The One Club for Creativity‘s ONE Asia Creative Awards once again makes history this year by for the first time bringing its prestigious judging event to Seoul, and showcasing the rich diversity of its creative talent.
ONE Asia’s aim of making the creative ecosystem more interconnected is exemplified by its rotation of judging locations to a different key market each year, and embedding itself within local communities. After previously holding judging in Shanghai and Manila, the show this year focuses on Seoul, creating numerous opportunities to engage directly with local talent, foster dialogue, and leave lasting impact.
This year’s jury of leading creatives from 15 countries will converge on October 16-19, 2025 at the prestigious Shilla Hotel in Seoul, famous for its traditional Korean elegance. In addition to judging APAC’s best work of the year, the jury will also celebrate local culture and interact with members of the Korean creative community.
“By rotating judging locations and engaging with the local agencies and artists, we’re doing more than celebrating great work. We’re investing in the people and communities that make creativity thrive,” said Tay Guan Hin, Director, APAC Region, The One Club for Creativity. “Our mission is to create long-term visibility, opportunities, and impact for creatives across Asia-Pacific.”
“5 senses of Seoul” by artist Kyungju Kim
Seoul doesn’t just move, it pulses. Through alleyways and skylines, late-night and early morning, the city hums with a rhythm of its own. This year’s gathering isn’t just a judging experience, it’s a journey through Seoul’s sound, soul, and spirit.
To bring this spirit alive for judging, ONE Asia worked with Seoul-based illustrator and graphic designer Kyungju Kim, granddaughter of Korea’s legendary traditional artist Ucchin Chang.
Blending the traditional Korean art form 풍속도 (genre paintings of everyday life) with her signature modern, minimalist black-and-white line art, Using abstract drawings with simple lines and limited color, her illustrations give space for viewers to imagine the meanings in various ways and expand their creativity.
Kyungju chose to present Seoul through five senses, linked with the soul. Instead of focusing on the obvious elements when thinking of the city, her “5 senses of Seoul” concept expresses the overall culture and soul of each sense, and mixes it up with the past and present.
“Working with ONE Asia, we developed and expanded my creativity as a team, focusing on various aspects of Seoul,” said Kyungju. “We tried to deliver the complicated cultural elements into a simple yet meaningful key visual so that many people could feel ‘the 5 senses’ with their own creative perspective.”
ONE Asia “Seoulmates”
For this year’s judging, ONE Asia also continues its close partnership with Black Cat White Cat Music, a global music agency founded in Tokyo with offices in Asia, North America and Europe, known for crafting emotionally charged, culturally tuned soundtracks for film, television, gaming, and advertising.
“Culture isn’t just things, people, or deeds. It’s the invisible bonds that tie them together,” said Erik Reiff, Founding Partner, CCO, Black Cat White Cat. “ONE Asia is where APAC’s creative visionaries strengthen those bonds, elevating our industry and growing that culture to new heights.”
This marks the second time ONE Asia has partnered with Black Cat White Cat. This past June, they joined together to celebrate creativity, culture, and connections at the Cannes festival with their “Eastern Vibe” gathering for creatives in APAC.
ONE Asia has also received help from Korean agencies Paulus and Innored to support on judging lunch, communications and connections.
“Innored and Paulus are delighted to welcome One Asia 2025 to Seoul,” said Kyungsin Kim, CEO at Paulus. “As proud supporters of this important judging event, we look forward to seeing the best creative professionals rise, and excited to witness great works that expand the worldview of advertising and marketing while sparking cultural impact and inspiring a new age.”
ANLG will provide onsite video support, with photographer YongKi Yun documenting the activities. Local agency MONQ will also bring a Korean-style photo booth to add more fun to the judging experience, in true Gen Alpha, Korea-inspired fashion. These partnerships were made possible with the help of Julie Jihyun Kang, CEO of both Servericeplan Korea and Flux AI Asia.
“We are extremely proud and grateful to work with these local and global partners to make this judging event possible,” said Season Zhou, APAC Director, Growth and Partnership, The One Club for Creativity. “They are the ones who will help judges discover untapped ideas and fresh perspectives from Korean culture. That energy is what fuels our mission to elevate creativity by building bridges between communities.”
About ONE Asia Creative Awards
The ONE Asia Creative Awards, part of The One Club for Creativity, celebrate the region’s boldest and most innovative work. Through rotating judging locations, strategic partnerships, and agency collaborations, ONE Asia goes beyond awards to build a connected creative community that inspires, educates, and empowers talent across APAC. Finalists for ONE Asia 2025 will be revealed in November 2025, and winners announced in December 2025.
The One Club for Creativity – home of The One Show, ADC Annual Awards, Art Directors Club of Europe (ADCE) awards, ONE Asia Creative Awards, Type Directors Club and competition, TDC Ascenders, Young Guns, Young Ones Student Awards, Next Creative Leaders, ONE School, ONE Creator Lab, Where Are All The Black People conference and career fair, Portfolio Night, Creative Week, and more – is the world’s foremost non-profit organization whose mission is to support and celebrate the success of 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.
