Tag: Creative agency

London, United Kingdom – Global brand and design consultancy Landor & Fitch has announced its appointment of Liz Wilson as its new group chief integration officer.

Prior to joining Landor & Fitch, Wilson served as Managing Director, growth and integration for Accenture Song Europe, and previously as chief operating officer across Karmarama’s diverse group of capabilities, bringing over 25 years of expertise in advertising, branding, digital and customer experience and is a specialist in integrating these disciplines to drive growth.

In her new role, Wilson will be responsible for bringing together Landor & Fitch’s growing group of brand and design specialist agencies to create unique integrated client solutions.

Speaking on her appointment, Wilson said, “I’m thrilled to be joining Landor & Fitch in this exciting new role. I’m looking forward to bringing together everything I’ve learned in creative and professional service businesses elsewhere to help continue the rapid growth already being driven by the enhanced range of skills and capabilities.”

“I’m particularly looking forward to working with the talented Landor & Fitch team to create broader, bolder, more innovative solutions with the power to transform our clients’ brands and businesses,” she added. 

Meanwhile, Jane Geraghty, global CEO of Landor & Fitch, commented, “We are delighted that Liz is joining our team. With the expansion of our offer, and our new specialist partners, Liz is uniquely qualified to help us unite our teams and strengthen our offer for clients.” 

“Her extensive experience and track record of transforming and growing creative businesses make her the ideal candidate to lead our integration and growth efforts as we continue to evolve our offer to meet the needs of our ambitious clients. We are also delighted to bring another strong, inclusive female leader into our leadership team,” she concluded. 

Wilson’s appointment is part of Landor & Fitch’s ongoing strategy to expand its offer to meet the evolving needs of their clients as the group has brought in new capabilities, including ManvsMachine for motion design, Fitch for experience design, bdg for workspace design and most recently, amp for sonic branding, to offer truly multi-faceted brand-led design solutions.

Singapore – Multinational home furnishing retailer IKEA has named independent creative agency The Secret Little Agency as its new lead creative agency of record.

The agency’s remit includes all integrated campaigns, marketing strategy, product campaigns, digital and social communications development, and more.

This win is an expansion of IKEA’s growing relationship with The Secret Little Agency and Mother globally. It is worth noting that Mother London is also leading creative duties for IKEA United Kingdom and Ireland, and both agencies are under a joint venture to expand their services in Asia.

Prior to this appointment, TBWA\Singapore was taking the helm of IKEA Singapore’s creative duties.

Nicholas Ye and Mavis Neo, co-chief creative officers at The Secret Little Agency, said, “We are looking forward to stepping into a new era of inspired creativity together with IKEA. Like all creatives, we are restless to realise the creative opportunity that IKEA presents, but not without staying focused on being real strategic allies to IKEA here and wherever they need.”

Nigel Richardson, head of marketing at IKEA Southeast Asia, also shared, “After going through the competitive pitch and creative response process, The Secret Little Agency demonstrated strong strategic thinking, a solid knowledge of the IKEA brand, the IKEA tone of voice, and were a great values and culture fit. Their mindset of being a creative company that solves problems in surprising and entertaining ways sits very well with IKEA, a vision-driven home furnishing retailer.”

Singapore – Global socially-led creative agency We Are Social has announced its reaffirmation to commit to investing in future focused technologies, through a slew of updates to its innovation arm, .XYZ, complemented with new leadership appointments for the department.

With We Are Social’s appointment, .XYZ will be led by Christina Chong, CEO of We Are Social Southeast Asia, and will expand the agency’s offering across future strategy, creative innovation and virtual production.

Under Chong’s leadership, a number of the agency’s Singapore team, along with specialist colleagues from the US, UK, Europe and the Middle East, will be tasked with further developing the .XYZ offering in three key areas: future strategy, creative innovation and virtual production.

The .XYZ team will be looking for opportunities to embed innovative work across the agency’s entire client portfolio, for brands in all sectors and industries. With experts and practitioners across the spectrum of spatial, phygital, cognitive and distributed technologies, they will also work to keep the entire agency up to speed with the latest advances in technology.

The investment in .XYZ complements the agency’s other investments in future tech and innovation, such as its gaming division We Are Social Gaming, and new augmented reality offering, Make My Day.

Speaking on her own appointment, Chong said, “.XYZ will help our clients feel confident in exploring future focused technologies – the benefits of being an early mover, if managed in a strategic and considered way, can be huge. I’m delighted to be taking the lead on .XYZ – an area I feel passionate about – and helping more brands use technology to get ahead of the pack.”

