Creative LIAisons' second day shifted gears as aspiring creatives applied what they had learned from industry giants the day before. In the 'Level Up Your Creative' workshop, teams of 10 pitched innovative ideas and captivating content for Rise Nation Mastermind, with mentorship from AIRBAG, JSM Music and LIA jurors. Daymond John, Founder & CEO of FUBU, Shark Tank star and CEO of The Shark Group, made a surprise appearance, joining the LIA jurors to crown a winner.
Ted Kingsbery, President of The Shark Group, the driving force behind Rise Nation Mastermind, reflected, “Collaborating with Creative LIAisons not only allows us to give back to the next generation but also provides us with an opportunity to learn and draw inspiration from over 120 digital natives hailing from diverse backgrounds—all in a single day.”
World-Class Mentors Level Up Attendees' Creativity
To empower the 120 budding creatives with the skills they needed for their challenge, the workshop kicked off with three world-class LIA Jurors sharing invaluable tips to help participants "level up" their creative game.
Adrian Bosich, Managing Partner/Creative Founder of AIRBAG, delved into the art of crafting engaging content. Among the standout moments was Adrian's heartfelt wedding intro video, which garnered over a million views on TikTok and ignited support for Australian Marriage Equality. Adrian stressed, "The key to engagement? Make your story personal."
Tara McKenty, Chief Innovation Officer/Co-Executive Creative Director of BMF, guided participants on the art of creating ideas that truly resonate with people. Drawing from her experience in developing groundbreaking campaigns, she emphasized, "Focus on understanding the problem, whose problem it is, and why people will genuinely care."
Adam Ferrier, Chief Thinker of Thinkerbell, collaborated with mentees to craft content that not only is memorable but also resonates with the brand. Adam reminded participants, "People aren't interested in advertising. They're interested in solving their problems. Your challenge is to ensure your brand comes to mind when they think about these issues."
As teams spent their day brainstorming and crafting their ideas, Adrian, Tara, Adam, and Ted provided hands-on coaching throughout the creative journey.
Pitch Perfect:
Teams Race to Impress the Shark
Teams raced against the clock to conceive, shoot and shape captivating content for Rise Nation Mastermind, all while guided by their mentors. Then, the 12 teams received an electrifying surprise: Daymond John, in the flesh, joined to evaluate and provide feedback on their pitches. Alongside him were Ted Kingsbery, President of The Shark Group, as well as LIA Jurors and mentors Adrian Bosich, Tara McKenty, and Adam Ferrier.
As Daymond's presence filled the room, he exuded genuine excitement to hear the pitches. While only one team could emerge victorious, Daymond offered words of wisdom: "You can fail a million times, but each time you'll leave with valuable lessons."
Two Teams Triumph in Rise Nation Mastermind Pitch
After 12 teams passionately pitched their content ideas for Rise Nation Mastermind, two standout teams, Team 5 and Team 11, have an even bigger reason to celebrate at tonight's LIA Dinner and Party at the Encore Beach Club. These winning teams, selected by our distinguished panel of judges, including Daymond John and other industry luminaries, now have a chance to see their ideas implemented by Rise Nation Mastermind, along with a surprise prize.
Ted Kingsbery, President of The Shark Group, expressed, "Being closely associated with Rise Nation Mastermind, it was truly inspiring to witness diverse perspectives from these top young creatives, which expanded our horizons beyond the Daymond John bubble."
We extend our warmest congratulations to the winners for their outstanding achievement. We eagerly anticipate their continued success in advertising and creativity.
Winning Team 5 LIAison Participants:
Rachel Leblanc (Art Director of Rethink Canada), Alejandro Orozco Garay (Creative Director of Cheil Worldwide Chile), Pauline Gaudin (Art Director of Havas Play France), Pierre Riboulet (Copywriter of Havas Play France), Victoria Salein (Art Director of Serviceplan Germany), Ryo Sakurai (Copywriter of Dentsu Japan), Kim Scott (Art Director of Special Group New Zealand), Allie Hunt (Senior Art Director of VMLY&R Chicago), Peter Prendergast (VMLY&R Chicago)
Winning Team 11 LIAison Participants:
Shauna Roe (VP/Creative Director of Edelman Canada), Andy Cruz Valenzuela (Junior Art Director of HeimatTBWA Germany), Anna Mita (Planner of ADK Marketing Solutions Japan), Ana Paula Arce Blanco (Junior Copywriter of Wieden+Kennedy México), Folke Kühlhorn (Art Director of Åkestam Holst NoA Sweden), Alex Prendergrast (Art Director of MullenLowe UK), Sophie McGovern (Copywriter of MullenLowe UK), Roxane Schneider (Senior Art Director of FCB New York), Julien Machuca (Senior Art Director of The Bloc New York), Merveline Nelson (Copywriter of Wunderman Thompson Health New York)
REFLECTIONS FROM CREATIVE LIAISONS MENTEES
Panupong (Boss) Nakju
BBDO Thailand
“Despite over a long day of travel, I'm still buzzing with anticipation, fueled by the excitement of learning from truly inspirational leaders. I'm particularly eager to gain insights into their perspectives on the creative use of data, a relatively new field in Thailand.”
Amanda Winch & Penelope Vasquez
Copywriter & Art Director
Mother New York
"We're eagerly anticipating the opportunity to hear diverse perspectives, not only from industry heavyweights but also from fellow mentees. This is a fantastic opportunity to connect and gain insights from professionals beyond our agency and country, all without needing to leave our agency."
Rafael Campeão
Associate Creative Director
Ogilvy Health New York
"While a part of me is nervous about the workshop, I’m excited to see what I can learn from the mentors, as well as the nine other creatives from around the world in my team.”
Kah Yan Lim
Art Director
Leo Burnett Malaysia
"It was really cool to have different minds coming together for this intense pitch. The creative collision unleashed a wave of interesting ideas."