Temitope Joseph, the Director of Brand Strategy at Dentsu Creative Nigeria has been appointed as a member of the Creative Strategy Lions Shortlisting Jury at the prestigious Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2025.
Popularly known as TJ, as a member of the shortlisting jury, he will be among a select group of creative industry leaders tasked with reviewing and evaluating the world’s most strategic and impactful creative work across brands and agencies, according to a statement by the Corporate Communications Manager, Dentsu Nigeria, Olalekan Raji.
TJ will participate in the preliminary online judging ahead of the festival and will also receive a full complementary Jury registration for the Cannes Lions Festival, which holds from June 16–20, 2025.
The Cannes Lions Festival is widely regarded as the world’s most esteemed benchmark for creativity in branded communications, and TJ’s inclusion in its jury affirms Dentsu Creative Nigeria’s position as a true center of excellence.
Speaking on the appointment, Emeka Chris Okeke, Group Chief Executive Officer of MediaFuse-Dentsu, noted that “TJ’s appointment reinforces Dentsu Creative Nigeria’s growing influence on the global creative stage and recognizes the depth of strategic thinking emerging from Africa’s leading brand and communications professionals.
“TJ’s selection into the Cannes Lions Jury is not only a positive gesture for Dentsu Nigeria but a proud moment for the entire Nigerian advertising industry. It is a testament to the strategic creative excellence and global credibility we continue to build across our network,” Okeke said.
Reacting to the development, Funke Adekola, Managing Director of Dentsu Creative Nigeria, noted, “TJ’s appointment to the Cannes Lions Jury is not just a personal win—it’s a win for all of us at Dentsu Creative Nigeria. His dedication, depth, and strategic brilliance reflect the spirit of excellence we cultivate as a team”.
Temitope is a distinguished brand and marketing communication strategist with over a decade of learning and practice in Strategic Leadership, Strategic Planning, Brand Development and Management, Creative Strategy and Leadership, Strategic and Creative Thinking as well as Content Strategy.
His expertise spans work on major accounts including MTN, Nokia, Pepsi, Airtel, Friesland Campina, and 7Up, with previous roles at Insight Communications, Livespot360, Noah’s Ark Communications and Seven-Up Bottling Company.
In his role as Director of Brand Strategy at Dentsu Creative, Lagos Nigeria, TJ is responsible for leading the Strategy/Planning unit of the business, as well as spearheading the transformation, through actionable insights, of the businesses of DC Lagos’ clients – which include Netflix, Fidelity Bank, American Express, AB-in Bev, Lipton, M-Kopa amongst others.
In 2024, TJ graduated with distinction from the Advanced Brand Management Program (ABMP) at the Brand Management Academy, where he was named the Overall Best Student. That same year, he was named one of Nigeria’s Top 10 Brand Strategists by Marketing Edge Magazine, an honour that celebrates brilliance and innovation in the nation’s marketing and advertising industry.
