-old self, Brooke knows exactly what she would say: you are so much smarter than us. She believes that her younger colleagues coming up behind her are so outstanding and remarkable, that she can’t wait to be a slingshot for them and catapult them up in the industry.

The Globe and Mail kick-off to Cannes party ended on a lively note, with the advertising and marketing community toasting to continued Canadian success at the festival with glasses of French rose in hand, and knowing that Canada’s creative future is powerful and bright.

Get inspired and hear all of the takeaways from the Creativity Panel by watching the video here:

Photography and Videography by Roxton Media. 

 

The Globe and Mail has proudly been the official Cannes Lions Festival Representative in Canada for 17 years and is strongly committed to growing and empowering Canada’s creative community.

To learn more about the Cannes Lions Festival and the Canadian Young Lions competition, visit: www.globelink.ca/cannes-lions

GlobeLink_CannesYoungLionsShortlist4_border

Announcing Global Cannes Young Lions Shortlist in Film

, , , ,

A Quebec City team learned earlier this week that their film “HANDS” has been Shortlisted in the 2022 Global Young Lions Film Competition. On June 15 in a live Zoom call with 500 attendees from around the world, Félix-Antoine Belleville a Copywriter with lg2, and Zacharie Turgeon a Freelance Director also working with lg2, the largest independent agency in Canada, were thrilled to learn their film was a Shortlist in the Film Competition.

Held just a few weeks before the Festival of Creativity begins, they competed against 34 of the best creative teams from around the world over the weekend of June 3-6 to film and edit a 60-second commercial answering the creative challenge posed by Global Citizen, a non-profit group whose aim is to eradicate poverty. They had 72 hours to answer the question “What is a Global Citizen?” in a film designed for Gen Z and Millennials. Their film had to inspire as many people as possible to join Global Citizen’s platform and contribute to ending extreme poverty.

“We were very proud to represent Canada on the world stage,” said Félix-Antoine. “While watching the Global Young Lions prize ceremony we quickly understood how high the creative level was and it feels good to know that we were included.”

Their first reaction to the Global Citizen challenge was that it wasn’t going to be easy. “The aim of Global Citizen to end extreme poverty is without a doubt one of the biggest concerns in the world right now,” said Zacharie. They followed the advice given to them in the lead-up to the competition from Luc Du Sault, Partner, Vice-President and Creative Director at lg2. “He told us to focus on a good and simple insight and illustrate it. We kept that philosophy throughout the process and we created a film that we’re both really proud of” continued Zacharie.

In order to compete in the Global Young Lions Competition, they first had to win The Globe and Mail’s Canadian Young Lions Film Competition, held earlier this year at the end of February.

On being crowned the best young filmmakers in Canada, Félix-Antoine said it was an incredible and humbling experience. “The creative community of Quebec City is relatively small and we had never competed against agencies from across the country before. Canada is full of talented creatives and it showed in the competition so it was a real honor to win Gold in the Canadian competition.”

As Canadian Young Lion Gold winners, Félix-Antoine and Zacharie are also traveling to Cannes this weekend to attend the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Their Canadian Gold prize includes airfare, hotel and delegate passes to attend the 5-day festival held annually in Cannes, France.

They both agree that the Canadian and Global Competitions are both “an opportunity of a lifetime and we’re so glad we entered. We felt like everyone was behind us and it feels like The Globe and lg2 are as proud of us as we are. It’s truly been a rewarding experience.”

To learn more about The Globe and Mail’s Young Lions Competition click here.

For daily highlights from the Cannes Lions Festival follow Globe Media Group’s Instagram page or sign up for our monthly newsletter to receive updates during festival week.

Sign up to
stay in touch!
Get the latest updates in our bi-weekly newsletter.
First name
Last name
Email
We will not share your details with any 3rd party.
Thank you,
...almost done.
You will receive an email
from us shortly.

Please click on the verification link in the email to complete the signup process.
AdChoices
We and our partners collect and use your information to enable essential site function, personalize content and ads, provide you with special offers, conduct analysis and other purposes. Cookies and similar technologies may be used. By continuing to browse this site, you agree to this processing. Learn more about our practices and your choices here.
Sign up to stay in touch!
Get the latest Globe Media Group updates in your inbox.
First name
Last name
Email
We will not share your details with any 3rd party.
Thank you,... almost done!
You will receive an email from us shortly.

Please click on the verification link in the email to complete the signup process.
.pf-footer{ margin-top: 100px !important; background-color: #485157 !important; width:100% !important; padding: 15px 0px !important; } .pf-footer p { text-align: center !important; width: 100% !important; color: #fff !important; } img#pf-header-img { width: 100% !important; margin-bottom: 50px !important; } .pf-footer.print-footer a { color: #fff !important; } h1#pf-title { padding: 15px; } div#pf-src { padding: 15px; } div#pf-content { padding: 0px 15px; }