Cub Cup is an advertising competition for students. In 2026, the goal was to create opportunities for students and close the gap between them and industry professionals. When I started the competition, I thought I’d mainly get to come up with new ideas and build a visual identity. And I did. But along the way, I also created the ad campaigns, designed the website, recruited partners, judges and mentors, organised the judging process, developed the creative brief with the client, designed the trophies and diplomas and put together the awards gala.

Despite the project's scale, my main role was building and managing the visual brand. I got to build a brand that resonated with students, with a colour palette that represented a breath of fresh air in a tough job market. The paw-inspired shapes carried through everything, from social media posts to trophies and back again.

The competition was judged by an incredibly creative and talented jury who generously gave their time to support students. While most of the responsibility and workload fell on the founders, Cub Cup was made possible by a whole community of industry professionals.

All in all, Cub Cup 2026 reached 13 universities, brought 70 students into the creative competition, and recruited 22 top creative professionals to judge and mentor. Winners got three internship interview opportunities at PHS BBDO. We awarded €400 in prize money, handed out three custom trophies supporting Finnish craftsmanship, and organised 20 one-on-one mentoring sessions between students and industry professionals. On top of that, students came up with over 30 ideas for an NGO client.

As the saying goes, tätä saatiin tällä rahalla. And that leaves me wondering: what could Finland’s upcoming generation of creatives achieve with more opportunities and proper resources?