In a room filled with 60 young professional creatives, the
mood is one of excitement and a bit of nerves.
On Saturday morning, young creatives were set for the official kickoff of
the Cannes Young Lions Competitions.
The two-day competition will be held at EABL headquarters this Saturday and end
on Sunday, March 9, 2025.
There is a wave of emotions among young creatives as they are eager to showcase their talent on a global stage.
For some, it was the thrill to be chosen, and for others, it
was a chance to push boundaries and grow.
For Francis Kimathi, who is competing in the digital
category, the journey is as much about the experience as it is about winning.
Kimathi is a digital enthusiast passionate about online
platforms, campaigns, and gaming, he is stepping into the competition with a
mix of nerves and excitement.
"I'm a bit nervous, but I'm okay," he admits.
"Aiming to put my best foot forward. Honestly, I just
want to have fun through the event. I hope my project becomes a bigger venture
to help me grow my business."
With teams competing in groups of two, Francis knows
collaboration will be key.
But above all, he’s looking forward to immersing himself in
the creative energy of the event.
Tinashi Mwaniki and Maissy Wairimu of the design category
said it felt like home entering into the competition.
"We’re both in
the design space, so it was quite a fast decision," Wairimu explained.
The duo first saw the competition announcement on Instagram and, without hesitation, took a leap of faith to apply to be part of it.
What was their reaction to being selected? Cool and collected.
"We weren’t surprised when they chose us. It was cool,”
Mwaniki noted.
Despite having mixed feelings as the event approaches, their
expectations are simple: have fun, vibe with people around us, and create
content.
For Chrys and his partner Mwaki Oringa, the competition is a chance to make an impression while embracing creativity.
Chrys explains how he saw the opportunity for the Cannes
Young Lions competitions on LinkedIn and immediately talked to Oringa about it.
"I walked up to him and asked him, 'do you want to do something crazy, I guess before we die?'".
They described it as "cool" that they were among
the chosen competitors.
Like the rest of the competitors, these two are aiming to not only win the competition but also have fun.
The event has brought together 60 of the country’s most
promising creatives, offering them a unique opportunity to showcase their talent
on an international stage.
The competition will provide a platform for emerging talent
in advertising, design and digital media.
With three competitive categories—digital, design and
print—each featuring 10 teams of two, participants will put their skills to the
test with just 24 hours to create and present a campaign for an NGO, charity or
purpose-driven organization.
As these young professionals battle it out for a coveted
spot at the Cannes Lions Festival in France, Safaricom steps in as a key
enabler of their journey.
The telecommunications giant, serving as the title sponsor,
plays a crucial role in integrating innovation into the competition.
