Ogilvy & Mather Invests in Young Talent at Cannes Lions: Ogilvy & Mather is an official sponsor of Cannes Young Lions Competition 2012

CANNES, France, June 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Integrated advertising and marketing communications agency, Ogilvy & Mather has announced a series of initiatives to nurture young talent, spearheaded by their sponsorship of the Cannes Young Lions Competition 2012.

Ogilvy's sponsorship and presence in the Young Lions Zone will further inspire the younger delegates, with a focus on social, mobile and the digital technologies that enable them. The Festival Programme and the Lions Daily News will each feature a press campaign supporting the sponsorship, centered on the statement: "Ogilvy & Mather is proud to nurture the young."

Tham Khai Meng, Worldwide Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy & Mather, said: "Investing in fresh creative blood for the future is paramount to the on-going growth of the advertising, marketing and communications industry. At Ogilvy we believe in this passionately and we are dedicated to nurturing and inspiring our industry's young creatives, not just at Ogilvy with our Young Stars programme, but throughout our entire industry."

Thomas Crampton, Asia Pacific Director of Social@Ogilvy, will lead a master class focusing on 'Socialising Your Job'. The session is targeted at younger delegates and will cover the social-based skills that will help them be more successful. During Crampton's practical class, participants will contribute their own ideas on how to deliver business value as well as great creative.

The Young Lions sponsorship dovetails with Ogilvy's on-going Young Stars Competition. Ogilvy launched this initiative in 2011 to foster and promote young talent throughout the Ogilvy network. This year Young Stars winners will enjoy an all-expenses paid trip to the Cannes Lions Festival 2012, where they can participate in seminars and activities across the Festival. There is also a Young Stars Daily Briefing dedicated to Ogilvy's younger delegates. The strong line-up of speakers includes Jim Stengel, Leonardo O'Grady, Graham Fink and Johnny Hornby.

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Notes to Editors:

Ogilvy & Mather

Ogilvy & Mather is one of the largest marketing communications companies in the world. Through its specialty units, the company provides a comprehensive range of marketing services in-house including: brand advertising; direct marketing; interactive; digital and targeted media; brand identity; retail and in-store promotions; trade/event marketing, public relations; CRM and loyalty marketing; fast-track, low-cost delivery; analytics and research capabilities; strategic partnerships; branded content and entertainment; multicultural marketing, and sustainability marketing. Ogilvy & Mather services Fortune Global 500 companies as well as local businesses through its network of more than 450 offices in 120 countries. It is a WPP company (NASDAQ: WPPGY). For more information, visit www.ogilvy.com.

Facts & Figures

• 18,000 Total employees across the world
• 120 countries
• 450 offices
• More than 50 languages
• The number one agency in three out of the four BRIC countries: Brazil, China and India
• Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific recently won Campaign Asia Pacific network of the year
• Ogilvy & Mather winner of Network of the Year at The Clio Awards 2012
• Ogilvy & Mather winner of most effective agency of 2012 in North America – winning 18 Effie Awards

Ogilvy & Mather Firsts and Only: 

• First ad agency to go public on both the New York and London Stock Exchanges (1966) 
• First agency network in the world to establish an interactive capability, the Interactive Marketing Group, forerunner to OgilvyInteractive (1983) 
• First western ad agency to officially open in the Soviet Union (1989) 
• First agency to win two Grand Prix awards (Cyber and Film) at Cannes for the same campaign – Dove Evolution (2007)

Cannes 2011 Creative Awards: 

• 61 Lions across all categories at the 2011 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity
• 12 Gold
• 17 Silver
• 32 Bronze 
• 165 Finalists
• Ogilvy & Mather Argentina was named Direct Agency of the Year and Ogilvy & Mather Brazil took third place in that category.

SOURCE Ogilvy & Mather