Tag: BBDO

New York, USA – Omnicom has unveiled the Omnicom Advertising Group (OAG), a new global entity that consolidates top creative networks BBDO, DDB, and TBWA with premier agencies from the Advertising Collective, including Goodby Silverstein & Partners, GSD&M, Merkley & Partners, and Zimmerman.

In an official announcement, Omnicom stated that uniting these agency brands under a single leadership will better meet clients’ demands for unprecedented creative solutions.

Under OAG, each agency will retain its distinct brand, culture, and team while benefiting from OAG’s collective investments in cutting-edge tools, technologies, specialist capabilities, and AI platforms. This framework aims to boost the agencies’ capacity for delivering world-class creativity, accelerate growth, and create expanded opportunities for the personal and professional development of their talent.

With the launch of OAG, Omnicom has also appointed TBWA CEO Troy Ruhanen as global CEO. Ruhanen will head the new global organisation alongside Deepthi Prakash, who has been named chief operating officer, and Denis Streiff, who takes on the role of global CFO.

Speaking on the launch, Ruhanen said, “OAG will make the best even better. One of the most exciting parts of this new division is that we can collectively invest in innovative offerings, such as Omnicom’s recent first-mover partnerships in GenAI.” 

“This will take our world-class creativity to the next level and keep our clients at the top of their industries. While we are excited to grow together, we will continue to celebrate and protect the uniqueness of each agency’s culture and entrepreneurship,” he continued. 

Within the agency networks, Nancy Reyes will serve as global CEO of BBDO, Alex Lubar will lead DDB as global CEO, Erin Riley will advance to CEO of TBWA\Worldwide from her previous role as CEO of TBWA\Chiat\Day US, and James Fenton will remain the CEO of the Advertising Collective.

The leaders of the agency networks within OAG will report to Ruhanen. 

Omnicom clarified that existing clients will continue to be serviced by their current agencies and teams, now benefiting from the enhanced capabilities of the expanded group. These changes will be implemented on January 1, 2025.

John Wren, chairman and CEO of Omnicom, said, “Clients want best-in-class talent, innovation, and seamless delivery of creative services around the globe. OAG will deliver on that promise while allowing our agency cultures to remain strong and evolve through shared investments and best practices. With Troy at the helm of this new division, I’m confident our creative agencies and all our incredibly talented minds will continue to set the bar for the industry.”

OAG is the latest addition to Omnicom’s portfolio, which also includes Omnicom Media Group (OMG), Omnicom Health Group (OHG), Omnicom Precision Marketing Group (OPMG), and Omnicom Public Relations Group (OPRG). The organisation has been strategically aligning its agencies into specialised marketing disciplines to deepen service offerings and foster greater collaboration across the group.

Australia – Adrián Flores, a global creative director, has been appointed as chief creative officer at Clemenger BBDO, marking another key milestone in the agency’s progress. The appointment will take effect on May 20, 2024. 

Taking on the opportunity, Flores is bringing his worldwide perspective of producing work to Clemenger BBDO at the nexus of brand, entertainment, and culture. 

Flores’s appointment marks the next stage in the development of Clemenger BBDO, adding to a slew of high-level hires made after CEO Dani Bassil returned to Australia in 2023 to lead the agency’s transformation. Under her direction, the agency’s strategic capabilities were extended to include connections, cultural design strategy, and customer experience (CX) with the hiring of Simon Wassef as chief strategy and experience officer. 

Additionally, the appointment of Anita Deutsch-Burley and Georgie Winton as managing partners and Anita Zanesco as chief growth officer, who is responsible for new capabilities and growth, strengthened the agency’s strategic pillars and drove the company’s growth.

After more than ten years overseas in a variety of creative leadership roles at Publicis New York and London, FCB New York, Marcel New York, and VaynerMedia, Flores returns to Australia. The NBA basketball player LeBron James and his business partner Mav Carter co-founded The SpringHill Company, which operates the brand consultancy section Robot in New York, where he most recently held a role.

Speaking about the appointment, Dani Bassil, Clemenger BBDO CEO, said, “The CCO appointment means we now have a leadership trio of Aussies – Simon, Adrián and myself – with deep experience across brand, digital and social, as well as global perspectives on the work and industry. We’re doing things differently, better, with more diversity, and challenging the status quo. That’s what these signings are about. We’re not just signalling an intention. We’re delivering on it.” 

“I have no doubt Adrián’s energy, talent, and modern way of building brands will have a huge impact on our work, clients, culture and agency. I’m ecstatic he’s coming home to join the Clems family,” Bassil added. 

