Cannes Lions has announced the lineup of 15 women selected for this year’s See It Be It program. Chosen from over 760 global applicants, the women will receive a complete Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity pass, travel and accommodation courtesy of the Festival, along with an exclusive program of events, workshops and mentoring with some of the most respected industry leaders.
Louise Benson, VP of Festivals, Cannes Lions and executive lead of See It Be It, commented, “See It Be It is a key pillar of Cannes Lions’ response to the gender imbalance in the creative communications community and an active attempt to change the industry and the world for the better. Now in its sixth year we are starting to see the positive effects of the program, as many of the global alumnae are not only achieving great personal success but also going on to drive and champion positive change in their markets. We are delighted to support these 15 women from across the world and look forward to seeing them grow and become inspiring leaders.”
The initiative addresses the lack of female creative leaders by identifying and facilitating the development of talented creative women, bringing them to the attention of the industry. In partnership with global sponsor, Spotify, the program supports women to attain positions of seniority and drive further change as advocates and enlightened leaders.
2019 See It Be It Ambassador Swati Bhattacharya, chief creative officer of FCBULKA, set this year’s theme asking women to “Invite Yourself”. Building on the 2018 theme of “Leading from within” Swati challenges this year’s finalists, and the industry at large, to create space for themselves, and others, to participate in a meaningful and balanced way.
The 2019 See It Be It finalists are:
Ana Luna, Creative Director, CIRCUS, Mexico
Luna has worked in advertising for seven years, creating campaigns for some of the world’s biggest brands including Netflix, Nike and P&G, where she won the Cannes Lions Health & Wellness Grand Prix for Always’ “Intimate Words” in 2015. Driven by her belief in advertising as a catalyst for cultural transformation, she continues to create campaigns that help brands to connect with and inspire their audiences.
Carla Padovani, Senior Creative Copywriter, McCann Santiago, Chile
After winning multiple creative competitions and lecturing on creativity and copywriting at Universidad Siglo 21, Padovani operates as a senior copywriter at McCann Santiago. Motivated by the ability to improve society through effective communication, Padovani uses her position to create work that can raise awareness, open up dialogue and make changes to social injustices.
Cécile Pimont, Senior Copywriter/ACD, Freelance, France
Pimont is a freelance senior copywriter fighting for better representation of the LGBTQIA+ community. Through connecting with other like-minded women, Pimont hopes to see a rise in work that share more diverse stories and the creation of a world where everybody feels included.
Devon Williamson, Art Director, Cheil, Canada
As an art director working with clients such as Human Rights Watch, TD Wealth and Samsung, Williamson appreciates the opportunities to create impactful work that challenges stigma, empowers and inspires. In 2018 she won 13 Cannes Lions for her work on PFLAG Canada’s Destination Pride, an online platform that helps LGBTQ+ gain acceptance around the world.
Gabriela Guerra, Senior Creative Copywriter, Freelance, Singapore
Having started her career as a copywriter in Brazil, Guerraa took the decision to go freelance and work on projects that mattered to her. She believes the industry needs to practice equality with the same energy it speaks and creates. She co-created Fair Lions, a petition to make the Brazilian Young Lions competition more diverse and representative.
Hira Mohibullah Amin, Creative Director, BBDO Pakistan
With over 150 international awards to her name, Amin’s work focuses on using the power of advertising to impact positive social change in the country. She pioneers change by empowering her teams and clients to push disruptive ideas. As a working mother and female creative, she urges brands to fight against patriarchy and gender inequality with projects including; #ChangeTheClap, led by APTN and UN Women Pakistan’s initiative #BridalUniform.
Jessica Toye, Creative Director, Virtue, USA
Having explored multiple areas of business, Toye now leads and mentors a team of diverse creatives. Driven by her tenacity and desire to progress, Toye has been awarded by international creative competitions and has achieved recognition as one of The One Club & 3% Conference’s “Next Creative Leaders” and among the 4A’s “100 People Who Make Advertising Great”.
Josie Fox, Senior Creative, Special Group, Australia
Fox’s role often requires her to play a copywriter, designer, photographer and most recently, an animator. With a belief that more women should feel empowered to back themselves and challenge the status quo, Fox is an AWARD school tutor who helps and inspires students to continue their pursuit of creative greatness.
Liz Cartwright, Creative Director, TBWAChiatDay, USA
As creative director at TBWAChiatDay, Cartwright has worked on iconic campaigns, including the Gatorade film “Like a Mother,” inspired by Serena Williams which received international recognition. She’s also been named one of Business Insider’s “30 Most Creative Women” and The One Club & 3% Conference’s “Next Creative Leaders”.
Manoti Jain, Chief Operating Officer, Supari Studios, India
At the age of 22, Jain set up Supari Studios sensing a gap in the country’s digital media market. Since then she has helped the company grow into one of the leading content studios in India, winning international awards and building a global audience for brands such as Red Bull, Estee Lauder Companies, Warner Bros. Records, Google, Twitter and Dolby. She strides to create content at the intersection of film, design and technology that is empowering and relevant to audiences.
Nimo Awil, Senior Creative, POKE London, United Kingdom
Awil is an award-winning senior creative from Toronto, who mainly grew up in Abu Dhabi and currently lives and works in London. Her work spans a variety of brands including Dove, EE, American Express and The International Olympic Committee. She believes in the power of storytelling, using creativity to solve problems and has a particular interest in how advertising can promote positive change.
Rachel Kennedy, Art Director, 180 Kingsday, The Netherlands
As a sr. art director, Kennedy works on global and pan-European campaigns for a broad spectrum of brands that range from automotive to fashion, pharmaceutical, food and beverage and non-profit.. Kennedy hopes to challenge the gender imbalance within management and leaderships roles and help other women rise to the top. A fierce believer that creativity can solve any problem, she’s passionate about doing work for social good with ideas that change lives.
Ruxandra Drilea, Senior Copywriter, Publicis, Romania
Drilea is a creative who’s passionate about comedy, entertainment and illustration. She aims to change the perception about millennials in the industry with hard work, plenty of humour and by mentoring young girls through IAA. Her goal is to create binge-worthy creative content that reaches a wide audience, be it an integrated campaign or an SNL sketch. She has a huge ambition to become an agent of change, by becoming the first female creative director of her agency and passing on her insights of the industry to fellow young, aspiring creatives.
Yaa Boateng, Creative Director, The Storytellers, Ghana
Boateng is an award-winning creative with over 65 industry recognitions. She was part of a team of seasoned and talented individuals who came together in 2018 to start Renegades Africa, an agency that connects brands to customers in exciting and unconventional ways. In 2018, she was nominated for her outstanding achievements in Ghana’s prestigious 40 Under 40 Awards in the category Advertising, Communications, Sales and Marketing. Boateng believes networking and learning from other female creatives will help to create recognition for women’s successes in the industry.
Yaprak Gultay, Team Lead for Service Design, Fjord, Sweden
Gultay is a hands-on designer, a driver of creative thought leadership and has been a creative force behind work for notable clients, including Hilton Honors, IKEA, Etisalat and Sony Playstation. She wants to see a change in the industry’s perception of women and believes this can only be done by uniting the industry’s female leaders.
