INNOCEAN swept all the major awards, including the prestigious 'Grand Prix', at the 2025 Busan International Marketing Advertising Festival (hereafter MAD STARS), Asia's largest marketing, advertising, and digital content festival, establishing itself as a leading marketing communication corporation on the global stage.
INNOCEAN (CEO Lee Yong-woo) announced on the 1st that it won a total of 14 awards at the 2025 MAD STARS, including 1 Grand Prix, 2 Gold, 3 Silver, 3 Bronze, and 5 Crystal.
The work that won the prestigious 'Grand Prix' was the 'Night Fishing' campaign in collaboration with Hyundai. This campaign, featuring actor Son Suk-ku and the Hyundai Ioniq 5, was a snack movie that generated significant buzz as it was the first branded content to be screened in theaters domestically last year.
The innovative creativity that maximized immersion by filming from the car's perspective, along with cinematic grammar utilized in promoting branded content, was evaluated as a groundbreaking yet effective brand storytelling method. This campaign, which won the Grand Prix in the PR category, also received 2 Gold, 2 Silver, and 3 Bronze in the branded entertainment, film, and media institutional sectors.
Additionally, INNOCEAN garnered 1 Silver and 2 Crystals for its own social contribution campaign 'Safe Bathhouse' and 3 Crystals for the Genesis GV60 campaign.
Meanwhile, at MAD STARS, INNOCEAN held a lecture on 'Digital Outdoor Advertising Evolving with AI' in collaboration with Shinsegae Property, presenting a strategic vision to enhance the future and global competitiveness of Korea's outdoor advertising market.
The lecture emphasized that when AI, which had remained from a technical perspective, combines with digital outdoor media, it could expand into a 'public medium' that connects cities and people while providing meaningful staying experiences and cultural context.
INNOCEAN recently contributed to community safety by delivering safety messages through real-time weather and ocean data-linked digital outdoor advertising in the 'World's Largest Lifeguard' campaign conducted at 'Grand Chosun Media' in Haeundae, Busan. INNOCEAN currently holds the operating rights for the ultra-large display 'Grand Chosun Media', the only non-capital area outdoor advertising free display zone in Korea, showcasing various creative outdoor advertisements.
Furthermore, it highlighted the 'Timeless Moment' media art project showcased last year at the Shinsegae Department Store main branch media façade 'Shinsegae Square' as a case study, emphasizing that Korean DOOH content is gaining international attention by embodying cultural values beyond mere commercial advertising.
Lee Yong-woo, CEO of INNOCEAN, said, 'With the achievements at MAD STARS as a stepping stone, we will further solidify our position as a genuine global creative leading corporation through innovative creativity and differentiated solutions.'
This year marks the 18th edition of the '2025 Busan International Marketing Advertising Festival (MAD STARS 2025)', which was held from Aug. 27 to 29 at Signiel Busan and the Haeundae area. The event, themed 'AI-vertising, the era of artificial intelligence (AI) advertising marketing', was organized by the Busan International Marketing Advertising Festival Organizing Committee, with support from the Busan City and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
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