Dubai Media City, the region’s leading media hub, and Motivate Group in association with Motivate Val Morgan, the official representative of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in the UAE, announced Sumer Kotwal and Gaurav Maitreya as winners of the 16th UAE Young Lions Digital Competition at an awards ceremony that took place at in5 Media in Dubai Production City.
The competition honours young advertising professionals up to 30 years of age. Participating teams, comprising an art director and copywriter, are chosen through a pre-selection process in their respective countries. Teams are then expected to design an integrated social media campaign for a social cause based on a creative brief.
A jury panel comprising Executive Creative Directors and Creative Directors from Dubai’s leading advertising agencies selected Sumer Kotwal (Art Director) and Gaurav Maitreya (Copywriter) – who entered as a freelance team, as the winning team of the 2018 edition. The winners will be flown on an all-expense paid trip to Cannes in France to represent the UAE at the International Young Lions Digital Competition 2018.
This year’s competition drew significant participation from agencies namely FP7, JWT, Saatchi and Saatchi Dubai, Impact BBDO, Serviceplan Middle East, Momentum MENA, Socialize, TBWA, Science & Sunshine, Memac Ogilvy and DDB. The high uptake validates the success and reputation the competition has gained over the years.
Ian Fairservice - Managing Partner & Group Editor in Chief, Motivate Media Group, said: "The fantastic work produced by these young creatives continues to impress me every year. This is our 16th year hosting this competition and I can confidently say that the strength of the region’s talent continues to grow at an extremely fast pace. That’s why we are pleased to be able to give them the opportunity to represent the UAE in Cannes. I wish Sumer Kotwal and Gaurav Maitreya the best of luck, and I’m sure they will be great ambassadors for creativity in our region.”
Majed Al Suwaidi, Managing Director of Dubai Media City, said: “The Young Lions Competition is a globally renowned platform for digital enthusiasts, bringing the youth together to present their creativity. We are proud to once again partner with the UAE Young Lions and Motivate and act as a platform for local talent to be recognised internationally at the Cannes Festival. At Dubai Media City, we have always focused on creating opportunities for our community to be creatively active in Dubai and beyond, with sustained support from in5 media. We thank all the participants for their positive energy, passion and commitment, and our heartiest congratulations to all the winners.”
Recognised as the world’s largest celebration of creativity within the communication’s industry, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity includes five days of award ceremonies, seminars, workshops, master classes, exhibitions, screening and networking. This year’s festival is set to take place from 18 to 22 June in Cannes.
