At the heart of the campaign is the new Limited Edition OREO & BTS Cookie, featuring a hotteok-inspired brown sugar pancake popular in South Korean street food markets, bringing a taste of the group’s heritage to global consumers.

The campaign, which will roll out across more than 80 markets, is designed to spark fan engagement through a mix of product innovation, cultural storytelling and interactive experiences.

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To celebrate BTS’s 13th anniversary, the limited-edition cookies feature 13 unique embossments designed by the group, including member names, the BTS light stick and special symbols created for fans to collect.

The packaging also draws inspiration from South Korea’s vibrant street market culture, bringing elements of Korean food and everyday experiences to fans around the world.

As part of the campaign, OREO is inviting fans to help create the world’s largest love letter to BTS by submitting digital messages through a dedicated online platform accessible via QR codes on the special-edition packs.

Fans who participate will have the chance to see their messages featured as part of the global initiative and win exclusive BTS and OREO prizes. 

The campaign also includes on-ground activations, with Malaysian fans invited to experience a dedicated OREO x BTS pop-up at Blue Concourse, Sunway Pyramid from 8 to 14 June, where they can sample the new flavour and submit their own messages to the group.

“OREO has always been about simple, joyful moments, and this collaboration with BTS brings that spirit to life in a way that feels deeply personal,” said Simon Crowther, Managing Director for Malaysia and Singapore at Mondelēz International. 

“For fans in Malaysia, this is an invitation to be part of a global moment, one that celebrates creativity, shared experiences, and the small rituals that bring people together,” added Crowther.  

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New data from Criteo shows APAC travel demand remained resilient heading into the spring season, with hotel traffic rising and a late spike of nearly 30% year-on-year, even as OTA conversion rates softened 10% year-on-year in Q1.

The report found that while overall demand remains steady, travellers are becoming more selective about how and where they travel. Air traffic in the region fell 17% year-on-year in Q1 2026, as tensions in the Middle East prompted some travellers to reconsider long-haul plans. However, demand has largely shifted toward nearer destinations rather than declined.

In April, air bookings rose 1.0% for short-haul and 1.8% for medium-haul travel year-on-year, while long-haul bookings fell 2.8%, signalling a continued pivot to regional travel. Rather than a broad pullback, the data points to a recalibration in demand, creating opportunities for destination marketers and online travel agencies focused on shorter-haul routes.

Criteo also found that APAC travellers are spending more time researching and comparing options before booking. On average, travellers browse around 25 hotel listings before booking, while 66% cite reviews as a key decision factor. For travel brands in the region, the challenge has shifted from attracting interest to closing bookings.

This longer consideration period is also reflected in APAC’s extended booking season compared to other regions. Travel bookings outpaced retail sales week-on-week from early July through mid-October 2025, longer than in both EMEA and the Americas. The trend signals an extended activation window for marketers, supporting always-on campaign strategies over short, peak-driven bursts.

At the same time, travellers are increasingly turning to AI tools for planning, with APAC leading adoption. The report found that full-trip AI planning is most common in the region, with 45% of Japanese travellers and 47% of South Korean travellers using AI for end-to-end trip planning, versus a global average of 30%.

AI is also emerging as a key channel in the travel journey. In March 2026, ChatGPT accounted for a higher share of travel booking page visits than traditional search by 13 percentage points, while 72% of Criteo’s travel clients recorded at least one booking from ChatGPT referrals.

Criteo said the shift underscores the need to identify high-intent travellers rather than focus on volume. In partnership with the company, Skyscanner shifted its mid-funnel success metric from clicks to “Engaged Search Sessions”, defined as sessions where users did not bounce and completed at least one search for flights, hotels or car hire. Campaigns optimised on this metric in India and Canada delivered up to a 67% lift in ROI and an 80% increase in engaged search sessions.

As travellers navigate a more cost-conscious and complex environment, Criteo said brands that best convert will be those using real-time commerce data, AI-driven targeting, intent-based strategies and full-funnel activation to engage travellers throughout the booking journey.

“In Japan and South Korea, nearly half of travellers are now turning to AI in their trip planning, a strong signal for the rest of APAC. How a hotel, airline, or destination is surfaced and described by AI now matters as much as how it’s advertised,” said Szi Wei Lo, Executive Managing Director, APAC, Criteo. 

“Travel brands no longer win simply by outbidding competitors — they win by making it easier for travellers to understand, compare and choose their offering. The travel brands that pull ahead will be those treating content and product data as the driver of discovery, not a back-end concern.”

