Young, Bold and Silver: Notes from two Aussie Young Lions in Cannes
Keira Spencer and Jenney Kim are Marketing Managers at Google Australia. Brought together by fate — and a shared love of big ideas — they teamed up for the Australian Young Lions competition. The result? A partnership that made it all the way to Cannes. Here, Keira and Jenney reflect on their victorious time in Cannes.
Ask anyone who’s been: Cannes isn’t just about the work — it’s about the world around it.
And this year, ten Australian Young Lions experienced all of it. The scale. The sparkle. The realisation that entire luxury hotels can be rebranded by adtech companies overnight.
Our team? Nine brilliant women — and Lewis: creative, hat aficionado, and legendary ally. Together, we cracked the national rounds of the Young Lions competition to earn our spot in Cannes. So if you’re wondering where the future of Australian creativity is headed, let’s just say the odds are looking decidedly female.
Of course, AI was the unofficial theme of the week — name-dropped on nearly every stage. Sometimes with optimism, sometimes with eye-rolls. But one thing was clear: it’s not going away. And with the right creative minds behind it, AI isn’t a threat — it’s a tool.
Then came the global round — the real test. A 24-hour creative sprint against the best young talent from around the world. One brief. One day. Plenty of coffee. Just a splash of rosé. In the end, we took home silver in Marketing — and the rest of Team Australia swept up too, earning a bronze in Digital and two shortlists in Film and Media. Proof that big ideas (and very little sleep) can still go a long way.
And yes, the industry has its fair share of uncertainty — shrinking budgets, shifting platforms, constant change. But a week in Cannes is a reminder of what still makes this industry great: energy, ambition, and the belief that creativity can cut through anything.
Here’s to bold teams, braver ideas, and the privilege of being part of a business that still knows how to dream — especially when it comes with a side of silver.
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