Speaking about his appointment, Flores said, “Clems is iconic both at home and abroad for a reason. I’m extremely excited to be part of its next chapter alongside a truly world-class team that’s famous for making famous work.” 

Seoul, South Korea – Advertising agency BBDO in South Korea has recently announced the appointment of Junhwa Jung as its newest executive creative director. This strategic move aims to elevate the agency’s presence in the dynamic creative landscape, focusing on infusing his expertise into the industry.

Jung boasts a rich portfolio as a creative director, leaving an indelible mark on global and domestic brands. With over two decades of experience, he has even cultivated collaborations with Korean artists and forged diverse partnerships.

Previously recognised as one of the country’s top creative directors, his influential role in crafting advertising narratives extends to renowned brands such as Samsung, Nike, Levi’s, Amore Pacific, SK Telecom, Yuhan-Kimberly, and Outback Steakhouse.

Apart from this advertising prowess, he has also ventured into the tech realm, establishing a tech agency committed to projects involving augmented reality platform development and digital human initiatives using real-time 3D technology.

Following the said appointment, Jang-Yong Kim, CEO at BBDO Korea, shared his enthusiasm, saying, “We are delighted to welcome Junhwa Jung as our new ECD. With his exceptional talents and passion for unconventional creativity, we are confident that he will lead BBDO Korea to new creative heights.”

In his newfound role, Jung is poised to imbue a novel approach into the company’s advertising initiatives, showcasing his remarkable copywriting skills and innate capacity for unconventional thinking.

Jakarta, Indonesia – Vivek Satpathy, most recently the business director for Indonesia at Omnicom Media Group, has been named the new general manager for BBDO Indonesia. His appointment aligns with BBDO‘s aggressive expansion plans in brand management, advertising, and social & digital content.

In this new role, Satpathy will spearhead the expansion of client services and business development within the agency.

During his previous role at Omnicom Media Group, he managed key client accounts and fostered strong account partnerships across various creative and media functions.

Reflecting on his new role, Satpathy expressed his enthusiasm for BBDO’s growth potential under the leadership of Omnicom Media Group, 

“I am inspired by the tremendous growth opportunities and creative potential that BBDO holds. With the power of our network, we find ourselves at the intersection of data, insights, technology, and creativity. This unique positioning allows us to provide holistic creative solutions across complex consumer touchpoints. We are confident in our ability to shepherd this renowned brand into a prosperous future in Indonesia,” he said.

With the promotion of Satpathy, Aviani Primasari will be stepping up to assume the role of managing partner at BBDO Indonesia. With her extensive experience, strong leadership abilities, and unwavering dedication to excellence, Aviani will continue to drive BBDO Indonesia’s growth and success.

“With a renewed sense of creative vigour and a string of impressive new business wins, we are thrilled to announce Vivek’s promotion. His exceptional understanding of brands and unwavering entrepreneurial drive will be instrumental in propelling our future growth. With Vivek at the helm, we are confident that our agency’s offerings will expand, enabling us to deliver top-notch creative marketing solutions to our valued partners and clients. We are excited to maintain this exhilarating momentum throughout the entirety of 2023 and beyond,” Primasari said. 

Shanghai, China – BBDO in Greater China has announced key leadership changes in its team following the news of Leong Wai Foong, current chairman of BBDO Greater China, stepping down from his current role to pursue music-related opportunities.

The key changes include Arthur Tsang, current chief creative officer of BBDO China as new chief creative officer of BBDO Greater China; Nicole Ma, current chief creative officer at BBDO Shanghai as new chief creative officer of BBDO China; and Kevin Jin, current executive creative director of BBDO Shanghai as new chief creative officer at BBDO Shanghai.

Foong joined BBDO Greater China in 2006 and has since then been instrumental in growing the company into one of the leading creative agencies in the region. He has been a creative visionary who has driven BBDO Greater China’s success and shaped the company’s creative vision. Throughout his time with the company, Leong has played a key role in developing innovative advertising campaigns that have received recognition and awards at various international award shows. 

“It has been an honor to lead such a talented and dedicated team at BBDO Greater China. But after 29 years in the advertising industry, I feel it is time for me to pursue my passion as a musician and composer. I am confident that the talented team at BBDO Greater China will continue to lead the way in innovative and effective advertising solutions,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Tze Kiat Tan, CEO of BBDO Asia, commented on the change, saying, “When I told Andrew Robertson about this news, he said, ‘it’s the end of an era’ I couldn’t agree more. Its been 17 years. He’s been a partner to count on, had a big impact on my career, and a great friend I’ve enjoyed many laughs with. BBDO won’t be the same without him. Leong has made a significant impact on BBDO Greater China and the advertising industry as a whole during his time with us. We’re grateful for what he’s done, but we’re also excited for what he’s going to do next.” 