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Positioned as a celebration of dynamic and impactful content marketing, the CMAA 2026 programme recognises work that goes beyond creative execution to demonstrate strategic thinking, cultural relevance, and measurable business impact. 

The initiative highlights Asia Pacific’s excellence in content marketing, spotlighting how content continues to drive deeper audience connections and community building in an increasingly complex digital landscape. 

The 2026 edition features 50 categories spanning Marketing Campaigns and Industry-Focused Campaigns, along with Grand Prix honours for the highest-scoring entries across the programme.

Strong regional participation across Asia Pacific

The inaugural edition of CMAA attracted strong participation from marketing organisations across the region, with 61 organisations submitting entries, resulting in a total of 73 finalists.

Malaysia leads the region with 49 finalists, followed by Singapore with 36, and the Philippines with 30. Indonesia recorded 24 finalists, while Hong Kong followed closely with 23.

Other participating markets include Thailand, India, Vietnam, Australia, and Mongolia, underscoring the awards’ regional breadth and cross-market representation.

Brands and agencies leading the field

This year’s nominations reflect strong competition across both brand and agency categories, with several organisations emerging as clear front-runners.

Among brands, Malaysia Airlines leads with 22 nominations, followed by Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) and Cebuana Lhuillier (Philippines), each securing 12 nominations. 

On the agency side, Volare Advertising Network tops the list with 11 nominations, closely followed by GrowthOps with 9 nominations.

Top nominated brands

• Malaysia Airlines – 22 nominations
• Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) – 12
• Cebuana Lhuillier – 11
• Citiplaza Hong Kong – 10
• Hong Kong Tourism Board – 10
• Scoot – 9
• BOSCH HOME APPLIANCES (SINGAPORE) – 6

Top nominated agencies

• Dentsu Hong Kong – 11 nominations
• GrowthOps – 9
• LÈNGUA – 7
• Zeno Group – 7
• ADA Data AI Solutions Pte. Ltd. – 6
• Leo Burnett Hong Kong – 8
• VML Singapore – 5

See full list for finalists HERE.

Judging panel brings senior marketing leadership across APAC

Winners will be selected by a jury of senior marketing and advertising leaders from across the region, ensuring a balanced evaluation of creativity, strategy, execution, and measurable business impact.

The judging process is structured across four category groupings, with the Marketing Campaign Categories divided into three specialised divisions alongside the Industry-Focused Campaign Categories, each overseen by dedicated jury heads. 

The Head of Jury appointments and categories are as follows:

• Tim Green, Chief Creative Officer APAC, Edelman (Singapore) – Marketing Campaigns Categories (Brand, Storytelling & Cultural Impact)
• Andrew Pinto, Vice President, Unifi Brand and Marketing, Telekom Malaysia – Marketing Campaigns Categories (Integrated Campaigns, Partnerships & Impact)
• Rajat Basra, Chief Executive Officer, Omnicom Media Group (Indonesia) – Marketing Campaigns Categories (Performance, Platforms & Growth)
• Simone Tam, CEO Greater Bay Area, dentsu (Hong Kong) – Industry-Focused Categories

Other jury members include senior leaders from Burger King India, Discovery Hospitality, Doctor Anywhere, Ducati Asia Pacific, Edelman, Goldilocks Bakeshop, Harcourts International, Havas Asia Pacific, Mindvalley, Pos Malaysia, Telekom Malaysia, VIVAIA, VML Thailand, and Volare Advertising Network.

Full list of jury HERE. 

Commenting on the finalist line-up, Joven Barceñas, Founder and CEO of MARKETECH APAC, said, “The Content Marketing Awards Asia Pacific was established to spotlight excellence across the region’s fast-evolving content landscape. This year’s finalists reflect the strength of creativity and strategy coming from brands and agencies that are pushing the boundaries of what content marketing can achieve.” 

The CMAA 2026 Gala Night will take place on 9 July 2026 at Sheraton Petaling Jaya Hotel in Malaysia, where winners across all categories will be unveiled, alongside Grand Prix recognitions for top-performing entries.

Participating brands, agencies, and martech organisations are now invited to secure their seats for the Content Marketing Awards Asia Pacific 2026 Gala Night. For inquiries, please contact [email protected].

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Through the Nexxen TV Home Screen, advertisers can access Smart TV home screen placements on VIDAA-powered devices in APAC and select global markets. VIDAA OS, developed by V, powers more than 50 million Smart TVs across more than 180 markets worldwide.

Guy Edri, Chief Executive Officer of V, said, “The TV experience doesn’t start with playback; it starts on the home screen. In today’s world, that is TV. It’s where discovery happens, where decisions are made, and where attention is at its highest. For partners and advertisers, it’s not just an entry point; it’s the most valuable moment to connect with audiences at scale.”

