PATTAYA, THAILAND – If there are two phenomena that stand out in the creative industry’s whirlwind of change in the last few years, they would be AI and gaming – AI, the tool that enables creativity to extend itself in ways previously thought improbable, and gaming, that has given brands an entirely new cosmos to play in with audiences. These two Saturday sessions as ADFEST explore the possibilities, now and tomorrow, of creators’ greatest tool and the world’s greatest craze, both of which are redefining what advertising means and what it can do.
SATURDAY 22 MARCH | 14.30-15.05
Chaos or Kaleidoscope: What is the Future of Human Creativity?
Dara Lynch, CEO
D&AD, London
Like the kaleidoscope, with its many different facets, each one of us has unique patterns and characteristics. In different lights or environments these patterns change and are revealed.
Craft is human. It’s built on skill, intention, and the relentless pursuit of better. AI doesn’t change that. It has the potential to elevate it. AI is the tool that lets humans refine, accelerate, and break through boundaries, giving them new materials to shape ideas at new speeds. In this talk, D&AD will share the findings from recent research that explored creative leaders’ perspectives of AI both how it will expand possibilities but also the potential cost of a new future.
Dara Lynch is the current CEO of D&AD having been COO for over 18 years. Dara spent some of her early career working for a famous TV designer and celebrity helping to build his brand and business from nothing to a multi-million-pound success story including TV and media work, building a thriving and successful product and interior design business, publishing deals and much more. Following the birth of Dara’s twin boys and with then three older children under the age of 8, she decided to take a year off. 12 months in, she realised that she wanted to do something important while remaining in the creative industries. Her life at D&AD was thus borne.
18 years on, Dara was coaxed into the CEO role after very happy years “behind the camera”as she would say. Dara’s passion for D&AD and all things creative has allowed her to have a bird’s eye view across the industry and understand the changing and challenging landscape across advertising and design. With business models transforming rapidly across the industry, Dara would suggest there has never more been a need for human creativity as a dominant and positive force for the future of our industry.
SATURDAY 22 MARCH | 15.40-16.15
What’s Nestlé Cooking Up in the World Of Gaming?
Rey Tiempo, Chief Creative Officer & Brand Gamification Specialist
MINOTAUR, Manila
Ace Ballesteros, AVP, Creative Content Executive
Nestlé, Manila
Minotaur teams up with Nestlé to show how one of the world’s biggest and most well-loved global brands is making bold moves in gaming. As gaming evolves into a powerful force in entertainment and culture, brands have begun tapping its potential with innovative work that goes beyond advertising, blending interactivity, engagement, and brand loyalty as one. The session reveals how Nestlé is embracing gaming communities to create experiences that feel authentic, and it provides insights into how by working closely with gaming and community builders, Minotaur, has helped push brand-building partnerships to higher level. More importantly, it will tease an upcoming creative gaming collaboration – one that promises to fully display the Gaming X Marketing principles that advance brand-driven play.
Rey Tiempo is a gaming specialist, with an impressive collection of creative gaming awards across the most respected industry shows. He is also the creator of Game On, the industry’s only column and portal on Gaming X Marketing and a sought-after thought leader, representing the Philippines and leading gaming conversations on the most prestigious stages across Asia Pacific and beyond. Rey has been ranked as the number one creative director in the country and has consistently placed as one of the top creatives in Asia Pacific. He has served as President of the Creative Guild of the Philippines and has spearheaded the launch of CreativeFest NOW! – the country’s first ever, all online event that brought together some of the biggest names in advertising, and in creative disciplines around the world.
Ace Ballesteros is Assistant Vice President for Creative Content at Nestlé, one of the largest food and beverage companies in the world. He has been expanding creativity within Nestlé, enabling its famous brands to be embedded in culture and winning various creative and marketing awards in the process. Prior to joining Nestlé, Ace was a creative leader at several notable agencies in the Philippines, including a decade at Publicis Manila. An avid gamer, Ace has been leading the way for various Nestlé brands to embrace gaming – from simple AR games in META, partnerships with game developers such as Moonton and international e-sports team, Blacklist International, to building captivating worlds for its chocolate ready-to-drink brand in Roblox.
Nothing beats the experience of being at ADFEST. COLLiDE with over 1,000 leading industry players, network with peers and celebrate the region’s culture and branded marketing creative excellence at ADFEST 2025, Thursday 20 to Saturday 22 March 2025 at PEACH, Royal Cliff Hotels Group in Pattaya, Thailand.
With star-studded speaker sessions, ADFEST 2025 3-day program offers workshops, mentoring programs, screenings and networking events, and is the region’s only original and most celebrated creative festival. The three-day event brings together the industry’s top minds, rising stars and most innovative ideas. Register now at www.ADFEST.com
ADFEST is a not-for profit entity that believes passionately in its role to nurture and support the creative industry in the Asia Pacific and MENA region. It is 1 of only 7 regional creative festivals included in the WARC Creative 100 Rankings, 1 of 12 awards included in the Campaign Brief Asia Rankings, and 1 of 22 awards included in The Drum World Creative Rankings.
adobo magazine is an official media partner of #ADFEST2025.
