Japan is the most awarded country in ADFEST 2025 with 45 lotuses: See complete table of winners

PATTAYA, THAILAND — The energy was electric on the final day of ADFEST 2025, as the curtain closed on Saturday, March 22 with the highly anticipated second round of Lotus Awards, honoring the brightest ideas and boldest breakthroughs in the region’s creative industry. This year’s winners were unveiled across nine categories: Creative Strategy, Effective, Outdoor, Sustainable, Press, Radio & Audio, Film, INNOVA Lotus, and Lotus Roots. 

A total of 1,641 entries were received for the Lotus Awards and 63 jury members from 19 cities were organized into 7 groups, chaired by Susan Credle, Global Creative Advisor, for Interpublic & Former Chair & Global CCO for FCB New York to decide the winners of the ADFEST 2025 Lotus Awards.  

Susan summed up her thoughts on judging at ADFEST 2025: COLLiDE. “I was thrilled to see the work that made it to the shortlist. We were very tough and thoughtful about the work that medaled. From strategy to creative to results, we were able to select the best of entries. Our jury was a master class in why great work works.” 

“We kept the “Collide” theme at the center of our discussions. One winner collided with a cultural responsibility. Another was a collision of a long-term strategy with a new insight. Our sustainable standout collided with the understanding of what an agency’s role could be when partnering with a client. And our strategy stand out was birthed from a product with two different uses.” 

Country	Grande	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Lotus Roots	Innova	Total
Japan		9	17	17	1	1	45
India	3	10	6	17	1	1	38
Singapore		6	6	14		2	31
Thailand	3	4	9	15			20
Philippines		1	10	8	1		18
Australia	1	2	11	4			16
China	1		6	9			11
South Korea			4	7			11
UAE		1	3	5			9
Indonesia	1	2	1	4			8
Malaysia	1	2	2	1			6
Taiwan				6			6
Vietnam			3	3			6
Saudi Arabia			2	1			3
Hongkong				2			2
Sri Lanka				1			1

ADFEST 2025 Tally of Medals per Country

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Press Lotus / Radio & Audio Lotus / Outdoor Lotus / Film Lotus

Reed Collins, Chief Creative Officer for Ogilvy Asia Pacific, Hong Kong was Jury President for Film, Outdoor, Press and Radio & Audio.  

Press Lotus

There were 17 entries recorded for the Press Lotus awards and the jury gave out 1 Silver and 1 Bronze award. 

Reed said, “While the limited number of press entries highlights the industry’s shift [to digital channels], it also leaves me yearning for the impactful, self-explanatory press ads of the past. Where’s the work that doesn’t require a case study to justify its brilliance?” 

SILVER

• Impact BBDO, Dubai for An Nahar Newspaper, “The New President”

BRONZE

• Havas Creative India, Mumbai for The Times of India, “Ink of Democracy”

Radio & Audio Lotus

This year, there were 32 entries for the Radio & Audio Lotus Awards. There were 2 winners of Silver awards and 6 Bronze awards were also announced. 

SILVER 

• BLKJ Havas, Singapore for JBL Quantum “JBL Quantum Guide Play” 
• Dentsu Inc., Tokyo for McDonald’s “Fries Beat 2024” 

BRONZE 

• BBDO Guerrero, Manila for Mountain Dew “Dew Battle” 
• CJ Worx, Bangkok for The Foundation For The Deaf “The Ordinary Life Hearing Test” 
• BLKJ Havas, Singapore for JBL Quantum “JBL Quantum Guide Play” 
• Mullenlowe Singapore Pte. Ltd., Singapore for Smile Makers “Audioboobs by Smile Makers” 
• Cheil Hong Kong, Hong Kong for Save The Children Hong Kong “The Sound of Violence” 

Outdoor Lotus

For the Outdoor Lotus category, 84 pieces of work were entered, with the Jury awarding 3 Bronze, 2 Silver and 1 Gold to the best work. 

Reed shared: “The larger volume of entries in Outdoor made judging more thorough, but the most impactful campaigns were those that displayed genuine cultural insight. They weren’t just visually striking; they were culturally relevant and meaningful.” 