Meanwhile, Nathan McDonald, co-founder and group chief executive of We Are Social ,commented, “Chris and the team in Singapore have always been up to speed on cutting edge technology and helping clients make the most of the latest advancements so it was clear that .XYZ would thrive under her leadership. I’m confident that we’ll be able to help even more of the world’s most forward-thinking brands navigate the intersection of creativity and technology.”

Jakarta, Indonesia – Global fashion brand ALDO has appointed Dentsu Creative Indonesia to implement an innovative marketing and promotional campaign to expand its footprint in SEA beyond Indonesian borders.

This strategic collaboration marks a significant step in ALDO’s growth journey, aiming to captivate the thriving markets of the Philippines and Vietnam by leveraging Dentsu Creative’s expertise in executing these strategies.

In the partnership, Dentsu Creative will provide a comprehensive range of solutions including a creative ideation and development and a 360-degree campaign strategy, encompassing social media engagement, influencer management, in-store activations and dynamic digital out-of-home advertising as well as project management and production.

Speaking about the partnership, Wisnu Satya Putra, CEO of creative at dentsu Indonesia, said, “Our partnership with ALDO exemplifies the power of ‘gotong royong’ – the intrinsic value of collaboration and integration across services. Combining all our expertise, blended with insights into creative innovation, powered by modern creativity, we will propel ALDO’s brand presence in the competitive APAC market, and set them apart from competitors.”

Cheuk Chiang, CEO, Dentsu Creative APAC, also added, “Our partnership with a great global brand like ALDO allows us to unlock the full potential of our creative offering across earned, entertainment and experience. They are clients that truly appreciate the power of great creativity and its ability to transform brands and businesses through work that creates culture, changes society and invents the future.”

Meanwhile, Zaid Bitar, vice president, international marketing & digital at ALDO Group International, commented, “Our consumers need to know ALDO’s unique selling point: style and comfort. With Dentsu’s; expertise, our USP transforms from words into a tangible force that captures hearts, empowers choices and style through confidence for our local consumers.”

Singapore – Independent creative agency GOVT Group has officially launched MINISTRY, a hybrid consulting and agency model, and has appointed Kelvin Koo as its new managing director and partner.

MINISTRY is a digital consultancy dedicated to driving digital growth and transformation tailored to the contemporary needs of business owners and marketing leaders.

The newly launched agency will focus its offerings on ensuring growth for its clients. It is committed to a holistic approach to digital growth and transformation, providing strategic consulting and execution across diverse domains, including social and content, UI/UX, tech, digital media, CRM, and data analytics.

And to lead the MINISTRY, GOVT has brought in Koo as its managing director and partner, who was back in the agency world after a brief hiatus.

Earlier this year, Koo joined GOVT as a consultant, contributing to the agency’s strategic efforts to bolster its digital capabilities. This collaboration has culminated in the assembly of a robust team of specialists adept at delivering comprehensive digital marketing solutions, including data analytics, digital product planning, and expert consultation for seamless digital ecosystem integration and implementation.

His decision to return was sparked by the compelling vision and ambition of the partners at GOVT Group and the unique opportunity to construct an agency model with a distinctive culture.

Koo’s wealth of experience comes from his previous roles, serving as CEO at FALCON Agency and managing director at ADK Connect.

MINISTRY will leverage Koo’s extensive expertise as it aims to integrate strategic advisory and data with creative storytelling, design, tech, and digital performance to deliver tangible, impactful results.

Together with Koo, GOVT also appointed Foong Min Mei as the new growth director and partner at MINISTRY. Prior to her appointment, she worked as a digital and social lead at GOVT Singapore.

Leon Lai, co-founder and CEO at GOVT Group, said, “Our vision has stayed the same since Day 1: create a company that has longevity, possesses ambition, and champions foolish bravery. It has been 11 years since we started this journey, but we’re still not done or content with what we have built. As a partner-led business, we’re excited to attract someone of Kelvin’s calibre onboard this journey as we take deliberate steps towards fulfilling our mission of being a leading Asian communications company.” 

Also commenting on the appointment, Alvina Seah, group managing director at GOVT Group, said, “Kelvin’s leadership and proven track record in building agencies and delivering results-driven digital solutions to clients make him the ideal figure to spearhead MINISTRY. His commitment to growth and culture aligns perfectly with our mission, making this collaboration strategic and synergistic.” 

