Meet George Hobby & Grace Zhou: The Duo Who Took Home Silver at Cannes Young Lions

In the prestigious arena of Cannes Young Lions, Citizen Relations’ Copywriter George Hobby and Art Director Grace Zhou secured a remarkable silver medal finish in the PR category. Their campaign, Pharma Seeds, reimagines the intersection of mental health and environmental action by replacing traditional pills with native plant seeds in biodegradable prescription bottles.

Citizen Chief Creative Officer, Josh Budd, weighed in on the big win: “I couldn’t be happier for George and Grace. Young Lions is hard just to complete, let alone shortlist, let alone podium. And silver! That they’ve done so only 18 months into their careers is a testament to the drive, talent, and teamwork that we’re fortunate to see every day.”

We sat down with George and Grace to chat about their journey to the podium.

Q&A with George Hobby and Grace Zhou

Securing a silver medal at Cannes is a massive milestone. How has this experience validated your journey as creatives?

George: As young creatives, imposter syndrome can creep in, and it’s sometimes hard to know if you’re doing work “right.” This competition provided the validation that our thinking is worth pursuing and that we were hired for a reason.

Grace: Having competed in Young Lions twice, I’ve been able to see the progression of our work. Seeing that improvement really makes you start to believe in yourself.

What did this high-pressure environment teach you about each other?

George: I learned that Grace works best when most of us are asleep—definitely outside of the 9-to-5 window! Once she puts her head down, it’s best to give her space to lock in.

Grace: George is incredibly structured and organized. He loves his routine and he’s very competitive. He also keeps the mood light—he loves a good “would you rather” question to break the tension.

Looking back at the process, is there anything you would have done differently?

George: Win gold?! (Laughs). Honestly, we are very proud of the work. The only thing to do moving forward is to take the industry experience and apply it to our daily work at Citizen.

Grace: Started earlier! Having more of a plan with strict deadlines could have saved us from staying up until 3:00 AM! But having that time to go over multiple ideas together before moving forward was incredibly valuable.

What was the highlight of your Young Lions experience?

George: The final ceremony, and the opportunity to meet other junior creatives and see what the future of advertising and PR holds. It’s an inspiring community to be a part of.

Grace: For me, it was the validation of making it further and further in the competition. Receiving those emails announcing we had made it to the next round was such a thrill.

For the creatives looking to compete next year, what is your best “insider” advice?

Grace: Practice blue-sky thinking—take on the competition with an “anything is possible” mentality without constraints like budget or timing.

George: Have strong opinions but hold them loosely. What makes creatives stand out isn’t just their thinking, but their ability to decide where that thinking should be allocated.

Finally, you both represent Citizen Relations. What is it about the agency culture that helped prepare you for this win?

George: It’s the work ethic and the collaborative spirit. There is a real willingness at Citizen to share insights and information across every department, from XM to PR.

Grace: That integrated thinking is exactly what you need to succeed at a global level like Cannes. It’s this cooperation amongst departments that allows the best ideas to flourish.