GOLD

• Leo Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur for Heineken “Heineken Heidden in Plain Sight”

SILVER

• VML Manila, Manila for KitKat “Kitkat Break Bar
• Ogilvy, Sydney for Bristol Myers Squibb and La-Roche Posay “The Spot” 

BRONZE 

• VML Group Thailand, Bangkok for IKEA “IKEA FLooded Room” 
• Mullenlowe Singapore, Singapore / Mullen Lowe Lintas, Mumbai for Lifebuoy “Condensation Cleaner” 
• Ogilvy, Manila for IKEA “This Is An IKEA Store” 

Film Lotus 

Film Lotus was category with the largest number of entries at ADFEST 2025 with a total of 174 entries. The jury awarded 9 Bronze, 5 Silver, 2 Gold and 1 Grande awards. 

“The sheer volume of entries and winners in the Film category is a testament to the vibrant creative energy in this region. The prevailing use of humour in the winning work reflected a shared sense of optimism and a belief in the power of laughter,” Reed said of the film category.
 
GRANDE

• Leo Thailand, Bangkok for Krungsri First Choice, “What The Fast!” 

GOLD

• Saatchi & Saatchi Australia, Sydney for Toyota, “Toyota Hilux ”In A Pickle””
• Wolf BKK, Bangkok for KFC Crispy Chicken Rice Bowl, “Uncle KFC’s Rice Bowl” 

SILVER 

• Leo Thailand, Bangkok for Krungsri First Choice, “What The Fast!: Boss” 
• GIGIL, Manila for Mandaue Foam Home Store, “Steal” 
• BigTime Creative Shop, Riyadh for Riyadh Season, “Touching Hands” 
• GIGIL, Manila for Grab, “Summer” 
• Leo Thailand, Bangkok for Krungsri First Choice, “What The Fast!” 

BRONZE

• Dentsu Creative Taiwan, Taipei for Heysong – Wincafe, “Sleepbound” 
• Ogilvy Bangkok, Bangkok for Dutchie, “Fight For Thais’ Gut” 
• SOUR Bangkok, Bangkok for Sabina, “Sabina Braless” 
• BBDO India, Mumbai for Ariel India, “HomeTeams #ShareTheLoad” 
• DDB Mudra Group, Mumbai for Steadfast Shredder, “Arms Deal” 
• Ogilvy, Mumbai for St Jude India Childcare Centres ,“The Impossible Choice” 
• TBWA/SMP, Manila for Parish Pastoral Council For Responsible Voting (PPCRY), “Baha (Flood) For Breakfast” 
• GIGIL, Manila for Grab, “Summer” 
• Innocean, Seoul for Hyundai Motor Company, “Night Fishing” 

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Creative Strategy Lotus / Effective Lotus Award / Sustainable Lotus

Susan Credle, Global Creative Advisor, for Interpublic & Former Chair & Global CCO for FCB New York was Grand Jury President for Creative Strategy, Effective and Sustainable Lotus Awards. 

Creative Strategy Lotus

This year, ADFEST is introducing a new Lotus category to its Lotus Awards line-up. The Creative Strategy Lotus awards creative problem solving with perceptive insights to devise a creative strategy that enhances that brand.  
 
The decision of the Juries on Creative Strategy Lotus winner was based on 4 criteria and weighted with Insight and Creative Strategy each accounting for 30 per cent of the score and Creative Idea and Results accounting for 20 per cent each. 

For the Creative Strategy Lotus category, 99 pieces of work were entered, with the Jury awarding 7 Bronze, 6 Silver, 7 Gold and 1 Grande. 

“Creative Strategy was a new category this year at ADFEST. Judging by the number of entries and strong work we saw, it is here to stay. It was important to the jury that the insight and strategy led to outstanding creative. We also put ourselves in the shoes of the creatives receiving the brief. Would they be excited to get to work? Would they think of the brief as a gift?,” Susan shared.

“While it is hard to know exactly how an idea gets its start, when we saw the thinking behind “The Ink of Democracy,” the collision of the fact that so much marking ink was left over from last year’s vote and the fact that the Times of India was losing some relevancy in the market, we felt we had a winner. How do you turn “I don’t care” into “you must care” for both an election and a paper? What a gift of a question. What a gift of a creative strategy!” 
 
