Around 26 teams of young people will gather in downtown HCM City next week to compete for a chance to participate in major international ad festivals in France and Singapore.

An advertising poster by contestants from South Africa that was awarded the bronze prize at Cannes Lions Festival in 2009.

Tickets to the French-based Cannes Lions Festival in June 2010 and Advertising Festival Spikes Asia in Singapore later in September are at stake as the second four-day Viet Nam Advertising Festival 2009 opens on December 10 at the Nguyen Du Sport Complex.

Organised by local advertising firm Sunflower Media, the festival will have contestants prove their talent in designing advertising clips and posters as well as planning strategic media campaigns.

The competition is open to those working in the advertising industry under 28 years of age. Besides creativity, their English skills will be an important criteria for choosing candidates for the upcoming international festivals.

Terry Savage, Chairman of the French-based Cannes Lions Festival, will name and offer awards to the three most excellent groups who represent young Vietnamese at the international advertising festivals next year.

Organisers said that the 26 teams selected for the final round were chosen from 400 works submitted by applicants nationwide. They said they were impressed with the creativity shown by qualified teams.

Robert Cohen, a manager of Lowe Worldwide, a Britain-based creative advertising agency and one of contest jurors, said he was impressed with the creativity shown but they had yet to propose excellent ideas.

With appropriate guidance, the students could improve their talent and come up with creative campaigns in Viet Nam, he said.

The best advertising works of Viet Nam’s advertising industry and works of contestants will be displayed during the competition. Seminars and short-time training courses will also be held with well-known industry experts invited to speak.

Experts said Viet Nam’s advertising industry had been developing for 20 years but it had not met its full potential. This event would be an opportunity for the industry to find more talented people, they added.

VNN/VNS