IAPI officially launched the 2025 Cannes Young Lions at a special event held in TU Dublin in Grangegorman today, Friday February 21, which attended by over 200 advertising industry professionals and students.
At the event, IAPI announced the two chosen charity partners it will work with this year.
The chosen charity for the Design, Film and Media categories is ADHD Ireland, a charity dedicated to providing up-to-date information, resources and community building opportunities to individuals with ADHD.
The chosen charity for Digital, PR, Print and Young Marketers, meanwhile, is Spinal Injuries Ireland, the only support and service agency in Ireland for people who have sustained a spinal cord injury.
According to Ken Kilbride, CEO, ADHD Ireland: “ADHD Ireland are honoured to have been selected to submit a brief for this year’s Young Lions competition. We have long seen the need to reframe ADHD for Irish society, and we are genuinely excited to see the creative response from the teams to our brief!”.
“We were delighted to have been chosen by IAPI for the Cannes Young Lions. It is such a special and unique opportunity to get some of the brightest minds in advertising working with us and thinking about inclusion for people with spinal cord injuries,” said Fiona Bolger, CEO, Spinal Injuries Ireland.
“We are looking forward to seeing the responses to the brief and the ideas they will have around helping us empower people with spinal cord injuries and the wider disability community.”
Similar to previous years, the participants will have the opportunity to collaborate with these charities to develop innovative campaigns that raise awareness and support their key initiatives. Working under a tight deadline, they have until midnight on Sunday 23rd February to submit their work.
The competition winners will be provided with an all-expenses paid trip to the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, 16th – 20th June, to represent Ireland. Shortlisted teams will be revealed in March.
According to Katherine Ryan, communications and programme director, IAPI: “This is a golden opportunity for young professionals to showcase their talent and creativity on a global stage. Wherever you’re at in your creative career, coming to Cannes Lions will leave you with unmatched learnings, experiences and connections. The winners of the Irish competition will proceed to Cannes to learn from the biggest ideas, meet like-minded people and get inspired by the best.”
This year’s sponsors include Bauer Media Group, Bodacious, Business Post, Droga5 Dublin, Sky Media Ireland and Smurfit Westrock.
