After being named Cannes Lions Brand of the Year 2026, Heineken's support for the competition aimed to reflect its long-standing belief in the power of creativity and its commitment to backing the next generation of South African talent, particularly the digitally native creatives who will shape the industry's future.

While the prize was a trip to Cannes, the experience aimed to be an opportunity to broaden perspectives and discover what South African creativity can achieve on a global stage, says Heineken.

For Heineken, the partnership is about more than sending young creatives to an international festival. It's about opening doors for emerging South African talent and giving them access to experiences, networks and opportunities that can help shape their careers. By investing in young creatives today, Heineken says it aims to help support the future growth of South Africa's creative industry.

A Career in Advertising Isn't Always an Obvious Path

One of the strongest themes to emerge from the winners' stories was that a career in advertising wasn't always an obvious path, says the partnership.

For members of the TBWA team, Peter Maluleke and Rosemary Mabasa, scholarships introduced them to an industry they hadn't previously considered.

"I didn't know what being an Art Director was. I didn't know what the industry was or what it looked like," says Mabasa. "I was fortunate enough to get a scholarship through the Loeries Creative Future Scholarship Programme, and that's how I got into this."

"Advertising wasn't even a possibility. The scholarship opened up a whole new world for me," adds Maluleke.

The VML winners, Pippa Browning and Jessica Babsy, also entered advertising through unconventional routes, moving from fields as varied as geology, genetics and literature before building careers in creativity, says the partnership.

Different journeys, but the same outcome: creative talent exists in places the industry doesn't always look. Cannes Young Lions aims to show what can happen when that talent is recognised, backed and given the opportunity to compete on a global stage, adds the partnership.

That belief is a big part of why Heineken says it has chosen to support the programme. Through its partnership with Cannes Young Lions South Africa, the brand aims to help talented young creatives gain access to experiences, exposure and opportunities that can be difficult to come by early in their careers, while shining a spotlight on the people and ideas driving the industry forward.

The South African Perspective is not Something to Leave at Home

Arriving in Cannes meant sharing a stage with young creatives from around the world. The South African teams say they came away with an even stronger appreciation for the perspective they brought with them.

For the VML team, the experience put things into perspective. Once they arrived in Cannes, competing as agencies mattered less than the fact that they were there to represent South Africa.

"You get in your head that you're okay, and then you get to Cannes and you're like, 'I'm representing my country at the idea Olympics," says one winner. "We have such a superpower in being South African because the challenges we face make us see things completely differently. You can't buy this perspective. You have to be in South Africa to understand."

That perspective is shaped by the realities of working in South Africa. Creatives navigate multiple languages, cultures and lived experiences every day, often with tight budgets and high expectations. The result is a way of thinking that is resourceful, culturally aware and grounded in human insight, says the partnership.

For Peter Maluleke from the TBWA team, that resourcefulness started because of his mother.

"I've seen her make magic out of nothing," says Maluleke. "Those early lessons in resilience and ingenuity continue to shape how he approaches creative problem-solving today."

Rosemary Mabasa also credited her mother with shaping her creativity, from her sense of humour and love of storytelling to the unique way she looked at the world.

Those South African experiences are what the Cannes Young Lions initiative believes is valuable. By aiming to help local creatives share their perspectives on a global stage, Heineken says it is emphasising the idea that South African creativity has its own distinct voice and deserves to be seen, celebrated and recognised around the world.

The Real Test is Not Only Winning

Neither team returned home with a global Young Lions medal, says the partnership.

The TBWA team spoke openly about the disappointment of not achieving the result they had hoped for. The team says that a conversation with Senior Creative Leader, Pete Case, helped reframe the experience and remind them that one outcome did not erase what they had already achieved by reaching the global stage.

Backing young talent means creating room to experiment, take risks, receive feedback and grow. If every opportunity is judged only by the outcome, it risks encouraging people to play safe when the industry needs them to challenge convention, says the partnership.

Great Creativity is About Making a Difference

Cannes also aimed to remind the winners that the best creative work leaves a lasting impact.

"They didn't just make an awards-baity kind of idea. They actually committed to helping people. We also have the power to change things," one winner says. "Not just create cool content for brands but use the power of brands to really enact change in the world."

The strongest ideas rarely happen overnight. They need commitment, belief and people willing to invest in them over time, says the partnership.

Be Inevitable

Throughout the experience, one message emerged again and again: creativity isn't only about producing great ideas, it's about believing you belong on the world's biggest stages. By supporting Cannes Young Lions South Africa, Heineken says it aims to help create those moments of belief, giving emerging creatives the chance to test themselves, grow and return home with new confidence.

"Creativity is the kind of work that makes you look internally because you question how you think, you question how you see things," says Maluleke. "Sometimes that makes you doubt what you do, and sometimes it makes you believe in what you do. But if there's one thing that you should be all the time, it's inevitable."

Cannes Young Lions aimed to give these teams the opportunity to broaden their horizons, build lasting connections and return home with a renewed belief in what South African creativity can achieve.

Cannes Young Lions says it believes these initiatives matter as they don't aim to simply celebrate emerging talent; they aim to give young creatives the opportunity to learn, challenge themselves, gain exposure and build the confidence to take their ideas onto the world stage.

Through its partnership with the competition, Heineken says it aims to help open doors for South Africa's next generation of creatives, giving them opportunities to grow, connect and showcase their talent internationally.

As Cannes Lions Brand of the Year 2026, the Heineken says it understands the role creativity plays in shaping culture and bringing people together. By investing in young talent today, Heineken aims to help ensure South African creativity continues to thrive for years to come, concludes the partnership.

For more information, visit www.heinekenbeverages.co.za. You can also follow Heineken on LinkedIn, or on X.

*Image courtesy of contributor