MANILA, PHILIPPINES — The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is fast approaching and the community is looking forward to a whole week of not only celebrating award-worthy works, but also exploring groundbreaking ideas and learning from some of the world’s most inspiring talents. This is especially true for the young professionals who have been chosen to join the Creative Academy, an opportunity of the lifetime that McCann Worldgroup Philippines Senior Copywriter Andrea Del Rosario will embark on next month.
This June, Andrea will be flying to Cannes as one of the 30 deserving participants making up this year’s Creative Academy, a group of exemplary creative professionals under 30 who will gather for an immersive week-long program.
“I didn’t think I got in because there was no news for a while. But after a few weeks, I got an email and couldn’t believe it,” Andrea shared. “I got in? Out of 200 applicants all over the world? I cried as soon as I saw the email.”
Along with the rest of the Academy, she will engage in immersive sessions led by some of the world’s greatest creative and business rockstars, have access to a valuable network of previous Academy participants, and be challenged to elevate and evolve their skills and ideas further.
It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience that she couldn’t skip out on applying for. So, when the McCann regional office sent her an email about the LIONS Scholarship over a month ago, she made it a point to apply.
“The deadline was right before Adfest, so I really had to finish everything before flying out,” Andrea recalled. “The process involved answering the question of ‘what creativity means for you,’ a two-minute video explaining why you should be chosen, and a recommendation letter. After triple checking everything, I sent over my application and crossed my fingers.”
In her video application where she answered the prompt on why she deserved to be chosen, she told the Academy, “I don’t want to say I ‘deserve’ a space in the Academy, because I’m not so sure if I do. In a global landscape, I always feel so little compared to everyone else. So, I’ll say this: I want to take a space in the Academy, as a way to bring the Filipina to the table. I want for the world to see us as more than just our hospitality, or food or voices. Because we’ve shown our hearts, but now I want to show our minds. We can think digital. We can think innovation.We can offer creativity as an export.”
It’s no surprise that Andrea was a fitting candidate for the challenge. As someone who has been an award-winning member of the industry for almost eight years as a young creative and has gained recognition for her storytelling skills even back when she was a student, she’s no stranger to what creativity is and the true power behind it.
“Creating ideas that solves problems. I was able to launch campaigns that lifted the spirits of Filipinos during the saddest times in our history,” she said in her application. “Creating ideas that moves people. I sought to serve our community, even if I’m not a doctor, scientist or engineer. Creating ideas that inspire change. Creativity saved them.”
Not only did Andrea secure a spot in the Creative Academy, her trip will also be be fully funded since she is one of the five Scholarship winners. The fully paid scholarship was launched this year to celebrate the 70th edition of Cannes Lions and to uplift underrepresented talent in the industry.
“Andy’s application for the Scholarship was outstanding and we are delighted that she will be joining the programme this year,” said Cannes Lions Learning Program Executive Olivia Fitton-Brown. “As a Scholarship winner, Andy’s trip to join the Academy at this year’s Festival is fully funded by LIONS.”
“We have so much more to offer the world — I want to see someone like me, on the stage of Cannes,” she said in her application video, addressing Cannes’ mission to elevate its diversity through this scholarship. “[I want to see someone like me] so that future generations of talent from my country can say that they deserve a space in the Academy.”
This year’s participants were chosen by the Academy Dean and LIONS Festival leadership who reviewed every applicant from around the world. The chosen young professionals for the 30 seats of the academy will gather to network, explore, learn, and innovate at The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity from June 19 to June 23, 2023.