GRANDE

• Havas Creative India, Mumbai for The Times of India “Ink of Democracy” 

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GOLD

• McCann WorldGroup India, Mumbai for ESAF Small Finance Bank “Dabba Savings Account”
• McCann WorldGroup India, Mumbai for ESAF Small Finance Bank “Dabba Savings Account”
• Havas Creative India, Mumbai for The Times of India “Ink of Democracy” 
• Ogilvy Singapore, Singapore for Vaseline “Vaseline Transition Body Lotion” 
• Leo India, Mumbai for Lay’s “Drops of Joy” 
• BBDO India, Mumbai for Ariel India “HomeTeams #ShareTheLoad” 
• Dentsu East Japan, Tokyo for Hajime Kensetsu (Construction) for “Hajime, Ken And Setsu” 

SILVER 

• BBDO India, Mumbai for Ariel India “HomeTeams #ShareTheLoad” 
• Dentsu East Japan, Tokyo for Hajime Kensetsu (Construction) for “Hajime, Ken And Setsu” 
• Dentsu Creative China, Shanghai  for Jian Ai Elderly Charity Center “Lost In Time” 
• Leo Manila for McDonald’s “Night Classroom” 
• The Produce Ltd., Tokyo / DE Inc., Tokyo for Burger King “Create Your Burger King Store” 
• Leo Korea, Seoul for McDonald’s “Local-Nomy Burger” 

BRONZE

• Dentsu Digital Inc., Tokyo for Think Name Project “Sato 2531” 
• BBDO India, Mumbai for Ariel India “HomeTeams #ShareTheLoad” 
• McCann Worldgroup India, Mumbai for Buckaroo Footwear “Fit My Feet” 
• MullenLowe Treyna, Manila for Scoliosis Philippines “Scoliosis #StripesFitCheck” 
• Ogilvy Singapore, Singapore for Artotel Group “Rockstar Status” 
• BBDO Bangkok Limited for Five Star Chicken, “The Chicken That Connects Generations”
• The Produce Ltd., Tokyo / DE Inc., Tokyo for Burger King “Create Your Burger King Store” 

Effecitive Lotus

For the Effective Lotus category, 39 pieces of work were entered, with the Jury awarding 2 Bronze, 3 Silver, 3 Gold and 1 Grande. 
 
GRANDE

• BBDO India, Mumbai for Ariel India “HomeTeams #ShareTheLoad”  

GOLD 

• Dentsu East Japan, Tokyo for Hajime Kensetsu (Construction) for “Hajime, Ken And Setsu” 
• Grey Thailand, Bangkok for Bar B Q Plaza “Sad Kama-chan” 
• GIGIL Manila for TNT Telco, “SIM Registration Drive”

SILVER 

• Ogilvy, Melbourne for The Matildas “Til It’s Done” 
• BBDO India, Mumbai for Ariel India “HomeTeams #ShareTheLoad”
• Leo Korea, Seoul for McDonald’s “Local-Nomy Burger” 

BRONZE 

• Ogilvy, Melbourne for The Matildas “Til It’s Done” 
• Ogilvy Taiwan, Taipei for Luckin Coffee “Moutai Latte” 

Sustainable Lotus

Creativity, knowhow, technological development and resources are invaluable to achieve social, environmental, and economic sustainability. Sustainable Lotus recognizes the importance of Sustainable Development Goals and how striving for these Global Goals can drive transformational change and positively impact the world and its people.  

Sustainable Lotus recorded a total of 55 entries in its inaugural year. Out of these, the jury awarded 4 Bronze, 4 Silver, 2 Gold metal awards and 1 Grande award.

