MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Last October 14, creative leaders took the stage for the inaugural ONE Asia x adobo Magazine Masterclass, a collaborative effort from adobo Magazine and The One Club for Creativity to share global insights and learnings to the Philippine advertising industry. The first-ever event saw over 200 attendees tune in on a Monday afternoon at Ayala Museum, all amped up to hear stories and case studies, and engage in Q&A panel discussions with industry greats.
Here’s a rundown of all our key takeaways from the masterclass:
The One Club CEO Kevin Swanepoel on the ‘2024 One Show Trends Report’
In his session, Kevin opened the day’s masterclass with the “2024 One Show Trends Report,” highlighting six key and overarching themes that the jury observed from its most diverse data set ever, with over 20,000 total submissions to learn from. “These are the insights that defined creative excellence in The One Show 2024,” Kevin started.
Paulus CCO Thomas Hong-tack Kim defines the alchemy of tech and creativity
In his talk, Thomas has indeed initiated a profound exploration of creativity, technology, and its synthesis. He began by posing the question, “What is creativity?” where he defined it as “everything to make something happen.”
Thomas highlighted two reactions to technology: “You either feel fear or delight.” He further explained how human development struggles to keep up due to our inherent biological limitations, which, according to him, remain rooted in our hunter-gatherer past. “So what will fill this huge gap? Creativity,” he expressed.
Droga5 Tokyo CCO Masaya Asai on ‘The Other AI’
Masaya is a multi-awarded creative leader who has led teams in both Japan and the US. In 2021, he went back to his roots to establish Droga5 Tokyo under the Accenture Song group. In his Masterclass session, entitled “The age of AI… I mean the other AI,” he zoomed in on the integration of technology and creativity in Droga5, and how creatives can navigate it without losing their integrity, authenticity, and sanity amidst increasing industry pressures.
Meta’s Issang Ceballos steers creatives towards the new era of storytelling
“We are no longer capturing attention, but we are earning attention,” Issang stressed. The traditional long-form storytelling approach had been upended by the immediacy and intimacy brought about by the skyrocketed use of mobile devices, which served as personal portals to content that could not be replicated through billboards or TV ads. In this new environment, Issang emphasized that brands needed to earn attention rather than demand it, especially in spaces where users willingly engaged, such as Facebook and Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube.
Colliding for Creativity: Insights from Tay Guan Hin, The One Club’s APAC Regional Director
Guan Hin, the best-selling author of Collide: Embracing Conflict to Boost Creativity, shared personal anecdotes about the conflicts that fueled his career growth. Quoting Ronald A. Heifetz, he emphasized that “conflict is the primary engine of creativity and innovation. People don’t learn by staring into a mirror.”
Edelman’s Judy John on building strong personal branding
Judy began her talk by explaining why barbers often have poor haircuts: they are too focused on their customers’ hair and neglect their own. She then drew a parallel to advertising, stating, “Just like in advertising, we’re focused on brands, but we’re not focused on ourselves as brands.”
She emphasized the importance of considering how others perceive you when you enter a professional setting. “We create stories for our clients, but we often neglect to do the same for ourselves,” she explained. Judy stressed the significance of self-awareness and understanding one’s unique strengths.
Daniel Kee’s creative advice for young advertising creatives
The industry, Daniel acknowledged, is not without its flaws — with unsustainable practices due to layoffs, long working hours, and even having bosses who are abusive towards their employees rampant in creative communities. These experiences are not unfamiliar to anyone within the field, but Daniel expressed his personal beliefs about what has kept him in the industry.
adobo Magazine is an official media partner of ONE Asia and The One Club for Creativity.
The ONE Asia x adobo magazine Masterclass was made possible by the generous support of sponsors Yellow Brick Road Productions, Soundesign Manila – Audio Production House, and Meta.
Special thanks to our organization partner, Ayala Foundation, Inc., for providing the venue for this event. The One Club for Creativity – home of The One Show, ADC Annual Awards, Art Directors Club of Europe (ADCE) awards, ONE Asia Awards, Type Directors Club and competition, TDC Ascenders, Young Guns, Young Ones Student Awards, Next Creative Leaders, ONE Screen Short Film Festival, and more – is the world’s foremost non-profit organization whose mission is to support and celebrate the global creative community. Revenue generated from entries to its global awards shows goes back into the industry to fund programming under the organization’s four pillars: Education, Inclusion & Diversity, Gender Equality, and Creative Development.
This event will not be successful without our partners:
A huge thank you to our Major Sponsors:
Special thanks to our Organization Partner:
And a shoutout to our Industry Partner:
We’re also excited to have these fantastic Food & Beverage Partners fueling our creativity:
- Engkanto Brewery
- GSM Premium Gin
- 1834 Premium Distilled Gin
- PICKUP COFFEE
- Max’s Restaurant
- The Cart Club
- Don Papa Rum
ONE Asia Creative Awards 2024 Manila visuals designed by: Leron Leron Sinta, Sgt Pepper, and Tony &, with Auggie Fontanilla, Nikki Golez, and Raymund Sison.
