Judy Bakieh and Sarah Alsalem, Account managers at Gambit Communications in Dubai, have won this year’s Cannes Young PR Lions competition, making them the first in the region.
This year’s competition brief was given by EcoTree, an NGO that manages forests and ecosystems, where they asked competitors to create a PR strategy to effectively communicate their carbon credits offerings.
At the global final, Judy and Sarah competed against 28 national winners, with their campaign #BestBadInvestment and were named the world’s best young PR creatives.
Monika Fourneaux, Head of PRCA EMEA, said: “PRCA MENA annually organises the regional Young Lions PR competition, which acts as a stepping stone to the Cannes competition. This year, Gambit Communications in Dubai showcased their expertise and stood out among numerous participating agencies to secure the victory.”
Judy Bakieh, said: “We knew that the Cannes PR Young Lions would be an opportunity for us to break some of the global stereotypes around Middle Eastern women and showcase the talent, passion and potential that exists across the region. I hope this win encourages young talent to get here and show what they can do.”
“We came to Cannes with one objective – bring home a Gold and we did that. We knew we had 24 hours to put together a global campaign, competing against the best young minds from around the world. We needed to be brave enough to take risks and be decisive in our creative decisions.” added, Sarah Alsalem.
Khaled Al Shehhi, Executive Director of Marketing and Communications at UAE Government Media Office, commented: “This accomplishment reflects our robust ecosystem that supports, encourages and helps young creatives to unleash their full potential.”
