Make an ad. Spread the word. Go to Cannes

Lorraine Twohill, VP of global marketing, Google/YouTube, said: "We are delighted to team up with Cannes Lions, creative agencies and the wider creative community around the world to create a new "YouTube team" entry for the Young Lions film competition. This is a great way to encourage young creatives in traditional media to grasp new media tools and develop an innovative viral campaign for a leading charity."

Next month, YouTube will be running a 48-hour viral film contest - the first of its kind on YouTube - to create an ad for a well-known, international charity whose identity will be kept under wraps until the launch of the contest on 15 May. On 17 May, the competition will close and contestants will then have two weeks to generate as many views possible.

Two winners will be selected by a panel of experts who will judge the ad based on creativity, number of views and video ratings. The winners will unite and receive an all-expenses paid trip to Cannes to attend the International Advertising Festival and a chance to compete as the 38th team in the Young Lions Film competition.

Make an ad

At midnight on 15 May (GMT), YouTube will release a brief for up to a 60-second viral ad aimed at raising awareness for the charity, on www.youtube.com/canneslions. Creatives 28 years of age or under have until midnight of 17 May (GMT) to submit their ad to this channel.

Spread the word

There will be a two-week period between 17 May and 1 June for entrants to create a viral buzz around their video to drive as many public views and votes as possible by whatever means.

Go to Cannes

After 1 June, a panel of advertising experts will judge the shortlisted entries and select two winners based on overall creative execution of the brief and the videos' views, ratings, comments, votes and overall online footprint. The winners will be announced on 5 June: the prize for the two selected winners is an all-expenses paid trip to the festival to take part in the Young Lions Film Competition as Team YouTube - a fantastic exposure for young creatives looking to carve a role in the advertising or film industry.

Launched in 2006, The Young Lions Film Competition is an integral part of the week-long International Advertising Festival which sees teams of two from 37 countries aged 28 or under, who have just 48 hours to shoot and edit a one-minute commercial on behalf of the client - a charity or not-for-profit organisation. The experience is intense but winning can be rewarding both personally and professionally.

YouTube Contest judges:

• Rory Sutherland - vice chairman, Ogilvy One (UK)
  
• Alexandre Gama - chief creative officer and founder, NeoGama BBH (Brazil)
  
• Stéphane Xiberras - president and executive creative director, BETC Euro RSCG (France)
  
• Nick Law - executive VP and chief creative officer North America, R/GA (US)
  
• Yuya Furukawa - executive creative director, Dentsu (Japan)
  
• Ariel Abramovici - copywriter, BBDO Argentina (winner 2008 YL Film competition)
  
• Bruno Acanfora - art director, BBDO Argentina (winner 2008 YL Film competition)

Timeline:

• 15 May, midnight (GMT): brief unveiled by global charity
  
• 17 May, midnight (GMT): submission deadline
  
• 17 May - 1 June: spread the word
  
• 1 June: end of viral period
  
• 5 June: winners announced
  
• 21 - 27 June: go to Cannes - attend the 56th International Advertising Festival and compete in the Young Lions Film Competition.

Make an ad. Spread the word. Go to Cannes. www.youtube.com/canneslions

Other news

In other Cannes Lions news, Hamish McLennan of Y&R Presents is bringing two of the music industry's giants, Roger Daltrey and Harvey Goldsmith, to the festival on Thursday 25 June.

In a rare appearance, Daltrey, the legendary The Who front man turned actor, will grace the Cannes stage along with Harvey Goldsmith, one of the music industry's top impresarios. They will talk about their careers - tales of resisting the usual - supergroups, the change in music and the music business, using music to build brands, and how they've leveraged their art to do good in the world.

The seminar will take place in the Debussy auditorium of the Palais des Festivals in Cannes at 4pm on Thursday, 25 June.