PH creatives head to the 2026 Cannes Young Lions Competition

The Philippines is once again set to compete on the global creative stage as Propel Manila’s Sofia Jayme and Arvin “Ching” Chingcuangco prepare to represent the country at the 2026 Cannes Young Lions Digital Competition in France this June.

The duo earned the honor after outperforming 64 other teams from agencies nationwide during the 4As Creative Guild of the Philippines’ Young Lions x Young Spikes local competition. Participants were tasked to develop a digital campaign encouraging Filipino parents to engage their children in tactile play and reduce screen time. Jayme and Chingcuangco’s winning idea, “Read Between the Lines,” used children’s handwriting as a signal to identify early signs of limited hands-on play through an AI-powered platform.

Their victory marks Propel Manila’s second consecutive year representing the country in the prestigious competition, following the agency’s strong 2025 performance, in which its team placed seventh out of 53 global entries and earned shortlist recognition.

The Cannes Young Lions Competition is regarded as one of the advertising industry’s most prestigious global platforms for emerging creative talent, bringing together young creatives from around the world to compete and showcase innovative ideas on an international stage.