Dentsu Redder Vietnam team Dat Nguyen Thanh and Dung Cao win Young Lotus competition
The ADFEST 2025 Young Lotus Workshop has been completed by 34 young creatives, representing 17 cities, including Bangkok, Colombo, Dhaka, Dubai, Ho Chi Minh, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kathmandu, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Mumbai, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Taipei, Tokyo and Ulaanbaatar.
Vinit Suraphongchai, Chairman of ADFEST welcomed all the participants to ADFEST before the start of their two-day workshop. He explained, “Every year, the Young Lotus Workshop proves itself to be the beating heart of ADFEST’s vision. It is a source of learning and inspiration for the next generation of creatives in Asia Pacific and the Middle East. It perfectly demonstrates our desire to give back to our industry and inspire the next generation of creative leaders.”
This year Young Lotus Workshop was hosted by Dentsu Inc., under the theme, “The Collision of Creativity, Creativity++”, and led by Alice Chou, Chair, APAC Dentsu Creative Council & Chief Creative Officer, Dentsu Creative Taiwan and Hitoshi Hamaguchi, President of APAC Practices and Practice President of Creative APAC.
Chou said: ” For the first time, this year’s Young Lotus Workshop features participants from Ulaanbaatur, Mongolia. Some of the teams earned their spot by beating over 120 teams in local competitions. With just 24 hours to create, many slept barely an hour—yet they were still all smiles, fuelled by passion. Their energy is truly inspiring, and through them, I see so much hope for our industry. I came here thinking I would teach, but I’ve learned more from them than I could ever give.”
The Young Lotus teams first enjoyed a series of talks and workshops hosted by an 8-person team of Dentsu’s experienced creative, strategy and planning leaders. They were then given a real brief for real client – with just 24 hours to meet the deadline.
Hamaguchi said: “Each of the 34 participants brought their own energy, curiosity, and boldness. What stood out the most wasn’t just their skills, but their passion for pushing boundaries, leveraging “Creativity++” thinking. They challenged traditional thinking, worked together to improve each other’s ideas, and weren’t afraid to explore new and unexpected concepts. Some focused on data, while others were more product-driven, but all had a strong strategic approach.”
2025 YOUNG LOTUS WORKSHOP WINNERS
Dat Nguyen Thanh and Dung Cao from from Dentsu Redder, Ho Chi Minh are the winners of this year’s Young Lotus Workshop, with their work called, “Journey to the DEPTH”. Their trophy was presented to them during the Lotus Awards Presentation on Saturday, 22nd March – the final day of ADFEST 2025.
Chou said: “Empowering People with Disabilities” was the brief. It is not about how we help them, but how we respect them with equality and dignity. “Journey to the Depth” doesn’t see disability as weakness. It reveals the extraordinary strength and uniqueness within. By empowering disabled people with confidence in travel, it transforms the experience into something truly powerful.”
Hamaguchi added: “Selection of the winners for Young Lotus was tough with so much talent. But in the end, the winning team stood out because they consistently stayed true to the goal of the challenge. They went beyond just answering the brief—they reframed it with their own creative thinking. Their submission was original, clear, and meaningful. They told a fresh story that deeply connected with potential customers. Most importantly, they took risks, thought outside the box, and executed their ideas with confidence.”
Congratulations to ADFEST 2025’s four other Young Lotus finalists, who were selected by the Young Lotus judging panel:
• DUBAI: Ahmed Raslan, Head of Production and Omar Zakaria,Senior Art Director: Havas Middle East
• HONG KONG: Emily Yip, Content Designer, and Tatiana Le, Senior Copywriter: Ogilvy Hong Kong
• JAKARTA: Kevin Leosujanto, Art Director, and Reyhana Febriola, Junior Copywriter: Maleo, Jakarta
• TOKYO: Masaharu Noguchi, Art Director, and Misora Kambe, Copywriter: Dentsu Inc.
THE YOUNG LOTUS POPULAR VOTE
All the five finalist teams, including the team from Ho Chi Minh also had the opportunity to win The Popular Vote. This is tallied from delegate votes after the end of the session, ‘Dentsu Hosts Young Lotus Workshop 2025: The Collision of Creativity, Creativity ++”, where all the finalists presented their work to ADFEST delegates.
The Young Lotus Popular Vote was won by Kevin Leosujanto, Art Director, andReyhana Febriola, Junior Copywriter: from Maleo, Jakarta, for their work entitled, “Stay-able”.
JOIN YOUNG LOTUS WORKSHOP NEXT YEAR!
The Young Lotus Workshop is one of the industry’s longest-running mentoring programs in our industry, designed to give the next generation of advertising leaders hands-on, practical experience. The program is open to advertising professionals aged 30 & under, with teams selected by local representatives in markets across the region.
Alice Chou had some advice for aspiring young creatives who wanted to join the Young Lotus Program in 2026. She said, “This is a workshop with a competition and of course you should give it your best. But winning or losing isn’t what matters most. It’s the people you meet, the experiences you gain, the frustration of creating under pressure, and the euphoria of that sudden spark of brilliance…that’s the real prize.”
Hitoshi Hamaguchi also added some pearls of wisdom, when he suggested:
• “Trust your instincts – transform your creativity; it’s about breaking conventional thinking accommodating the needs of people, business and society”.
• “Let go and transcend – the best ideas come when you’re not afraid to connect different components: ++ thinking”.
• “Enjoy & have fun – creativity isn’t just about giving an idea; it’s about the process, having the discipline to transform inspiration into making a real impact. Have fun, push yourself, and make the most of every moment”.
Young creatives who are eligible can apply by contacting their local representative in their market or by contacting YoungLotus@ADFEST.com