adfest unveils new logo designed by Santosh Padhi of Into Creative

A visual identity is often more than just an aesthetic icon; it’s a reflection of an entity’s evolving persona and ethos. adfest’s new logo designed by renowned creative veteran Santosh Padhi aka ‘Paddy’ and his agency Into Creative, marks the iconic festival’s new phase and its evolution as it prepares to celebrate 30 Years of Creative Excellence at adfest 2027. 

Paddy, Founder, CCO and Chairman of Into Creative, Mumbai, with his distinct creative approach that combines simplicity with deep significance, has created a form inspired by the lotus, a symbol that resonates Asian culture and adfest’s own heritage. 

The logo is created from an incredibly simple, playful gesture: a strip of paper bent into a curved form. The resulting space creates the distinctive shape of the adfest trophy, while simultaneously evoking many aspects- a gateway, a lotus bud and the form of a lotus petal. Baby pink as a primary colour and pastel green as the secondary colour too reflect the lotus imagery. 

The paper, as a visual element, stands for creativity that comes alive. A simple sheet of paper is often the base for an idea, a sketch, a thought and eventually, great creative work and hence forms part of the visual representation.  

The lotus as a symbol carries cultural significance across Asia, symbolising resilience, awakening, purity and the ability to rise above its surroundings, while the gateway, represents convergence, and opening-up to new ideas, new perspectives, new talent and new possibilities. The adfest trophy itself continues this connection. As adfest describe in their statement, “its form is inspired by a lotus petal, creating a natural relationship between the festival’s identity and the symbol of its creative achievement”. 

“I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to design the new adfest logo as the festival enters its 30th year. adfest has always been about celebrating creativity in Asia and beyond, so how could the new logo not be interesting and creative?” says Santosh Padhi “Paddy” CCO of Into Creative 

Explaining the genesis of the concept, he says, “While exploring the initial concept, a simple piece of paper gave birth to the new logo. When you bend a small strip of paper, the negative space naturally forms the shape of the trophy, lotus bud/ lotus petal. It also begins to look like “A” and also a gateway, something that welcomes the creative community.”  

“I still remember presenting the idea to Vinit and the team over a Zoom call. We simply bent a piece of paper to demonstrate the logo form, and everyone was amazed by its simplicity. There was a very conscious decision to keep the logo simple and minimal, particularly in a world that is becoming increasingly complex,” he adds. 

“Reaching 30 years is a significant milestone, but we don’t see it as a moment to look backwards,” says Vinit Suraphongchai, Chairman of adfest. “It is a moment to look forward. The new logo represents that spirit. It carries elements of our heritage, but it also feels open, dynamic and ready for what comes next. Having Paddy create it makes it particularly meaningful, given his long relationship with adfest and his understanding of the creative community we represent.” 

“Thirty years is something to celebrate, but the more exciting question is what adfest can become over the next thirty,” Rob Sherlock, Chair of the adfest Collective Advisory Board, is quoted to have said. “Our industry is being fundamentally reshaped by technology, media and culture, and the definition of creativity is becoming broader by the day. adfest has an extraordinary opportunity to be the place where those worlds come together while remaining unmistakably Asian, deeply human and genuinely connected. To me, the new identity captures exactly that: respect for where we have come from, with the door wide open to what comes next.” 

adfest 2027 will mark the festival’s 30 edition and will take place from 18–20 March 2027 at the Royal Cliff Hotels Group, Pattaya, Thailand.