Alecsandra Popa & Javier Gelpi De-Fez are representing Romania at Cannes, Young Lions Cyber

Alecsandra Popa & Javier Gelpi De-Fez (aka Team Pump) qualified in the Young Lions Cyber competition at Cannes Lions after winning the spot in a national competition at The Alternative School. Cannes Lions will take place between 18th and 25th of June.

They will take part in the 24 hours competition alongside the best teams of the world, working on a brief involving social matters. Following the competition, throughout the week, they will be able to network and learn on the Croisette, where, at the end of every June, for 63 years now, the best people in the creative industries worldwide come together.

This year, the team competing in Young Lions Cyber is sponsored by Renania, the leader in the import and distribution of safety solutions and equipment on the Romanian market.

About the winners

Alecs was born in a city in the Western part of Romania, called Oradea. After having studied Political Science in Bucharest and graduating from the ArtDirectorsClub*Ro course in 2011, she started an internship at Propaganda (a local advertising agency) in late 2013, as a copywriter, and refused to leave afterwards. The Alternative School opened for her a world outside Romanian borders, as she interned for 2 weeks in Amsterdam at Khanna / Reidinga.

Javier was born and raised in Madrid. He graduated from Environmental Science and got into Miami Ad School right away. After experiences in the USA, Germany and Spain, in 2014 he finally found a place to call home at McCann / Momentum in Bucharest, Romania. A Silver at Eurobest, as well as a Bronze and two shortlists at Cannes Lions are proudly part of his portfolio.

The duo has competed in The Alternative School’s local competition in 2015 too, but has only fallen short a few decimal points beneath the first place. Ambitious as they are, the 2016 Cannes semester brought them back stronger, resulting in graduating on the first place, and therefore winning the chance to participate in Young Lions Cyber, representing Romania in one of the toughest competitions worldwide. Romania has already won a Gold in this category back in 2014, so they have some big shoes to fill.

Renania empowers Romanian talent

At Renania, we value technology and innovation, these being the pillars on which we’ve developed into a modern successful business. Therefore, we are happy to support the young, promising Romanian talent in the Cyber category. We’ve been supporting The Alternative School for four years now, and we continue to do so because it always delivers. In 2013, the team we empowered won Gold in Design and we couldn’t have been prouder. I’m happy to see our company inspiring excellence

Florentina Taudor,

CEO Renania

About The Alternative School

In the jury for the 2016 Cannes semester, The Alternative School brought some big names in the local and international creative industry, people in marketing and CEOs: Luis Miguel Messianu USA (CEO Alma and juror at Cannes 2016), Alvin Teoh (CD DDB Malaesia), David Khoo (CD, Chaos creative Malaesia), Hande Guler (CD, DDB Dubai), Theodor Pana (Marketing Director, Nikon Lenswear), Florentina Taudor (CEO Renania), Nicoleta Padure (CEO Media Concept Store and Romanian juror at Eurobest and Dubai Lynx), Elena Hurjui (CEO, The Heraldist), Mihai Fetcu (CD, Geometry Global, Gold winner at Cannes Lions 2015), Szabi Szekely (CEO Halcyon Mobile, multiple award winner in the global competition of FWA and Romanian juror at Cannes Lions Mobile in 2016), Nir Refuah (CEO MRM / McCann, multiple award winner in international competitions with focus on digital creativity), Cristian Costea (ECD in Hamburg, winner at Cannes Lions in 2015), Mihai Gongu (CD GMP, Grand Prix winner at Eurobest), Vlad Butucariu (Flio Stand / Studio Squash, Rotterdam), Ioana Halunga (Creative, Havas Singapore).

The Alternative School has been coaching and sending young creatives in international competitions for 11 years, offering them the opportunity to specialise at the best creative festival worldwide.

Over the years, students of The Alternative School won remarkable awards on behalf of Romania: 3 Gold at Roger Hatchuel, Bronze for Print, Gold for Cyber and Design, shortlist at Young Clients. The graduates of the most rewarded Creative MBA in the South East of Europe went on to win international distinctions and perform: some, in local agencies, while others, in creative hubs around the world: Singapore, New York, Hamburg, Rotterdam, London, Amsterdam or Rio.

Over 250 young Romanians have benefited in the last 11 years from specializations at Cannes Lions, Eurobest or Dubai Lynx, through the programs of The Alternative School.