Szallas Group’s Young Marketers Represent Hungary at the Cannes Young Lions International Final

Szallas Group’s marketers took first place in the Young Marketers category at the Hungarian competition of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. As a result of this victory, they will represent Hungary at the international final of one of the world’s most prestigious creative industry events, which will be held in Cannes in June 2025.

The Hungarian round of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, one of the most renowned creative competitions in the advertising industry, took place between 7-10 April, organized by MAKSZ (the Association of Hungarian Communication Agencies). In the Young Marketers category, Szallas Group’s young marketers, Petra Messinger and Yuliia Ovchynnikova, took first place, earning the opportunity to represent Hungary at the international final of this world-class festival in Cannes in June, 2025. Among the event’s speakers are global personalities such as Serena Williams – 23-time Grand Slam-winning tennis player, investor, and entrepreneur – YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, and Jon M. Chu, director of Crazy Rich Asians and Wicked. This highlights the immense prestige of this event in the creative industry.

The Young Cannes Lions competition is one of the most prestigious international contests for marketing and advertising professionals under the age of 30. The uniqueness of the Young Marketers category lies in offering young talents working on brands the opportunity to create a creative strategy in response to a real market challenge based on a brief.

“I believe that creativity is not only the privilege of agencies; it also has its place on the brand side, where it has a real business impact. The Young Cannes Lions is an opportunity for young professionals to break free from routine and experiment. It’s a chance to come up with an idea that is not only understandable and emotionally engaging but also strategically thought-out. Anyone who excels here demonstrates not just a great idea but also the ability to think innovatively about how a brand can truly become a valuable part of people’s lives,” said Dorina Pardi, Group Head of Brand Marketing at Szallas Group, who herself reached the international final of Young Lions in 2019 and 2021.

This year’s brief challenged participants to show how the Milka brand could be brought closer to Szallas Group owned Szallas.hu, Hungary’s most popular accommodation booking platform. The task focused on positioning the 50+ generation as a valuable, exemplary community. The goal was to create an idea in just one day that conveyed human connection and social acceptance.

The winners of the Hungarian round, our Customer Retention specialists, eagerly shared the details. “We had to understand and present a target group that is rarely featured in advertisements,” said Petra. “It was an exciting experience, and we are looking forward to representing Hungary in Cannes with a new idea,” added Yuliia.

Szallas Group operates accommodation booking platforms, mobile applications, and loyalty programs in four countries (Hungary, Romania, the Czech Republic, Poland) and encounter different consumer habits and expectations in the local markets, so creative thinking plays a crucial role in their marketing activities and shaping customer experiences.

“Creativity, for us, is primarily about how we approach a problem and find a simple, effective solution. It helps us better understand what our users truly need. In the retention field, it’s especially important to approach our guests with innovative ideas and empathetic thinking, as loyalty is not just functional but an emotional connection as well. We are incredibly proud of Petra and Yuliia for demonstrating this approach on an international stage. Their victory shows that even the youngest members of our team authentically represent this customer-centered value,” said Rita Szilveszter, Group Head of Retention at Szallas Group.

Petra Messinger and Yuliia Ovchynnikova
Customer Retention Marketing Specialist (Szallas Group)

Hungarian competition of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity