Commit To An Idea and Think Fast: Droga5 Creatives' Advice for Entering Young Lions
Cannes Lions is the holy grail for many in the advertising industry, but actually taking home a coveted award is rare, especially for young creatives. That's what makes the story of Casey Clarke and Zac Nairn, the Australian duo who won gold in the Young Lions digital category in 2023, all the more inspiring.
Here, the Droga5 dream team share their hard-won lessons on what it takes to win鈥攁nd how it can change everything.
What are the key ingredients to winning at Cannes?
Casey> Knowing when to commit to an idea, even if you're not 100% sure it's a winner. You鈥檝e got to back yourself early, or you鈥檒l be scrambling at the last minute like so many teams we saw.
Zac> Absolutely. And then you have the time to make that idea as sexy as possible in the presentation. The judges are looking at a lot of boards, so if you can鈥檛 articulate the essence of your idea quickly and compellingly, they鈥檒l move on.
How did you approach the brainstorm鈥攁nd landing the final idea?
Zac> 鈥嬧媁e spent a lot of time crafting the insight and relating it back to the brief and our idea. That leads to another important point: whatever you do, make sure your idea is based on a strong insight derived from the brief. Don鈥檛 just regurgitate the brief.
Tell us about your winning idea and how you brought it to life.
Zac> Our idea was Little Learners League. The brief was about shifting perceptions of early education centres in India鈥攁nd we tapped into India鈥檚 love of sport to reframe the whole conversation.
Casey> We were tossing up between a few ideas at first, but this one stood out as the most unexpected and fun way in. What really made us commit, though, was that it was grounded in real human insight. After that, it was all about nailing the presentation.
What advice would you give this year鈥檚 Young Lions?
Zac> Be ready for the intense pressure of the competition environment. It鈥檚 nothing like working on a brief at home. It鈥檚 loud, it鈥檚 intense, and you鈥檝e got to think fast鈥攚ithout second-guessing yourself.
Casey> And don鈥檛 leave your setup to the last minute. We did, and it was a mess. Get your tech, boards, and everything sorted early so you鈥檙e not stressing when the clock鈥檚 ticking.
How has winning in Cannes impacted your career?
Casey> More than anything, it made us believe in ourselves a little more. We never thought we鈥檇 be able to pull off winning in Australia, let alone on a global stage鈥攗ntil we did. If you鈥檙e thinking about Young Lions in 2025, stop thinking and just do it. You might surprise yourself too.
What new perspectives did Cannes give you on the industry?
Zac> The energy and passion from the other countries, especially the South Americans, was just incredible. Seeing that level of national pride and support for creativity was really eye-opening. It was next level.
Casey> It鈥檚 easy to get jaded by the day-to-day, but Cannes reminds you why you fell in love with the industry in the first place. It鈥檚 the ultimate carrot for young creatives. And let鈥檚 be honest鈥攚e all need a carrot.
Finally鈥攈ow did you celebrate the win?
Casey> A blur of boats, islands, villas, and way too much ros茅鈥 then a mad dash to the Friday night ceremony to get up on stage. Surreal.
Zac> Easily a career highlight. We鈥檝e probably peaked already. But it was an amazing way to cap off what was already a life-changing experience.
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Registrations for Young Lions Australia close next Tuesday 11 March. Learn more and register .
