"The most rewarding part was all the interaction we had with the students – it was incredible to see how excited, involved and curious they were. It was lovely getting all the questions from the teams as it truly showed how invested they are in the process, how well thought through their approach is and how much effort they were putting into the work."

" The most rewarding part of being an Ad Venture juror was seeing the students present and bring the ideas to life! The passion and dedication they’ve put into the work and into our brand was incredible. I really appreciated that several teams went above and beyond in terms of collecting data through qualitative interviews à to then build powerful actionable human insights. This is something that many of our external partners won’t always do! They were then able to tie this into a powerful campaign platform, through a very strong story." - Julie Veryser, Senior Brand Director, Heinz

" The most rewarding part of being an Ad Venture juror wasseeing young people working as a team and getting in the shoes of professionals with great excitement and with a very good understanding of what it takes to create a great campaign."

"For me, Ad Venture is much more than a student competition. It is a bridge between education and the communications industry, where students work on real business challenges while industry professionals gain valuable insights into how the next generation thinks, creates, and solves problems."

"The most rewarding part was seeing how differently each team approached the same challenge, and how different the advice was. All students start with the same brief; the outcome is diverse and interesting.  It was inspiring to see students combine strategic thinking with bold creativity, often bringing fresh perspectives that challenged conventional ways of looking at a brief. What stood out most was the energy, curiosity, and confidence they brought to their ideas. Being part of the jury was a great reminder that innovation often comes from people who aren't afraid to question the obvious."

"I think the Ad Venture Competition is a great way to test theoretical knowledge in advertising by working with a real brand and tackling a real challenge."

"The competition is a fantastic opportunity to work on a live client brief. It’s a pivotal journey into the day-to-day challenges faced by marketing teams looking after some of the World’s most iconic brands; their responses make an impact in the real World."

"Having served on the Jury for the last three years, I’ve seen firsthand how this competition offers a genuine bridge into the world of advertising. With the edcom Ad Venture competition, students get to respond to a real client brief, collaborate across disciplines and borders, and bring an idea to life in a way that mirrors professional practice. For emerging talent this is a rare chance to test creativity, stretch strategic thinking and showcase work on a European stage. In short: join if you want to push yourself, learn fast, and stand out."

"The Ad Venture Competition is more than a student contest, it’s a real-life learning journey. It gives students the chance to experience the full process of strategic communication: from understanding a client brief and researching consumer insights to developing creative ideas and presenting them professionally. It’s an extraordinary opportunity to apply classroom knowledge in an international, competitive, and highly inspiring environment. For supervisors, it’s equally rewarding because they can watch their students grow in confidence, teamwork, and professionalism. The competition connects academia with industry in a very tangible way and prepares young talents for the realities of agency work. It’s a perfect bridge between theory and practice, learning and doing."

"This week changed the way I see creativity in real life. At Cannes Lions, ideas were not just presented on stage, they were everywhere, in conversations, people, and unexpected moments. Being surrounded by such inspiring energy made me realize how powerful this industry is when passion and purpose come together. I leave feeling inspired, grateful, and ready to think bigger about my own future in marketing and communication."

"It’s fun working for a big company. Even though there are some things you can’t change (like the logo and brand colors), you can still be creative within those limits. It’s great for your CV - definitely a boost for us. As students, working with Heinz was a huge hype, and it really helped us realize that this is the career path we want to pursue."

"We really learned a lot, even in areas we didn’t expect, like responding to client questions. We didn’t have formal training for that. You really improve in areas you didn’t think about, and you have to adopt the mindset of being impactful during the presentation."

Ad Venture was a remarkable opportunity, and we’ll carry those memories with us. Working with the team and learning so much - this experience has been unforgettable.

Running for the EDCOM Ad Venture, and competing with schools from all over the world, was the highlight of my year. Throughout the months, feedbacks and hard work, we managed to design a campaign for a meaningful NGO, which I believe is what drove us and kept us motivated all along. Knowing that our work had a purpose and touched on key issues in our society made us all very proud. - Adrien Coucaud, team EDEN, Sup de Pub, France

Running for the EDCOM Ad Venture, and competing with schools from all over the world, was the highlight of my year. Throughout the months, feedbacks and hard work, we managed to design a campaign for a meaningful NGO, which I believe is what drove us and kept us motivated all along. Knowing that our work had a purpose and touched on key issues in our society made us all very proud. - Adrien Coucaud, team EDEN, Sup de Pub, France

Our industry’s future is dependent on a pipeline of diverse, energetic talent entering the market every year. It was my honour to be one small part in helping attract the next wave of thinkers and makers to our world. - Jordan McDowell, McCann Manchester

Participating in the 2024 Ad Venture Competition has been one of the best decisions We’ve made last year. Whether it’s the months of preparation in Paris, the excitement and stress to present to the jury in London or the wonderful memories made at the International Festival of Creativity in Cannes, this experience ended up being full of challenges and rewards. It’s all about preparation, truly believing in the work you’ve put in as a group and giving your best on jury’s day because no matter the outcome, pride in the team’s effort is what matters most! I would say to future participants to have fun, that’s where the best ideas come from. -Sub De Pub, The 04 Team