MAD STARS 2025 ANNOUNCES ITS WINNERS WITH GRAND PRIX OF THE YEAR TO WOLF BKK & MULLENLOWE TREYNA The winners of MAD STARS 2025 Awards were announced on August 29, at the Awards Show in the Grand Ballroom at SIGNIEL BUSAN, followed by the Closing Party in the Ballroom. Each year, one Grand Prix is selected from the PSA (Public Service Advertising) group, and another from across the five remaining groups — this becomes the Grand Prix of the Year (Product & Service, or P&S). This year’s GRAND PRIX OF THE YEAR (P&S) was awarded to: “Uncle KFC's Rice Bowl”, by WOLF BKK for advertiser, YUM RESTAURANTS INTERNATIONAL (THAILAND) CO., LTD. The GRAND PRIX OF THE YEAR (PSA) was awarded to: “Scoliosis #StripesFitCheck”, created by MULLENLOWE TREYNA, for advertiser, SCOLIOSIS PHILIPPINES. Executive Jury, Film, Diverse Insights, Branded Entertainment, Game, Music, Sports,PIVOT (Special Category), Alex Abrantes, Chief Creative Officer, North America at Iris Worldwide, commented: Product & Service (Uncle KFC's Rice Bowl): Such a pertinent insight brought to life in a smart, funny, and entertaining way. It was an overwhelming decision to give KFC the Grand Prix of the Year in Product & Service. Public Service Advertising (Scoliosis #StripesFitCheck): A very simple, yet powerful idea brought to life in a super smart way. Scoliosis Stripes shows the impact that ideas can have in our lives.” Executive Jury, Print, Radio & Audio, Design, Direct, Strategy, SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), Ashish Chakravarty, Executive Director & India Head of Creative at McCANN, commented: Product & Service (Uncle KFC's Rice Bowl): “The jury picked the Uncle KFC’s Rice Bowl film for Grand Prix, because it shows that even in this era of AI and tech solutions, nothing brings the house down like a great story, told with aplomb. Superbly entertaining, it is a masterclass in almost every department of advertising and filmmaking. An absurdly funny script yet rooted in culture, with a strong insight, and built around a simple product truth. This, combined with spoton direction, music, casting and performances, made it a truly standout piece – the kind people remember long after the laughter has died down.” Public Service Advertising (Scoliosis #StripesFitCheck): “The jury picked the Scoliosis Stripes fit check campaign for Grand Prix unanimously, because of its sheer simplicity, freshness, and impact. By turning something as ordinary as a striped Tshirt into a diagnostic tool for early detection of Scoliosis, the campaign transforms everyday fashion into a public health intervention. It was impeccably crafted, scalable, and sparked a ton of conversation among the young. But most importantly, it gave people with undetected Scoliosis a chance to lead normal lives. Executive Jury, Interactive, Mobile, Data Insight, Social & Influencer, Integrated, Innovation, Alejandro Di Trolio, European Creative Chairman, Cheil, commented: Product & Service (Uncle KFC's Rice Bowl): Uncle KFC demonstrates that humour remains a great space to connect with audiences through clever globallocal insights. PSA (Scoliosis #StripesFitCheck): Powerful activation that shows the industry that a good idea doesn’t need big budgets to become viral and meaningful. We need more ideas, such as this one, that are simple and scalable, in an age dominated by AI. Executive Jury, Outdoor, PR, Brand Experience & Activation, Media, Place Brand, Commerce, Tawana Murphy Burnett, Head of Top Accounts & Agencies at Meta, commented: Product & Service (Uncle KFC's Rice Bowl): This idea really showcased originality and great storytelling in the unique cultural context of Thailand. At the same time, the relationship between the two main characters was totally relatable, as noted by the engagement and laughter of the jurors in the room. PSA (Scoliosis #StripesFitCheck): It was interesting to see how much this idea resonated with the larger jurors. The simplicity of the campaign and its impact in raising awareness for scoliosis in the Philippines were clearly effective. In the era of AI and many more submissions this year leveraging AI, this lowtech solution to a real problem broke through. In addition to the two Grand Prix, four Special Awards were presented to those who accumulated the most pointsfrom Finalist to Grand Prix of the Year. The SPECIAL AWARDS winners are: Network of the Year:CHEIL Agency of the Year:DENTSU INC. Production of the Year:SOMOS5 Advertiser of the Year:SAMSUNG Please find all winners on the MAD STARS website, here.