Meanwhile, Koo commented, “Our game plan at MINISTRY is straightforward: marry sharp strategic advice with creativity, the latest tech, and strong digital know-how. This way, we can get into the nitty-gritty of what CMOs and business owners are up against and offer them insights and solutions that hit the mark.”

Singapore – Fast casual chain Nando’s has appointed The Chariot Agency as its creative partner for Singapore and Malaysia. This follows a call to pitch from Nando’s Malaysia & Singapore at the end of July for the business that includes creative and social retainer.

Through the mandate, Nando’s plans to drive a new wave of communications aimed at making the Nando’s experience one that the young and young at heart keep coming back for. This takes effect on November this year.

Adrian Cheah, managing director at The Chariot Agency, expressed excitement for the agency’s latest win, saying, “We could not be more thrilled to be embarking on this new partnership with one of the world’s most iconic brands. Our shared belief in the power of creativity will help build Nando’s brand and business.”

Meanwhile, Elaine Chiew, head of marketing at Nando’s, commented, “Chariot stood out in their ability to capture and understand strong consumer insights while successfully incorporating Nando’s unique tone of voice with solid copywriting and creative expression in their ideas.”

She added, “We look forward to working with their diverse talent to once again capture the hearts of young and young at heart Malaysians and Singaporeans. We hope to continue being relevant to young audiences and deepening brand love in our markets.”

Manila, Philippines – Dennis Nierra has been appointed by BBDO Guerrero as its creative director. Nierra was previously with the agency back in 2009 to 2014 as its art director.

During his previous BBDO Guerrero work, he worked on several award-winning campaigns such as the Pepsi ‘Liter of Light’, the Department of Tourism’s ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines’, and the Pepsi Pinas campaign. 

Following this, Nierra pursued a career in Shanghai, China where he worked with Fred & Farid and Ogilvy before the pandemic brought him back home in 2020. He has since done freelance CD work with Octopus & Whale, having a small part in their winning Save Our Sharks Campaign and a stint at Publicis JimenezBasic.

Speaking on his appointment, he said, “I could go and be lost anywhere in the world, but my feet will always take me back to BBDO Guerrero. It’s home, and I’m glad to be back.”

Meanwhile, David Guerrero, creative chairman at BBDO Guerrero, commented, “Dennis has a unique perspective on the work and we’re happy to have him back with us. I know he’s going to bring his best game to our clients, and be a great mentor to our teams.”

India – VANTO, the premium luxury furniture brand, has awarded its creative and digital mandate to Hotcult, a part of PAD Group, following a competitive multi-agency pitch in Hyderabad. Hotcult will focus on reinvigorating the brand, developing a communication strategy, and creating compelling creatives to strengthen VANTO’s presence in the luxurious furniture market.

Hotcult’s responsibilities include creating consumer insight mapping, outlining brand architecture, putting the go-to-market (GTM) strategy into practice, and coming up with a comprehensive brand and launch strategy. Their duties also include planning crucial digital and creative campaigns, maintaining a social media presence, managing online responses, and performance optimization.

Speaking about the partnership, Gautam Reddy, founder of Hotcult, said, “It is always an honour when a client trusts you with their brand and gives you the complete communication mandate – strategic, creative &  social. We are delighted to introduce this unprecedented level of luxury to India.” 

He added, “This strategic move perfectly aligns with our vision to raise the brand to a coveted status among lifestyle and luxury enthusiasts nationwide. As Hyderabad emerges as a prominent destination in the luxury segment, akin to Delhi and other major metros, we are poised to be at the forefront of this exciting development.”

Meanwhile, Rupesh Kashyap, co-founder and chief content officer of Hotcult, said, ”We are elated and excited with the VANTO win. Armed with a deep understanding of their target audience and preferences, we’ve constructed an insightful cultural framework as a part of our content strategy. We’ve already created a distinctive world for VANTO in the ultra-premium furniture category and have crafted the brand positioning.” 

“We’re eagerly anticipating creating compelling content for all marketing and communication touch points. This wouldn’t have been possible without the trust of our valued clients”, Kashyap added. 

Adith Linga, COO of VANTO, commented about the partnership, “PAD Group (parent company of Hotcult) has orchestrated remarkable triumphs for numerous top-tier Indian brands, many of which have emerged as pioneers in their domains. Hotcult’s deep understanding of our sector aligns seamlessly with our vision, making them the perfect partner. We eagerly look forward to a dynamic and fruitful long-term alliance with them.” 

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – VMLY&R Malaysia has announced four new strategic senior creative hires as part of the agency’s new vision of creative excellence, reinforcing VMLY&R’s positioning as a powerhouse for brand experience (BX) and customer experience (CX).

