The MAD STARS 2024 festival kicked off in Busan, South Korea on August 21 with a series of impactful speeches, interactive panels, and innovative presentations.
The theme of this year’s MAD STARS is AIM: Marketing Success with AI, so it’s no surprise that AI dominated much of the conversation on day one.
AI features prominently in many of the speakers’ sessions as it continues to permeate many aspects of advertising and marketing, demonstrating increasing value as a tool.
The first day set the bar high for the festival, highlighting the evolving intersection of AI, creativity and marketing.
Aeri Park, CEO of HSAD, delivered a keynote speech on “The Era of AI-Driven Marketing Creativity.” Aeri introduced HSAD’s unique approach to integrating AI into marketing strategies, highlighting how AI can overcome traditional limitations and open up new creative possibilities.
“AI is not just a tool, but an enabler that is redefining marketing creativity,” Aeri said. “We are embracing AI to create deeper connections with consumers and drive innovation.”
In his session, Aeri expanded on HSAD’s AI tool designed to interact organically with marketing companies, transforming data into valuable assets and creating a virtuous cycle.
“We help people with this tool designed in such a way that it interacts organically with the entire marketing activity on the four axes, transforms it into data and becomes an asset and a virtuous circle,” she explained.
The “Executive Jury Conversation,” hosted by Sangsoo Chong, Vice President of MAD STARS, featured a panel of esteemed individuals including Gabriel Lora, Vice President of Strategy and Digital Transformation at FCB Newlink; Emma de la Fosse, Chief Creative Officer at Edelman; Matt MacDonald, Chief Creative Officer at BBDO New York; and Suzana Apelbaum, Chief Creative and Innovation Officer at Google. The panelists provided insights into their judging process for the awards, shared their perspectives on the current state of the industry, and discussed future trends and challenges.
Gabriel said: “Evaluating this year’s entries showed us the incredible diversity of creativity across the world.” The executive jury highlighted originality, cultural insight, humanity and positive impact as key qualities sought in this year’s entries.
Matt stressed the importance of originality in advertising campaigns: “We look for originality, for something new. In advertising these days, it can be hard to find that.”
Wayne Deakin, Global Creative Director at Wolff Olins, presented “6 Rules for Building Future-Proof Brands.” Wayne shared strategies for brands to maintain relevance and impact in the face of rapid technological change and evolving consumer expectations.
“To be successful, brands need to be agile and proactive,” Wayne said. “Staying on top of trends and being able to adapt is critical to long-term success.”
Hemant Shringy, Creative Director, FCB Ulka, explored the balance between emotional intelligence and AI in his talk titled ‘EI in the Times of AI’.
Hemant stressed that emotional connections can still play a vital role in communication despite technological advances. “AI can enhance our ability to make emotional connections, not replace it,” Hemant said. “The challenge is to integrate AI in a way that enhances human contact.”
Several workshops also took place alongside the main panels and keynote speeches.
In his workshop “The Hidden Virtuality in Me,” Sungsoo Jung demonstrated how different perspectives and virtual experiences can drive creativity and innovation in advertising. Sungsoo Jung emphasized the importance of viewing creativity from the consumer’s perspective and leveraging virtual experiences to drive engagement.
Taeho Kang, Executive Director of Daehong Communications, presented “The Convergence of AI and Marketing, and the New Future of Advertising That Has Already Arrived.”
He explained how generative AI is transforming advertising strategies, saying: “Generative AI opens the door to new levels of personalization and engagement in marketing.”
Hyungtaek Kim, CEO of Digital Initiative Group, explored the challenges and opportunities for small agencies adapting to AI in his session “How Can Small and Medium Agencies Survive in the Era of AI Transformation?”
Jihyun An, Director of SITE BRANDING CO LTD, introduced “Through public baths, we talk about the lifestyle of “ME TIME””.
Later in the evening, the festival held its opening ceremony and gala, celebrating the delegates and jurors in attendance, headlined by Busan City Mayor Park Heong-joon.
The first day of the MAD STARS festival was full of ideas and innovations, setting the tone for the rest of the event. Participants were able to discover ideas and strategies that combine creativity and technology.
As the festival continues, day two is set to build on this foundation by further exploring cutting-edge trends and industry advancements.