​NEW STARS MAD COMPETITION 2025 Winners Announcement The winners of NEW STARS 2025 are announced. Congratulations for all the winners. Please check the attached file. ​

MAD STARS CONFERENCE LIFTS THE LID ON BRAINROT, UNPREDICTABILITY While AI is a focus of interest at MAD STARS 2025, other technological dimensions of the industry are certainly not forgotten. Nor is the allimportant human factor. From streaming disruption to creative burnout, from emotional branding to public trust in AI, these sessions explore the critical questions that define our future. The Future of FAST & OTT Advertising will be held on Wednesday, August 27, 13:3014:00 The Free AdSupported Streaming TV (FAST) market is experiencing explosive growth, with its size projected to reach $11.83 billion by 2027. However, traditional ServerSide Ad Insertion (SSAI) technologies, central to this ecosystem, present significant challenges: limited access to major demand pools like Google’s, ongoing operational costs, and restricted, noninteractive ad formats. Wonjang Baek, CEO of Anypoint Media, will introduce FLOWER, a nextgeneration ad platform for FAST/OTT. By combining a cloud ad server with a clientside SDK, FLOWER eliminates SSAI costs and enables latencyfree ad insertion, a critical feature for live content. It also unlocks access to Google’s ad demand, significantly increasing monetization potential. With support for interactive formats such as clickable overlays and skippable ads, FLOWER offers a compelling new approach to engaging viewers and driving revenue. Brainrot – Stupidity as Brand Connector will be held on Thursday, August 28, 13:3014:00 In an age of endless content and shrinking attention spans, brands are pumping out reactive, repetitive, and overly optimized messages faster than ever, but often with diminishing meaning. Pancho Gonzalez, cofounder and chief creative officer at Inbrax, believes we are facing a silent creative crisis. He describes it as a kind of mental fatigue where originality is replaced by automation and big ideas are sacrificed for small metrics. He calls it brainrot. This session is a wakeup call for anyone who feels overwhelmed by the pace of the industry or uninspired by its sameness. Gonzalez urges marketers to reclaim the soul of creativity, not by resisting change but by creating work that truly matters. He challenges the audience to connect with consumers who embrace absurdity, not by chasing performance alone but by making meaning. There is anything more human than algorithm will be held on Thursday, August 28, 14:3015:00 In a world shaken by war, inflation, and widespread institutional distrust, can algorithms really connect with people? Alejandro Di Trolio, European Creative Chairman at Cheil, asks whether AI can go beyond targeting to become a genuine ally for brands seeking human connection. This session doesn’t just reflect on AI’s potential — it demonstrates it. Di Trolio offers a powerful perspective on how brands can still create experiences that are rooted in empathy, belief, and emotional truth. In an age that often feels dehumanized, he argues, there is still hope on the other side of artificial intelligence. Why Did Korea's Leading Restaurant Guide, Blue Ribbon, Change Its Color to Red? will be held on Friday, August 29, 13:0013:30 Why would a restaurant guide known for its blue ribbon suddenly go red? Sangsu Lee, Director of E2E Experience & Connections Strategy & Media Operations at CocaCola Korea, will share the success story of the Red Ribbon campaign. This session highlights how a bold, ideadriven approach, regardless of marketing budget, can spark massive impact. Lee will detail the creative and strategic execution that transformed a simple color change into a powerful cultural conversation. No Right Answer, Just the Moment: When Unpredictability Becomes Content will be held on Friday, August 29, 16:0016:30. Hongchul Ro, a beloved TV personality and entrepreneur in Korea, is best known internationally for starring in Netflix’s The Hungry and the Hairy. He rose to fame as a core cast member of Infinite Challenge, one of Korea’s most iconic variety shows celebrated for its unpredictability and creativity. Known for his highenergy style and unfiltered humor, Ro brings a fresh, instinctdriven perspective to brand storytelling in the digital age. In today’s landscape, there may seem to be no single right answer for content. But that is exactly the point. Ro believes that brands are no longer built by strategy alone but by emotion. In this session, he will share his philosophy that unpredictability is not a risk but an opportunity—one that fuels creative breakthroughs. By stepping outside the expected, brands can connect with audiences more deeply and authentically. As Ro puts it, “Play outside the box. That’s where the real opportunities are.” Explore all the MAD STARS conference sessions here.

YOUNG STARS MAD COMPETITION 2025 Winners Announcement The winners of YOUNG STARS 2025 are announced. Congratulations for all the winners. Please check the attached file.