Ralston Joseph

Ralston Joseph, a Copywriter working at JWT Colombo whilst studying at the Open University of Sri Lanka was this year’s participant at the Roger Hatchuel Academy at the Cannes Advertising Festival, the first Sri Lankan to attend the sessions.

The IAA in an endeavour to develop the local ad industry arranged to send one person from Sri Lanka for this year’s seminar. The candidate had to be aged between 18-23 years, currently studying subjects relevant to marketing and advertising, with a serious view to pursue a career in the advertising industry.

A JWT press release said that Mr Joseph was selected after a viva before a panel consisting of six senior advertising & marketing professionals. In addition to some of the world’s best tutors, luminaries from the advertising industry spoke at the discussions and tutorials. Mr Joseph on his experience said,” meeting 34 individuals from around the world who are going to be the future stars of the global communications business was an amazing opportunity.

Each had a fresh and different take on the various disciplines within our industry. Cannes is a festival where professionals gather to celebrate the best creativity in global advertising, and then go back to their own countries to do work that is relevant and understood by their markets, not an international award jury.”