Tag: Brand Agency

Hong Kong – Hong-Kong based international hotel group, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, has named Forsman & Bodenfors as its global brand agency. Forsman & Bodenfors will partner with media agency Assembly to deliver an integrated offering of brand, design, social, performance marketing, and media services. 

The appointment comes after a 4-month pitch process which was led by client-agency marketing consultancy AAR Group out of London. The remit was made to support Mandarin Oriental’s future expansion of the business and the evolution of its brand to meet the evolving needs of the luxury consumer. 

The global creative collective Forsman & Bodenfors will work with Mandarin Oriental’s brand and marketing team to develop a new brand strategy and approach. 

London advertising which was the one who pioneered the group’s star-studded ‘I’m a Fan’ campaign will continue to support celebrity management and its current campaign commitments. Launched in 1999, the ‘I’m a fan’ campaign features international celebrities who regularly stay at the group’s hotels and are considered ‘true fans’ of Mandarin Oriental.

Joanna Flint, chief commercial officer of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group said, “Forsman & Bodenfors challenged our thinking throughout the process, and their integrated approach alongside Assembly was seamless and impressive. We are really excited to see what comes next.”

Toby Southgate, global CEO of Forsman & Bodenfors added, “Our mission as a business is to make ‘ideas that change things’ and the Mandarin Oriental business has a bold and inspirational vision for their future. We have been enthused about this opportunity from the very start and we wanted to show every step of the way that we are the right partner for this business. On behalf of Forsman & Bodenfors, and Assembly, we’re delighted to be taking these steps together with our new partners.”

Forsman & Bodenfors and Assembly are both under the Stagwell Group of companies.

Shanghai, China – Brand experience agency Uniplan in China has announced key leadership appointments, led by Sonny Shen, currently managing director of Uniplan Shanghai, adding responsibility as managing director of Uniplan China. In addition, Gordon Wang, currently managing director of Uniplan Beijing, has been appointed as chief growth officer of Uniplan China.

Shen will work with leaders across Beijing and Shanghai offices to lead the transformation and growth of the agency’s China business. Meanwhile, Wang will continue to manage the Beijing office’s client business and lead the agency’s new business development in China. 

Both will report to Christian Zimmermann, chairman and group CEO at Uniplan directly.

Wang said, “I am delighted to take on this new role in this phase of our China transformation. As the China market changes rapidly, the new team enables us to meet the changing requirements of our clients for cross-channel brand experiences along the entire customer journey. We’ll leverage the joint efforts from Beijing and Shanghai offices to achieve sustained growth.”

Meanwhile, Shen said, “We are a well-defined, unified creative network that brings together as many experts, capabilities, and ideas as possible in pursuit of creating exceptional brand experiences. Our clients are increasingly looking for the right strategic partners who can understand the needs of their business to help them deliver sustainable brand growth at scale. I look forward to the new challenge and working with Gordon and Robert to unlock new pathways for success.”

In addition, Robert Paschen has joined Uniplan as executive creative director of Uniplan China to reinforce the creative team and enhance creative effectiveness. He is based in Shanghai and reports to Sonny Shen.

“I’m excited to be joining Uniplan. The post-pandemic landscape in China presents greater opportunities for us to enhance our creative capabilities and create more integrated and inspiring brand experiences, delivered in the most engaging and impactful ways. I’m also looking forward to collaborating with this talented team and creating meaningful work that truly memorable moments for audiences across China,” Paschen said.

Speaking about the appointments, Zimmerman said, “I’m very grateful to have Sonny and Gordon stepping up and take on the new roles, and welcome Robert to join our family. The new structure will form a new One China Team with an even higher integrated service portfolio and a broader consulting offering to further drive innovation. We are confident that under the leadership with Sonny and Gordon, the new team will drive the next chapter of our growth and transformation journey and unlock the tremendous opportunities emerging in the fast-evolving Chinese market.”

Singapore – Following a competitive pitch with multiple agencies across Europe and Asia, the Singapore arm of advertising company 72andSunny has been appointed by smartphone brand OPPO to be its global brand agency of record.

Through the project win, 72andSunny will partner with OPPO as it continues to grow and help build the brand in key markets around the world. 

OPPO has been rampant in its global expansion since 2004, which has now reached a global footprint encompassing 40 countries and regions across five continents.

“We’re excited to do great things with OPPO. Nothing energizes us more than partnering with ambitious brands to take that ambition even further,” said Ida Siow, president of 72andSunny Singapore.

Meanwhile, Derek Sun, global senior brand director at OPPO, said, “72andSunny impressed us with their strategic clarity, deep insight into culture and modern non-traditional thinking.” 

With Asia-Pacific operations situated in Singapore and Sydney, 72andSunny has also worked with brands such as capital market company GIC, loyalty program NTUC Link, e-commerce platform Lazada, and sports channel beIN Sports, among others.