From Young Lions to Big Cats: Where Are They Now?
As the young talent competition returns, we caught up with some previous winners to find out how the accolade has changed their lives.
The annual Young Lions competion at Cannes Lions, sponsored by Getty Images, spotlights emerging talent by giving young creatives under the age of 30 a chance to exhibit their work.
"Looking back at these past winners of Young Lions, it’s clear that their outstanding creative thinking has not only helped them succeed in Cannes, but in their careers and lives more broadly, as a differentiator and something that helps them to stand out from the crowd," says Getty Images' Senior Director of Creative Content Paul Foster. "It’s with immense pride that we look on at these successes and look forward to supporting 2018’s rising stars.”
We spoke with former contest winners Alexander Newman and Vlady Gerasimov to see what they've been up to since winning the Young Lions n 2011. Newman is now based in Sydney and working as a senior art director at DDB, while Vlad is in Bulgaria and has launched his production company, Hand Played.
Alexander Newman; 2011 Gold Cyber Winner
Above: Newman's winning film, Deadly Animals
Tell us a bit about your winning entry at Young Lions.
When Patrice and I were competing in 2011, the brief was about the Planet Earth Institute, an international non-for-profit organization that was trying to raise awareness about every topic threatening mankind. Being in the cyber category, we had a lot to convey in a 100kb banner ad. We used the ad to get people involved in conversations already happening on Twitter by filtering them through the ad. It’s an early use of social media in an ad space.
Sitting down at our computer in the competition room, countries flags representing each team, it felt like we were in the Olympics for creativity. Running my hand over the keyboard it wobbled like our nerves. Beneath it was a Canadian coin and a note from the last Young Lions team, "A coin for good luck."
How has winning a Young Lion affected your career?
Being the first Canadian team to win turned the spotlight of the industry on us. We got a taste of how powerful a big idea could be, no matter how small the output.
What advice would you give this year’s Young Lions?
My advice for creatives competing this year; you'll be exhausted, unsure and stressed out and it's worth every precious second. Best of luck, from wherever your lucky coin comes from.
Vlady Gerasimov; 2014 Gold Film Winner
Above: Gerasimov's winning film, a spec spot for Barnardo's
Tell us about your winning entry...
We were briefed by an Australian charity organization that deals with child abuse, which has apparently been a big problem in the country. Their previous campaigns did not get the traction they needed, so the organization decided to approach the problem from another angle. All of their previous campaigns were centred around highlighting how dramatic the problem is, often showing victims of abuse, scary statistic and providing sinister facts about the issue. So, they decided to try a different approach, in which the problem would be tackled not through drama/scare tactics, hoping that without gruesome visuals and statistics, they could capture people’s attention, instead of inducing aversion. Even though the brief explicitly stated that the perpetrators should not be shown on camera, in the end, we ended up doing exactly that. It was a risk on our part, but we believed our idea captured people’s attention, pointed very neatly to the heart of the problem, yet maintained a lighthearted feel to it. We used the stereotype and misconception that Australia’s animal life was responsible for the most deaths on the continent to create a twist and use it to drive the message deeper into people’s minds.
How has winning a Young Lion affected your career?
Shortly after winning the award, I was promoted in the agency I was working at – Noble Graphics/TBWA affiliate. My focus there shifted from being client service/agency producer to being agency producer and dealing exclusively with our video production needs. This in turn allowed me to hone my professional skills, develop a network and grow my portfolio. Later, I quit the agency to join Angel Ivanov in his efforts to create a new type of production company, Hand Played, and we have been working together ever since, continuously growing our business, expanding our team and professional network. Considering the fact that up until yesterday, I had never compiled my own CV, I’ve had very little opportunities in actually banking on the award itself, it rarely comes up, as I am not the type to point it out. However, the recognition among industry professionals (and not only) and press coverage (as Zhelez Atanasov and I were the first Bulgarians to win an award at the Cannes Lions Festival) have been more than kind to us, creating new opportunities for growth as well as helping younger generations of advertising/marketing aspirants understand that this feat is absolutely achievable. So in a way, I believe and hope that it also helped other people’s careers.
What advice would you give this year’s Young Lions?
Use every tool at your disposal, don’t waste a second and rely on your creative concept, instead of its execution. If an idea is interesting enough, audiences will barely notice the execution.
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