Daehong Communications holds student ad competition, names 11 winners

A campaign concept for Uniqlo's AIRism line titled "The Moment You Get Closer to Cool" took the gold award in the outdoor media ideas category at the 43rd Daehong Creative Award (DCA), Daehong Communications' annual advertising and marketing competition for university students.

The entry drew strong marks for its idea of using the double-door entryway at Lotte World Mall in Jamsil to connect the sensation of stepping from the summer heat into a cool interior with the comfort of AIRism.

This year's DCA drew more than 2,000 advertising and marketing ideas, Daehong Communications said Monday — a significant increase from roughly 1,300 entries last year.

Participants proposed ideas based on real brand briefs across five categories: visual (print advertising and visuals), film (video advertising), digital campaigns, offline customer experience, and outdoor media and space utilization.

In the final round, a judging panel of industry advertising professionals and outside experts evaluated presentations, selecting 11 winning teams — four gold and seven silver. The winners shared a total prize pool of 19 million won ($13,700).

The awards ceremony, held Thursday, paired the prize presentations with a career program giving participants a chance to interact with working advertising professionals. A session with junior Daehong Communications employees was particularly well received, letting students ask questions about roles in advertising and marketing and what the work actually involves.

"Even as technology advances rapidly, it is ultimately human ideas that ask new questions and move people's hearts," said Kim Deok-hee, chief executive of Daehong Communications. "I hope participants will use their DCA experience as a foundation for creating new possibilities in advertising and marketing."