Les Chatons d'Or
Les Chatons d'Or is a French national creative competition festival founded in 2011, identifying and showcasing emerging creative talent across 10 categories through an annual event culminating in awards at Opéra Bastille in Paris.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Les Chatons d'Or does
Les Chatons d'Or is a French national creative festival and competition founded in 2011 and owned by Créaneo, structured as a non-profit association (loi 1901). Its core function is identifying, showcasing, and accelerating the careers of emerging creative talent across France through a structured annual competition spanning 10 categories: filmmaking, game creation, still and animated visual creation, brand design, digital innovation, musical and sound creation, immersive and interactive experiences, writing and narration, and object design. Projects are submitted through the AdForum platform, evaluated anonymously by expert juries, presented at a pitch day, and awarded at the flagship "La Nuit des Chatons d'Or" ceremony held annually at Opéra Bastille in Paris.
The organization has no proprietary technology platform; it operates as a curated competition and ceremonial event, relying on AdForum for submission infrastructure and on a broad ecosystem of 30+ partners (creative schools, agencies, media outlets, industry associations, and France Travail) for participant acquisition, jury composition, and post-competition career placement. Its go-to-market is event-driven and community-led, leveraging educational partner networks for top-of-funnel reach and culminating in a prestige-driven awards ceremony.
The revenue model is built on a two-tier participant pricing structure: free entry for students, post-graduates, and creatives under 30, and a one-time paid entry fee for candidates aged 30 and over (amount undisclosed). The 2026 edition, themed "Le choc des générations," explicitly expanded eligibility to include the 30+ segment. Beyond participant fees, the festival does not disclose additional revenue streams; operational sustainability appears to rely on parent-company support from Créaneo and in-kind contributions from the partner ecosystem. There are no funded rounds, acquisitions, or indications of venture or equity capital involvement.
Les Chatons d'Or firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Les Chatons d'Or
- Legal name
- Les Chatons d'Or
- Website
- https://leschatonsdor.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Les Chatons d'Or is a French national creative competition festival founded in 2011, identifying and showcasing emerging creative talent across 10 categories through an annual event culminating in awards at Opéra Bastille in Paris.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Les Chatons d'Or industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Creative Competition and Awards Festival
- NAICS
- Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (71151)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Virtual Awards Ceremonies & Competitions (Judging, Voting) (MPAGAOAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Virtual Conferences & Summits (Webinars, Keynotes) (MPAGAOAA), Virtual Event Registration, Ticketing & Access Control (Authentication, Paywalls, Badging) (THAHAOAI)
Keywords
Where Les Chatons d'Or is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Les Chatons d'Or business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Competition Entry Fees: The competition charges a fee for participants aged 30 and over, while remaining free for students, post-graduates, and creatives under 30. This creates a tiered revenue stream based on participant age.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | One-time | Free tier for young creatives under 30 |
| One time/ perpetual license | One-time | Paid tier for creatives aged 30 and over |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Les Chatons d'Or product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Les Chatons d'Or is a French national creative competition and festival that discovers, reveals, and promotes emerging creative talents through a structured call-for-projects, anonymous expert jury selection, a pitch day, and the flagship awards ceremony La Nuit des Chatons d'Or held at Opéra Bastille in Paris. The competition spans 10 categories covering film, game design, still and animated visual creation, brand design, digital innovation, music/sound, immersive experiences, writing, and object design, with free entry for students, post-graduates and under-30 creatives, and paid entry for candidates aged 30 and over.
Product overview
Les Chatons d'Or is a national creative competition festival founded in 2011, organized by CREANEO. The festival operates as a unified competition platform with 10 specialized categories spanning film, game design, still and animated visual creation, brand design, digital innovation, music/sound, immersive experiences, writing, and object design. The competition includes a structured evaluation process with anonymous project selection, a pitch day, and the flagship awards ceremony 'La Nuit des Chatons d'Or' held annually at Opéra Bastille.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Les Chatons d'Or Competition National French creative competition for emerging talents across 10 categories (film, game design, visual arts, brand design, digital innovation, music/sound, immersive experiences, writing, object design), with anonymous jury evaluation, a pitch day, and the awards ceremony La Nuit des Chatons d'Or. Free for students, post-graduates, and creatives under 30; paid entry for candidates aged 30 and over.
