Brand Marketing Academy

Supercharge your creativity, and your leadership.

Want to unlock the power of creativity for your brand and for yourself? Apply to our certificate programme for top marketing talent today,

Each year, we select 30 marketing applicants aged 30 or under from around the world. We search for talent in brand management, communications, design, media, publishing, technology and consulting.

Academy overview

Our six-day certificate programme at Cannes Lions offers you the opportunity to learn firsthand from the world’s biggest brands and leaders – including chief marketing officers, chief strategy officers, creative directors, design directors, communication executives and media executives.

Additionally, as a graduate, you’ll have the opportunity to join the Cannes Lions Brand Marketing Academy Network and enjoy regular follow-up sessions and networking with peers around the world.

Discover the secrets behind building brand legacies and creating compelling campaigns. The programme builds on these key themes:

The Modern Marketer – inspiration, cases and knowledge about science-based modern marketing
Unlock the Power of Creativity – how to lead your teams and partners to unlock creativity that moves your business and society forward
“CreAItivity” – exposure to cutting-edge thinking and approaches to use tools like AI to your advantage
Expand Your Creative Toolkit – unlocking your potential with powerful knowledge, tools and inspiration.

View the 2024 programme

Who is it for?

To join our programme, you must:

work in marketing as a brand and marketing manager, digital marketer, marketing director, social media manager, campaign director, global digital marketing manager, campaign coordinator, communications consultant, etc.
be aged 30 or under (born on or after 20 June 1994)
be employed full time and have at least 2 years of full-time experience.

Please note that the programme is delivered in English. Only apply if you’re confident you’ll be able to participate in all discussions and collaborate with other programme participants.

2024’s Speakers

See the full 2024 agenda here

David Shing

Digital Prophet

Shingy

Diana Frost

Chief Growth Officer

Kraft Heinz

Fernando Machado

CMO

Activision Blizzard

Glenn Cole

Founder & Chairman

72andSunny

Juan Javier Peña Plaza

North America Chief Creative Officer & Partner

GUT

Louise Mackinlay McKerrow

CMO

NotCo

Luis Camano

Chief Creative Officer

Imper\Active

Marc S. Pritchard

Chief Brand Officer

Procter & Gamble

Marco Venturelli

Chief Creative Officer

Publicis Groupe France

Marcus Collins

Professor and Author

University of Michigan

Michelle Taite

Chief Marketing Officer

Intuit Mailchimp

Patricia Corsi

Chief Growth Officer

Kimberly Clark

Ricardo Casal

North America Chief Creative Officer & Partner

GUT

Tim Ellis

Chief Marketing Officer and EVP

National Football League

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How do I apply?

To join the 2025 cohort, you’ll need to complete an application that includes:

an essay (1000 words max.) answering the following question: What do you think is the most creative brand in the world and why?
a video (2 minutes max.), recorded in English, telling us who you are and why you deserve a space in the Academy
a character reference (500 words max.) by your employer, your company's talent officer, a senior executive of your company or a previous Brand Marketing Academy graduate.

Please ensure you have the funding approved to attend the 2025 Festival before applying.

To complete your application, select the Brand Marketing Academy Pass and proceed to your Cannes Lions account to fill out the required information.

Apply now

What happens after I apply?

The Academy Dean, together with the LIONS Team, reviews every application carefully to determine the 30 applicants who can attend the programme.

We’ll contact you within two weeks of your application being submitted to let you know if you’ve been accepted.

If you’re selected, you’ll then need to confirm and pay for your pass. Please note you must buy your pass within 14 days to guarantee that your place is secured. After 14 days, you can still check out but only if there’s still space available – we won’t be able to hold the seat for you in the event that the class fills up.

Academy passes include full-week (Sunday to Friday) access to the Brand Marketing Academy.

Academy Dean

Douwe Bergsma headshot

Douwe Bergsma

Chief Marketing Officer, Piedmont

Douwe Bergsma is CMO at Piedmont, a $7bn not-for-profit brand that leads the transformation of healthcare in the US. This was after a 9-year breakthrough run as CMO at Georgia-Pacific and a successful 19-year career at Procter & Gamble in Europe and North America. Douwe drives industry growth as co-founder of the CMO Collaborative, the fastest growing CMO network; board member for the AEF and the ANA, the most influential marketing association in the world; guest lecturer at several universities; strong early supporter of #SeeHer, the initiative that aims to portray women accurately in the media; and, of course, Dean for the Cannes Lions Brand Marketers Academy. Throughout his career, he has been recognised as a thought leader through many publications, as well as invitations to present at major events like Cannes Lions, ANA’s Masters of Marketing and the White House (2016), and through a range of brand awards, including Effies, Halos, Webbies and Cannes Lions.

The festival was an extraordinary experience, packed with enlightening sessions led by some of the most dynamic minds in our industry. I had the privilege to learn alongside a group of 30 peers from over 18 nations, each of who has made a lasting impact on my life and helps to enrich my understanding of the global landscape of creativity.

Javaughn Loftman

Automotive Brand Partnerships Manager

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