Tag: Creative agency

Singapore – Virtue, the creative agency powered by VICE, has announced the appointment of Nuno Dores as the new associate creative director to further strengthen the creative team of its Singapore Hub. His appointment comes after award-winning creative Hayden Scott joins Virtue as senior creative director at its India agency based in Mumbai. 

Dores brings with him extensive experience at leading creative agencies in China, having worked at Ogilvy Shanghai and BBH Shanghai on brands including Korean Air, Shiseido, ABInBev, and Google. 

With Dores’ new role, he will be responsible for building work that stands out and changes perspectives and makes people think and act differently, which is aligned to Virtue’s mission to build brands from the inside of culture. He will also be playing a senior role in Virtue’s soon to be launched internship program. 

Ciaran Bonass, executive creative director of Virtue, shared, “It’s clear that Nuno is an avid ad person. His knowledge and love of our industry is prevalent. But what he brings in abundance is a unique perspective on very present cultural issues and creative tension points that are formed from creative excellence and big upstream ideas.”

Dores commented, “I was raised on VICE videos. So in my mind, there was always this fascination with what happens in culture and how it is brought to life in such an engaging manner. To now have the opportunity to work in an agency powered by VICE – and see what happens in culture before everyone else – it’s truly phenomenal.”

In December, former BBH executive Victoria Fernandez joined Virtue’s regional headquarters in Singapore as business director, with additional hires to be announced soon.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Global consulting firm Deloitte in Southeast Asia has announced that it is expanding its Deloitte Digital practice in Malaysia and Singapore with boutique creative Pixel People and The Union joining the firm’s ranks. Said endeavour comes in response to increased digital marketing demand from clients, fuelled by the rise in digital usage among consumers.

The added personnel from these two agencies augment Deloitte Digital’s capabilities to offer a deeper and broader range of services to help organisations grow and scale their digital marketing strategies, driving sustainable growth through human-centred experiences.

Fern Yit Lim and Nev Simms, former co-founders of Pixel People, said, “Having worked with Deloitte Digital on past projects, we appreciate the common values and commitment that we share in helping our people and clients succeed. Hence, it was a natural progression for us to become part of Deloitte. We are confident that the combination of our people and our focus on using data to transform our clients’ businesses, and drive their performance marketing will deliver a winning value proposition.”

Meanwhile, Hui Jun Chua, former co-founder of The Union, commented “Deloitte Digital is undoubtedly an integrated experience consultancy that integrates creativity with technology to reimagine brands and customer experiences. I look forward to being part of a team that produces award-winning creative work and contributing to Deloitte’s growth across Southeast Asia in the marketing and commerce space – transforming digital journeys and making an impact for our clients.”

With the two agencies joining Deloitte Digital, they will bring along capabilities in growth marketing and Adobe suite of services.

Eugene Ho, regional managing director for Deloitte Southeast Asia Consulting, said, “I am excited to welcome our new colleagues to Deloitte. With them as part of the team, we will be able to further enhance Deloitte Digital’s offerings and strengthen our position as a leading Adobe consultancy in the region. Their deep expertise and credentials are synergistic with our service offerings, allowing us to drive growth and elevate the customer experience for our clients with data-driven creativity and technology-driven marketing.”

London, United Kingdom – Independent digital creative agency AnalogFolk has announced the launch of ‘Mindworks Consulting’, a behavioural transformation consultancy which aims to deliver improved business outcomes through applying behavioural economics to both marketing strategy and organisational design. 

The new consultancy aims to help its clients achieve their business transformation ambitions by embedding behavioural science methodologies at the heart of the business to allow it to be nimble and reactive to changing business and customer needs. 

According to Bill Brock, co-founder and chief client officer at AnalogFolk Group, the founding team of Mindworks has been proving out their methodologies across a number of AFG’s leading clients over the past few years.

“This work has been pivotal for clients such as Dyson, Bayer and HSBC, allowing them to quickly identify business opportunities and help them change direction based on a real-time understanding of customer behaviour. It’s that success that has led to us making it a formal offering by launching MindWorks,” Brock said.

