By Teja Medvešček and Lovro Frece, Slovenian Competitors for Young Lions 2025
When the jury announced the name of our campaign at the finals of Slovenian Young Lions competition, we could hardly believe it. As the only non-agency team to make it into the top 10, we were already thrilled just to be there, so when they called our names, we were left speechless.
The idea of going to Cannes took a few weeks to sink in. Along with tickets to the world’s biggest creativity festival, we were also invited to speak at SOF – Slovenian Advertising Festival – and that occupied our minds more at the moment. But as June approached, so did the realization of what a huge opportunity this was. The excitement grew as we explored the programme and learned about a festival we previously knew little about. Of course, nerves kicked in too. We wanted to give it our best. But just like in the national competition, we reminded ourselves to not overthink things and trust the same instincts that got us here.
You can’t really “prepare” for the Young Lions competition in the traditional sense. Looking at inspiring case studies helps, but only to the point where they fuel, not limit, your imagination. What helps most is being curious and in touch with what’s happening in the world, and having some real creative experience behind you.
We spent the weeks before Cannes talking to experienced creatives and mentors and got a few pieces of advice. One was not to play it safe, as the best ideas usually seem a little impossible at first. Another is that you have to make your presentation count, as it’s the first time the jury will hear your idea. But above all – the advice we got from everybody we spoke to, even from Stefan Sagmeister himself – was to enjoy the experience, and connect with the brilliant people around you.
We arrived in Cannes at 6 a.m. on Monday (after a painfully long and uncomfortable Flixbus ride) and went straight to the festival. The scale and prestige of the event blew us away. It truly felt like the place where the world’s top creative minds gather. Soon after the opening, we attended the Young Lions Inspiration session, where we heard some encouraging words from major voices in the industry and, most importantly, met other Young Lions from across the globe. These were not just our competitors, but our inspiration and soon, our friends. Seeing creative talent from such diverse cultural backgrounds left a lasting impression.
Our Digital category competition began Tuesday afternoon. The brief dropped in our Slack group and was followed by a live presentation at the Palais’ basement stage. The client: Bee:wild, a global campaign for the protection of wild bees. Their goal? Spark real cultural relevance for wild bees among Gen Z, who are passionate, digital-first, and love to turn niche causes into global trends.
At first, the brief seemed super fun (especially compared to the insurance client brief in the Slovenian finals). But the more we read it, the more complex it started to seem. The challenge wasn’t just to raise awareness, it was to start a movement, digitally. We spent over half of our 24-hour window searching for the perfect insight, constantly refining and adjusting.
Eventually, we landed on a bold idea that we believed could resonate well with Gen Z: The Great Wild Pollinate-Off. We proposed a week-long, Twitch-exclusive global event where streamers play a Flappy Bird-style game as wild bees, pollinating native flowers and dodging threats like pesticides. Viewers interact with or sabotage their favourite streamers through chat, subs, and donations, making game play fun, clippable and shareable. Every donation supports Bee:wild and sends viewers a packet of wildflower seeds, transforming digital chaos into real-world impact, physical rewilding. It’s conservation, reimagined as entertainment. Donations become mechanics. Education becomes reactions. Fans become activists, one chaotic tap at a time.
Even though our campaign didn’t make the shortlist, we’re incredibly proud of what we created, and honoured that we got to compete on such a big stage. Our fellow competitors found the brief cute but challenging as well.
The winning campaign in our category was The Wildest Profile by the South Korean team – a brilliant Tinder activation. Norway placed second with Running Wild (a Strava-based idea), followed by AirBnBee from the Australians. Despite the competitive setting, there was support among us, we rooted for each other and celebrated together.
We learnt a lot from the experience. Above all we got to see how creativity is approached around the world. Talking to other creatives, designers, strategists, copywriters, helped put our own process into perspective and chase away imposter syndrome.Everyone was open, curious, and excited to connect. That spirit of openness is something we’ll try to carry forward.
We also learned that you have to push beyond the obvious. Boldness matters. Ideas that make people feel something are the ones that stick and promote action. Browsing through the exhibition of awarded work, a maze of brilliant presentation boards, was like walking through a live archive of creative excellence. And watching the award shows felt like a masterclass in insight, storytelling, and execution.
The talks we attended were equally inspiring. AI is no longer discussed as a future threat but as a normal part of the creative process. We especially enjoyed branding insights from Rei Inamoto, listened to Greg Hahn and Jeff Goodby share what it takes to build an agency from scratch, and were blown away by Brazil’s showreel of case studies.
So are we satisfied? More than satisfied!
Cannes Lions was an unforgettable experience, one that will stay with us both personally and professionally. It gave us additional drive to keep creating, keep pushing, and keep getting better. And yes, we loved every second of it.
