m25 Global Creative Series Episode 5: Real-World Guide to the Future of Creative

m25 the global premium network proudly presents our Global Creative Series, to highlight international creativity and the impact of local cultures and technological advancements on creative production throughout the region. This series features interviews with key and exceptional regional creatives, illustrating how individual endeavours, when combined with cultural understanding and team building, shape successful advertising campaigns and real purpose.

In Episode 5, we’re pleased to feature Jasmine Huang, MD and head of content production at Prodigious China, a globally recognised creative leader with over 20 years of experience. Her career is rooted in a deep passion for storytelling and the belief that 'content can transcend time and mediums.' What inspires her most is the power of authentic narratives to build connections between brands and audiences such as the Johnnie Walker 'Yu Lu' Project she co-produced with famous film director Jia Zhangke in 2010, which pioneered the 'micro-film' content marketing format and remains an industry benchmark to this day.

Jasmine became MD of Prodigious China and head of content production at Publicis China in early 2020, navigating the pandemic to build a production team and ensure business stability. Under her leadership, Prodigious saw three years of double-digit revenue growth and won numerous 'Production Agency of the Year' and 'Specialist Agency of the Year' awards. These achievements led to her inclusion on Campaign China’s 2024 'Women to Watch in Greater China' list and nominations for 'Women Leading Change in the Asia-Pacific Region' in 2024 and 2025. Jasmine also judged the HiShorts! Xiamen Short Film Festival in 2023 and 2024, and this year is pioneering the AIGC short film track, a new milestone after the 'Yu Lu' initiative. Her work is driven by fearless creativity

Q> The most memorable campaign

Jasmine>I’ll never forget leading Prodigious on the “Fresh New Year Tea House” project. We built a Chengdu-style teahouse in a Shanghai studio, seamlessly blending on-set filming with an immersive offline event. That experience reinforced my belief that exceptional production isn’t just flawless execution it elevates creative value by weaving ideas across every medium.

Q>Industry evolution and global impact

Jasmine>Over the past decade, I’ve watched China’s ad market transform from traditional print and broadcast into a dynamic, multi-platform ecosystem driven by social commerce and digital innovation. Today’s consumers, especially Gen Z, demand authenticity and interaction, so we’ve had to pivot from one-way messaging to agile, audience-centric campaigns. I’ve seen luxury brands like Lancôme thrive by integrating live-stream shopping and product demos into their narratives, proving that even in bite-sized formats, we can forge deep emotional connections.

Local culture still runs at the heart of every great campaign. Collective harmony, family ties, and Lunar New Year traditions surface in our work from Fresh’s Spring Festival films to bespoke activations for Porsche and Louis Vuitton. I’ve learned that global brands win here by balancing relevance, consistency, and interactivity: fitting into local contexts without losing brand DNA, building long-term stories amid fragmentation, and giving audiences something to respond to not just watch.

Q>Influence of technology and innovation

Jasmine>AI is far more than a backstage tool; it's rewriting the playbook for marketing logic. At Prodigious, I’ve championed regular AI workshops and hands-on training so our team can master everything from data-driven content decisions to generative storytelling. Externally, I run client sessions that turn AI from a buzzword into real solutions whether that’s predictive audience insights or on-demand asset generation.

I’m convinced AI’s true power lies in brand building, not just cost cutting. By mining data to uncover emotional triggers and using generative models to craft resonant narratives, we create work that endures. For Sensodyne’s Winter Olympics campaign, we paired eye-tracking with AI to boost click-through rates by over 30%. For the Shanghai CIIE countdown videos, AIGC refined every sci-fi animation detail. And with our CaST (Creative at Scale Team) model, we’ve collapsed brief → creativity → production into a parallel, data-driven workflow, uniting clients, agencies, and studios in real time.

Q>Inspiring the next generation

Jasmine>To those starting out in China’s ad industry, I always stress three qualities: curiosity, adaptability, and empathy. Stay hungry for tech breakthroughs, AI will soon feel as fundamental as the internet itself. Immerse yourself in local culture and consumer nuances. And never forget the power of a well-told story. Key skills? Data literacy to decode insights, flexibility to ride platform shifts, and a genuine flair for connecting with diverse audiences.

I still carry a mentor’s lesson: purposeful creativity solves real problems. That’s why I make time to mentor newcomers, share both wins and stumbles, and let them lead small projects. It builds confidence and in our fast-paced world, passion and resilience are non-negotiable.

Q>Strategic and operational insights

Jasmine>Expanding in China means tackling fierce competition, fragmented media ecosystems, and the challenge of marrying global standards with local tastes. My playbook includes investing in dedicated live-stream teams, building agile workflows for policy or algorithm changes, and forging deep partnerships like our co-developed CaST team with Haleon, which earned trust through consistent delivery.

For international brands eyeing China, I advise prioritising true localisation over simple translation: understand regional nuances, collaborate with key opinion consumers, and embed into social commerce ecosystems. Rigid global templates fall flat here; only flexible strategies that adapt to real-time feedback succeed.

Looking ahead, the next 5–10 years will revolve around deeper AI integration, immersive experiences, and purpose-driven marketing. Agencies must cultivate tech-savvy talent, build cross-functional teams that marry creativity with data science, and never lose sight of human insight because even as algorithms evolve, emotional resonance remains the ultimate boundary to cross.

As I often say, we are 'those who polish stars,' calibrating the brilliance of great ideas so they shine brighter and longer.