A total of 20 of Mena’s most promising advertising students are working with Leo Burnett, one of the region’s top advertising agencies at the ongoing Dubai Lynx International Festival of Creativity in Dubai.

Now in its sixth year, the Leo Burnett Lynx Academy – a collaboration between Leo Burnett and Dubai Lynx – will run alongside the festival concluding tomorrow (March 11).

The students enrolled in the Academy will be mentored by Leo Burnett Dubai, gaining an invaluable insight into the real world of advertising. They will learn the value of communication and the way in which creative work can be used to change and modify human behaviour, in line with Leo Burnett’s HumanKind philosophy.

Under the guidance of Leo Burnett Dubai’s mentors, the students will be separated into teams to fulfil a brief, with the winning one receiving the Leo Burnett HumanKind Award at the end of the Academy.

“The participants in the Leo Burnett Lynx Academy represent the future of our industry, and must be nurtured from this early stage in order to not only encourage them to reach their full potential, but to provide them with a valuable insight into our dynamic industry,” said Raja Trad, CEO, Leo Burnett Group Mena.

“Over the past six years, our team has mentored 80 promising students, several of which have since joined our team. The Academy is a vital springboard for launching new talent, and we are proud to be part of it.”

One of the Leo Burnett Lynx Academy graduates who went on to join the agency in Dubai is Ivanka Fernandez, who is currently working as a junior communications executive.

Fernandez said: “I learnt so much, the workshops were really helpful – I probably learnt more about advertising from the Academy than I did in my 4 years at university. It was very insightful, and very helpful to have actual professionals talk to me about the field.” – TradeArabia News Service