- La Nuit des Chatons d'Or (Awards Ceremony)
Quantifiable outcome
- Each year, one Grand Prize and 10 category winners are selected, with a Public Choice Award also presented
Companies that use Les Chatons d'Or
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Les Chatons d'Or technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Les Chatons d'Or partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
23 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- CréaneocoreOwner of the CHATONS D'OR and CREATIVE LEAGUE brands. Nicolas Cerisola, CEO of Créaneo, serves as President of Les Chatons d'Or. The company organizes and owns the festival.
- Ad ForumcoreGlobal advertising platform with 50,000+ agencies, 250,000+ advertisements, and 350,000+ professionals. Hosts the competition submission portal.
- JosianecoreNon-conformist advertising agency. Laurent Allias, founder of Les Chatons d'Or, is CEO of Agence Josiane.
- IAA (International Advertising Association)minorInternational advertising association serving the MARCOM sector for 85 years, providing industry support and recognition.
- Motion Plus DesigncoreMotion design events company founded in 2011 by Kook Ewo, showcasing contemporary motion designers worldwide. Contributor Axel Epifanie is CEO.
- ZiggouratminorTraining organization offering programs in AI, cybersecurity, UX, webdesign, digital marketing, RSE. Provides training and upskilling services.
- Joe La PompeminorBlogger and plagiarist hunter passionate about original advertising. Serves as jury member and chronicler of creative industry.
- 31dBminorSound creation agency specializing in custom music, sound design, and immersive experiences.
- ARPPminorFrench professional advertising regulation body promoting fair, truthful, and healthy advertising practices.
- CB NewsminorFrench monthly magazine covering communication, advertising, marketing, and media since 1986. Part of MediaSchool group.
- École CondéminorPrivate higher education institution (35 years) in design, illustration-animation, photography, and heritage restoration. 9 campuses in France.
- ECVminorHigher education institution (since 1984) training creatives in Design, Animation, Game, and Digital at Paris, Lille, Bordeaux, and Nantes.
- ESDminorDigital school offering programs in marketing, webdesign, data, UX/UI, and video, part of ADEducation group.
- ESPminorHigher education institution (since 1926) specializing in communication and marketing. Located in Paris 16th arrondissement. Part of ADEducation.
- IIMminorPrivate technical higher education (since 1995) training creative talents in video games, coding, 3D animation, creation, communication, and audiovisual. Part of ADEducation.
- EICARminorReference school for film, TV, and sound professions (50+ years). 9,000 m² facilities in Paris and Lyon, 300+ professional instructors, 500+ productions annually, 12,800 alumni worldwide.
- France TravailminorFrench employment operator supporting job seekers and companies in recruitment, specifically in entertainment and creative industries.
- IPSOS-BVAminorThird-largest market research group in France providing insights on society, markets, and individuals. Collaborates on the festival's opening talks.
- AMCAminorFilm and audiovisual school with individualized student support, 3-year programs with industry professionals and guaranteed internships.
- AACCminorAssociation of French Communication Consulting Agencies defending excellence, innovation, and attractiveness of communication professions.
- HarakiwiminorIndependent communication agency specializing in brand strategy, content creation, and impactful digital campaigns. Supports festival's digital presence.
- EFET CréaminorDesign and art direction school (50+ years) focused on creativity, experimentation, and professionalization.
- ISCOMminorCommunication and marketing school (40 years) with 10 campuses in France, 100+ international partnerships, 6 Bachelor tracks, and 13 specialized MBAs.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights4 records
Les Chatons d'Or competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Eurobest: Eurobest is the European edition of the Cannes Lions creative festival, awarding creative excellence across Europe. It is a regional peer to Les Chatons d'Or, targeting the same European creative community but at pan-European rather than French-national scope.
