MAD STARS 2026 Unveils Global Juries for YOUNG STARS and NEW STARS Competitions

MAD STARS expands its 2026 program with the announcement of global jury panels for its YOUNG STARS and NEW STARS competitions, bringing together senior creative leaders to evaluate and mentor emerging talent in real-world creative challenges held in Busan.

MAD STARS 2026 has unveiled the jury lineups for its YOUNG STARS and NEW STARS MAD Competitions, two global programs designed to identify and develop the next generation of creative talent under live, real-world conditions.

A total of 16 senior creative leaders from agencies and companies including VML, Dentsu, Saatchi & Saatchi, Hakuhodo, TBWA\Media Arts Lab, Publicis Groupe, Horizon FCB, Cheil Worldwide, Innocean, and ADK Marketing Solutions will serve across both competitions.

Spanning markets across Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Oceania, the jury panels bring together practitioners with extensive experience in both award-winning creative work and talent development.

Two Competitions, One Shared Goal

The YOUNG STARS competition is open to undergraduate and postgraduate students from all disciplines worldwide, while NEW STARS targets early-career professionals with fewer than five years of experience in marketing, advertising, and creative communications.

Both competitions begin with an online preliminary round, with selected teams advancing to an on-site final in Busan from 25–28 August 2026 at SIGNIEL BUSAN.

Finalists are tasked with responding to a live brief revealed on-site, developing campaign ideas and execution proposals within approximately 30 hours.

Learning Through Real-World Pressure

Beyond competition results, the programs are designed as immersive learning environments where participants receive direct feedback from active industry practitioners.

Jury members evaluate work based on strategy, creativity, and execution, while also engaging with participants through mentorship-style feedback sessions.

Finalists also gain access to the broader MAD STARS 2026 program, including conferences, networking events, and industry sessions featuring global creative leaders.

YOUNG STARS Jury: Global Creative Mentorship in Action

The YOUNG STARS MAD Competition Jury will be led by Executive Jury Chow Kok Keong, Creative Partner at k2x. With more than 310 international awards, including a D&AD Yellow Pencil, three One Show Gold Pencils, and recognition from Cannes Lions, Clio, Spikes Asia, and MAD STARS, Chow brings deep experience in strategy-led creativity across Southeast Asia.

The YOUNG STARS MAD Competition Jury also includes:

• Chandu Rajapreyar, Group Executive Creative Director, Hakuhodo International Vietnam, is a creative strategist with 25 years of experience, recognized at D&AD, Cannes Lions, The One Show, Clio, Spikes Asia, and AdFest.

• Enkhbayasgalan Tungalag, Chief Executive Officer, KMG Group, is a Mongolian strategic communications leader and Mongolia’s first Cannes Lions Jury Member (2025), with experience leading more than 200 public-interest programs in partnership with governments and international organizations.

• Karan Novas, Partner and Chief Creative Officer, Tulom, is a Brazilian creative and educator with 50+ international awards, including a Cannes Lions Grand Prix and SXSW Innovation Award.

• Mark Verhagen, Executive Creative Director, VML, is recognized for integrating performance marketing, customer experience, and creative storytelling across global campaigns.

• Shinichi Kobayashi, Executive Creative Director and Creative Innovation Officer, ADK Marketing Solutions Inc., is a creative leader with 30+ years of experience across Dentsu, Rakuten, and ADK.

• Sunghyuk Hong, Executive Creative Director, Innocean, is known for storytelling-led creative work, particularly in automotive and heritage brand projects.

• Youji Noh, Executive Creative Director, TBWA\Media Arts Lab, is among Korea’s few female creative directors and a founding creative member of TBWA\Media Arts Lab Seoul.

Chow Kok Keong (Executive Jury), Creative Partner, k2x,	Chandu Rajapreyar, Group Executive Creative Director, Hakuhodo International Vietnam,	Enkhbayasgalan Tungalag, Chief Executive Officer, KMG Group,	Karan Novas, Partner and Chief Creative Officer, Tulom,
Mark Verhagen, Executive Creative Director, VML	Shinichi Kobayashi, Executive Creative Director and Creative Innovation Officer, ADK Marketing Solutions Inc.	Sunghyuk Hong, Executive Creative Director, Innocean	Youji Noh, Executive Creative Director, TBWA\Media Arts Lab Seoul

NEW STARS Jury: Emerging Talent Meets Industry Leadership

Leading the NEW STARS MAD Competition Jury as Executive Jury is Mukund Olety, Chief Creative Officer of Open X at VML, currently leading creative for The Coca-Cola Company across Europe. Ranked among the top 100 Chief Creative Officers globally, he has shaped work for brands including Nike, Mercedes, McDonald’s, Samsung, and Unilever, earning more than 100 international awards.

The NEW STARS MAD Competition Jury also includes:

• Alex Pineda, Chief Creative Officer, Horizon FCB Dubai, is a creative leader with more than 20 years of experience across the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America.

• Hyeah Nahm, Executive Creative Director, Publicis Groupe Korea, is recognized for award-winning work across P&G, Coca-Cola, IKEA, Samsung, and McDonald’s.

• Kayoung Seo, Creative Director, Cheil Korea, is currently leading creative work for Burger King, Samsung Everland, and WWF Korea.

• Kinami Hasegawa, Executive Creative Director, Dentsu Inc., is recognized for work spanning UNIQLO, Shiseido, Nestlé, Lexus, and HERALBONY, including a Cannes Lions Gold (2025).

• Martin Tsai, Business and Creative Partner, SAATCHI & SAATCHI, is a 26-year industry veteran known for blending business thinking with culturally resonant creativity.

• Michael Ahmadzadeh, Co-Founder, electriclimeº, is co-founder of a global production company with jury experience at CICLOPE, AdFest, and Lisbon Ad Festival.

• Roman Carlo Olivarez, Executive Creative Director, TREYNA Group Philippines, is the creative leader behind TREYNA Group becoming the Philippines’ No.1 most awarded agency across major global rankings.

Mukund Olety (Executive Jury), Chief Creative Officer of Open X at VML	Alex Pineda,Chief Creative Officer, Horizon FCB Dubai	Hyeah Nahm, Executive Creative Director, Publicis Groupe Korea	Kayoung Seo, Creative Director, Cheil Korea
Kinami Hasegawa, Executive Creative Director, Dentsu Inc.	Martin Tsai, Business and Creative Partner, SAATCHI & SAATCHI	Michael Ahmadzadeh, Co-Founder, electriclimeº	Roman Carlo Olivarez, Executive Creative Director, TREYNA Group Philippines

Applications Now Open

Applications for both competitions are currently open worldwide.

• YOUNG STARS deadline: 25 May 2026

• NEW STARS deadline: 4 June 2026

• On-site finals: 25–28 August 2026, Busan, South Korea

Participants may apply individually or in teams through the official competition pages.

MAD STARS continues to position its student and early-career programs as real-world testing grounds for creative thinking, bridging the gap between education and industry practice.

Further information is available at www.madstars.org.