SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — Cheil Worldwide emerged as the standout agency network at MAD STARS 2025, taking home the coveted Network of the Year title and securing a record-breaking 53 awards across its offices in Korea, Spain, and Greater China.
The three-day festival, held in Busan from August 27 to 29, saw Cheil’s innovative campaigns win 1 Grand Prix, 4 Golds, 7 Silvers, 12 Bronzes, and 29 Crystals in the network’s strongest performance yet at MAD STARS.
Cheil Spain led the charge with Impulse for Samsung, which won the Grand Prix in Design. The AI-powered app transforms Samsung smartwatches into discreet communication aids for people with speech disorders by analyzing spoken words and converting them into rhythmic vibrations. The campaign also earned two Golds and two Silvers, underscoring its creative and technological impact.
Another standout, Safe Sketch by Cheil Hong Kong for Save the Children, secured a Gold in Direct alongside five Bronzes and ten Crystals. The free app leverages a database of over 200,000 drawings to detect potential signs of child abuse, prompting timely intervention from educators.
Cheil Spain also impressed with The Art of Hack for Samsung, awarded Gold in Commerce and a Silver. The campaign cleverly classified Samsung’s The Frame TV as an art piece rather than consumer electronics to tap into Spain’s lower VAT rate for artworks, offering customers innovative discounts.
Other notable winners included:
- Whopper Tattoo for Burger King by Cheil Korea
- Victory Selfie Shared #withGalaxy for Samsung at Paris 2024 by Cheil Korea
- The Mind Guardian by Cheil Spain, an AI-powered video game created with Samsung to detect early signs of Alzheimer’s
Beyond its awards haul, Cheil contributed to the festival’s thought leadership program, emphasizing the intersection of AI and human creativity. John Jonghyun Kim, Global President and CEO of Cheil, delivered the keynote address “The Ambidextrous Agency: Harmonizing AI and Human Creativity.” Alejandro Di Trolio, European Creative Chairman at Cheil, explored the human dimension of algorithms in his session, “There is Anything More Human than Algorithm.”
Cheil also partnered with Samsung Electronics in a session titled “Bespoke AI: How to Build Brand Heritage in the Age of AI,” featuring Olympic champion Yuna Kim, Samsung VP Kyungtae Kim, and Cheil Korea’s Executive Director Soora Min.
The triumph at MAD STARS 2025 marks a milestone for Cheil, reinforcing its reputation as a global creative powerhouse. With a growing portfolio of AI-driven, socially impactful, and culturally resonant campaigns, Cheil continues to define the future of brand experiences.