The Nexxen TV Home Screen is now available across the Asia-Pacific. The offering is expected to expand to additional OEM inventory in the coming months. It is powered by Nexxen’s demand-side platform (DSP), with initial availability in Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines.

Josif Zanich, Managing Director, JAPAC at Nexxen, added, “The Smart TV home screen creates a prime opportunity for brands to get in front of leaned-in audiences. By pairing this premium inventory from V, one of the leading and most widely adopted platforms in the Australian market, with Nexxen’s unique data and advanced TV capabilities, advertisers can plan, activate and measure campaigns within a single platform, unlocking smarter audience engagement and ultimately driving full-funnel performance.”

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Speaking exclusively to MARKETECH APAC, Danielle Jin, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Visa Asia-Pacific, highlighted why Laufey was a perfect fit for Visa’s campaign, citing the artist’s reimagining of jazz for a new generation of music listeners, creating music that is intimate and emotionally alive for Gen Z’ers and her journey to become a globally-recognised singer, and also being a two-time Grammy winner.

“As someone who has lived between cultures, her story is one of resilience and progress amidst vulnerability, aligning with Visa’s belief that success is the result of small steps we take every day. We’re heartened to partner with Laufey for the A Matter of Time Tour in Asia, and we hope to inspire a new generation to find their voice in the world,” she explained.

Showing up where culture and commerce connect

It should be noted that according to Visa’s recent study on global travel intentions, not only are consumers in Asia-Pacific travelling for live events like concerts, but this behaviour is most pronounced among younger segments. 84% of Gen Z and Millennial respondents in the region said they attended live events at their travel destinations, higher than the 81% regional figure.

“At Visa, we want to show up where culture, commerce, and community intersect. Artists like Laufey are more than performers – they unite people and are role models that younger fans, especially Gen Zs can connect with and see themselves in. When we can connect the dots to make the fan journey effortless from tickets to flight bookings to the actual concerts, we elevate the experience and demonstrate the value of Visa for everyone,” Danielle further added.

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For context, Visa’s global network aims to connect culture and commerce, allowing consumers and fans to transact securely and seamlessly across the journeys, from discovery to accessing tickets to travel bookings and on-ground spending in the cities they visit.

Speaking about additional experiences fans can expect in this collaboration, Danielle said that when they partner with artists like Laufey, their focus is always on creating experiences that feel authentic and meaningful for fans – enabling them to experience Laufey’s story–in this instance–her journey, and beliefs in ways that only Visa can do.

“The campaign film is one example, as the first of several combining Laufey’s love for travel with Visa’s seamless and secure payments that make exploring the world feel effortless. On the other hand, we also strive to bring fans up close and personal with Laufey throughout the A Matter of Time Tour with exclusive pre-show soundcheck experiences, photo opportunities, and more that enable fans to connect with Laufey on a deeper level.”

A broader move into music and live entertainment

It is worth noting that live music is a US$63b global industry, with Asia Pacific accounting for around 23% of that value. With that in mind, Danielle noted how music is woven into the fabric of Asia Pacific and together with live concerts and entertainment, it plays a central role in how they reinforce Visa’s brand relevance in the region.

“What we’re seeing in the region is a shift towards experience-led behaviours as consumers, especially younger segments like Gen Zs seek moments that feel personal and meaningful – be it travelling for a concert or following their favourite artists around the world,” she said.

Aside from their partnership with Laufey’s “A Matter of Time Tour”, Visa has recently been announced as the Official Payment Partner for the Asia leg of The Weeknd’s “After Hours Til Dawn” Stadium Tour. They are also the title sponsor of the popular K-pop awards event MAMA AWARDS through to 2029, and the Worldwide Tour Sponsor for BTS WORLD TOUR ‘ARIRANG’.

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Visa has also highlighted how musical mega-events show how culture drives commerce and the economy.

For instance, during the 2025 MAMA AWARDS, the brand noted that nearly 90% of overseas ticket buyers at the Visa Presale had not visited the city in the past year – showing how music can reinvigorate travel and boost the profile of cities to new traveller segments 

Moreover, BTS’ comeback concert on 21 March in Seoul attracted 18.4 million viewers worldwide. Foreign travel to South Korea also surged over 25% on the week of the concert compared to an average week, while travel spending climbed around 20% from an average week, showing that BTS is as much a magnet for K-pop fans as it is a springboard for tourism.

