A talent programme providing both student and emerging creative teams in Sydney and Melbourne the opportunity to further showcase their thinking, as well as obtain education, training and coaching, has been developed by recruitment firm FBI TALENT CO.
LAUNCH, a free-to-enter quarterly initiative, will see the winning professional team awarded with $10,000 in prize money, as well as ongoing career mentorship offered to the top professional and student teams.
For the inaugural programme, the winning student team will receive a paid, three month minimum internship with brand experience and innovation company AKCELO, in their Sydney or Melbourne office. The winning professional team will also receive placement in London International Awards’s 2024 Creative LIAisons program.
Each quarterly programme will see a different agency partner providing the creative briefs, creating a regular system for student teams to get started in the industry. The juries for both student and professional briefs will be made up of a selection of creative leaders both from Australia and internationally.
Michael Kean, CEO at FBI TALENT CO, says Australian agency creative departments are increasingly becoming top heavy and with overseas markets finally opening up after the last three years, the reality is that the industry will be losing a lot of mid-senior talent in the next 12-18 months.
"As an industry it’s critical we focus on entry level and young talent getting into the industry; most importantly setting them up to succeed," he says.
"A big part of LAUNCH is the requirement to enter as a team; it’s simply easier for agencies to consider hiring young talent who already have a working rhythm and are job ready. We’re thrilled to have AKCELO as our first agency partner, as well as partnering with the LIA Creative LIAisons team."
AKCELO have created two briefs to kickstart the LAUNCH programme, each focused on challenging traditional forms of creativity, allowing up-and-coming talent to flex their creative problem-solving muscle.
Louise McQuat, AKCELO global creative director, says the agency believes in the power of fresh perspectives and innovative thinking.
"Through the LAUNCH programme, we're not just scouting for new talent; we're investing in the future of creative excellence," she says.
"Our partnership with FBI TALENT CO. is a testament to our commitment to nurturing the next wave of creative leaders and innovators who will redefine the boundaries of what's possible in brand experience and innovation.”
For the LAUNCH programme, Student teams are eligible so long as they are not currently employed in a creative capacity within an agency; for the Professional stream, any creative team can make a submission if both individuals are under the age of 30.
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