Run co-founder and ECD Laura Cibilich selected for The One Club’s Young Guns 21 Jury

Run co-founder and ECD Laura Cibilich has been appointed to the jury for The One Club’s prestigious global Young Guns 21, celebrating creative professionals age 30 or younger.

She joins the panel alongside such heavyweights as Debbie Millman, Pentagram’s Natasha Jen, Spotify’s Thalia Forbes and Laura Beretti from AKQA.

Says Cibilich: “I’m humbled to be representing our agency on a global stage and can’t wait to see all the amazing work from up-and-commers.”

Cibilich, who leads the agency with husband Raymond Otene McKay (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Rongomaiwahine, Ngaati Maahuta), is the only person from Aotearoa New Zealand on the jury.

She forged her own career starting out as a graphic designer more than 20 years ago. Her work has been recognised at award ceremonies including Spikes Asia, Cannes Lions, AGDA, Indigo, WOLDA, Design Week UK, PANZ, Axis, Ad Stars, Communication Arts, NZ Marketing, Best, Campaign Asia-Pacific Women to Watch, B&T Women Leading Tech and Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Awards.

Not one to do things the conventional way, Cibilich is a champion for empowering women and underrepresented groups in the creative industry, knowing that together they have the power to change the world.

Young Guns is the industry’s only global, cross-disciplinary, portfolio-based awards competition that identifies and celebrates today’s vanguard of young creatives.  The program is open to creatives age 30 and under who have been working for at least two years, full-time or freelance, and regularly attracts entries from upwards of 45 countries, with more than half coming from outside the US.

The complete list of Young Guns 21 judges can be viewed here.

Eligible entrants can submit a combination of professional and personal work in graphic design; advertising art direction and copywriting; architectural, environmental and interior design; industrial and product design; digital (UX/UI, experiential design, interactive, web design, apps, game development): film and animation (motion design, television, video); fashion; typography and lettering; illustration and photography.

Young Guns winners receive a unique version of the iconic Young Guns Cube, designed exclusively for this year’s incoming class, and have their permanent profile page added to the Young Guns website.  Winners also receive a complimentary one-year One Club for Creativity membership, permanent membership in the Young Guns network, a chance to be featured in Young Guns events and an assortment of career-boosting opportunities from Young Guns sponsors.

Program branding and design of the YG Cube award itself is reimagined each year by a past Young Gun winner.  This year’s YG21 branding was created by Zuzanna Rogatty (YG18), senior designer at COLLINS New York.

Past Young Guns include rising stars who went on to become leaders in their chosen fields, including filmmakers Daniels (YG14) and Calmatic (YG16); graphic designers James Victore (YG1), Stefan Sagmeister (YG1), and Jessica Walsh (YG8); artist/designer Rich Tu (YG8); ad creatives Rei Inamoto(YG4) and Menno Kluin (YG6); illustrators Christoph Niemann (YG2) and Deanne Cheuk (YG4); fashion designer Kerby Jean-Raymond (YG14); director/photographer India Sleem (YG17); photographer Ryan McGuinness (YG2); typographer Alex Trochut (YG6); film and video director Mike Mills(YG1), animation artist Todd St. John (YG1), and others.

Levine/Leavitt Artist In Residence Award

For the 10th consecutive year, international artists management agency and Young Guns sponsor Levine/Leavitt will bestow one talented winner with theArtist In Residence Award.

The honor is presented annually to a newly crowned Young Gun whose body of work truly stands out, as judged by an advisory board of industry professionals across a range of disciplines.  The winner receives a full year of professional development, guidance and mentorship from Levine/Leavitt to help advance their career.  

The online entry system is now open.  Regular deadline for entry is July 13, 2023, and final deadline July 27, 2023. 

Entries can be submitted at https://enter.youngguns.org/