South Korea’s MAD STARS will mark its 20th anniversary in 2027 by introducing a new track allowing entries to be submitted in the language of their market of origin.
The festival said the change is designed to give local languages, cultures and markets a stronger place on the world stage. For MAD STARS, local diversity means creativity shaped by each market’s distinct language, culture, consumer behavior and social context.
From 2027, MAD STARS will introduce a new Diversity Insight Track, allowing work to be entered in the language of its market of origin, alongside its existing English-language Global Track.
According to MAD STARS, English has served as a de facto common language in international creative awards, with non-English work typically accompanied by English translations or supporting explanations. The festival said it wants to create more room for the original language and cultural context of a campaign to play a greater role in how the work is understood, evaluated and shared internationally.
Widening the field of view
MAD STARS said the ambition goes beyond accepting entries in more languages. Taken individually, local-language advertising markets may appear niche, but taken together, MAD STARS believes they represent a “creative long tail” — a largely untapped body of creative work, cultural insight and market knowledge from around the world.
By bringing these niche markets into one international platform, MAD STARS aims to expand the global creative market itself, surfacing ideas and insights from regions that have historically remained less visible on the international stage. The festival said the intention is not to replace established global standards or create another single standard, but to widen the field of view for the industry as a whole.
AI-powered multilingual system
AI-powered multilingual technology will support the shift. MAD STARS said the technology’s role is not simply technical, and that by reducing language barriers, it can help preserve more of the linguistic and cultural context behind each campaign.
Beyond submissions, MAD STARS plans to extend multilingual capabilities across judging, exhibitions, conferences, networking and its archive.
MAD STARS will work with Bitree, led by Kidong Kim, CEO of Bitree Corporation and Chief AI Officer of MAD STARS, to build and refine its AI-powered multilingual translation and interpretation system.
