The winners of MAD STARS 2025 Awards were announced on August 29, at the Awards Show in the Grand Ballroom at SIGNIEL BUSAN, followed by the Closing Party in the Ballroom.
Each year, one Grand Prix is selected from the PSA (Public Service Advertising) group, and another from across the five remaining groups — this becomes the Grand Prix of the Year (Product & Service, or P&S).
This year’s GRAND PRIX OF THE YEAR (P&S) was awarded to:
“Uncle KFC’s Rice Bowl”, by WOLF BKK for advertiser, YUM RESTAURANTS INTERNATIONAL (THAILAND) CO., LTD.
The GRAND PRIX OF THE YEAR (PSA) was awarded to:
“Scoliosis #StripesFitCheck”, created by MULLENLOWE TREYNA, for advertiser, SCOLIOSIS PHILIPPINES.
Executive Jury, Film, Diverse Insights, Branded Entertainment, Game, Music, Sports,
PIVOT (Special Category), Alex Abrantes, Chief Creative Officer, North America at Iris Worldwide, commented:
Product & Service (Uncle KFC’s Rice Bowl): Such a pertinent insight brought to life in a smart, funny, and entertaining way. It was an overwhelming decision to give KFC the Grand Prix of the Year in Product & Service.
Public Service Advertising (Scoliosis #StripesFitCheck): A very simple, yet powerful idea brought to life in a super smart way. Scoliosis Stripes shows the impact that ideas can have in our lives.”
Executive Jury, Print, Radio & Audio, Design, Direct, Strategy, SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), Ashish Chakravarty, Executive Director & India Head of Creative at McCANN, commented:
Product & Service (Uncle KFC’s Rice Bowl):“The jury picked the Uncle KFC’s Rice Bowl film for Grand Prix, because it shows that even in this era of AI and tech solutions, nothing brings the house down like a great story, told with aplomb. Superbly entertaining, it is a masterclass in almost every department of advertising and filmmaking. An absurdly funny script yet rooted in culture, with a strong insight, and built around a simple product truth. This, combined with spot-on direction, music, casting and performances, made it a truly standout piece – the kind people remember long after the laughter has died down.”
Public Service Advertising (Scoliosis #StripesFitCheck): “The jury picked the Scoliosis Stripes fit check campaign for Grand Prix unanimously, because of its sheer simplicity, freshness, and impact. By turning something as ordinary as a striped T-shirt into a diagnostic tool for early detection of Scoliosis, the campaign transforms everyday fashion into a public health intervention. It was impeccably crafted, scalable, and sparked a ton of conversation among the young. But most importantly, it gave people with undetected Scoliosis a chance to lead normal lives.
Executive Jury, Interactive, Mobile, Data Insight, Social & Influencer, Integrated, Innovation, Alejandro Di Trolio, European Creative Chairman, Cheil, commented:
Product & Service (Uncle KFC’s Rice Bowl): Uncle KFC demonstrates that humour remains a great space to connect with audiences through clever global-local insights.
PSA (Scoliosis #StripesFitCheck): Powerful activation that shows the industry that a good idea doesn’t need big budgets to become viral and meaningful. We need more ideas, such as this one, that are simple and scalable, in an age dominated by AI.
Executive Jury, Outdoor, PR, Brand Experience & Activation, Media, Place Brand, Commerce, Tawana Murphy Burnett, Head of Top Accounts & Agencies at Meta, commented:
Product & Service (Uncle KFC’s Rice Bowl): This idea really showcased originality and great storytelling in the unique cultural context of Thailand. At the same time, the relationship between the two main characters was totally relatable, as noted by the engagement and laughter of the jurors in the room.
PSA (Scoliosis #StripesFitCheck): It was interesting to see how much this idea resonated with the larger jurors. The simplicity of the campaign and its impact in raising awareness for scoliosis in the Philippines were clearly effective. In the era of AI and many more submissions this year leveraging AI, this low-tech solution to a real problem broke through.
In addition to the two Grand Prix, four Special Awards were presented to those who accumulated the most points from Finalist to Grand Prix of the Year.
The SPECIAL AWARDS winners are:
- Network of the Year: CHEIL
- Agency of the Year: DENTSU INC.
- Production of the Year: SOMOS5
- Advertiser of the Year: SAMSUNG
There were six Grand Prix award winners:
VML Manila, for KitKat Break Bar (x2)
BBDO Bangkok, for The Meaning of Benz
Innocean Korea, for Night Fishing, for Hyundai
POP5 for Plot Farming
Bangladesh is a small agrarian nation with 175 million people, faces a growing challenge. Rapid urbanisation is swallowing up fertile lands, while the country remains heavily dependent on food imports. Real estate companies acquire and sell these lands to buyers who see them as long-term investments, leaving them empty for decades. Simultaneously, landless farmers, struggling below the poverty line, migrate to cities in search of better opportunities, often finding themselves in precarious conditions. Shopnodhora, an eco-friendly Bangladeshi real estate company, transformed unused housing plots into productive farmlands. Landless farmers were paired with these plots and began cultivation under careful supervision. The company monitored the entire process, ensuring that the farming activities were well-supported and productive. The idea revitalised urban spaces and provided sustainable livelihoods to landless farmers.
And Cheil Spain, for Impulse, with Samsung
Find all winners on the MAD STARS website, here...
…and here:
