33 Young Talents Board the Creative Express

ADCE mobilises young European creatives to face the Covid-19 crisis in the #ViralCreativeExpress program. From 17th – 19th April this year, Creative Express 9th edition will bring together online 33 talented young creatives from all over Europe via Zoom. Participants in this exclusive educational program will develop creative ideas to face and fight the many issues that are coming up alongside the Covid-19 crisis. Renowned creatives will form the mentoring team that will guide the young participants for two and a half days in their process of generating ideas. 

The young talents, from 16 different European countries, have been selected by their respective local associations, members of the Art Directors Club of Europe (ADCE), to participate in the Creative Express. This exclusive educational program will take place online for the first time over the next few days.

This edition of the Creative Express, known as the #ViralCreativeExpress, challenges its young participants to develop ideas and communication strategies to face and fight the many issues that are coming up with the Covid-19 crisis, such as socio-economic impact, loneliness, depression or solidarity among countries. 

“The task is to wake the power of optimism, hope and the belief in a better tomorrow. Creative communication is able to gain emphasis and the young talents will show how”, says Hans-Peter Albrecht, director of the Creative Express. Albrecht and Jamshid Alamuti, advisor and moderator, are entrusted with the responsibility of challenging the young participants to develop - in just two days - a communication campaign aimed at helping the world to stand this crisis. 

The final idea and campaigns will be presented live online on the evening of Sunday 19th, and will also be offered to media partners around the world to bring them on air. Ben Menzei, from [m]STUDIO (WPP) will also attended the presentations and will try to find partners or brands to bring some of the ideas to reality.

Organised into working groups, the young talents will also be addressed by a panel of prestigious creative directors who will act as mentors throughout the process. Among them are Amir Kassaei (C14torce), Marjorieth Sanmartin (TBWA\ Germany), Hannes Böker (Red Bull Global Consumer Products), Charlotte Bufler (The Wunderwaffe), Michael Stiebel (Production Advisory Group — PAG), Marcelo Lourenço (Coming Soon Lisboa) and Juliana Paracencio (Ogilvy UK).

As in previous editions, the participants are under the age of 28, and have at least two years of experience in the sector. They are:

• Lydia Körner, freelance graphic designer, Austria • Max Schnürer, freelance, Austria • Mary Pillakouri, graphic designer at ReD. Brand Design, Cyprus • Roman Krmášek, copywriter at McCann Prague, Czech Republic • Jan Říha, designer at Advertia Digital, Czech Republic • Hans-Erik Põldoja, designer at BYNEW, Estonia • Lilla Mayer, visual communication designer at Miltton Inc, Finland • Luka Appelberg, graphic designer at Miltton Inc, Finland • Tania Hernandes, designer at What the Fish, Germany • Stefanie Renz, designer at What the Fish, Germany • Mira Ilieva, conceptualist, Germany • Marco Peluso, freelance art director and graphic designer, Italy • Agnese Mignone, art director at Havas, Italy • Michel Kissling, art director at Jung von Matt/Limmat, Switzerland • Anouk Karrer, copywriter at Jung von Matt/Limmat, Switzerland • Rita Raziūnaitė, designer, Lithuania • Vytautė Petkevičiūtė, copywriter at New! Creative Agency, Lithuania • João Araújo, art director at Havas, Portugal • Wil Carvalho, copywriter at NOSSA, Portugal • Robert Ghiță, copywriter at Cheil-Centrade, Romania • Daniil Smirnov, copywriter at BBDO, Russia • Tomáš Romanec, copywriter at MUW Saatchi&Saatchi, Slovakia • Karin Hykšová, copywriter at Wiktor Leo Burnett, Slovakia • Mireia Quincoces, freelance graphic designer, Spain • Laura Munné, graphic designer at Esports Media Rights, Spain • Sara Benito Díaz, art director at Brother Madrid, Spain • Marcos Noguero Machado, art director at Brother Madrid, Spain • Sara Pérez Mesa, copywriter at Brother Madrid, Spain • Viktor Synkov, copywriter at R Agency, Ukraine • Alisa Mezhenska, freelance art director, Ukraine • Andrii Klymenko, freelance creative copywriter, Ukraine • Ella Pichon-Flannery, freelance, UK • Victoria Smith, freelance, UK

ADCE still believes in the power of creativity, and that is why it has decided to push forward and organise the 9th edition of the Creative Express, the first one online, for obvious reasons. The previous editions of the Creative Express were held in Riga (2019), Lisbon (2018), Rome (2017), Helsinki and Tirol (2015), Munich and Amsterdam (2014) and Innsbruck-Vienna (2013).