Logic to Magic: The Alchemy of Technology and Creativity.
Thomas Hongtack Kim/Saffaan Qadir
We live in the age of AI, but what truly matters for creators is how they integrate creativity with technology to create functional solutions. Technology serves as a tool to power solutions; it cannot be the communicator itself. At this time, the meeting between technology and creativity is not a physical bonding, but a chemical transformation—just like how ancient alchemists tried to turn different substances into gold. The mission of creators is to produce gold. It's about the fusion of technology and creativity, creating those 'wow moments' that feel like magic. I call that wow moment 'logic to magic'.
Thomas Hongtack Kim
CCO & Partner
Paulus
Seoul
Thomas Hongtack Kim is a visionary Creative Solutionist, founder of '2kg' Creative Solution Lab, and CCO and Partner at ‘Paulus’, Creative Agency. He also serves on the International Board of Directors of the One Club for Creativity and ‘Collective’, the Board Member of ADFEST. Previously, he was ECD of Creative Innovation Group at Cheil Worldwide. Having worked in Seoul, New York, Beijing, and Shanghai, Thomas has dealt with a wide array of clients and markets.
He specializes in designing digital, social, and CSR platforms that deliver practical solutions to pressing challenges. With a focus on tackling environmental and social issues, he collaborates with UN organizations, NGOs, corporations, and academic institutions. His expertise has earned him roles as a judge and mentor for Cannes Chimera, a joint initiative by Bill Gates and Cannes Lions, and as the inaugural judge of the SDG Pencil in 2020, created by the UN and The One Show. In 2024, he contributed as a judge for the Cannes Lions SDG category and has been invited to serve as Jury President for the SDG Pencil at The One Show in 2025. A trailblazer in blockchain-driven mutual aid, he partners with leading corporations and media companies to pioneer innovative solutions.
Thomas has received numerous awards and served as a judge and speaker at International Creative Festivals, including One Show, Cannes Lions, D&AD, LIA, Clio, NY Festival, ADFEST, Spikes Asia, IF Design Awards, and more. Campaign Asia-Pacific awarded him the ‘Creator of the Year’ and he was ranked in ‘the Top 10 ECD worldwide’ in the Directory Big Won Rankings. He also received a Presidential Citation for Significant Contribution to the Korea Advertising Industry.
Saffaan Qadir
Creative Director
Paulus
Seoul
Saffaan Qadir is a Creative Director at Paulus in Seoul, South Korea. Once a student of philosophy, he left his native Pakistan again in 2016 to pursue a career in video production, advertising, and media empowerment. Saffaan has worked with clients as diverse as Hyundai Motor Group, McCain Foods, Celltrion, Maeil, Dot, Babitalk, UNDP, the International Olympic Committee, and Good People International.
His work has won multiple advertising and creativity awards, including the Titanium Lion in 2022 and Gold at LIA in 2024. Saffaan is the top-ranked Creative Director in the Asia-Pacific region, according to The One Show 2023 rankings. He served as a member of the jury at the One Asia Creative Awards and sat on the organizing committee of AdAsia Seoul 2023. In 2024, he was invited to speak at Cannes Lions.
THURSDAY 20 MARCH
FRIDAY 21 MARCH
SATURDAY 22 MARCH
PROGRAM
THURSDAY 20 MARCH
FRIDAY 21 MARCH