“Music is a core part of our Passion Pillars Strategy because it enables Visa to show up as an enabler, supporting fans in their journey from discovery to ticket access to travel and on-ground spending. When we get this right, we strengthen the Visa brand and drive meaningful growth for clients and partners,” she concluded.

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The platform, short for Generative Engine Optimisation Radar, tracks brand visibility across AI tools including ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity, while identifying which publishers and websites shape AI-generated responses and flagging reputational risks such as misinformation, outdated content, and incomplete narratives.

According to figures cited by Grayling from McKinsey & Company, around 50% of Google searches now include AI-generated summaries, with that figure expected to exceed 75% by 2028.

“Brands used to compete to be one of many on the first page of Google. Today, they are competing to be included in the AI-generated summary at the top of the page, or in conversations with AI models that are increasingly sophisticated,” said Danny Tan, Grayling Managing Director.

“As Large Language Models change the way that brands are discovered and perceived, organisations must have visibility into how they show up in this new environment,” he added.

Grayling’s GEO Radar analyses AI-generated responses from models to map brand visibility and reputational drivers. 

By tracking thousands of source citations and user prompts, GEO Radar reveals how often a brand or destination is recommended and what specific keywords or themes trigger those recommendations.

Ultimately, the tool shows businesses how AI models perceive them and identifies which editorial sources—such as major travel publications—are most influential in shaping those AI responses.

The agency  plans to roll out GEO Radar across its Asia-Pacific affiliate network from June, including operations in Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Australia.

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Teal, whose career spans Ogilvy & Mather, DigitasLBi, Wunderman Thompson, and most recently VCCP Singapore, joins Koto as Growth Director for APAC at a time when international agencies are racing to secure a foothold in Southeast Asia’s swelling digital economy.

The appointment places a seasoned regional operator at the centre of Koto’s expansion plans. 

Teal has worked across branding, communications, marketing technology, and customer experience for some of Asia-Pacific’s largest companies, including Singtel, Standard Chartered, and Prudential.

“With over 4000 regional headquarters and over 30 unicorns, a digital economy worth $128 billion, Singapore isn’t just a market; it’s where the most ambitious companies make their brand decisions for Southeast Asia,” said Teal. 

He added, “These companies need a partner that can handle the full picture – brand, digital experience and campaigns – not just one piece of it. That’s exactly where we sit, and it’s a space very few studios here can confidently claim.”

Koto’s Singapore office becomes the company’s seventh globally and second in Asia-Pacific after Sydney, which launched in 2023. 

The firm said the new base would anchor its Southeast Asian operations following earlier work in the region with clients including Singapore-based fintech company Coda and Riot Games’ League of Legends franchise.

“Singapore is the natural next step,” said Damian Borchok, Managing Director APAC at Koto. “When we opened Sydney in 2023, Singapore was always part of the plan as it’s one of the most connected cities in ASEAN and the base from which regional ambitions are built. The brands here are increasingly thinking globally, and they need partners who can match that ambition.”

Founded in London in 2015 by James Greenfield, Caroline Matthews, and Jowey Roden, Koto has grown into a global network of more than 160 staff across Berlin, London, Los Angeles, New York, Sydney, and Singapore. 

Its client roster includes Amazon, Google, JP Morgan, Lyft, Meta, Mars, Microsoft, Netflix, Tripadvisor, and WhatsApp.

“Koto has always wanted to work with the world’s best brands in the world’s best cities,” said Greenfield, the company’s chief executive. “Singapore has long been one of those cities for us, so opening here is a big moment. Working with brands like Coda and Riot Games showed us there’s a real energy and ambition here that feels very aligned with Koto. Bringing Mark on board is an important step in building Koto’s long-term presence in the region.”

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As marketing teams across Asia Pacific grapple with the content demands of an always-on digital economy, the promise of generative AI has often collided with fragmented workflows and spiralling credit-based costs.

Unveiled on May 8, Vidu Claw is built on ShengShu’s proprietary Vidu Q3 video model and the open-source OpenClaw framework. It is positioned not merely as a production tool but as a creative partner capable of managing the end-to-end campaign workflow—from strategic planning and scripting to visuals, voiceover, and final video output—removing manual handoffs between specialists that have traditionally constrained large-scale AI video production.

At the core of the launch is a direct challenge to what ShengShu describes as the “aggregator tax”. While many all-in-one AI video platforms route tasks through multiple third-party models that stack up credit charges, Vidu Claw generates every frame natively via Vidu Q3. It also introduces what the company calls the world’s first Video Plan, a subscription model where users pay for completed advertising output rather than tool access or generation credits.

“The result is a complete and high-quality advertisement. Brands know exactly what they are paying for before they pay for it,” the company stated. 

