MAD STARS 2025 explores how AI is rewiring the creative DNA of advertising
The MAD STARS 2025 conference begins with a topic of greatest importance to the industry’s future: The power of advertising to shape the world.
[Special Session] Conversation with Executive Jury will be held on Wednesday, August 27, 13:00-13:30
This special session will feature MAD STARS’ four Executive Jury members, Alejandro Di Trolio, European creative chairman, Cheil; Alex Abrantes, chief creative officer, North America, Iris Worldwide; Ashish Chakravarty, executive director & India head of creative, McCann; and Tawana Murphy Burnett, head of top accounts & agencies, Meta, moderated by Sangsoo Chong, vice chairperson, MAD STARS. They will share how they evaluated and selected the best works of MAD STARS 2025, offering a candid, insightful panel discussion that brings together leaders from diverse backgrounds and regions.
Remember when AI was experimental? Now it is firmly embedded in our industry, and the conversation has moved on. Many of this year’s MAD STARS speakers will explore how AI enhances creativity, supporting the boundless potential of human imagination.
Augmenting Creativity: Where AR, AI, and Culture Meet will be held on Wednesday, August 27, 14:00-14:30
Samer Lahoud, head of creative strategy MENA at Snap Inc., will take audiences inside the world of Snapchat. He will show how Snapchat is a cultural catalyst where creativity transforms into meaningful impact, and how today’s audiences respond to experiences that are personalised, intelligent, and emotionally resonant. Drawing on examples such as AR Camera Lenses, Spectacles and creator-led culture, he will outline how Snap is shaping the next era of creative storytelling, where technology deepens connection, and creativity shifts from storytelling to storyliving.
The Entertaining Power of AI will be held on Wednesday, August 27, 14:30–15:00
Ricardo Adolfo, Executive Creative Director at TBWA\ Media Arts Lab Tokyo, will explore how AI is reshaping the entertainment landscape, from recommending what we watch and listen to, to taking a seat at the writer’s desk, director’s chair and edit room. He will examine how technology trained on past successes can be both a powerful tool and a limitation, and how creatives can harness AI to deliver original, unexpected moments that truly move and inspire audiences.
From AI to AX – Designing Experiences Beyond Technology will be held on Wednesday, August 27, 15:00-15:30
For those still on the sidelines of AI, Seunglok Baik, Chief Executive Officer of CJ Mezzo Media, will argue that AI is no longer optional in advertising, it is essential. Drawing on real-world cases, from strategy through execution, he will explain how competitive advantage comes from using AI-generated outputs to design original AI experiences (AX: AI of eXperience) for both clients and consumers, offering a holistic approach and a forward-looking vision for AX.
Creating Content in the AI Era: The Better You Understand AI, the Better Your Content Becomes! will be held on Thursday, August 28, 13:00-13:30
AI can now generate copy, produce images, and even design entire campaigns. But there’s one thing it still can’t do: explain why a message truly persuades. Orbit, science communicator, content creator in Korea, and host of the YouTube channel Unrealscience with 1.31 million subscribers, will explore how complex technologies can be translated into compelling narratives that audiences actually understand. Drawing from his experience simplifying scientific ideas for millions, he will reveal why the ability to explain, not just create, is the most critical skill for advertising professionals in the age of AI. In a world where machines generate content, humans must generate meaning.
POST AGENCY: Content IP, Powered by AI will be held on Thursday, August 28, 14:00-14:30
As AI reshapes the production methods and organisational structures of the advertising and marketing industry, Yong-tae Alex Kim, chief executive officer of The SMC, will present an approach that transcends the limitations of traditional agencies. Built on the core pillars of AI and Content IP, POST AGENCY, represents a paradigm shift in digital advertising. Using examples such as AI-powered video production and workflow innovation with The SMC’s proprietary AI AGENT, he will explore the opportunities and challenges this transformation brings for agencies and brands.
The Intersection of AI and Human Creativity: Insights for Young Professionals will be held on Thursday, August 28, 16:00–16:30
Yoshi Matsuura, chief executive officer & strategic planning director, StrategyX, will share insights drawn from 25 years in Japanese and Western agencies and independent consulting. He will discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated shifts in work dynamics, client expectations and agency operations, and why human creativity is more important than ever. He will outline the skills and mindset that help young professionals embrace AI as a collaborative partner to deliver more personalised, meaningful experiences and to advance their careers.
Pop Culture vs AI: What Makes a Brand Human will be held on Friday, August 29, 15:00-15:30
Yusuke Sato, group creative director at Dentsu Inc. and three-time MAD STARS Grand Prix winner, will ask, “When AI can generate anything, what gives a brand its soul?” Drawing from Japan’s pop heritage, including anime, manga, Godzilla, and music, Sato will present a mini “Expo of Japanese Pop Culture” inside MAD STARS. More than a showcase, this session offers a bold redefinition of branding in the era of AI-vertising, revealing how cultural heritage and human emotion can merge with corporate branding to create something unmistakably human, and how brands can preserve emotional depth and authenticity in an age flooded with automated content.
There is much more to come. Find the full MAD STARS conference timetable here.