"Huh? Born after June 25, 1986?" Then you should enter the Young Cannes PR category selection!

Great news! Apparently, the Young Cannes competition has been running in the PR category at Cannes Lions since 2014. Yeah, yeah, the PR category has definitely been getting a lot of attention lately. Well, of course it has. What?! And in 2014, the Japanese representative won Gold (the top prize)! Amazing!

So, this year too, a competition for young professionals will be held to decide Japan's national representative. The dates are March 11 (Sat) to 12 (Sun) for two days. The brief will be released at 1:00 PM on the 11th, and proposals must be submitted online by 8:00 PM on the 12th—a mere 31 hours later. It promises a nail-biting sense of speed and urgency.

Expect a fierce battle, no less intense than your daily work. It's a race against time to build the most efficient plan, and a battle against competitors over where to focus your strategy, ideas, and various tactics.

Yet, this battle is fundamentally a battle against oneself. It's about how one can avoid complacency and challenge the limits of one's own ideas right up to the very last moment. In that sense, this Young Cannes challenge is an excellent opportunity to discover new possibilities within oneself under the pressure of short-term, high-intensity work.

Your partner is part of the strategy!

Much like the roles of the straight man and the funny man in a comedy duo, the pairing of the two team members varies greatly. Each has their own agenda, and the judges are actually quite intrigued by this dynamic. The characteristics of the projects vary wildly depending on the pairing: "the one skilled in planning and the one strong in English presentations," or "the one strong in strategy and the one skilled in design." Then, from all the applicants, about 10% of the pairs who pass the first round advance to the second round: an English presentation (5 minutes) + English Q&A (5 minutes). Man, during this exchange, you really get a strong sense of each person's distinct personality shining through. In such a short time, you get a clear sense of what their discussions would be like if they actually worked together. That's how intense those 10 minutes are – a deeply concentrated time flowing between the applicants and the judges. By the way, I couldn't forget this excitement either, so following last year, I'm participating as a judge again this year, hehe.

You don't have to be in the PR department to enter!

Last year, we had 196 entries—a popularity that rivals other categories like Print, Media, Film, Cyber, and Design. Even if you're not deeply immersed in PR day-to-day, this category is accessible if you grasp its essence. So, if you're planning to enter other categories, I really encourage you to apply here too.

Since 2015, the Japan Public Relations Association has also collaborated in selecting the national representatives, positioning it as support for nurturing young talent in both the advertising and PR industries. I hope it becomes a great opportunity to spark interest in PR.

In recent years, the boundaries between categories have blurred. Not only PR professionals, but also young creatives and promotion specialists are actively submitting entries to the PR category. Consequently, the submitted works are deeply considered from various angles, providing us judges with a tremendous learning experience.

Last year's domestic representative pair competed against representatives from 16 countries locally, but unfortunately didn't make the top three. However, after the results were announced, they looked incredibly bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (or so I thought. Well, maybe it was just me...).

People who take on such bold challenges, I imagine, confront themselves in that short time, grapple with their own abilities, and come to understand who they are right now. Wouldn't you like to share that kind of time with us?

Oh, and hey! For those thinking, "This is my first time...", we're also planning a pre-event study session where you'll instantly grasp everything and get super motivated! We've packed it full—from the judging criteria for the Young Cannes PR category in the main competition and introductions to actual award-winning entries, to the story of last year's national representatives' hard-fought journey. And of course, it's free to attend! Even if you've competed in other categories before, come see what the PR category is all about!

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Pre-Event Workshop

Date & Time: Friday, March3, 2016, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM (Doors open at 6:30 PM)

Ven ue: Dentsu Hall, Dentsu Inc. Headquarters, 1-8-1 Higashi-Shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo ( Map )

Regist ration: Please pre-register via the application form

Target Audience: Those considering participation in the Young Lions Competition PR Division

Program
・Greeting from the Jury President (video) and introduction of the jury members
・Explanation of the 2016 Cannes Lions PR Category Judging Criteria
・Trends and Strategies for the 2017 Young Lions Competition PR Category National Selection and Main Competition
・Hear from the 2016 Young Lions National Representatives about their on-site experiences
・Q&A

Speakers
Koichiro Shima (Hakuhodo Kettle) ※Head Judge (Video Appearance)
Kazuaki Hashida (Hakuhodo Kettle)
Tetsuya Honda (Blue Current Japan)
Reina Onoe (Inoue Public Relations)

Guest
Young Lions Competition PR Division - 2016 Japan Representative
Takumi Sekiya (Hakuhodo)
Taro Tanawaki (Hakuhodo)