The main representative body for Irish advertisers has selected 14 “Young Lions” to represent the country at an international festival of ads in Cannes this summer.

Cannes Young Lions is a competition held at the film festival every summer during which young marketers compete at a global level. Known as the “Oscars of Advertising”, it involved hundreds of young professionals.

The Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland (IAPI) manages the qualification process that decides who will represent Ireland, and has announced the 14 winners who will travel to France to compete at an international scale.

The winners are: John Aherne and Cathy Lambert from Bord Gáis Energy in the young marketer section; Eva Redmond and Anthony McDonagh from Core in the media category; Shane O’Hare from Bloom and Daragh Griffin from Connelly Partners in the print category; Meabh O’Mahony and Katie Dumpleton from 150 Bond in the PR category; Nico Dagdag from PHD and Carolyn McMorrow from OMG in the digital category; Nadine Kennedy from ACNE and Conor Marrion from Boys + Girls in the film category; and Robin Winchester and James Stedmond from In the Company of Huskies in the design category.

Each of the 14 winners has qualified after a competition that required them to respond within 48 hours to a brief to create campaigns for one of three charities – Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, Goal and the Dyslexia Association of Ireland.

Charley Stoney, the chief executive of the IAPI, said the winning entrants had navigated a competitive field to secure a place at the Young Lions festival.

“I extend my congratulations to the winners of the Irish Young Lions competition, especially since the competition was as fierce as ever this year,” she said.

“I particularly love this programme as, not only does it give young talent the opportunity to rise up, it also provides our chosen charities with a plethora of ideas and concepts that will help them engage with their audience and raise much needed funds.”