National CineMedia, the US Representative for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and the largest cinema advertising network in the country, has announced that Gold House, the leading cultural ecosystem that unites, invests in, and champions Asian Pacific creators and companies, as the official non-profit partner for the 2024 US Young Lions competition.
Gold House is featured in the 2024 Young Lions competition brief, which is available to young professionals born on or after June 21, 1993, who registered in one of the following categories: Digital, Film, Media, PR and Print.
The winning teams will receive round-trip airfare and lodging to represent the country as Team USA at the live global competitions taking place at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, held in Cannes, France June 17-21.
Participants will be tasked with crafting an innovative campaign that will propel Gold House's A100 List to new heights, with a special focus on captivating Gen Z audiences around this definitive honor and seminal award event, the Gold Gala. Gold House created the A100 to spotlight the Asian Pacific leaders who are at the forefront of culture — enabling greater socioeconomic opportunities for all. The A100 distills the most impactful contributions that Asian Pacific activists, creatives, business leaders, creators, fashion icons, journalists, athletes, and more have made on American society and beyond. Gold House is committed to implementing at least one competition team’s campaign idea to support their A100 marketing strategy this spring.
“The Asian Pacific community is the fastest-growing racial group in the United States, yet we have been vastly underrepresented and grossly misrepresented in mainstream media,” said Rose Yan, vice president of marketing at Gold House. “Gold House created the A100 to directly combat this history of pernicious stereotypes and erasure from the cultural zeitgeist by showing the world the undeniably impactful brilliance and joy of our community. We’re honored to partner with NCM and the most creative young minds in the US Young Lions competition to expand the reach and influence of the A100.”
This year NCM is further developing the Young Lions community and competition experience with increased programming and networking opportunities. The Interactive Advertising Bureau, the digital media and marketing trade association, is now the Official Young Lions Jury Networking Partner. The partnership will integrate the IAB into the Cannes Lions experience and bring NCM and Young Lions jurors to the 2024 IAB NewFronts this spring for a conversation on creativity and digital content. In addition, all jurors will be invited to the IAB NewFronts Cocktail Reception co-sponsored by NCM on behalf of the Young Lions competition.
Initiative, an IPG Media brands agency, is also on board as an Official Young Lions Event Partner and will be hosting the Team USA Winners Announcement Party in April. Delta Air Lines was recently announced as the first ever Travel Sponsor for the Young Lions competition. Additionally, a new mentorship program featuring webinars from The Coca-Cola Company, Spotify, and Mother, among other leading agencies and brands, is now live for Young Lions community members, including all new 2024 registrants, jurors and sponsors.
“Two years ago, we committed to building out the Young Lions competition brand and experience,” said Amy Tunick, chief marketing officer at NCM. “We recognized the power of NCM’s young, diverse Gen Z audience and how it aligns so perfectly with the next generation of creative leaders. Our goal has been to diversify and expand the ad industry’s involvement and deepen the value we provide to the robust and dynamic community of young creative professionals in the US. We are thankful to our new and returning sponsors and partners from leading industry organizations, agencies and brands for joining NCM in this vision. The US is the largest market for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and together we will continue to grow.”
The sponsors of the Young Lions competition categories are: Pereira O’Dell (Film), Digitas (Digital), UM (Media), Weber Shandwick (PR), and Monotype (Print).
For more information about the Cannes Lions Young Lions competition and a complete lis of the judges, go to: https://www.ncm.com/cannes-lions