In 2025, Propel Manila’s Jacob Banog and Maxx Macalinao represented the Philippines in the Cannes Young Lions Digital Category at the weeklong Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, earning a shortlist spot and placing 7th out of 53 teams—a strong result that reflected the agency’s focus on developing young creative talent.
Building on that success, Propel Manila will once again represent the Philippines in the 2026 Cannes Young Lions Digital Category this June, this time with Sofia Jayme and Arvin “Ching” Chingcuangco as the young talents. Their gold in the local competition secured the agency’s back-to-back representation on the global stage, showcasing the culture of excellence fostered among Propel Manila’s next generation of creatives.
The competition
On February 4, the 4As Creative Guild of the Philippines kicked off the Young Lions x Young Spikes local competition, in search of the next young creative minds set to represent the country in two prestigious global competitions, with the gold winner advancing to represent the Philippines in the Young Lions Digital Competition.
With 65 teams from agencies across the industry joining the challenge, participants were tasked to create a digital campaign, in partnership with Museo Pambata and Malaking Munti Foundation, that encourages Filipino parents to engage in tactile play with their children and reduce screen time—a pressing issue as screens have become a common solution for parenting.
The journey
Faced with this relevant and timely brief, the tandem of Sofia and Ching began by breaking down the challenge. “The first thing we did was dissect the brief at the highest level. We pressure-tested every line and asked ourselves what the real pain point was. We revisited past works that tackled similar themes, not to copy them, but to understand what had already been said. Then we did quick and honest brainstorms around the most obvious words and objects connected to the brief. Sometimes the simplest associations lead you to the deepest tension,” Ching said.
They landed on an insight about the early signs that a child needs more hands-on play, often hidden in small, easily overlooked behaviors. One clear marker was children’s handwriting, which reflects fine motor development. “Our insight started from observing a fresh grad coworker holding a pencil differently from the traditional way, which led us to wonder: Does tactile play have an effect on handwriting?” Ching said.
The duo then focused on bringing this insight to life while keeping it simple and connecting with parents on a human level. “We wanted to reach parents through their emotions, really bring out something that belonged to their kids to trigger concern and care for the problem,” the pair said.
The 24-hour competition challenged them to translate this insight into a complete digital narrative. Every element had to support the core idea while balancing creativity and clarity. “Most of our time went into research. We fact-checked everything, looked for case studies, and made sure the idea was both educational and creatively fresh. The challenge was communicating something simple but layered clearly and emotionally in under 90 seconds,” Ching recalls. Sofia added, “With an idea that was research-based and so emotionally charged, staying single-minded was our top priority. It was easy to get lost in all the possibilities.”
They leaned heavily on their partnership to execute the final campaign. “Sofia pushed the art direction and even crafted the music bed for the case film, while I focused on the writing, particularly the headline and subcopy. We don’t work in silos—we overlap. And that overlap is where the magic happens,” Ching said.
From this process emerged Read Between the Lines, their winning idea that tackled the challenge through the simplicity of children’s handwriting. The digital campaign uses an AI model where parents can submit samples of their child’s handwriting, which are analyzed to reveal early, visible signs of missing hands-on play. These insights are then used to suggest simple ways for parents to respond with tactile play.
The wins
The winners were announced on February 9, following a live presentation of case films and an open deliberation by the final jury, which was composed of former Cannes Young Lions PH representatives and led by BBDO Group Creative Director Nikki Sunga as Jury President.
Winning the competition was an exhilarating moment for Sofia and Ching, especially after witnessing the jury’s deliberation. “It was a bit nerve-wracking because 24 hours of work gets condensed into 90 seconds and then displayed for everyone to see for what it really is,” Sofia said. “But the moment we heard our names announced, it was an incredible rush, an immense feeling of pride and gratitude to have the opportunity to represent our country and finally reach the goal we aimed for.”
Reflecting on the experience, the duo shared key lessons, particularly the importance of staying focused and highlighting what truly matters in an idea. As Sofia put it, “I’ve learned how much of a balancing act it really is to make a simple idea flourish beyond what it started as. You only have the time you get, and what really matters is creating something worth caring about—something that can truly stand out.”
Ching felt similarly, saying, “My biggest takeaway from this competition is that ideas built with genuine care resonate. When you create with care and present it with care, it shows. And people feel it.”
They also credited the strength of their partnership for their success. “I think our edge over other contenders is our partnership. It is built on trust, respect, and a shared obsession for excellence. There is zero ego – just two creatives fully backing each other every step of the way,” Ching added.
JC Valenzuela, Propel Manila’s Founder and CEO, reflected on the duo’s win and what it represents for the agency: “As leaders, our job is to create opportunities, not just outcomes. When you treat young creatives like leaders-in-training—through trust, coaching, and real responsibility—they grow faster than you expect. Seeing them represent Propel Manila and the Philippines at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and ADFEST is proof of what trust and mentorship can unlock; how the right culture makes excellence repeatable.”
Propel Manila Executive Creative Director Jao Bautista agrees: “The Propel Manila creative department is anchored on what I call Creative Flourishing—an environment-first approach to building a culture of excellence. This means deliberately creating the conditions that unlock individual creative potential.” He continues, “We are a teaching agency. We intentionally design programs, practices, and policies that help creatives like Sofia and Ching grow and succeed.”
Looking ahead, Sofia and Ching are focused on preparing for the next stage of the competition, building on the lessons learned, and continuing to sharpen their creative approach. Sofia said, “We still have a lot to learn, and luckily Propel Manila and our creative leaders have equipped us—through real work opportunities and competition training. The best thing about the creative world is that there’s this never-ending energy to draw from, and that’s what excites us for our next creative journey abroad.”
About Propel Manila
Propel Manila is an Philippine independent, digital-first creative agency built for the speed of culture. Since 2010, the agency has helped brands stay relevant by engineering ideas that don’t just launch, but engage, participate, and convert.
Operating at the intersection of strategy, creativity, digital, data, and AI-enabled co-creation, Propel Manila transforms modern marketing challenges into scalable, high-impact solutions. As part of the Worldwide Partners Inc. (WPI) network, Propel Manila brings global perspective with local agility — redefining what independent agencies can achieve.
