AAG to represent Cannes Lions International

The world's largest and most prestigious creative advertising awards event, the Cannes Lions International Festival, has appointed the Advertising Association of Ghana (AAG) as its local representative for the 2009/2010 ceremonies.

The AAG, by this appointment, becomes the third festival representative to be officially appointed on the African continent, after South Africa and Nigeria, and the first in Ghana.

The appointment also places Ghana at a strategic position on the global advertising front, which will involve broad responsibilities for the AAG in promoting the Cannes Festival and exploiting opportunities for the benefit of advertising practitioners in the country.

AAG's stipulated role as a local representative will include co-ordination and assistance of organisers of the festival in the registration process of advertisers and agencies in the country interested in participating in the festival and creating awareness of the festival.

It will also include screening and showcasing eligible works which win awards at the festival ach year.

AAG will also take part in determining eligible works to be entered into the festival, while an advertising student will be sent to Cannes Young Academy to 'be tutored by leading personalities in the industry for a week.

The festival is a week's celebration held annually at the city of Cannes, France, usually in the third week of June.

This year's event, which will attract about 10,000 delegates, marks the 55th year of the festival.

The festival also features seminars, workshops and social events for people in the advertising industry, in a bid to present the Lion awards for the advertisement and advertising campaigns adjudged the best of the year.

Judges for the even are drawn from leading experts in the field who will judge submissions in various categories, including cinema/television, print marketing and outdoor advertising.

The appointment of the AAG as a local representative also entitles Ghana to nominate a prominent personality in the industry to join the jury panel of the festival each year.