2026-02-16
Written by Dylan Hayes
Geumjae Lee did not arrive at advertising in a straight line.
He once imagined a future in law. He trained as a Taekwondo athlete. He served in the Marine Corps. He considered becoming an actor. He explored design.
Each path demanded something different. Discipline. Precision. Presence. Structure.
In 2025, those lessons converged in one place. Advertising.
That year, Lee delivered one of the most awarded young creative works of the year. His Starbucks project earned top recognition from Clio Awards, New York Festivals, Young Ones, One Show, and other major international competitions, contributing to a total of 35 international awards in a single year.
We spoke with Lee about how that journey shaped his philosophy and why he believes advertising can be more than promotion.
Geumjae Lee: Each stage shaped how I think. Law taught me structure and argument. Taekwondo taught me discipline and repetition. The Marine Corps taught me endurance. Acting taught me how to understand perspective. Design taught me form and balance.
Advertising became the place where those skills could coexist. It requires structure, resilience, empathy, and visual precision all at once.
Geumjae Lee: The idea was simple but honest. People were already customizing their drinks constantly. The menu did not reflect that behavior. By turning the menu into a real time platform that showed what customers were actually ordering, we allowed the brand to mirror its audience.
It felt natural. That naturalness allowed it to travel across markets and juries.
Geumjae Lee: Those stages represent some of the highest standards in global advertising. When the same work is recognized across them, it suggests consistency and clarity. It means the idea holds up beyond trend or aesthetic.
Recognition at that scale confirmed that the project was not just visually compelling, but conceptually sound.
Geumjae Lee: Creative direction weakens when it is fragmented. I believe in carrying a concept from insight to final output. That continuity preserves intent. It ensures the idea remains precise rather than diluted.
Geumjae Lee: Good advertising does not just promote products. It creates culture.
That does not mean it has to be dramatic. It means it contributes to how people see, choose, and behave. If it influences taste or expectation in a subtle but lasting way, it has done its job.
Geumjae Lee: I want to continue building ideas that feel inevitable rather than forced. Ideas that reflect real behavior and elevate it slightly. Influence often happens in small adjustments, not loud declarations.
Currently based in New York, Lee is studying Advertising at the School of Visual Arts, with graduation expected in May 2026. If his trajectory so far is any indication, his work will continue to move outward, shaped by discipline, sharpened by direction, and grounded in cultural awareness.
