AI Takes Center Stage in Busan, the Heart of Asian Advertising... 2025 Busan International Marketing & Advertising Festival Kicks Off

AI-vertising: Ushering in the Era of AI Advertising and Marketing
Busan International Marketing & Advertising Festival Opens,
Highlighting Innovation at the Intersection of AI and Creativity

AI is shaking up the advertising stage. The '2025 Busan International Marketing & Advertising Festival,' which opened in Busan, is ushering in a new era of advertising and marketing in the age of artificial intelligence.

The '2025 Busan International Marketing & Advertising Festival (MAD STARS 2025),' which kicked off on August 27, is being held under the theme 'AI-vertising: The Era of AI Advertising and Marketing' at Signiel Busan and throughout the Haeundae area.

Now in its 18th year, the Busan International Marketing & Advertising Festival is the largest event of its kind in Asia and the only international advertising festival in South Korea. It is sponsored by the Busan Metropolitan Government and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and organized by the Busan International Marketing & Advertising Festival Organizing Committee. The professional program will run for three days until August 29, while the general public program will be held from September 19 to 21 at the annex of the Busan Modern & Contemporary History Museum.

The opening ceremony will take place at 5 p.m. on this day at Signiel Busan. Park Hyungjun, the mayor of Busan, will attend as the chairman of the organizing committee and deliver a congratulatory address. Numerous figures from both the industry and academia will be present. At the event, international honorary awards and achievement awards will be presented to individuals and organizations that have led innovation in the industry.

The international honorary award will be presented to UN WOMEN, which has led the advancement of the rights of women and girls, while the achievement award will go to Yoo Jungkeun, CEO of Samsung Lions and former president of Cheil Worldwide, for elevating the global stature of the domestic advertising industry.

The highlight of this event is the conference. Around 40 sessions have been prepared, where current experts from global companies and creators will discuss the future of advertising in the AI era. Kim Jonghyun, CEO of Cheil Worldwide, addressed the role of advertising agencies in the age of AI, while Alex Abrantes, Chief Creative Officer of Iris Worldwide North America, will present strategies for creativity that go beyond technology. Kim Yuna, advertising model for Samsung Electronics, will take the stage with the chief marketing officer to share her experiences of witnessing AI home appliance technology firsthand in advertising settings.

The competition to discover emerging advertising professionals is also heating up. In the junior advertising section, 'New Stars,' 84 participants from 11 countries will take part, while in the university student section, 'Young Stars,' 98 participants from 9 countries will plan and produce impromptu campaigns over 30 hours. These participants will receive not only the opportunity to compete, but also mentoring from global experts and on-site lectures. Winners will be given opportunities to execute actual advertising campaigns and internships.

A total of 187 award-winning works by professionals will be exhibited in the lobby of Signiel Busan during the event. Ten companies from three countries will participate in the business market promotional booths, creating a platform for networking. The general public event, 'Creative Popup,' will be held separately in September, featuring exhibitions of award-winning works and a copywriting experience zone to encourage greater public participation.

Mayor Park Hyungjun stated, "Artificial intelligence is opening up new horizons in advertising and marketing," and added, "Through this advertising festival, we will create a platform for innovation where AI and creativity merge, and actively support Busan in establishing itself as a global city for advertising and marketing."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.