Being a creative in advertising is a bit like being a wizard. We use our imaginations to make something out of nothing—and we get paid for it. If you think about it, that’s a cool gig. And when we do it right, we can actually make magic.

When I first got into this industry, I realised the power and reach a single ad could have. So, I quickly decided that I wanted to use my creativity for good. Now I’ve been in advertising for almost a decade, and I’ve worked on a few projects with a deeper purpose—like a PSA for Illumination Foundation, an organization that helps homeless people in Los Angeles to break the cycle of poverty.

I also co-founded a non-profit called Girls Lead Summit, a peer-to-peer mentorship programme for girls aged 8–14 years old. Even with those activities, over the last year I found myself starting to lose faith that I could make a positive impact on the world by working in advertising.

My entire perspective shifted when I attended the Creative Academy in 2019.

During my time at Cannes Lions, I spent hours walking through the Palais like a kid in a candy store, geek-ing out over all the award-winning work.

A common thread I noticed was a rise in advertising for good.

Here is some of my favourite work from Cannes Lions 2019 – campaigns that have not only won awards, but changed hearts and minds, and maybe even the world.