Suryadipura Salleh joins VMLY&R Malaysia as executive creative director, handpicked for his unique creative vision and brand of leadership. He partners ECDs Phoecus Lee and KC Aui to set new benchmarks of creative excellence across the agency. A former creative director at Naga DDB, Surya brings with him over 18 years’ experience in various creative roles. 

Meanwhile, rounding out the team of creative directors that include See Yee Chan, senior creative director of experiential; and Ai Vee Lim, creative director of digital, is Suffian Rahman and Maura Soewarna. 

Rahman brings with him more than decade of digital, social and GLC experience and expertise, and was most recently creative director for POS Malaysia Berhad. As part of the expansion of creative commerce capabilities across a wider region, he is joined by Soewarna in her new role as creative director for Indonesia. Formerly the associate creative director at ADA Indonesia, Soewarna comes with ten years of experience and an intimate knowledge of the Indonesian market and will be responsible for driving overall creative excellence and new business in Indonesia.

As part of the agency’s vision of offering sharper, stronger, and more innovative creative capabilities, another key senior creative is Loreen Eva Lim, who has been appointed as head of integrated creative services. She brings with her almost 20 years of production experience, most recently as head of content partnerships at MBCS; and will be responsible for streamlining and optimising the agency’s creative services delivery, project management, and boosting creative capabilities with innovation and tech.

The senior creative leadership team are supported by associate creative directors: Chow Tatt Ho, Simon Yip, Abiseshana Mohan and Zahir Mazlan.

All of the new hires will be based out of VMLY&R Malaysia’s office in Kuala Lumpur and report to VMLY&R Malaysia Chief Creative Officer, Didi Pirinyuang.

“This additional firepower supercharges our creative and specialist capabilities across all disciplines and every touchpoint of the brand, customer and commerce experience journey; mirroring the agency’s formula of success for brand management and strategic planning,” Pirinyuang said.

Meanwhile, Kenni Loh, chief creative officer at VMLY&R Malaysia, commented, “We are thrilled to welcome this dynamic cohort of creative minds to our burgeoning team. In an era, which calls for brand and customer experiences to be seamlessly intertwined with commerce, their talents will undoubtedly drive innovation and elevate the connected experiences we craft for our clients. Malaysia, with its rich tapestry of cultures and progressive digital landscape, offers a fertile ground for creative exploration, and our new team members are poised to harness this potential to its fullest. The future of BX, CX and commerce is bright and with our reinforced creative team, we more ready than ever to lead the charge.”

Australia – Multinational communications and advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi has appointed creative duo Mandie van der Merwe and Avish Gordhan as new chief creative officers in Australia.

The creative duo is expected to bring their expansive portfolio of experience and awards as they take the lead in the agency’s creative offering.

Gordhan and van der Merwe have made a name for themselves by establishing environments where creativity doesn’t merely tap into culture but sparks it.

The duo have also been creative partners for 20 years and have polished their craft across three continents. Their works have been recognised over 300 times at the biggest award shows in the industry, including D&AD, Cannes Lions, The One Show, Clios, and Spikes.

Dave Bowman, chief creative officer at Publicis Groupe ANZ, said, “I am beyond excited to be able to bring Mandie and Avish onboard to lead Saatchi & Saatchi’s creative offering. With their unique people skills, strategic prowess, and creative firepower, I can’t wait to see what these two amazingly talented new-world creatives make possible at the intersection of storytelling, data, technology, and media.”

Commenting on the appointment, Patrick Rowe, CEO at Saatchi & Saatchi Australia, said, “Dave and I wanted to double down on creativity at Saatchi & Saatchi, so approaching Mandie and Avish just made sense. Why get one Chief Creative Officer when you can get two with an awards list as long as your arm? More importantly, they understand the role creative thinking plays in a new integrated world and will be a driving force for change. We couldn’t be more excited that they’re joining our team.”

Speaking on her new role, Mandie van der Merwe said, “When Saatchi & Saatchi come knocking, you answer. And when the person knocking is Dave Bowman, you take out the fancy biscuits. Between Pat and the team, there is an infectious passion for creativity that is hard to ignore.”

Avish Gordhan, in his new role, also shared, “This is an agency brand with a storied history and incredible work, locally and globally. The opportunity to be part of that is both humbling and exciting. We love bringing ideas and storytelling together in new ways with media, tech, and data. And it makes me itchy with anticipation thinking about how we can do that with this team.