Spikes Asia is adding new academies and Young Spikes competitions to this year’s Festival. Seven academies will run throughout Spikes Asia – for both adland career newbies and those at a more senior level. One new Young Spikes competition gives next gen the chance to show their digital skills.

“To have a programme in place that offers such a broad range of training opportunities for the region is something truly unique to Spikes Asia and we are delighted to have been able to grow and develop these initiatives. The Festival offers a hotbed of creativity, insights and learning and to have this as a backdrop to the academies and competitions is priceless in terms of the gravitas it adds to them,” commented Steve Latham, director of talent and training for Lions Festivals.

Gold in Film at Spikes Asia 2013 for Lowe and Partners Worldwide for Unilever

Spikes Asia Academies

Returning in 2014 are:

• The Young Spikes Marketers Academy, sponsored by Dentsu Aegis Network.
• The Young Spikes Media Academy
• The Young Spikes Creative Academy, sponsored by Cheil
• The Young Spikes Account Executive Academy, sponsored by McCann.

The new academies are:

Craft Academy
This is about gaining the skills to create a great execution of a brilliant idea. Great advertising only begins with an idea – what happens next determines how well it works. This academy examines how to turn an idea into something better than imagined and make it a reality. The programme focuses on essential craft skills of copywriting, art direction and digital and includes elements of production, illustration and social media.

Digital Academy
This is where young media professionals will learn about digital in today’s media landscape, first-hand from leading industry experts. Participants also have access to seminars from the main Festival programme and exhibitions of the region’s most innovative and creative work.

The Senior Marketers Accelerator Programme, sponsored by Innocean
With ultimate responsibility for the brand comes an intense pressure to manage the marketing process, particularly the impact of technology and data. This programme is a place for senior marketing leaders to share the challenges they face with their peers and help lead the marketing organisation for the future. There is no other executive development or training programme like it in APAC.

Grand Prix in Outdoor in Spikes Asia 2013 for Cheil Seoul for Samsung

The Young Spikes Competitions

These give young creatives and professionals, aged 28 years and under, the chance to show adland what they can do by battling it out in dedicated competitions.

The young adpeople work in teams of two to answer a brief given by a charity. The prize is a gold medal, the attention of the world’s top creatives and a full delegate pass to Spikes Asia 2015.

The Integrated and Media Young Spikes Competitions return.

A Young Spikes Digital Competition is being added this year. The new comp will challenge teams to use their creative insight and strategy skills to develop a digital strategy and plan within just 24 hours.

The Student Creative Award for Print asks students to create a poster in response to a brief. Their work will be seen and judged by members of the Spikes Asia jury and winners are awarded complimentary passes to Spikes Asia to gain invaluable industry exposure through the Festival.

[main image: Gold in Spikes Asia 2013 in Print for Lowe Bangkok for Unilever]