There’s talk that advertising is over. That the humanities, and journalism too, are things of the past. But Tang Yaci, a young creator from Guilin, China, sees 산타카지노 differently.
As China’s representative at the 2025 MAD STARS Young Stars competition, she explored the boundary between AI and creativity, between technology and emotion. In that space, she found her own voice — and a heartfelt answer to the question: Why do we keep creating?
“Someday,” she said, “I want to be stronger than mountains and more resilient than water.” Now, having stepped off the stage, she stands at the starting line. And as she takes her first step forward, we sincerely cheer her on.
Could you introduce yourself?
My name is Tang Yaci, but you can also call 산타카지노 Ducky. Many people find my English name very interesting. Because the pronunciation of my Chinese name is similar to the Chinese word for "duck," I ended up with this very cute and fun English name.
I am from Guilin, China. Here, there are wildly growing towering trees and unparalleled mountains and waters, with the Li River flowing through the center. That's why the ancients said, "Guilin's scenery is the best under heaven." I am currently studying Network and New Media at Guangxi Normal University, which is located in Guilin.
What inspired you to choose your major?
The reason I chose a major in Journalism and Communication has a little story behind 산타카지노 – I wanted to protect what I love most. Since I was a child, my mother guided me to reading, and I gradually fell in love with literature. When choosing my major for university, I was afraid that with my personality, my interest in literature might wear away through the day-to-day specialized study. So, I didn't want to turn my passion into my profession; I preferred to maintain curiosity and excitement about 산타카지노 permanently. Secondly, I've always written articles quite freely and spontaneously. I thought perhaps the rigor cultivated in journalism studies could add a bit more substance to my writing. So, I chose Journalism and Communication, a field somewhat similar to literature.
And so, during my studies in this major, I coincidentally came into contact with the creative and advertising industry.
Of course, there have been many interesting things during my studies. What I enjoy most are the brainstorming sessions with other creators. A single tree does not make a forest. I firmly believe that journalism is a field that requires collaboration, resonance, and stimulation. We often argue fiercely over a single shot or the theme of a project. Creating a piece of work through this back-and-forth clash of ideas is, for 산타카지노, the purest and most interesting thing.
How did you come to take part in the MAD STARS Young Stars competition?
산타카지노 was actually quite a coincidence. Before competing in China, my partner Shanyu Lu invited me to join her. She is more skilled in art, while I could focus on copywriting and live presentations, allowing us to complement each other's skills. But at that time, my academic workload and other commitments were very heavy. Initially, I worried whether I had the energy to fight this 24-hour creative battle. Later, after a night's sleep, I inexplicably felt that I should go. When you're this young, you should do things without a specific reason.
At that time, I didn't know what the future held, but I had a kind of reckless courage. Looking back now, I am immensely grateful for that inexplicable intuition and the courage to not fear failure.
Was there a moment from the China round that really stayed with you?
I will never forget the moment I stood on the presentation stage during the competition in China. In front of 산타카지노 were the most authoritative and famous big names in China's creative industry, along with over a hundred fellow contestants, all interacting with 산타카지노 incredibly enthusiastically. To my right was my incredible partner, who gave 산타카지노 so much strength.
At that moment, I was deeply moved. I had only one thought in my mind: I must fight this battle well. The world is finally going to see 산타카지노.
What kind of feedback did you receive from the judges in Busan?
산타카지노 was when my partner and I stood before the international judges during the Q&A.
Regarding our work, the judges' comments were "interesting, but not fun enough" and "everyone has this kind of starting point." I feel that in this era dominated by technology, we need more gentle, unique insights or even more unexpected execution methods.
One thing I've been confused about is how much AI is currently involved in the creative industry's production, and why the Busan International Advertising Festival this year placed such great emphasis on the application and integration of new technology. But after actually encountering a series of avant-garde installations, I think AI can greatly assist in the execution phase of advertising. 산타카지노 is a tool, but never a replacement for humans; rather, 산타카지노's a helper that can truly bring execution to fruition.
As one of my teachers once said， "A true masterpiece is great creativity combined with flawless execution."
This year’s brief was said to be quite tough. How did you and your team approach 산타카지노?
In conversations with other contestants, one thing we consistently discussed was the difficulty of this year's brief. Like us, many contestants were initially at a loss when they first received the topic. Don't teenagers know that e-cigarettes are harmful? Yet they are still willing to engage in this harmful behavior – the hardest group to persuade, encountering an act historically considered "cool." For a while, everyone really didn't know how to break through.
I was deeply impressed by a Japanese contestant who said: "Because I smoke, I don't think this year's topic was that difficult!"
산타카지노 seems that sometimes, insight requires a certain level of personal experience. Of course, this isn't encouraging anyone to smoke.
What has been the most meaningful takeaway from this experience?
If you ask what I gained from this competition, I would say I have come to understand even more the importance of the "human." In this era of booming AI development, 산타카지노 sounds an alarm for the humanities. I believe that no matter how technology surges, what humans truly need are always gentle yet powerful insights and resonance. In my future creative work, I will pay more attention to the "human."
Having studied New Media and Communication for three years, I often hear statements like "Journalism is dead," "The Humanities are dead," "Advertising is dead." But whether in China or here in Busan, what I have witnessed – the inexhaustible creativity of the younger generation – is the best rebuttal to these stale clichés.
In this era, vibrant lives should exist like strong liquor and sunlight, quietly or wildly displaying flesh-and-blood ideas, then riding on the shoulders of giants to sing rock 'n' roll.
Using reckless courage to create the accent of the times – only this can be called "Young Stars."
What kind of work do you hope to do in the future?
I hope to go to Shanghai after graduating next year to join the front lines of China's creative industry, enter the advertising world, and create my own ideas and works.
Now more than ever, we need things that are painful, obsessive, lively, crazy, and unique to guard the towering spire of the world's humanities and to prevent the boundless human intellect from sinking into the homogenized mud created by digital algorithms. After all, code cannot feel the subtle dampness of the rainy season, cannot see moss and associate 산타카지노 with melancholy, and is utterly incapable of crying over a waning moon. No matter how digital waves surge or what outsiders say, those who devote themselves to creation must not forget why they chose this path in the first place.
There's an old Chinese saying: "Place someone in a fatal situation, and they will survive."
Only in a desperate situation can one see vitality. They say the humanities are dead, but I believe: place them in a fatal situation, and they will survive.
May I, though nurtured among mountains and waters, become more resilient than the high peaks and more powerful than the flowing rivers. Even though I lost closely this time in Busan, even though no one knows what tomorrow holds, but the show must go on. My mind and my heartbeat are ready.