Taiwan – BBDO Taiwan has appointed Shih-Yen Lee as its new chief creative officer, which took effect on October 3 this year.

Prior to BBDO, he also worked as creative director of Wunderman Thompson, DDB Shanghai executive creative director, and Unisurf Digital Marketing executive creative director in Taiwan.

Since joining in 2008, he has held top creative positions at leading ad firms in both China and Taiwan, covering multiple brands and categories. His works have received numerous awards, including the Effies, London International Advertising Awards, New York Advertising Awards, Clio Awards, The One Show, Spikes Asia and Cannes Lions. 

Speaking on his appointment, he said, “It’s an honour to join BBDO. I can see there is a commitment to creativity, as well as a passion for creating creative work that not only enhances the brand image but also increases sales and revenue for the client. As a final say, for now, I’d like to borrow the term “brainstorm” from BBDO co-founder Alex Faickney Osborn – I look forward to storming creative problems with the team and creating more amazing work that will truly blow clients away.”

Alan Hung, managing director at BBDO Taiwan, said, “I’m thrilled to have Shih-Yen join us as our new Chief Creative Officer. Aside from his 24 years of experience working abroad and also in Taiwan, he has an outstanding collection of awards under his belt ranging from LIA, the New York Advertising, Clio and two Cannes Lions. Shih Yen is an exceptional storyteller, and I’m looking forward to working with him on BBDO’s next chapters.”

Meanwhile, Wai Foong Leong, chairman and CCO of BBDO Greater China, commented, “It’s been ten years since I got to know Shih-Yen. I’ve watched Shih-Yen win clients and awards one after another in different battlefields, wondering when I’ll be able to collaborate with him. That dream has now finally come true! I’m confident that with Shih Yen, BBDO Taiwan will shine even brighter in the years to come. Exciting times ahead for sure.”

Auckland, New Zealand – Global cybersecurity firm Kaspersky has partnered with global advertising agency BBDO in launching a live stream billboard in New Zealand as part of Kaspersky’s campaign ‘Safer Tomorrow’, aimed at trying to answer humankind’s questions about the foreseeable future.

The billboard, placed temporarily in Castlepoint Station on the Wairarapa coast of New Zealand, utilized BBDO’s developed foretelling neural network to answer to the most significant questions about ‘tomorrow’ – from “when will flying cars become ordinary vehicles?” to “what will 3D printing be capable of by 2050?” In addition, audiences are able to view the billboard live from New Zealand via the ‘Safer Tomorrow’ website.

“Kaspersky is committed to building a more protected and safer world. To achieve this, the global cybersecurity company closely follows technological trends and predictions to generate a picture of what we can expect in the future and to understand how to secure it in advance. Kaspersky also believes that the more people who consider the future and the likely trajectories of society and technology, the more they will be able to foresee and contribute to this better and safer tomorrow,” the company said in a press statement.

The deployed neural network uses the latest machine learning architecture and techniques and is trained to analyze requests and provide predictions based on data collected from hundreds of thousands of related sources, including science fiction books and magazines, selected media, and blogs.

Asked about the use of science fiction materials as a base for the ‘Safer Tomorrow’ predictions, the company stated that “boldest predictions were usually considered not just incredible but even whimsical at the time they were made.”

“Over the last few decades, as SciFi authors have got access to the latest progress in science, their ideas and predictions are treated with much more respect and seriousness even by scientists,” the company stated.

The company, however, clarified that the neural network itself will admit as to whether no answer can be provided, and will try its best to reformulate the question or prod for another one to be asked. 

“Some predictions are still to be made, and even the neural network’s knowledge has its limits. But not knowing everything about the future makes it even more amazing and thrilling. Generating a specific prediction as an answer to a question would take a few seconds,” the company added.

Furthermore, insights used in the ‘Safer Tomorrow’ platform will be also using Kaspersky’s former interactive project ‘Earth 2050’, a platform project providing a futuristic image of what the world will look like in 30 years’ time.

The creation of the ‘Safer Tomorrow’ platform, according to Andrew Winton, vice president for global marketing at Kaspersky, was to raise people’s awareness about what the future might look like and feel more certain about upcoming opportunities.

“Looking into and understanding the future is something that has occupied the minds of humankind throughout time. It is this knowledge that allows us to be secure, prepared and confident. Kaspersky believes in a bright future where, [the] as-of-yet unseen potential for humanity will be opened up by technology, which is why we secure it,” Winton stated.

The live stream billboard construction will be accessible to the public until February 25 and will be dismantled thereafter.