The Brief 2025: Paige Montes’ Experience

When Peter Foster (SVP, Group Creative Director, work dad) nominated me for Cannes' The Brief 2025, I felt two things at once: honored and terrified.

The recognition meant everything. The timing? Not so much. My team was going through a transitional period, projects were blazing, my cat was sick, my wedding was weeks away—and now I had what amounted to a pitch deck to produce. Peak anxiety for someone wired like me.

But my supervisor and career confidant, Fran Aguera, helped me reframe the worry into anticipation. Suddenly, I was excited: no medical or regulatory guardrails, new collaborators, and a client I could genuinely admire.

I appreciate that The Brief always challenges competitors to create pro bono work for meaningful causes. This year's nonprofit was The Lotus Flower, which creates tangible change for displaced women in Iraq and the UK. Founder Taban Shoresh OBE's story moved thousands of advertising professionals during the live briefing. Cannes then organized us into small teams based on discipline, experience, and time zones.

Enter: Borderless Crew.

With teammates spanning the U.S., Mexico, and Brazil, the name felt right. And by pure luck, my assigned art director was DH's own Steven Vigliarolo. We clicked immediately. WhatsApp, Google Drive, and video calls became our lifeline. I learned "rsrsrs" is Portuguese for "hahaha." Together, we created a campaign we're genuinely proud of.

Even though it didn't make the cut. Cue the "womp womp."

Yet here's the truth. Every member of Borderless Crew agrees—no regrets. Only fond memories, mutual respect, and one killer portfolio piece.

Bordless Crew’s Cannes Brief Submission