Busan is good

Asia’s Largest International Advertising Festival, “2025 Busan International Marketing, Advertising & Digital Content Festival (MAD STARS)” to be Held

내용

Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that the “2025 Busan International Marketing, Advertising & Digital Content Festival (MAD STARS, hereinafter referred to as the Festival)” will be held for three days from today (27th) to August 29 at Signiel Busan and across Haeundae under the theme “AI-vertising, the Era of AI Advertising and Marketing.”

The Festival is the largest in Asia and the only international advertising event in Korea, now marking its 18th edition. This year’s event is organized by the Busan International Marketing & Advertising Festival Organizing Committee, with support from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Busan Metropolitan City.

Festival Overview

Period: Professionals – Aug. 27 (Wed) to Aug. 29 (Fri), 2025 / General public – Sept. 19 (Fri) to Sept. 21 (Sun), 2025

Venue: Professionals – Signiel Busan and Haeundae area / General public – Annex of Busan Modern and Contemporary History Museum

Hosted/Supported by: Busan International Marketing & Advertising Festival Organizing Committee / Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Busan Metropolitan City

Major Programs:

Official Events: Opening ceremony, awards ceremony, exhibitions, screenings, conferences, competitions, workshops, etc.

Exhibitions/Screenings: Exhibition of award-winning works, business market promotional booths, etc.

Conference: About 40 keynote and expert lectures from global leaders

Competitions: New Stars (junior advertising professionals), Young Stars (university students)

The festival will consist of an opening ceremony (awards ceremony), large-scale conference, competitions, and exhibitions, providing a platform for more practical and professional discussions on key challenges faced by industry experts.

Key events include:

Opening Ceremony (Aug. 27, 5:00 p.m.)

Conference (Aug. 27–29): Keynote speeches and global lectures

Competitions (Aug. 26–29): For junior advertising professionals and university students from around the world

Exhibitions and Business Market (Aug. 27–29): Award-winning works on display and business booths

Opening Ceremony (Awards)

The opening ceremony will be held at 5:00 p.m. today (27th) at Signiel Busan, with Mayor Park Heong-joon, Chair of the Organizing Committee, in attendance. Awards will be presented to individuals and organizations for their innovative achievements and contributions to the advertising industry, including the International Honorary Award and the Achievement Award.

The International Honorary Award will be presented to UN WOMEN, in recognition of its leadership in institutional reforms and social awareness efforts for closing gender gaps and promoting the rights of women and girls worldwide.

The Achievement Award will go to Yoo Jeong-geun, CEO of Samsung Lions (former President of Cheil Worldwide), for over 35 years of dedication to the development of the advertising and marketing industry, enhancing Korea’s global status in advertising, and nurturing creative talent.

Large-Scale Conference

About 40 sessions will be held, including keynotes, special lectures by experts from world-renowned companies, and practice-oriented lectures by popular creators.

Keynote Speeches:

Kim Jong-hyun, CEO of Cheil Worldwide, will share strategies for delivering continuous value to clients in the era of AI.

Alex Abrantes, Chief Creative Officer of Iris Worldwide North America, will present strategies and approaches to push creativity beyond the limits of technology.

Special Lectures by Global Industry Experts:

Sessions featuring leading digital out-of-home (DOOH) companies from Korea, China, and Japan, discussing present and future trends.

Sessions where Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) of leading brands such as SOCAR, Ourhome, Toss, Twosome Place, TVING, and Coca-Cola Korea will share their publicity strategies. These will highlight practical strategies and solutions based on market experiences and branding trends.

Popular Creator Lectures:

Kim Yuna, advertising model for Samsung Electronics, will appear on stage with marketing executives to talk about her experience of changes in AI-powered home appliance technologies.

Science communicator Kwedo will lecture on “Content Creation in the AI Era: The More You Know AI, the More Content Evolves.”

Entertainer Noh Hong-chul will speak on “The Answer of No Answer,” presenting unique creative methods of content creation in an era where AI produces content.

Competitions

New Stars: 84 junior advertising professionals (with less than 5 years of experience) from 11 countries.

Young Stars: 98 university students from 9 countries.

Participants will receive a theme on-site and develop creative ideas and campaigns within 30 hours, not only competing but also sharing inspiration with young creators from around the world. They will receive mentoring and special lectures from global industry experts in marketing, advertising, and digital fields.

Awards will be announced at the ceremony on August 29 at 5:00 p.m., with winners of Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Crystal prizes gaining opportunities for actual advertising execution. In particular, Young Stars winners will be offered internship opportunities at major domestic and international advertising companies, serving as a bridge to employment.

Exhibitions

For the first time, the Festival is dividing events for professionals and the general public.

Professionals: 187 award-winning works will be displayed in the 4th-floor lobby of Signiel Busan during the Festival. Promotional booths for 10 companies from 3 countries will also be set up.

General Public: The “2025 Busan International Marketing, Advertising & Digital Content Festival Creative Pop-up” will be held for three days from September 19 to 21 at the Annex of the Busan Modern and Contemporary History Museum. Award-winning works and various advertising copies will be on display, free to the public, especially those interested in marketing, advertising, and digital content.

Official Website

Further details on the event can be found on the official Festival website: madstars.org

Mayor’s Remarks

Mayor Park stated, “As artificial intelligence (AI) opens a new horizon in advertising and marketing, Korea’s creativity is already highly regarded worldwide. Through this year’s ‘Busan International Marketing, Advertising & Digital Content Festival (MAD STARS),’ we will create an innovative venue where AI and creativity converge, and Busan Metropolitan City will actively support promoting Korea’s advertising technology and creativity to the world.”