This morning, August 20, numerous young talents put on their NEW STARS and YOUNG STARS T-shirts at BEXCO in Busan and started one of the most important weeks of their emerging careers under the MAD STARS theme of “AIM: Aiming for Marketing Success with AI”. This week, 152 emerging talents will accelerate their careers at MAD STARS.

NEW STARS are emerging creatives with less than five years of professional experience who are eager to excel. They have entered the most competitive, challenging – and rewarding – marketing advertising competition in the Asia Pacific region. The aim of the competition is to develop creative skills that accelerate career paths, showcase ideas and skills, and expand their network by meeting mentors and judges from the top level circles of the industry.

NEW STARS’ mission is to transform Haeundae, Busan into a landmark through creative DOOH (Digital Out-of-Home) solutions. This year, the installation of outdoor advertising on Busan Haeundae Gunam-ro and nearby Haeundae Beach is free. This means that regulations regarding the shape, size, color and installation methods of advertising have been significantly relaxed, allowing more freedom in installation.

The challenge for NEW STARS is to develop a DOOH strategy to capitalise on this opportunity and turn the area into a local attraction.

The NEW STARS jury consists of:

• Tawana Murphy Burnett, Meta, Head of Global Accounts and Agencies, APAC
• Adlin Rosli, Our LEGO Agency, Creative Manager, Singapore
• Auditya Mandala Putra, TikTok, Brand and Creative Consultant, SEA
• Belinda Belseck, Paramount Africa, Director of Integrated Marketing, South Africa
• Carl Franklin Urgino, Leo Burnett Manila, Head of Art, Philippines
• Cody Alexander Amos, Heckler, Creative Director, Singapore
• Hyunjung Park, Cheil Worldwide, Creative Director, Republic of Korea
• Roy Cohen, Amazon Brand Innovation Lab, Senior Creative Director, UK
• Ryo Seki, Dentsu Inc., planner, Japan
• Jay (Jaehong) Kim, BrandVibe, Managing Director

YOUNG STARS are the college students with MAD stars in their eyes and ambitions. This week, they will showcase their talent to the world by planning and producing a video or print ad within 30 hours on site. This year, YOUNG STARS will be offered two topics to choose from and participants will be allowed to use generative AI. They will receive feedback and coaching from judges who have been specially selected as high-level experts in advertising and marketing from around the world. They will have the opportunity to gain insight into the latest trends and innovative ideation techniques and network with their judges.

The YOUNG STARS’ choice of topics includes either the idea of ​​a campaign to increase the worldwide awareness of MAD STARS or the idea of ​​a campaign that addresses the worsening global environmental problems.

The YOUNG STARS jury consists of:

• Alejandro Di Trolio, Cheil, European Creative Chairman
• Gabriel Lora, FCB Newlink, Vice President of Strategy and Digital Transformation, Mexico
• Jamie Mossahebi, Epic Games, creative producer, USA
• Jiro Murayama, Dentsu Inc., Creative Director and Producer, Japan
• Mario Loncar, Leo Burnett Frankfurt, Senior Copywriter, Germany
• Nari Moon, INNOCEAN, Creative Director, Republic of Korea
• Raymund Sison, DMAP Digital Young Creators, Chairman, Philippines
• Sarah Guessoum, TikTok, Head of Creative Strategy, UAE
• Wayne Deakin, Wolff Olins, Global Principal, UK
• Ben (Taeyoon) Heo, Hanshin University, Professor

This year MAD STARS welcomes 73 NEW STARS in 37 teams from eight locations and 79 YOUNG STARS in 45 teams from six countries.

Both the NEW STARS and YOUNG STARS will compete for gold, silver and bronze trophies and crystal certificates, which will be awarded at the MAD STARS Awards show on August 23. The winner of the gold NEW STAR trophy will also receive a work placement in Busan. YOUNG STAR winners of the bronze trophy or above will be eligible for internships at prestigious advertising agencies.

Not only will they receive feedback and coaching from their judges, but they will also have the opportunity to gain insights into the latest trends and innovative ideation techniques. Both YOUNG STARS and NEW STARS will also receive benefits such as attending the Opening Ceremony and Opening Gala on August 21st, the MAD STARS Networking Party on August 22nd, enjoying the MAD STARS Exhibition and Conference, and attending the MAD STARS Awards Show and Jury Talk on August 23rd.

Find out more about the NEW STARS competition here.

Find out more about the YOUNG STARS competition here.