The local winners of this year’s Young Lions X Young Spikes PH competition, Sofia Jayme and Arvin “Ching” Chingcuangco, will represent the Philippines in Cannes, France, amongst other creatives worthy of the world stage. Sofia and Ching are also set to represent the Philippines at ADFEST 2026.
“Between the Lines” was their winning idea in Young Lions X Young Spikes PH — an insight-driven concept that finds meaning in something as simple as a child’s handwriting. The digital campaign uses an AI model that allows parents to submit samples of their child’s writing, which are then analyzed to uncover early signs of reduced hands-on play. From there, the platform offers gentle, practical suggestions to help parents reintroduce tactile experiences into their child’s daily routine.
The Young Lions x Young Spikes PH competition is a prestigious local advertising competition organized by the 4As Philippines and the Creative Guild that selects young Filipino creative talent to represent the country in the international Cannes Young Lions festival and Spikes Asia competition. It challenges young professionals aged 30 and below to collaborate and create innovative campaigns within a strict 24-hour, fast-paced format.
On the other hand, ADFEST is one of Asia Pacific’s most prestigious creative festivals, bringing together the region’s top minds in advertising, design, and storytelling. It’s a stage where bold ideas are celebrated, emerging talent is spotlighted, and the future of creativity takes shape.
In an exclusive interview with adobo Magazine, Sofia and Ching explained how they turned pressure into purpose and doubt into something worthy of joining international competitions.
Read between the lines
Sofia and Ching sat somewhere in the crowd — just two names among 64 entries in the Young Lions x Young Spikes PH competition, the largest pool in the event’s history. Both were still new to the industry, their minds racing as the seconds ticked by. Across the room, the jury remained locked in, eyes fixed on their screens, carefully tallying each campaign’s score.
And finally, the jury announced the winner. It was them.
Winning the Young Creators competition might sound like a breakthrough — but for Sofia and Ching, it felt like a natural extension of their everyday practice.
“Working at Propel Manila, every day already feels like practice for any competition or even for daily work. We treat it like a competition too, but not in a negative way — more like a competition in terms of thinking and the level of creativity required.” Ching said.
Practice makes perfect, indeed. The everyday grit and grind at Propel Manila helped shape Sofia and Ching’s win at the Young Lions x Young Spikes PH competition, but the idea itself sparked from a fleeting moment in an unexpected place.
“Kasi you know, a lot of really good ideas are spontaneous lang talaga.” Sofia said. “And then if we found a hole in the idea, we would ask ourselves: do we have a solution to fix it, or do we have something to help strengthen it?”
The idea began with a simple observation: a fresh graduate coworker holding a pencil the traditional way. It sparked a question: Does tactile play have an effect on handwriting? From there, their thinking extended to children and the role of hands-on play in developing motor skills.
They grounded themselves in the present, refining and pushing the idea further.
“We trusted the process. We made sure that we put time into trying to figure out if there was anything missing.”
Looking for gaps
A well-developed campaign requires many elements: creative execution, research-backed insights, a strong strategy, consistent messaging, and a lasting impact. Each of these demands significant brainpower, which, according to Ching, is a challenge in itself.
“So first thing, ‘yung pinakamahirap sa idea namin kasi medyo cerebral siya. Kasi … studying the handwriting of the child. So medyo cerebral thinking siya in some lens… ‘yung crafting, kasi sobrang cerebral nung idea, how do we inject creativity on that?”
Children may be fun to be with, but doing a campaign focused on them can be a challenge. The competition required contestants to have the sensitivity and the ability to simplify complex ideas so that children in Museyong Pambata will relate.
“Kasi ‘yun ‘yung brief—like how do we inspire them, how do we bring it into their kids’ lives na hindi overcomplicated or hindi siya intimidating? So that was one of the things we also struggled with—or I don’t know if we struggled—but it was a challenge for us.” Sofia said.
Luckily for the two, they had mentors who offered guidance. Creative directors and assistant creative directors alike are hands-on when it comes to competitions, sharing insights and experience needed to help mold well-rounded advertisers. In many ways, challenges faced in these contests mirror the same creative rigor they practice every day at work.
“While guidance comes from different people, we are very self-aware and collaborative, relying on one another when it comes to creative work. We’re lucky that our CDs and ACDs are always open and willing to help.” Sofia said.
Sofia and Ching refrained from using AI, even though the competition recognizes its use. The whole creative process relied on only their brainpower, and they stood out from other contestants.
“And I think the most challenging thing is the time — twenty-four hours. Video eh. Video’s hard. Video’s long. So hindi siya static lang; ia-animate mo pa siya.” Sofia said.
Loving your work is considered an advantage, but sometimes, when artists become too immersed in their work, the line between the creator and the creation begins to blur. It’s one of the dangers creatives need to watch out for, Sofia claims.
The research process is like crawling through a rabbit hole. Pressure-testing the idea is as important as the execution. It allows a creative to objectively determine if there are gaps within a concept.
“Kasi it’s a normal thing to fall in love with your idea, but if you can’t see its flaws, or if you’re not even pressure-testing it, then there can be so many mistakes that kind of slip through the process,” Sofia said.
Sofia and Ching also took the time to look into campaigns with similar ideas, but with a different take in execution. They did this to ensure that the idea they would come up with would be fresh and to avoid replication.
Lessons learned
“There was honestly a massive sense of doubt when we arrived at the finals for the presentation. We were surrounded by so many talented people from different agencies.” Ching said.
For Ching, the win had been a long time coming. Four years of trying, getting close, but never quite crossing the line. As an art director, the finals had always been within reach — but just out of grasp.
Some of the contestants were people he had worked with before, including a former boss.
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“Knowing them, I realized that we weren’t that different from one another. Everyone had their own edge, and everyone in the room was creative in their own way.”
Snippets of wisdom from their Executive Creative Director, Jao Bautista, helped. Jao had once told him, “Whenever you join a competition, you should have a winning mindset. You shouldn’t enter a competition expecting to lose — you enter to win.”
Winning the competition and knowing that their work stood out among 64 entries helped validate Ching’s capabilities and dispel his imposter syndrome.
“It’s a profound sense of confidence—knowing that I can truly trust my instincts, trust the partnership, and rely on the unique perspective that comes from our collaboration.”
Sofia knew that feeling of losing, too. As a copywriter, she had come up short more than once. The competition likewise revealed more about Sofia, who had only been in the industry for two years.
“I realized that I ask a lot of questions because I really want every question to be answered. One thing I noticed is that I’m very particular about clarity—everything has to be clear and understandable, “ she said. “We kept going until there were no more questions left.”
Growing up in a creative family became a stepping stone for Sofia, who sees the world through a different creative lens. Everyday moments — at home, in work, at school — can spark ideas for the young copywriter.
“When you grow up that way, you start to see everything as a potential next idea. You see things as something that can be improved on, something new, or even something that can be sold,” she said.
She’s always had a “sense of restlessness,” which has worked to her advantage.
“The constant urge to create or do something. In a way, that’s how I was raised: to think like that, to move like that, and to always want to do the next thing.”
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