7 young marketing professionals picked to represent SL at Cannes Festival for Creativity

By Shabiya Ali Ahlam

While the prestigious Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is scheduled to take place this June in France, seven young outstanding professional in marketing communications from Sri Lanka have been selected to represent the country at the Oscars of advertising this year.

Including the seven candidates who have been selected to attend the Young Lions Competitions and the Roger Hatchuel Academy, five top industry specialists will be attending the event as well.

Inspiring creativity for over 60 years, the Cannes Lions is the world’s largest celebration of creative communications in all its forms. With over 4,000 different companies from across the world attend the event each year the program aims to inspire its audience through new ideas and concepts in the world of advertising and communications. While the speakers facilitating the event range from thought-out leaders to clients, industry gurus and non advertising creative stars such as directors, musicians, and architects. This year, the seven-day festival which will take place from 16 to 22 June, will feature top profiles such as Burberry Chief Creative Officer Christopher Bailey, Channel 4 Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Dan Brook and Actor, Producer and Musician Jack Black to name a few.

The representatives to attend this much awaited event had been selected by a vigorous local competition which was organised by Metal Factor, the Sri Lanka representative for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, in partnership with the International Advertising Association (IAA), the Association Accredited Advertising Agencies (4As), and the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM)

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity Sri Lanka Representative Ranil De Silva stated at a press conference in Colombo that this year the panel once again saw enthusiastic competition from the youth in the advertising industry who fought for titles in the print and television competitions.

Stating that a total of 20 teams engaged in the competition, Metal Factor revealed that the winning duo in the television category was from Phoenix Ogilvy, whereas from the print category Triad walked away with the title.

While highlighting the criteria, it was shared that for the television competition, where the competitors were required to conceptualise a TV commercial to promote the Galaxy Tab, resources given were only a Samsung phone from its intuitive yet simple galaxy range, extended by Samsung.

Unilever Sri Lanka, under the Lipton Laojee brand having sponsored the Young Lions print competition for the fourth consecutive year challenged the contestants to bring out the three unique features of the brand.

Meanwhile, the nomination of the student to the Roger Hatchuel Academy was supported by ABC Radio Network where a candidate from Leo Burnett won the placement at the academy from amongst five contestants.

With the Young Marketer Competition being held for the second consecutive year, organisers for the competition stated that the item attracted several teams from various marketing companies in Sri Lanka.

Conducted by SLIM, two young professionals for Eitsalat Lanka emerged as the winner to compete at the global contest at the Cannes Lion Festival.

Commenting on the program, SLIM President Gamika De Silva, noted that the institute is happy to be associated with such a program. “The Cannes Lions is a once in a lifetime opportunity for a young marketer as it will give them invaluable exposure and access to the world out there. This experience and learning would fuel our own industry to greater heights,” he stated.

Commending the undying spirit of the competitors, De Silva expressed: “I am delighted that seven young Sri Lankans will be attending the 60th Cannes Lions Festival this year. It is encouraging to see more and more youth in the industry eager to avail them of this opportunity. Such enthusiasm augurs well for the development of our own industry in Sri Lanka.”