Direct peers
- ADC Annual Awards (Art Directors Club): The ADC Annual Awards are one of the oldest global creative competitions spanning advertising, design, illustration, photography, and motion. Comparable directly to Les Chatons d'Or's category breadth and jury-driven awards format.
- The One Show: The One Show, run by The One Club for Creativity, is a major global advertising/creative awards competition with categories covering film, design, digital, and brand work. It is a direct peer to Les Chatons d'Or, with comparable judging and recognition format.
- CLIO Awards: CLIO Awards is an international advertising and creative awards program spanning film, design, music, and digital. It is directly comparable to Les Chatons d'Or's competition framework for honoring creative work across categories.
- Portfolio Night (The Advertising Club of New York): Portfolio Night is a global "world's largest portfolio review" connecting emerging creative students with creative directors in one-night events across many cities. It is a direct functional peer to Les Chatons d'Or in the talent-launch space.
- The Drum Awards for the Creative Industries: The Drum Awards recognize creative excellence across agencies and brands in multiple categories including digital, design, and film. Comparable in structure to Les Chatons d'Or's multi-category awards, though oriented more to working professionals than emerging talent.
- D&AD New Blood Awards: D&AD New Blood is the leading UK/global creative awards for emerging students and young creatives across advertising, design, and digital. It is a direct functional peer to Les Chatons d'Or's competition for emerging French talent, with comparable category structure and jury-based selection.
- Young Guns (The One Club): Young Guns recognizes professionals 30 and under who are making a mark in creative disciplines. It is a direct talent-discovery peer to Les Chatons d'Or — even more so now that the 2026 edition expanded to creators over 30.
Broad incumbents
- Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity: Cannes Lions is the flagship global advertising awards festival owned by Ascential. It operates a much broader, global portfolio but overlaps directly with Les Chatons d'Or's competition-and-ceremony model and shares the same creative-industry jury ecosystem.
Others
- Créative League: Creative League is the sister brand owned by Les Chatons d'Or's parent company Créaneo. It is highly comparable as it operates the same ecosystem of creative talent discovery and is co-branded with Les Chatons d'Or.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Les Chatons d'Or social profiles
Digital presenceLes Chatons d'Or financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Les Chatons d'Or leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Les Chatons d'Or funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Les Chatons d'Or M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Les Chatons d'Or
What does Les Chatons d'Or do?
Les Chatons d'Or is a French national creative competition and festival that discovers, reveals, and promotes emerging creative talents through a structured call-for-projects, anonymous expert jury selection, a pitch day, and the flagship awards ceremony La Nuit des Chatons d'Or held at Opéra Bastille in Paris. The competition spans 10 categories covering film, game design, still and animated visual creation, brand design, digital innovation, music/sound, immersive experiences, writing, and object design, with free entry for students, post-graduates and under-30 creatives, and paid entry for candidates aged 30 and over.
Is Les Chatons d'Or a public or private company?
Les Chatons d'Or is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Les Chatons d'Or founded?
Les Chatons d'Or was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Les Chatons d'Or based?
Les Chatons d'Or is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does Les Chatons d'Or make money?
One revenue line is on record: competition Entry Fees.
Who are Les Chatons d'Or's main competitors?
Eurobest is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are ADC Annual Awards (Art Directors Club), The One Show, CLIO Awards, Portfolio Night (The Advertising Club of New York), The Drum Awards for the Creative Industries, D&AD New Blood Awards and Young Guns (The One Club). Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is listed as a broad incumbent. Créative League is listed as an others.
Does Les Chatons d'Or have an API?
No public API is recorded for Les Chatons d'Or.
What industry is Les Chatons d'Or in?
Les Chatons d'Or's product category is Creative Competition and Awards Festival. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAOAN, Virtual Awards Ceremonies & Competitions (Judging, Voting), with a secondary code of MPAGAOAA, Virtual Conferences & Summits (Webinars, Keynotes). Its NAICS code is 71 and its SIC code is 7990.