Cannes Lions and HP Launch #MoreLikeMe to Champion Diverse Creative Talent

Cannes Lions and HP introduce #MoreLikeMe, a pilot mentoring program designed to build and strengthen diverse creative talent. The program builds on HP’s marketing Diversity Scorecard to support its agencies in their journey of encouraging more diverse creative talent and teams.

The program will select 15 racially and ethnically diverse rising stars from the UK, US and Mexico to attend the 2018 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity for an immersive experience including mentoring, networking and curated programming. Following the Festival, participants will join a series of events and training sessions led by top executives and industry leaders to ensure they can become voices for change.

“Businesses powered by diversity can deliver transformative results,” said Antonio Lucio, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, HP Inc. “By partnering with our agencies to identify and elevate today’s diverse rising stars, we can continue to reinvent the creative industry to better reflect the communities we serve. It’s programs like #MoreLikeMe that complement the work we’re doing with our agency partners to reinvent the standard for diversity and identify, support and sponsor future leaders. But we cannot do it alone. We are on a mission to demonstrate that diversity is a business imperative – financially, creatively and culturally – and that all businesses in our industry can and must play a role in driving systemic change.”

Louise Benson, Executive Festival Director, Cannes Lions, added: “#MoreLikeMe complements our ongoing work to drive diversity and inclusion across the industry. We’re excited to be partnering with HP to support diverse talent in three of our key markets. I hope the inaugural #MoreLikeMe program will inspire the industry at large, as well as provide role models and inspiration for the next generation of creatives from around the world.”

Each of HP’s roster agencies – BBDO, Edelman, Fred & Farid, Giant Spoon and PHD – will nominate candidates for the #MoreLikeMe program.

Tiffany Warren, President and Founder of ADCOLOR and Chief Diversity Officer at Omnicom, and Faride Schroeder, Writer, Director and Free The Bid Ambassador, Mexico will serve as #MoreLikeMe’s ambassadors, providing counsel to agencies during the decision process and helping lead the program at the Festival.

HP will announce the 15 members of #MoreLikeMe’s inaugural program in late May and will continue to shine a light on diversity issues within the creative industry during the 2018 Cannes Lions Festival, with #MoreLikeMe being one of a number of programs leading up to and during the festival.

Source: Cannes Lions

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