The new Mindworks Consultancy is led by Brad Herholdt as CEO; Michelle Watson, principal behavioural partner, and Mark Barry, principal consulting partner, all who previously worked together as business leaders at AnalogFolk. Bill Brock, AFG’s Founder will work closely with the team in his role as chief client officer, ensuring that MindWorks’ global clients benefit from the services across AFG’s portfolio of brands. 

As part of AFG, MindWorks becomes a partner brand to full-service digital creative agency AnalogFolk, content production company Untold Fable, and automation and tech engineering company With Robots, the latter two of which the group launched last year. 

Operating out of London, the consultancy is leveraging AFG‘s network presence in the US, Europe, Asia and Australia, providing a service to global clients whose briefs seek to deliver new value across the world. 

Herholdt commented, “Speaking to our clients, we know that every day, companies are struggling to keep up with the pace of change and how it influences their business. They are tired of 5-year vision decks that don’t make it further than the slides they are written on. MindWorks is impact focused, creating actionable roadmaps that we launch quickly so that our visions are built on real customer behaviours and organisational dynamics.”

Meanwhile, Chris Ryan, managing director and partner at AnalogFolk, commented, “We often talk about the need to operate at ‘Asian speed’ in this region, driven by the rapidly evolving and unrelenting expectations of Asian consumers in an increasingly digitised and automated world. Brands who continue to take a business-out approach cannot expect to thrive here. The MindWorks team is already changing how our clients operate in this region and we are excited to build on our early success in partnership with them.”

Australia – Google has appointed independent creative agency Emotive to be its new creative agency for Google TV, the tech company’s fully-fledged operating system for set-top boxes, streaming devices, and smart TVs.

Google TV offers users new ways to stream, grouping television shows and films from the myriad of different streaming services into one menu. It also provides easy access to users’ favorite titles and content.

The partnership commences with a content series ‘Watch With Me’, which is made specifically for the Google TV interface, featuring Australian film critic Margaret Pomeranz and former Australian football player Adam Goodes. It showcases watchlists of the top film and TV picks via Google TV, and runs alongside the global 30” TVC executions showcasing the vast array of content from the different streaming services conveniently available and organized via Google TV.

Cameron Luby, Google’s marketing director, said, “Google TV has been incredibly well received in Australia and we see this partnership as the beginning of a much larger effort”

Meanwhile, Simon Joyce, the CEO and founder of Emotive, shared that they are building a wonderful relationship with the Google team and are absolutely thrilled to be working with them on Google TV.

“As we’ve come to expect, the product is truly innovative, and we are looking forward to pushing the boundaries creatively as we bring Google TV to the mainstream,” said Joyce.

Sydney, Australia – Creative agency Host/Havas has announced the appointment of former creative director at Droga5 New York Henry Kember as its newest group creative director, where he will play an important role in the agency’s creative leadership, and will also help in continuing to shape and drive company culture.

Through his new role, Kember will be overseeing projects across the entire Host/Havas client portfolio which includes Air New Zealand, NBA, Reckitt, Stockland, Palau Legacy Project, Avis Budget Group, Tassal and United Nations Free & Equal.

He brings into the agency over 15 years of experience both locally and internationally. During his stint at Droga5 New York, During his career, Kember has worked on some of the world’s most iconic brands such as Covergirl, PayPal, IKEA and Diageo.

Jon Austin, ECD at Host/Havas, commented that they are thrilled to have someone of Henry’s fearsome calibre and talent join them at Host/Havas, noting that he has long admired Kember’s creative talents during his other stints in other agencies.

“Not just for his incredible aesthetic and passion, but also for his ability to genuinely impact and leverage popular culture in his thinking. In fact, when we were chatting, I’d leave every call feeling like he’d somehow managed to jam several SXSW talks into our Zoom chat. And not even premium Zoom, just the 45-minute one, which is even more impressive,” Austin said.

