AI Dominates Global Marketing and Advertising... 'Mad Stars 2026' Kicks Off in Busan on the 26th

Judging Entries from 83 Countries, Introduction of New “Use of AI” Category

40 Conference Sessions and Special Feature on the Philippines

First-Ever Adoption of AI-Based Multilingual Interpretation and Exhibition Translation

Artificial intelligence (AI) is now dominating advertising and marketing while also breaking down language barriers. At this global marketing and advertising festival, AI is leading not only content creation but also communication itself.

The 2026 Busan International Marketing and Advertising Festival (MAD STARS) will be held from August 26 to 28 at Signiel Busan and throughout the Haeundae area.

Now in its 19th year, this year’s Mad Stars focuses on the theme, “AMPLIFY: Amplify Possibilities.” With technological changes, including AI, transforming the way advertisements are produced and how brands communicate with consumers, the main programs will present how combining technology and creativity can create new possibilities.

This year’s festival consists of an opening ceremony, awards ceremony, around 40 conference sessions, as well as exhibitions and a business market. The “New Stars · Young Stars” competition for junior advertisers and university students from around the world will also take place from August 25 to 28.

Mad Stars 2026 Special Award Winners. (From left to right: Raja Rajamanar, Jiyeong Lim)

One of the most notable changes this year is broader AI integration. Mad Stars will, for the first time ever, introduce AI-powered multilingual interpretation and translation services for its conferences and exhibitions. Participants can select their preferred language on their smartphones and receive real-time interpretation of global speakers’ lectures.

At the exhibition hall, text in images, video audio, and entry details will be available in Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, Thai, Filipino, Vietnamese, and more. The goal is to move beyond simple translation and convey the cultural context and expressions embedded in each work.

Two new sections have been added to the competition: “Health Stars” and “Use of AI.” The “Use of AI” category will assess innovative works that creatively utilize generative AI and other AI technologies. All submissions are required to publicly disclose whether AI was used, and how it was applied.

This year’s entries were submitted from 83 countries. The preliminary screening involved 313 judges, while the final round will see 43 judges from 28 countries. The most prestigious award, “Grand Prix of the Year,” will be awarded to one work each in the Solution Group and the Positive Impact Group.

Mad Stars 2026 Judging Panel Chairmen (from left to right: Raja Rajamanar, Tara Mackenty, Annie Havercroft, Aurora Stratton, Sandipan Bhattacharya)

The opening ceremony will also feature awards honoring individuals who have made significant contributions to the advertising and marketing industry.

The International Honor Award will go to Raja Rajamanar, former Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Mastercard. He expanded Mastercard’s “Priceless” campaign into a global brand platform and has led marketing strategies that integrate technology, data, and creativity.

The Achievement Award will be presented to Ji-young Lim, President of the Korea Association of Advertising Production Companies. Over the past two decades, President Lim has produced more than 3,500 commercial videos for major domestic firms and global campaigns, and since 2022 has led initiatives for the advancement of the advertising production industry as the association’s president.

The conference sessions will cover not only the intersection of AI and human creativity but also address fandom culture, brand growth, and evolving consumer relationships in the advertising and marketing sector.

On August 27, keynote speeches will be delivered by Raja Rajamanar and Tara Mackenty, Chief Creative Officer at AKQA. Rajamanar will introduce “Quantum Marketing,” which focuses on redesigning marketing strategies to suit changing technology and consumer environments. Tara Mackenty, together with Justin Leong, Managing Director at AKQA, will explore the synergy between technology and human imagination.

All five jury chairpersons will also take part in conference sessions, sharing insights into this year’s trends and transformations in advertising and marketing. Noel Bunting of Publicis London, Jaeho Oh of PYLER, Ilya Andreev of Cheil Worldwide CIS, and Deep Chabria of Netflix will deliver talks on topics including AI and creativity, content, and brand strategy.

There will also be a session focusing on the marketing strategies of leading beauty brands from Korea, China, and Japan. Takuma Kobayashi, President and CEO of POLA Japan; Hyejung Ryu, Director of Demand Creation at Unilever Carver Korea; and Chue Zheng, Chief External Relations Officer at Chando Group in China, will each present on brand experiences, rebranding, and culture-based growth strategies.

Mad Stars 2026 Korea-China-Japan Representative Beauty Brand Speakers (from left: Takuma Kobayashi, Hyejung Ryu, Chui Jeong)

This year, for the first time, a national spotlight program will focus on the advertising and marketing industry in the Philippines. In collaboration with Adobo Magazine, a leading Philippine creative media outlet, a “Philippines Special Exhibition” will showcase major campaigns and past Mad Stars award-winning works from the 1980s to the present.

There will also be a conference session covering Philippine culture and brand strategy. Speakers include Dennis Perez of Unilever Beauty & Wellbeing, Merlee Jayme of Jayme Headquarters, and David Guerrero of BBDO Guerrero.

Competitions will also take place to discover the next generation of advertising talent. The New Stars competition will feature 63 junior professionals (with less than five years of experience) from nine countries, while the Young Stars competition will bring together 93 undergraduate and graduate students from ten countries. Contestants will receive campaign assignments onsite and have about 30 hours to complete their campaigns.

After the main event, there will be programs where citizens can participate. From September 10 to 13, “2026 Busan International Marketing and Advertising Festival: Creative Popup” will be held at Domohon. The event will feature major campaign exhibitions both domestically and internationally, and include lectures by industry professionals and creators on ad creativity, AI-driven content creation, data-based marketing, content and storytelling, and more.

Mad Stars 2026 is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Busan Metropolitan City government.

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