GRANDE FOR HUMANITY

• Supermassive, Sydney for 36 Months “36 Months – Raising The Age of Social Media Citizenship”

GOLD

• Ogilvy Singapore, Singapore for Vaseline “Vaseline Transition Body Lotion” 
• McCann WorldGroup India, Mumbai for ESAF Small Finance Bank “Dabba Savings Account”

SILVER

• Dentsu Creative China, Shanghai  for Jian Ai Elderly Charity Center “Lost In Time” 
• McCann Worldgroup India, Mumbai for Buckaroo Footwear “Fit My Feet” 
• Leo Manila for McDonald’s “Night Classroom” 
• TBWA/Hakuhodo, Tokyo for Pride Code “Pride Code” 

BRONZE

• ADK Marketing Solutions Inc, Tokyo/ATHA, Tokyo/Toppa Printing Co. Ltd., Tokyo for Electric Salt “Electric Salt” 
• Ogilvy Sri Lanka, Colombo for Promate “Notebooks That Keep On Giving”  
• BBDO India, Mumbai for Ariel India “HomeTeams #ShareTheLoad” 
• VML Singapore, Singapore for Lux “Lux The End” 

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Innova Lotus / Lotus Roots

Susan was also the Grand Jury President, led the INNOVA Lotus and Lotus Roots among with the other jury presidents.

• Jury President of Brand Experience Lotus, Commerce Lotus and Direct Lotus: Sulin Lau, Regional Head of Brand and Marketing – Mobility, Deliveries, Fintech, B2B for Grab, Singapore   
• Jury President of Design Lotus and Print & Outdoor Craft Lotus: Rajdeepak Das, Chief Creative Officer, Publicis Groupe and Chairman of Leo Burnett South Asia  
• Jury President of Digital & Social Lotus, Digital Craft Lotus and Mobile Lotus: Noriaki Onoe, Executive Creative Director, Dentsu Inc., Tokyo 
• Jury President of Entertainment Lotus, Media Lotus and PR Lotus: Anny Havercroft, Head of Global Business Marketing, SEA & Global Marketing Solutions, APAC for TikTok, Singapore  
• Jury President of Film Craft Lotus and New Director Lotus: Wuthisak Anarnkaporn, Founder & Director, FACTORY 01, Bangkok 
• Jury President of Film Lotus, Outdoor Lotus, Press Lotus and Radio & Audio Lotus: Reed Collins, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy Asia Pacific, Hong Kong 

This jury also selected the winning work for Lotus Grande for Humanity.

Innova Lotus

There were 28 entries for INNOVA Lotus, which recognizes world-class concepts that have made a dramatic impact on the marketplace. 

Susan said on the decision: “According to Wikipedia, innovation is the practical implementation of ideas that result in the introduction of new goods or services. In this space, technology can be seductive. But this year’s Grande replaced technology with ingenuity – can we make flip flops adaptable? A new product assembled and distributed by cobblers on the streets of India for a community that is under-served and usually unseen. This product brought dignity and comfort to the customer and a new economic stream of business to the local shoe mender.” 

GRANDE INNOVA LOTUS 

• McCann Worldgroup India, Mumbai for Buckaroo Footwear “Fit My Feet” 

INNOVA LOTUS 

• BLKJ Havas, Singapore for JBL Quantum “JBL Quantum Guide Play” 
• BLKJ Havas, Singapore for U Mobile “Project Icontact” 
• Leo India, Mumbai for Lay’s “Drops of Joy” 
• ADK Marketing Solutions Inc, Tokyo/ATHA, Tokyo/Toppa Printing Co. Ltd., Tokyo for Electric Salt “Electric Salt” 

Lotus Roots

The Grand Jury President and group of Jury Presidents also presided over the Lotus Roots award, which recognizes creative work that preserves and celebrates the rich heritage and value of each local culture. 

There were 79 entries for the Lotus Roots category. 3 Lotus Roots awards and a Grande Lotus Roots were awarded. 

Susan commented: “Lotus Roots is a beautiful category at the ADFEST Lotus Awards. As Vinit Suraphongchai, Chairman of ADFEST says, Lotus Roots was created to celebrate unique cultures that might be misunderstood or even missed in global conversations.” 
 
GRANDE LOTUS ROOTS

• BBDO Bangkok Limited, Bangkok for Mercedes-Benz for “The Meaning of Benz”

LOTUS ROOTS

• McCann WorldGroup India, Mumbai for ESAF Small Finance Bank “Dabba Savings Account” 
• Signing Ltd., Tokyo/Hakuhodo Inc., Tokyo/Daiko, Osaka for Sakyou “Mini Me Hina Doll” 
• VML Manila for Kitkat “Kitkat Break Bar” 

Check out the complete list of winners of ADFEST 2025 here.

adobo Magazine is an official media partner of ADFEST 2025.

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