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National CineMedia (NCM) is hoping to attract even more talent to the Cannes Young Lions program as it kicks off its 2024 competition as the U.S. Representative of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
Registration begins today and is open through Feb. 2 for advertising, marketing and communications industry professionals who were born on or after June 21, 1993. The categories for the 2024 competition are digital, film, media, PR and print. The competition runs from Feb. 8 through Feb. 20, with judging by industry professionals taking place in March and April. The winners in each of the five categories will become Team USA and head to Cannes in June to compete with teams from all over the globe at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
In 2024, NCM, the largest cinema advertising platform, looks to foster diversity, equity and inclusion by continuing its Young Lions campaign, “Represent!,” to strengthen participation and further elevate young, diverse professionals. In addition, the organization has added both mentorship and advisors programs to better equip young professionals, and the organization has added new sponsors—Delta Air Lines as a travel partner and Monotype as the print category sponsor.
“In 2024 we are doubling down on our growth strategy for the Young Lions competition,” said Amy Tunick, chief marketing officer at NCM.
Tunick added that last year saw a 16% increase in applicants and this year looks to drive deeper engagement with the Young Lions community, including past and current participants, jurors and sponsors.
Mentoring for better results
Last year, the U.S. team fared well in the international creative competition for young professionals, scoring a bronze in the film category for the team of Palak Kapadia from Amazon Brand Innovation Lab and Catarina Barcala Gosende from MullenLowe. This year, NCM hopes the U.S. representatives take even more prizes.
The Young Lions Mentorship Program is designed to give the Young Lions community exclusive content that helps them with their career development and learning. The organization brought on 10 partners, ranging from small agencies like Atlantic New York to larger agencies like McKinney and Mother, to brands including the Coca-Cola Company and Spotify, and nonprofits including The Creative Ladder and The Milken Institute.
