MANILA, PHILIPPINES – BBDO Guerrero Associate Creative Director Irish Bautista has been named one of the 2025 Next Creative Leaders (NCL) by The One Club for Creativity and The 3% Movement, joining a prestigious roster of global creatives who are shaping the future of advertising and design.
The NCL program honors bold, gender-expansive creatives who are reshaping the landscape of advertising and design through impactful, purpose-driven work. These are individuals whose ideas spark cultural dialogue, create positive change, and elevate underrepresented voices in the creative community.
The portfolio competition is open to talented creatives who are stepping into leadership roles: Copywriters, Art Directors, Designers, ACDs and newly-promoted Creative Directors and Design Directors (read: less than one year in the role) and creative teams who are doing outstanding work.
From a shoemaker’s workshop to the global creative stage
Irish’s creative roots trace back to Marikina City, where she grew up as the daughter of a shoemaker. As a child, she would spend hours exploring her father’s humble workshop — watching craftsmen stitch soles and carve designs onto leather.
“That’s when I first witnessed creativity and industriousness working hand in hand as they stitch the soles and create painstaking designs over the leather. That stuck with me. Creativity and industriousness — it became my very foundation as I stepped into the world of advertising,” Irish shared in her interview with The One Club for Creativity.
That foundation shaped her philosophy as a storyteller: to create with both heart and hard work. Over the years, she has built a portfolio that merges empathy with craft while creating campaigns that speak to communities, challenge social perceptions, and spark national conversations.
Her works include:
- “Ambisyon Natin 2040” for the National Economic and Development Authority, where she rallied 33 artists and 36 animators to interpret the Philippines’ long-term vision for development.
- Coca-Cola’s “Women Reach” which helped reunite Filipino overseas workers with their families after years apart.
- Philippine Airlines’ “Fly With Her,” a children’s storybook inspiring young girls to dream of becoming women pilots.
- Commission on Human Rights’ “#RightTheRide,” which transformed the Philippine jeepney from a symbol of misogyny into a vehicle for women’s empowerment.
Through these projects, Irish has championed narratives that merge creativity with compassion, proving that storytelling can move both people and progress.
A Filipina creative with global recognition
Irish has proudly represented the Philippines in the Young Spikes and New Stars competitions, and earned the elusive Lotus Roots award at ADFEST, one of Asia’s most prestigious creative festivals.
Today, she continues to craft campaigns as an Associate Creative Director at BBDO Guerrero, one of the country’s most awarded agencies.
As part of this year’s NCL cohort, Irish joins other Asia-Pacific honorees, including Rebecca Morriss (DDB Group Melbourne), Samyu Murali (Talented, Bengaluru), and Phoebe Sloane (Bullfrog, Melbourne).
Her recognition stands as a testament to the growing global influence of Filipino creativity, and to the power of stories that are both deeply personal and universally resonant.
“That being a part of a minority means your voice doesn’t count — this is a misconception I want to dispel,” Irish said.
“Every person, even if you belong to a minority, has something unique and valuable to put on the table. You are a walking database of knowledge and experiences. That’s valuable data right there,” she added.
Beyond advertising, Irish is also an author of fiction books, a creative pursuit that allows her to reconnect with words in a more intimate way.
“To have a separate relationship with words in a much more intimate and controlled space lets me love writing in a full-circle perspective, both as a professional storyteller and a literary storyteller,” she said.
Ultimately, she believes in the transformative role of technology in democratizing creativity.
“[Technology] connects you to an audience. I’ve seen tech work its magic time and time again. Creating communities of like-minded creatives, discovering talent from far corners of the globe, and a single piece of work reaching millions of hearts. In a world without tech, you may feel like your creativity is only as far as it goes. But now, it’s just a matter of finding the right audience and community. You can learn, grow, and connect. It breaks walls and crosses continents. That’s how tech shapes creativity for the better. It makes its potential limitless,” she underscored.
The complete list of NCL 2025 winners can be viewed here.
