Mayor of Seoul recognizes ONE Asia Creative Awards 2025

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – Seoul officially became the creative capital of Asia this week as The One Club for Creativity opened judging for the fifth edition of the ONE Asia Creative Awards at the prestigious Shilla Hotel, famous for its traditional Korean elegance.  

The judges’ opening briefing set the tone with a historic moment: a certificate signed by Mayor Oh Se-hoon, formally recognizing the event’s arrival in Seoul.  The official welcome was presented to Kevin Swanepoel, CEO at The One Club, by Thomas Hong-Tack, Founder of ONE Asia partner Paulus, and member of The One Club’s International Board.

In a message read to jury members during the opening judging briefing, Mayor Oh extended his congratulations to The One Club, describing the occasion as “more than an ordinary event — it’s a valuable opportunity for creators from around the world to share their imagination, inspire new ideas, and foster global solidarity.”

He added that the Seoul Metropolitan Government will continue to “actively support the growth of the creative industries and, together with The One Club for Creativity, strengthen cooperation and solidarity within the global creative ecosystem.”

The letter captured the city’s creative ambition, positioning Seoul not only as a technology and culture hub, but as a beacon for international collaboration in the arts and communications industry.

ONE Asia’s first-time judging in Korea underscores Seoul’s growing stature in global creativity, as well as The One Club’s commitment to celebrate and connect creative communities across the region.

A Record Year for ONE Asia

The 2025 ONE Asia Creative Awards saw a 20% increase in entries from agencies and brands across the Asia-Pacific region, highlighting the region’s dynamic growth and influence on the global stage.

This year’s jury of leading creatives from 15 countries throughout APAC — and some international ones as well — will use The One Club’s proprietary judging platform, the same used for the global One Show and ADC Annual Awards.  

Finalists and winners will be announced in December 2025, with points from winning work totaled for The One Club’s Global Creative Rankings and Campaign Brief’s Creative Rankings, amplifying Asia’s creative voice internationally.

Kevin praised the dedication of The One Club APAC team: Tay Guan Hin, Season Zhou, and Sarah Hou, alongside Alison Bourdon from The One Club’s New York office, who oversees the judging platform. Judy John, Global Chief Creative Officer at Edelman and a member of The One Club’s Board of Directors, returned as moderator for the judges’ panel discussions.

The Five Senses of Seoul: A Celebration of human connection

This year’s judging theme, “The Five Senses of Seoul,” invited jurors to experience the city through its sounds, sights, flavors, textures, and scents-each representing a spark for creative inspiration.

To bring the theme to life, The One Asia collaborated with Kyungju Kim, a celebrated local illustrator and granddaughter of legendary Korean artist Ucchin Chang. Her artwork reimagined traditional Korean genre paintings through a modern minimalist black-and-white lens-bridging past and present, heritage and innovation.

In his remarks, Tay Guan Hin, The One Club APAC Regional Director, encouraged participants to “hear Seoul’s rhythm, taste its spice, feel its warmth, and see it through every sense,” hoping that they would leave not just as colleagues, but as “S-e-o-u-l mates.”

The ‘Five Senses’ come alive

Main ONE Asia judging sponsor Black Cat White Cat Music extended the theme into a tangible experience with “The Bag That Holds the Five Senses”. The items were presented by BCWC Co-founder and CEO Seiya Matsumiya and Partner and CCO Erik Reiff, emphasizing how creativity should be experienced through all five senses, not just intellect.

• Smell: “ONE Chord” fragrance, Inspired by the seven basic notes, we created unique fragrances like music. Each spray is a note. 
• Taste: A ginseng drink symbolizing resilience, focus, and well-being.
• Touch: A beauty kit, reminding creatives to renew and recharge after long judging sessions.
• Sound: A vinyl-inspired T-shirt, posing the question, “Can you wear music?”
• Sight: A biodegradable seed welcome card, “See the seed of imagination grow.”

Supported by partners Paulus, Innored, Campaign Brief Asia, adobo Magazine, AdAddict, Brand Brief, and MADTimes, the ONE Asia Creative Awards 2025 have transformed Seoul into a nexus of global creativity and collaboration. Special thanks to photo and video Crew: ANLG, YongKi and MONQ

The Shilla Hotel, once a venue for global summits and world leaders, now hosts some of the world’s brightest creative thinkers shaping the future of storytelling. As the jury began their deliberations, one sentiment echoed through the halls: Creativity isn’t just something to be judged. It’s something to be felt, shared, and lived.

adobo Magazine is an official media partner of The 2025 ONE Asia Creative Awards.

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