Meanwhile, speaking about his appointment, Kember commented, “It’s a fascinating, challenging time to be in advertising. No one gets this more than Jon Austin, Olly Taylor and Laura Aldington, and no one’s better set up to thrive at this moment than Host/Havas. Plus they’re so nice I could never have pitched against them. Even the fact that Jon was front man for NZ’s version of Blink 182 couldn’t stop me signing on.”

Singapore – Virtue, the creative agency under media company VICE, has appointed Lesley John to be its managing director for the Asia-Pacific region, establishing the company’s focus on the region as a key growth market.

Through the appointed role, John will oversee Virtue’s business and teams across the region including offices in India, Indonesia, Korea, and Japan from its Singapore hub.

She joins from S4 Capital-owned data, content and production company, MediaMonks, where she served as head of client services in Singapore. Prior to that, she held senior and regional positions at agencies VCCP, Arcade, and BBH.

“I am extremely thrilled to be joining the team. Virtue has an incredibly unique offering that stands out within the APAC market. From the agency’s sheer talent to its cultural access within VICE, to its differentiating proposition, there is immense opportunity to help drive growth for brands in the region looking to become part of the ever-evolving cultural landscape,” John said regarding her appointment.

She will be reporting to Virtue’s co-presidents, Colin Mitchell and Chris Garbutt.

Mitchell said, “The APAC market is incredibly diverse and offers Virtue considerable opportunities to deliver culturally impactful work for brands. We continue to invest in our Singapore hub and there is exciting growth potential in other territories, including China and India. Lesley is a brilliant and seasoned leader, who will drive this, to ensure Virtue delivers for clients across the region.” 

Virtue has added new clients across the region, including Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble and Diageo over the past six months. The agency said it is set to announce a string of new appointments, in addition to exploring opportunities to support its clients and brands in new markets across the region.

Melbourne, Australia – MASH, an Australian-based creative agency, marks its expansion in Asia with the launch of their Asia hub, as well as winning the work mandates for global sporting event company IRONMAN Asia to develop creative for this year’s Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon, as well as winning the mandate of luxury timepiece brand, Breitling Asia, both acquired without pitches.

MASH’s Asia hub will be led by Sarah Churchlow, MASH’s director of operations (pictured above), alongside MASH Asia Project Lead Rich Akers (pictured below), who until recently was based in China for 20 years. Together, they will manage its growing client base and spearhead new business on the ground in southeast Asia, traveling between key business centers.

According to Tash Menon, CEO and founder at MASH, since starting the business in 2018, interest has consistently come from clients across Asia seeking a non-traditional or alternative approach to solving problems and exploring creative ideas through a wider range of perspectives.

“We’ve delivered effective work for many brands in the region already and as demand continues to grow, the time is right for us to be on the ground and capitalize on this further. Sarah is perfectly placed to lead our Asia expansion along with Rich, who with 20 years of experience in the area has key experience and insights to share,” Menon said.

Building on the success of its initial work on the ‘Chosen Not Given’ campaign, Swiss watchmaker Breitling has engaged MASH once again for activation, and amplification for its women range in key markets of Thailand and Malaysia. 

Alvin Soon, president of Breitling Asia said, “Working with MASH and its curated team of experienced creative MASHers for our first campaign was a very rewarding experience, so we are delighted to have engaged them once more as we embark on our next marketing phase.”

Meanwhile, Santoz Kumar, general manager, Singapore and head of sales, Asia at The IRONMAN Group said, “MASH impressed us with their ability to put together a team of creative and event marketing specialists within a very short time. From the very start of the engagement, we were working against a closing window of opportunity and an evolving COVID situation to execute a successful campaign.”

He added, “MASH became a highly trusted and valued partner very quickly once we saw first-hand their dedication and commitment in achieving our goals. I would say MASH’s key values to brands is their agility, energy, dedication and drive.”

Manila, Philippines – The Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies of the Philippines or known as 4As Philippines has announced the suspension of local creative agency GIGIL’s membership, slated for one year.

