On Friday, May 16, 2025, the historic Telegraph Office in Berlin-Mitte was once again transformed into a vibrant meeting place for the international creative industry.

Over 40 exhibitors from the fields of photography, film, CGI, illustration, creative retouch, and AI presented their innovative artists and work, while production and location companies showcased their services. The event attracted numerous art and creative directors, art buyers, and brand professionals who looked forward to a day full of inspiration, networking, and creative impulses.

A central theme of the event was the influence of artificial intelligence on the creative industry, whether in photography, illustration and animation, creative retouch, or modeling agencies. AI-based tools and applications were present in many of the works, supporting the creative craft at the highest level.

"I would like to thank the UPDATE team for the inspiring contacts at an international level. It's been an enrichment to my digital life to meet real portfolios, work, and photographers," said Nicole Groezinger, Creative Director at Jung von Matt.

In addition to the traditional UPDATE SALON booths, there were numerous opportunities for discussions and new contacts. Exhibitors and visitors were able to exchange ideas, initiate new collaborations, and expand their networks. The event thus promoted not only professional exchange but also personal networking within the industry.

"I attended UPDATE for the first time this year and had so many inspiring conversations and saw such incredible artwork. I'll definitely be back next year," said Theo von Asperen, Global Creative Director of adidas London.

One of our highlights was meeting the creative team behind the official UPDATE key visual in person: The image was shot by renowned fashion and beauty photographer – and GoSee member – Per Appelgren. STUDIO NONSENS traveled from Hamburg and Cologne, and model Yulia Pavlen was also present live at UPDATE in Berlin. Yulia thrilled the audience with one of her legendary live makeup sessions, which was wildly celebrated on TikTok.

"What an honor to see our work front and center at one of the industry's most inspiring events. We wrapped with a trip to Berlin for UPDATE – always such a great opportunity to connect with the creative scene and discover new talent. Thanks to Frank and Cyrus for the incredible energy, organization, and endless inspiration. We saw so many strong, artistic portfolios – and left full of ideas and excitement for future collaborations." Lisanne Kurth & Stefanie Schellwies, STUDIO NONSENS

Many thanks to all UPDATE exhibitors and visitors from agencies and brands such as DDB, Carl Nann, thjnk, Serviceplan, Scholz & Friends, Jung von Matt, C3, c/o Setzkorn Kemper, David+Martin, BUTTER, Rapp, KNSK, Antoni, Heimat TBWA, IBM iX, Looping Group, Ogilvy, Team X, KNAS, fischer appelt group, antoni jellyhose, ressourcenmangel, Ströer Media Solutions, TRACK, Vita Health Media, ZUM GOLDENEN HIRSCHEN, Optimist, Anomaly, rayon Agency, Innocean, MullenLoweGGK, Peix Health Group, Win Design, Behind the scenes, High Snobiety, Amsterdam Berlin, WE LOVE artbuying, MONKS, Adidas, Puma, IKEA, Sumup, Mikuta, Closed, Zalando, Brax, Douglas... and many, many more. We are proud and amazed every year by how many creatives care about the event.

Here are some comments about the event:

"It's a WRAP! We welcomed a brilliant mix of art directors, creative directors, art buyers, and brand professionals this year. We had meaningful conversations, made great connections 💥 and showcased the work of our artists from Shotview Artists Management." Kozva Rigaud, CEO of Shotview

"I had a great time! 🙏🙏 Looking forward to staying in touch." Luke Li, Global Creative Director IKEA

"See you next year - XXL again for sure!" Olivier Jezequel c/o LGA MANAGEMENT, Paris

"Cool inspiration. Lots of great people." Florian SUPERBABY Weitzel, Executive Creative Director at FAMILY.AGENCY Zurich

If you've read this far, we have a great photography tip for you: the very young Dutch Rooytwins, represented by SEVERIN WENDELER. The twins were at UPDATE in person, and their book is truly worth seeing!

The UPDATE SALON 2025 was a complete success, confirming its reputation as one of the most important industry events for visual storytelling, production, and creative exchange, with a touch of a school trip. The successful blend of traditional techniques and modern technologies, coupled with an inspiring atmosphere, made the event a highlight for everyone involved. We're already looking forward to the next edition and are excited to see what creative inspiration it will bring.

 
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Nicole Groezinger has been Creative Director at Jung von Matt NECKAR for nearly 20 years – and for the past three, she’s been the creative force behind the agency network’s Beauty Collective.

In this role, she not only leads the creative vision for international beauty campaigns, but also works closely with the network’s youngest Asian hub: Jung von Matt HANGANG in Seoul, the third location in Asia expanding JvM’s global beauty expertise.

We were all the more delighted to welcome this creative powerhouse in person at the UPDATE in Berlin – where she was scouting new talent, exciting creative collaborators, and future-facing impulses. “Beauty is the beta test for the advertising of tomorrow,” says Nicole. And she adds, “Thanks to the UPDATE team for the inspiring international contacts – it was a real highlight in this digital world to meet portfolios, work, and photographers in person.”

Here on GoSee, Nicole also shares her perspective on the smart and responsible use of artificial intelligence in beauty advertising. She emphasizes the importance of not losing sight of authenticity and human connection amid technological innovation. For her, technology should never lead to creative uniformity – instead, it should empower personal expression and elevate real human stories. “Technology should not be used for standardization, but for personalization,” Nicole explains. “Especially in beauty communication, success lies in merging digital innovation with real, emotional human experiences.”

