Lions Health, the Festival and Awards that celebrates life-changing creativity in healthcare communications, and UNICEF, have launched the 2016 Young Lions Health Award, and have named Colombian pop star Shakira as one of its special guest judges! The competition, now in its second year, challenges young creatives and marketers to develop an integrated marketing toolkit that will raise awareness among caregivers about the importance of play in fostering children’s cognitive, social and emotional development in the critical first years of life. The ideas will be used as part of UNICEF’s overall communication outreach on Early Childhood Development. During the first years of life, in the right environment, a child’s brain has the potential to connect 1,000 brain cells every second. These connections serve as the building blocks of a child’s future, determining their health, learning ability, and emotional wellbeing.
Louise Benson, Festival Director for Lions Health, said: “We’re thrilled to be bringing this award back for a second year. As well as driving young industry talent, our partnership with UNICEF will raise crucial awareness to help improve the wellbeing of young children across the world.” UNICEF Chief of Early Childhood Development Pia Britto, added: “Together we are calling on young marketers from across the world to propose creative assets that will raise awareness of the importance of early nurturing care and protection for children’s development. It is a pleasure to work with Lions Health and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Shakira on this incredible initiative.”
Submissions, which must contain a digital activation, print ad and video, will be judged by a team of industry experts and special guests including UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Shakira; Alexandra von Plato, Group President of Publicis Healthcare Communications Group; and Josh Prince, President of The CDM Group. The winner of the Young Lions Health Award will be invited to attend Lions Health on 18-19 June in Cannes, France, where they will receive their award during the official ceremony attended by close to 1,000 experts from the healthcare communications industry.Communication and marketing professionals under the age of 30 are invited to submit their campaign concepts online at the official Lions Health website.
