Media, marketer semi-finalists announced for Young Lions

The winning teams, who will represent Canada on the world stage, will be announced at the upcoming CMDC Summit April 24.
By Bree Rody
April 5, 2019

Five teams have been announced in both the media and marketer categories for The Globe and Mail‘s Young Lions competition. The winning teams, to be announced at the upcoming CMDC Summit on April 24 in Toronto, will go on to represent Canada at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in June.

In total, 150 media teams and 54 marketer teams competed.

Media semi-finalists are:

  • Mindshare Canada: “Drop the ‘Phone’ (They’re Not Using It Anyway)” – Kenon Mak (senior marketer, digital investment) and Laura Donaldson (director of marketing services, Mindshare Canada);
  • Touché!: “The Venting Machine” – Anne Sophie Vachon (strategist) and Antoine Nguyen (media strategist);
  • Cossette Media: “Call/Text 6-1-1” – Marios Syntetos (planner) and Lukas Levert (media planner);
  • Cossette Media/Jungle Media: “Imaginary Friend” – Alessia Grosso (media manager, Cossette) and Robert Ebach (programming strategist, Jungle);
  • Mediacom Canada: “Are you Okay?” – Stephanie Landicho (account manager) and Maklouf Mohamed, Jr. (strategist)

Marketer semi-finalists and cases are:

  • Telus: “Pulse Check” – Kevin Degruijter (brand manager, Bud Light, Labatt Breweries of Canada) and Alyssa Sudac (senior marketing and communications manager, Telus);
  • Band Aid: “First Aid Kit” – Keir Sullivan (assistant brand manager, Tylenol, Johnson & Johnson) and Shayne Gelbard (senior assistant brand manager, Johnson & Johnson);
  • Gatorade: “G-Code” – Christian Alaimo (marketing manager, PepsiCo Canada) and Jacob MacDonald (marketing manager, PepsiCo Canada);
  • Doritos: “Difference” – Alexander Levy (assistant marketing manager, PepsiCo Canada) and Alannah Lipset (associate marketing manager, PepsiCo Canada);
  • Labatt/MLSE: “Basketball Diaries” – Michelle Skea (brand manager, Labatt Breweries of Canada) and Aalum Jaffer (manager of strategy, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment)

Live judging took place at The Globe and Mail offices in Toronto on April 3 and 4. OMD Canada CEO Cathy Collier served as jury chair for the media category. Collier remarked that this year’s media entries “brought a sharper focus” on the results that great ideas and solutions can deliver. The remaining category finalists will be announced next week, and all winners will also be announced at the April 24 event.

As the competition host, The Globe and Mail will cover delegate passes, flights and accommodations for the annual event in the south of France for the gold-winning teams of each Canadian competition category.