For marketers, this shifts the value proposition from unpredictable usage-based billing to fixed, outcome-driven pricing, enabling greater budget predictability and supporting large-scale A/B testing and creative iteration.

ShengShu projects that Vidu Claw can reduce the cost of producing a finished ad to around 1% of traditional production costs while compressing timelines from days to same-day delivery. A simple brief such as “Create a short-form ad for a running shoe targeting young women on Instagram” is enough for the system to generate a concept, script, storyboard, and final video in a single workflow.

Beyond video generation, Vidu Claw also functions as a broader marketing automation platform. Its marketing skills orchestration layer integrates thousands of capabilities spanning trend analysis, social copywriting, performance analytics, and document generation for reporting. The system is open and extensible, allowing integration with existing environments through OpenClaw, Claude Code, and other compatible agent frameworks.

For brands and agencies across APAC, Vidu Claw signals a shift in how AI is embedded within the marketing stack—positioning itself not as a passive assistant but as an always-on strategic teammate capable of delivering campaigns from brief to completion.

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The initiative features stories from families and individuals in India, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, and Malaysia, with the campaign aiming to showcase how oral care plays a role in daily life across different cultures and communities.

According to the company, the campaign focuses on real-life narratives and personal experiences rather than traditional product-focused advertising.

“At the core of this initiative is a universal truth: the desire to protect one’s family, ensuring their health and well-being through every stage of life. This campaign showcases real people sharing their stories in their own words, about their lives, and the role of Colgate as a trusted, often unspoken, partner in their journey. “ said Samir Singh, EVP Marketing Colgate-Palmolive Asia Pacific.

The campaign highlights several stories across the region. In India, one story follows a multi-generational family running a sweet shop, where oral care has been part of their household routine for years. Another narrative features actor Prateik Smita Patil, who reflects on the legacy of his mother and the significance of her smile.

In Australia, the campaign includes the story of Patrick Cripps, a star from the Australian Football League, who grew up in a remote community with limited access to dental services. The story recounts how his mother emphasised oral care while he was growing up and how he now passes the same habits to his own child.

Meanwhile, the New Zealand segment highlights the company’s global oral health education programme, Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures, which the company says has reached billions of children and families worldwide. The story focuses on a kindergarten teacher in Mayfield who encourages young students to build oral health habits.

In the Philippines, the campaign portrays a grandmother working overseas who sends balikbayan boxes home to her granddaughter, including oral care products, as a way to stay connected despite the distance.

“These are stories about growing up, about being away from home and coming back, about joy, disappointments, celebrations, ups and downs, about life, and most of all, about love. Colgate’s role in these stories is small but intimate, and completely authentic. We hope this will become a new way of communicating to people who are tired of hyperbole and exaggerated claims. Of telling human stories, simply and honestly.” Samir added.

The campaign will roll out across Asia-Pacific markets through multiple channels, featuring short films and storytelling content centred on everyday family experiences.

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The China-born dating platform is relaunching under the positioning “Date Better”, marking what the company describes as a broader effort to reposition the platform for a more global and culturally diverse audience. The relaunch includes a refreshed visual identity, updated app experience, and planned investments in AI-powered safety and matchmaking features.

As part of the rebrand, tantan said it will roll out enhanced trust and safety tools, refreshed UI and UX features, and AI-driven capabilities aimed at improving user verification, moderation, and match relevance. The company is also introducing more community-led and culturally localised features, including interest-based discovery and horoscope content inspired by Asian traditions. The full roadmap will be shared in the next phase of global reintroduction.

Furthermore, the company’s new positioning reflects its focus on more intentional and authentic dating experiences, while continuing to position itself within the casual dating category amid wider shifts in the online dating industry toward long-term matchmaking platforms.

tantan also emphasised that it “takes a progressive, respectful approach to sex positivity: and that it recognises that attitudes toward dating, relationships, and intimacy are evolving across Southeast Asia, and the platform should reflect and celebrate the shift.

The company’s decision to base its international headquarters in Singapore comes as it deepens its focus on markets including Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the US. The company said future growth plans will involve localised campaigns, partnerships, and on-ground community activations tailored to individual markets.

According to tantan, the relaunch also aims to reshape perceptions of the platform as it enters a new phase of international growth.

Willynn Ng, Regional Head, International Markets at tantan, said, “Our global reintroduction is about more than a new look. It is about redefining tantan’s narrative as a safe and innovative platform for a new generation. By anchoring our APAC hub in Singapore and prioritizing interest based discovery, we are setting a new standard for authentic, secure and meaningful connections on a global scale.” 

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