This follows after the agency came under fire with the campaign they made for medical-aesthetic clinic Belo Medical Group.

According to 4As Philippines, said ad was found to be in violation of certain terms in their association’s code of ethics.

The ad, titled ‘Pandemic Effect’ features a woman watching a barrage of news while her appearance changes: the skin under her eyes darkens, gets acne, grows facial and body hair, and gains weight. As the ad draws to a conclusion, the woman in focus receives a call from her friend, and catches up with one another.

The ad closes off with the tagline ‘Tough times call for beautiful measures’, alongside a line to encourage customers to book an appointment with Belo Medical Group.

Following the ad release, many netizens have criticized the ad, stating that it was ‘tone deaf’ and body-shamed women in the middle of the pandemic.

Both Belo and GIGIL have taken the ads out of their social media channels by 10 August.

In a statement regarding the 4As Philippines suspension, GIGIL posted on Facebook, “We acknowledge that alongside the unexpected thinking that comes with our work, we must always be mindful of sensitivity and respect.”

They added, “We also assure that this does not in any way hamper our ability to represent and deliver work for clients. Our business continues.”

MARKETECH APAC has reached out to both GIGIL and Belo Medical Group for additional comments.

GIGIL has been known for creating humorous and tongue-in-cheek campaigns for brands such as Julie’s Bakeshop, Unioil, and Allianz. They are also responsible for multiple campaign drives for Netflix Philippines as part of the promotion of the Filipino-based occult series ‘Trese’.

Auckland, New Zealand – Creative agency Colenso BBDO welcomes a new talent to their creative lineup, Sonya Milford as the agency’s senior digital designer. Milford brings in a wealth of experience in both the design and digital sectors, having worked at Gladeye, TVNZ and TRA. 

The appointment follows after the agency has also promoted Lucy Grigg to the agency’s general manager role.

Milford’s experience in the creative sector include founding the Āhua Collective, a creative group designed to empower queer, trans, black, indigenous people of color (QTBIPOC) and black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) artists, and create a more accessible industry.

Speaking about her appointment, she said, “There is great power in sharing and understanding the stories of marginalized creatives. To ignore that, would be to miss an entire shift in creative innovation. I’m really excited to bring my passion and point of view to Colenso and the work they make.”

Meanwhile, Angela Watson, managing director at Colenso BBDO, commented, “The face of creativity is changing, and Sonya is leading the charge. We’re really excited to work alongside her to empower all voices, in both the work and the wider industry.”

In addition, Tennille Barnes, head of digital production at Colenso BBDO, stated, “I’m really excited to have Sonya join the team, she has fresh energy and spirit that extends far beyond her work. Helping us to drive a new and higher benchmark for creativity”.

Auckland, New Zealand – Creative agency Colenso BBDO has announced the promotion of their managing partner Lucy Grigg into the general manager role, where she brings in work experience across multiple clients including NAB, BNZ, Airbnb, Spark, Fonterra, and DB.

She will be also taking the lead for their client Spark, a local-based telecommunications company.

According to Angela Watson, managing director at Colenso BBDO, Grigg shows an ‘impressive and diverse experience in business, brand building, and communications along with a very special ability to always drive the work forward’, adding that ‘she is an invaluable champion of their work, their people, and their client partners experience, and that her creativity is just what they need as they embark on their next chapter.’

“Grigg is amazing and we’re delighted she’s taking up this new role. It’s always a thrill to be able to promote from within and bring another talented human into the overall leadership of the agency,” Watson added.

Speaking about her appointment, she commented that with her new leadership comes new opportunities and that she is passionate about helping lead the talented humans at Colenso, with Angela at the helm. 

“It’s a pretty exciting time to be part of Colenso – we have a clear point of view of where and what we want to be for our people and our clients, and I’m proud I can be part of something awesome in an agency I love,” Grigg concluded.

Colenso BBDO has worked previously with campaigns to companies like automotive brand MINI, WWF New Zealand, and classifieds platform Trade Me with the Clemenger Group.