Twenty-nine young creatives from 15 cities — including Bangkok, Colombo, Dhaka, Guangzhou, Gurugram, Ho Chi Minh, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Riyadh, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, and Tokyo — completed the ADFEST 2026 Young Lotus Workshop.
ADFEST Chairman Vinit Suraphongchai welcomed the participants to ADFEST before the start of the two-day workshop.
“Young Lotus is at the heart of ADFEST. Local advertising associations from the region screen and select a representative young creative team to attend the Young Lotus Workshop and the ADFEST three-day event, all expenses paid. The bonds and connections these individuals make during this time can last their whole career. We see it as a public service and contribution to the future health of the industry,” Vinit said.
“This year, we were very lucky to engage a team from Google to project-manage the Young Lotus Workshop. They have a lot of technology expertise and knowledge in the digital area, which is ideal for this generation of young creatives.”
Hosted by Google, this year’s Young Lotus Workshop was titled “UNBOUND: The Next Era of Creative Culture,” where ‘Unbound’ describes the next era of creative culture. The eight-person Google team was led by Chairperson Geia Lopez, Head of Creative and Creator Partnerships, Google Southeast Asia.
Geia explained her team’s approach, saying, “We see AI as a multiplier for human ingenuity. Our big opportunity is using this technology to fuse brand storytelling directly into the heart of culture, allowing bold ideas to scale faster than ever to build lasting cultural relevance. It is our collective mission to navigate this shift thoughtfully, ensuring that as we embrace the speed of AI, we continue to cultivate the emotional resonance and authentic connections that anchor every successful campaign.”
When asked what inspired her about the Young Lotus Workshop, Geia said, “What excites me most is seeing this next generation seamlessly blend human creativity with the power of creators and AI. This year is special because of our theme, ‘Unbound’. It is an invitation for the creative community to let their ideas run free on the boundless canvas that is YouTube. We are currently witnessing the first spark of a new era; the generative AI tools we see today are merely the tip of the iceberg, and the pace of innovation will only accelerate. The real impact happens when we approach this technology with playfulness and experimentation.”
“I say to our young talent: ‘Take these tools and ignite a revolution. You are the architects of this new creative renaissance, and the future is yours to write.’
Running the Young Lotus Workshop
The 15 Young Lotus teams first enjoyed a series of talks and workshops hosted by Google’s experienced creative, strategy, and planning leaders. They were then given a real brief for a real client, and just 24 hours to develop a creative solution.
Wei Watthanasittha, Creative Partnership Lead, Google Southeast Asia, managed the Young Lotus Workshop over two days.
He said, “Today’s young creatives are totally digitally native — they grew up with the entire world in their pockets. That endless access is exactly what allows them to be completely UNBOUND from legacy constraints, limitations, and outdated agency beliefs. Honestly, I spent this week learning from them. So, rather than giving a top-down directive on what they need, I’d rather highlight the three core skills that I saw.”
Wei said he saw the following qualities in the young minds who participated in the workshop:
Unfiltered originality
“Every single one of them flexes their raw identity, and it’s a beautiful thing. My biggest hope is that they protect and refine that authenticity over time. Because as we enter an era where access to tech levels the playing field and makes everything else constant, your originality is the only variable.”
Unapologetic bravery
“They are fearless in aiming for the unachievable. Their creative process is completely fluid — they don’t see borders between URL and IRL. They mash up brands, everyday people, and creator culture in entirely fresh ways. They don’t see silos; they just see a canvas.”
Radical openness
“They don’t fear the tech; they exploit it. They have a radical openness to master new tools the second they drop. Watching them completely embrace GenAI to amplify their human-led ideas—and achieve absolute greatness on a hyper-short turnaround time—was the ultimate flex.”
2026 Young Lotus Workshop Winners
Nicha Witayapaisitsan, Copywriter, and Thirawat Prasertsang, Art Director at SOUR Bangkok, wonthis year’s Young Lotus Workshop with their work called “Watch Like Me.”
They received the trophy during the Lotus Awards Presentation on Saturday, March 21, the final day of ADFEST 2026.
“First off, massive respect to all the teams. The energy was unmatched, the vibes were immaculate, and the fresh perspectives gave us all life. But the judges were unanimous: the winning work just hit different. They absolutely cracked the YouTube brand love brief with a distinguished approach that stood out in three key ways,” said Wei Watthanasittha, Creative Partnership Lead at Google Southeast Asia, and this year’s Young Lotus Workshop Manager.
Below are the three standout qualities cited by Wei:
Flipping the script on algorithms
“While others viewed the algorithm as a liability or something to fight against, the winners understood the assignment. They treated it as a massive asset, actively using it to respond to exactly what Gen Z needs.”
Giving brand love a new aura
“They gave YouTube a completely new energy when it comes to brand love, delivering it in the most unexpected forms. It wasn’t just a broadcast; the work was inherently social, deeply conversational, totally actionable, and built to be sustainable.”
Elevated platform usage
“Their use of the YouTube platform had a brilliant twist. They flexed a perfectly thought-out ecosystem—starting with a deep respect for privacy preferences, which is a non-negotiable for Gen Z. From there, they transformed YouTube into a strategic canvas, seamlessly weaving in creator culture and celebrity amplification to scale the impact.”
The Young Lotus judging panel, which includes the names enumerated below, selected ADFEST 2026’s four other Young Lotus finalists.
- GURUGRAM: Iman Sengupta, Senior Art Director and Kokila Srivastava, Creative Group Head: Havas Creative
- HO CHI MINH: Hai Anh Pham, Senior Copywriter, and Tien Bui Duc, Art Director: PURPOSE.ANT
- SEOUL: Hyerin Dho, Art Director, and Jaehyun Hwang, Art Director: Cheil Korea
- TOKYO: Hiroaki Iwai, Communication Creator, and Taiki Tsuno, Creative Planner: Dentsu Inc.
The Young Lotus Popular Vote
All five finalist teams, including the team from Bangkok, also vied for the Popular Vote. The decision is tallied from delegate votes after the end of the session, “Google Presents Young Lotus Workshop 2026: UNBOUND: The Next Era of Creative Culture,” where all the finalists presented their work to ADFEST delegates.
Nicha Witayapaisitsan, Copywriter and Thirawat Prasertsang, Art Director from SOUR Bangkok, won the Young Lotus Popular Vote for their work “Watch Like Me.”
