National CineMedia, U.S. Representative for Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Announces the Launch of the 2023 Young Lions Competition

Rhea-AI Summary

The U.S. Representative for Cannes Lions and cinema advertising leader, National CineMedia (NCM), has announced the launch of the 2023 Young Lions Competition, with registration open from January 9 to February 3. NCM's inaugural campaign, Represent!, aims to empower diverse young creatives under 30. The initiative includes in-cinema media support highlighting Young Lions competitors, airing a promotional spot in theaters nationwide. This campaign underscores NCM's commitment to diversity and engagement in the creative industry.

Positive

• Launch of the 2023 Young Lions Competition supports young creatives.
• NCM's campaign Represent! focuses on diversity and inclusion.
• In-cinema national media support for Young Lions competitors enhances visibility.
• New sponsorship packages available for brands to support the Young Lions program.

Negative

• None.

NCM Deepens Investment to Support and Elevate Diverse Young Creatives with First Cannes Lions Marketing Campaign, Represent!

Registration Opens January 9^th

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The U.S. Representative for Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and largest cinema advertising network, National CineMedia (NCM®), announces the launch of the 2023 Young Lions Competition. Registration begins today, January 9^th, and is open through February 3^rd at https://canneslions.ncm.com/young-lions.

The 2023 Young Lions competition opens the door to up-and-coming creative professionals, with an intense focus on smart, strategic, original ideas across disciplines, and an increased emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion. It is the most prestigious creative competition for today’s rising stars in the creative, media, PR and digital industries.

For the past eight years, NCM has been the U.S. Representative for Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, which includes leading the US Young Lions Competition. This year, NCM is launching its first Young Lions campaign, Represent!, to strengthen participation and further elevate young, diverse professionals who benefit from this program. The campaign encourages today’s creative trailblazers age 30 and under to showcase their talents and put the advertising, media and marketing industries on notice, representing themselves, their agencies, and the very best of what the next generation has to offer.

“Our new Young Lions Campaign, Represent!, is all about giving young talent the opportunity to challenge themselves and be celebrated. We love how the Young Lions program aligns with NCM’s young, diverse moviegoing audiences and are excited to deepen our investment and collaboration with Cannes Lions to further market and promote the next generation of creative leaders,” shares Amy Tunick, Chief Marketing Officer at NCM.

For the first time, NCM will be donating in-cinema national media to support Represent! across its network of theaters – AMC, Regal, Cinemark, Harkins and 50+ additional affiliates. The flight will air a 60-second spot featuring Young Lions competitors and Team USA, comprised of the 2023 winners across the Film, Digital, Media, PR and Print competitions. It will run in movie theaters across the country in June to support Team USA in advance of their journey to Cannes, France for the global Young Lions competition. The spot serves to make Young Lions participants famous on the big screen, promoting and celebrating all of their efforts leading up to the international festival.

NCM is also now offering new ways for brands and agencies to get involved with the Young Lions program with customized, integrated sponsorship packages to further support and fund the Young Lions experience.

Jenni Middleton, SVP/Editor-in-Chief, LIONS, said, “We are delighted to be bringing the Young Lions competitions back to their home in Cannes this year. The competitions really are the engine room of the industry and highlight what matters most to the next generation of creative talent; there is nothing else that spotlights fresh talent on such a global scale and it’s always incredibly humbling to see how many careers are fueled by this opportunity – and how many future Lions winners are inspired by this program. For 2023 we’ve reimagined the on-site experience to ensure that it delivers on learning, connection, and celebration; as requested by our Young Lions community. Alongside this, the work that NCM is doing to elevate the competitions is fantastic to see and we are grateful to their commitment.”

Each Young Lions winner is granted a fully comped Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity experience (travel, accommodations and passes) thanks to U.S. Young Lions sponsors and key agency partners: Film – Pereira & O’Dell; Digital – Digitas; Media – UM; PR – Weber Shandwick; Print – NCM.

For more information about the Cannes Lions Young Lions Competition, go to: https://canneslions.ncm.com/young-lions

About National CineMedia, Inc.

National CineMedia (NCM) is America’s Movie Network. As the largest cinema advertising network in the U.S., we unite brands with young, diverse audiences through the power of movies and popular culture. NCM’s Noovie® pre-show is presented exclusively in 47 leading national and regional theater circuits including AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE:AMC), Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CNK) and Regal Entertainment Group (a subsidiary of Cineworld Group PLC, LON: CINE). NCM’s cinema advertising network offers broad reach and unparalleled audience engagement with over 20,100 screens in over 1,600 theaters in 195 Designated Market Areas® (all of the top 50). NCM Digital and Digital-Out-Of-Home (DOOH) go beyond the big screen, extending in-theater campaigns into online, mobile, and place-based marketing programs to reach entertainment audiences. National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ:NCMI) owns a 74.6% interest in, and is the managing member of, National CineMedia, LLC. For more information, visit www.ncm.com and www.noovie.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230109005177/en/

Pam Workman

Pam.workman@ncm.com

Source: National CineMedia, Inc.

FAQ

What is the purpose of NCM's Young Lions Competition?

The Young Lions Competition aims to support and elevate young creative professionals, emphasizing diversity, equity, and inclusion.

When does registration for the Young Lions Competition open?

Registration opens on January 9 and closes on February 3.

Which companies are involved in supporting NCM's Young Lions campaign?

NCM collaborates with AMC, Regal, Cinemark, and over 50 affiliates to support the campaign.

What does the <i>Represent!</i> campaign entail?

The Represent! campaign promotes young creatives and showcases their talents through a national in-cinema media spot.

How does NCM support young creatives through the competition?

NCM offers sponsorship packages and provides in-cinema media exposure to promote Young Lions competitors.