The UAE jury members will collaborate closely with awarding jurors from 54 markets to recognize and honor outstanding work from around the world at this year’s festival
Cannes Lions has unveiled the cohort of global experts selected to award the world’s finest creative and effective work, setting the standard for excellence this June at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. Among the distinguished jury members announced, this year will feature thirteen representatives from the United Arab Emirates.
The 71st edition of Cannes Lions will witness Leo Burnett’s Kalpesh Patankar serving as the first Jury President for Industry Craft Lions from the MENA region, marking the second consecutive jury representation in two years.
Commenting on the Jury, Simon Cook, CEO of LIONS, said: “We’re delighted to have a balance and breadth of expertise and global representation across our Juries. The Awarding Juries represent the global industry’s leading talent from a diverse range of disciplines, and we welcome the unique perspectives they bring. We thank them for their time, dedication, and care in setting the global creative benchmark for our industry.”
Regarding the Cannes Lions jury panel from the UAE, Ian Fairservice, Managing Partner of Motivate Media Group, said, “We are excited to see the continuous increase in the UAE’s footprint at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. Kalpesh Patankar’s appointment as the second consecutive jury president in two years serves as a clear indication of the creative industry’s development here, steered by a diverse and talented group of experts. This reflects the UAE’s steadfast dedication to upholding standards of excellence and innovation in advertising, marketing, and communications. With a further twelve talented jury members, each bringing their own unique perspectives to the judging process, this is a great representation of our region at the international level.”
The 2024 Awarding Jury Members from the UAE have been named as:
Brand Experience & Activation:
Nayaab Rais, Senior Creative Director, FP7 McCann Dubai
Creative Commerce:
Sebastien Boutebel, Chief Creative Officer, Saatchi & Saatchi ME
Creative Effectiveness:
Islam Eldessouky, Global VP, Creative & Strategy, Coca-Cola TM
Digital Craft:
Stacy Andersen, Head of Digital Transformation & Innovation, Merkle MENAT
Direct:
Saymon Medeiros, Creative Director, and us
Entertainment Lions For Music:
Pierre Carnet, Managing Director, MENA, MassiveMusic
Film:
Camila Venegas Gomez, Associate Creative Director, M&C Saatchi
Industry Craft (Jury President):
Kalpesh Patankar, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett
Media
Elda Choucair, Chief Executive Officer, Omnicom Media Group (MENA)
Pharma
Darius LaBelle, President, BPG Group
PR
Marie Claire Maalouf, Chief Creative Officer, Edelman
Radio & Audio
Federico Fanti, Chief Creative Officer, FP7 McCann Dubai
Titanium
Ali Rez, Chief Creative Officer, Impact BBDO
With shortlisting jury line-up alongside the Luxury & Lifestyle Lions Jury to be announced soon, see the full list of Global Presidents and Awarding Juries here.
Further information on this year’s Festival and the Lions Awards can be found at visit www.canneslions.com
Motivate Media Group and Motivate Val Morgan are the official representatives of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in the UAE.
Source: Cannes Lions
The UAE Cannes Lions Awards Ceremony celebrated the country’s triumph at the 2023 Cannes Lions Festival, with 21 wins across various categories
Motivate Media Group and Motivate Val Morgan – the official representatives of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in the UAE, hosted their annual UAE Cannes Lions Awards Ceremony on Tuesday 12th September 2023 to celebrate this year’s winning agencies.
The 70th edition of the Cannes Lions Festival witnessed the UAE’s active participation with a total of 640 entries from 22 agencies. The UAE distinguished itself by securing a total of 21 Lions, including 1 Grand Prix, 1 Gold, 6 Silver, and 13 Bronze awards, spanning various categories. Notably, the UAE achieved inaugural victories in the categories of Glass: The Lion for Change, Entertainment for Music, and Creative Data. The UAE also amassed an impressive tally of 89 shortlisted entries, solidifying its position as a creative powerhouse on the global stage.
This year’s winners across Print & Publishing, Brand Experience and Activation, Creative Commerce, Creative Data, Creative Strategy, Design, Direct, Entertainment for Music, Health & Wellness, Industry Craft, Media, Outdoor, PR, Radio & Audio, and Glass: The Lion for Change categories included:
*VMLY&R Commerce New York in collaboration with VMLY&R Dubai secured 1 x Silver (Radio & Audio)
Creative heads and their respective team members from this year’s winning agencies gathered for an evening of networking and refreshments, culminating in the prestigious LIONS presentation.
Also in attendance was Jonathan Cruz, who, along with Saymon Medeiros, represented the UAE and And Us at the International Young Lions Digital Competition, as well as Chloe Salloum from the American University in Dubai, who proudly represented the UAE in the Roger Hatchuel Academy student program as part of the Cannes Lions Festival.
This year’s Festival marked a remarkable milestone for the UAE, boasting the largest assembly of jurors to preside over a single festival, totaling 18 esteemed jury members. Particularly noteworthy is Ali Rez from Impact BBDO, who made history by becoming the first Jury President from the MENA region.
Impact BBDO was also presented with the MENA Network of the Year award. This prestigious recognition follows the agency’s consistent performance as the No.1 agency in the Middle East and North Africa at Cannes Lions in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.
Motivate Media Group and Motivate Val Morgan extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the winning agencies, and we eagerly anticipate continued success at the upcoming Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity next year.