As a case in point, Nicole introduces one of her latest projects on GoSee – a perfect example of modern, tech-driven yet emotionally resonant beauty storytelling: The LANEIGE Show. In this global campaign for skincare brand LANEIGE, American actress Sydney Sweeney plays not one but three roles – a charismatic game show host and two very different contestants, ‘Syd’ and ‘Sweeney’. The result is a playful, high-impact digital format with style, substance, and a clear global message: Water Bank is the Answer.

The campaign was developed in Stuttgart by the Beauty Collective and produced in collaboration with Markenfilm Korea and the team in Seoul. Alongside Nicole, the project featured Art Director Mina Hashemi, Copy CD Matteo Maggiore, and CCO Bill Yom in Seoul. It was not only about staging a strong global personality like Sydney Sweeney but also about translating the campaign across diverse markets with the help of local creators – combining interactive digital content and physical roadshows.

Nicole Groezinger and the Beauty Collective by JvMNeckar on the campaign page for GoSee: "Beauty communication has always been a pioneer when it comes to quickly adapting new technologies – whether virtual production or AI. The market is extremely dynamic, the target audience is young, digital, and highly educated. At the same time, the industry has been waging a real battle for authenticity in recent years: away from polished ideals and toward real, "human" people and stories. This makes it all the more important not to fall back – by suddenly shifting the focus to faceless AI avatars. The smarter approach is to use technology not for standardization, but for personalization. We saw this, for example, in the WATER BANK IS THE ANSWER campaign for Laneige: A global testimonial like Sydney Sweeney meets a digital campaign format that has been further developed and individually interpreted by local creators in each market – from the interactive Laneige show to the physical roadshow. Because, especially in skincare, it's ultimately always about the experience of the human body. And that's exactly what communication must achieve."

Nicole Groezinger and her Beauty Collective demonstrate what the future of beauty communication looks like: combining innovative technologies with genuine, emotional connection to people. For her, "The future lies in the combination of global appeal and local relevance." And especially in skincare, says Nicole, "the product experience takes place on one's own body. Communication must also bridge this phygital gap." With her work at Jung von Matt, she proves that beauty is more than just superficiality—it is a vibrant, multifaceted experience spanning technology, creativity, and humanity.

 
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At this year's UPDATE in Berlin, 20 selected photographers and retouch artists presented their portfolios – from promising new talents to established industry professionals. The range of work on display ranged from corporate productions to sports & outdoor, beauty & fashion, architecture, and stills.

Professional visitors had the opportunity to interact directly with the artists, exchange ideas, and initiate potential future projects. The informal portfolio viewing thus facilitated personal contact between clients and creatives.

Participating artists and their portfolios (in alphabetical order):

Annika Yanura – www.annikayanura.com
Christiane Baumgart – www.christiane-baumgart.com
Chris Tribelhorn & Petia Lova – www.play-studio.se
Darius Ramazani – www.ramazani.de
Felix Eisenmeier – www.eisenmeier.com
Goetz Schleser – www.goetz-schleser.de
Janik Gensheimer – www.janikgensheimer.de
Klaus Mellenthin – www.klausmellenthin.com
Lars Schneider – www.larsschneider.com
Lauren Leis – www.laurenleis.com
Magnus Meier-Röbke – www.magnusmeier-roebke.de
Martin Tervoort – www.martintervoort.de
Mike Masoni – www.mikemasoni.com
Moritz Leissen – www.moritzleisen.com
NEA Post Art – www.nea-post-art.com
Per Schorn – www.perschorn.de
Ramona Reuter – www.ramonareuter.com
Rok Trzan – www.roktrzan.com

We would like to sincerely thank all participating artists who enriched UPDATE with their diverse and high-quality work.

Special thanks also go to the experts and viewers, including Jens Höllein, Head of Marketing BRAX, Julie Melchior, Head of Creative Production & Art Buying ZALANDO Studios, Claudio Catrambone, CCO Family Agency Zurich, Alice Feja, Head of Art / Accenture Song, Swenja Zeh, Creative Studio Lead DOUGLAS, Kerstin Mende, Head of Art Buying / Scholz & Friends, Lisa de Wall und Nele Hermann, Art Buying / Scholz & Friends, Julia Blanke und Anusha Atreya, Art Buying / Jung von Matt.

As well as  Carsten Kalaschnikow, Art Buying C3, Johanna Merensky / Head of Art Buying | fischerAppelt Group, Karen Schwarzer / Head of Art Buying, Philipp und Keuntje, Simone Gutberlit, Art Buying / Ressourcenmangel, Katrin Grün, Art Buying, Franziska Möck / Senior Art Buying Jung von Matt, Nicole Hardt / Art Director Lead C&A, Valerie Torabian, Head of Artbuying, DDB Berlin, Bianca Winter, Creative Producer & Art Buyerin, Solomon Winter, Laura Früchtenicht, Head of Art Buying THJNK / Hogarth, Jan Hippchen, CD Puma, Theo von Asperen, Global CD adidas, and last but not least, Luke Li, Global Creative Lead IKEA.

We would also like to highlight the Vogl printing company from Munich (www.druckerei-vogl.de). Petra Vogl was personally available, cheerful and charming, to answer questions and discuss possible collaborations. Her clients already include advertising agencies as well as brands that have their high-quality corporate print materials produced in Munich. UPDATE visitors were particularly impressed by the excellent paper quality. Druckerei Vogl sees itself not just as a printing service provider, but as a partner that focuses on quality, sustainability, and personalized consulting.

The SHOWCASE at UPDATE proved that creativity and quality can be found in all facets and stages of development of the visual industry – and personal encounters will continue to be indispensable in the future. You can find all participating artists – if they have a GoSee account – listed as SHOWCASE artists... until the next UPDATE in spring 2026.

 
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