The Advertising Council Australia (ACA) has named the winners of the 2025 Young Lions Competition, who will represent Australia at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in June.
The five winning teams impressed industry juries with their creative flair and ability to deliver under pressure in a competitive final pitch round on Friday.
Tony Hale, CEO of ACA, said Young Lions is all about discovering the very best emerging talent Australia has to offer.
“We’re incredibly proud of this year’s winners and look forward to seeing them compete against more than 70 teams from around the world when they represent Australia on the world stage,” he said.
The judges said digital category winners Amy Morrison and Laura Murphy presented an idea which was smart, timely and culturally spot-on.
The duo said juggling the tight turnarounds with full-time roles in agencies was great preparation for the 48-hour challenge in France.
“Amy and I have both been in the finals in previous years with several partners, so it feels almost even more affirming to stay committed, keep going and be consistent.” Murphy told AdNews.
“We love a bit of competition and want to represent Australia to the best of our ability. But it’s also a cultural hub where all the best creatives come together and there’s so much opportunity to learn from others and connect with people you wouldn’t normally get the chance to.”
Morrison said the competition challenged her to think differently to lots of people who have been given the same brief.
“I submitted in 2021, got nothing. Submitted in 2022, was a finalist. Submitted in 2023, nothing. 2024, also nothing. 2025, I’m a winner and I cannot believe it,” she said.
“I can't wait just to be inspired by all the work and just get amongst what's going on in the industry.
“I’m also excited to work super hard on a brief that’s going to be really competitive in a category that's just insane on the world stage.”
Tara Ford, film jury chair and CCO at Droga5, said the calibre of entries was outstanding.
She told AdNews that the winning team has the right sensibility and talent to represent Australia “extremely well” on the global stage.
“To take a brief, create a full-blown film in just a few days, and then come and present it – it’s quite a difficult process,” she said.
“It was great doing the in-person presentations because we got a chance to really interrogate the skills and thinking behind the film. We were really impressed by the talent we saw.
“I think it’s such a great program, especially for Australia, because so few young creatives get to go to Cannes. I feel really honoured to be part of it.”
This year’s entrants responded to a brief for award-winning sustainability app Saveful.
Kim McDonnell, co-founder of Saveful, said it was inspiring to see the fresh perspectives and creative solutions which the Young Lions presented.
“The brief for Young Lions was to help amplify awareness of Saveful and get 100,000 Australians to download and use the app,” she told AdNews.
“We know that 83% of Aussie families are feeling the pinch with the cost-of-living crisis, yet 70% of everything that goes into our rubbish bin, from a food perspective, is still perfectly edible.
“So Saveful is an amazing tool to help Australian families put more food on their tables by using ingredients they already have at home in their fridge, freezer and pantry.”
The jury said marketing category winners Keira Spencer and Jenney Kim delivered a clear, insight-driven idea backed by strong rationale and bold thinking.
The pair told AdNews that the competition was tough and really challenged them to “think outside the box”.
“We're super excited to be heading to Cannes,” Spencer said.
“It’s Jenny’s first time doing the competition. It's my third time in the national finals, so to finally break through is very exciting.
“We’re excited to compete for Australia and to see industry leaders that once we only dreamed of.”
2025 winners
Media – Elizabeth Nan Tie & Tayla Orr – Nine with ‘#savethecrust’
Marketing – Keira Spencer & Jenney Kim – Google Australia with ‘Fridge First Bonus’
Digital – Amy Morrison & Laura Murphy – M+C Saatchi with ‘FAST-ER FOOD’
Film – Loz Maneschi & Lewis Clark – Cocogun with ‘Choose Me Again’
PR – Annabel Begeng & Lily Lazzarotti – Thinkerbell with ‘The Helpful Hot Potato’
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