Tag: Creative

India– WATConsult, the digital marketing arm of hybrid digital agency Isobar, has won the creative and social media mandate for CarDekho, India’s digital automotive solutions provider. The account will be managed by the agency’s Delhi office.

As per the mandate, WATConsult will be responsible for CarDekho‘s social media management, digital creative designing, and content marketing, as well as ORM.

Charu Kishnani, CarDekho’s SVP of marketing and content, commented, “We’re thrilled to partner with WATConsult as our creative and social partners. This engagement will help us elevate our brand presence with the right Strategy, Ideation and Creative thinking. We are looking forward to creating some good and memorable work. Welcome aboard, WATConsult.”

Meanwhile, Heeru Dingra, CEO of Isobar India, said, “CarDekho is a one-stop destination for new as well as second-hand cars. The brand’s auto and non-auto business is expanding, and we are so excited to embark on this journey with them.”

Sahil Shah, WATConsult’s managing partner, shared that they are happy to have the opportunity to partner with CarDekho and they cannot wait to build a dynamic brand presence for them. 

“Our strategy is to enhance the top of the mind recall that the brand has created by applying creative, new age thinking and a strong storytelling narrative,” said Shah.

New Delhi, India – Delhi-based boutique social and creative agency, Mixed Route Juice, has been appointed by casual dining restaurant franchise company Stellar Concepts to handle the creative and digital media mandate of its brands – Chili’s and Paul India.

Through this remit, Mixed Route juice will be driving both brands by providing strategic content design, manifesting creative ideas, and strengthening their digital storytelling, along with its media duties like media planning, social media, and creative development. Furthermore, the agency will be responsible for enhancing the brands’ existence and strengthening their digital presence.

Amrita Sharma, Mixed Route Juice’s co-founder and creative head, commented that they are extremely happy to collaborate with one of the leading F&B powerhouses of the country and aim towards providing customised and effective campaigns across multiple cohorts and segments. 

“Chili’s Grill & Bar and PAUL both have a devout customer following and invite a lot of fanfare amongst their regulars. Both these brands have inherently distinct brand personalities and we will for sure do justice to the overall image with our campaigns,” said Sharma.

Meanwhile, Payal Singh, Stellar Concepts India’s head of marketing, said, “We look forward to a successful partnership with MRJ to further communicate our amazing story, distinct product. We believe that this partnership will add value to our brands and fuel our growth in India by helping us to penetrate deeper into the consumer market and take this association to the next level.”

In February 2022, Mixed Route Juice has launched its new vertical, MRJ Shorts, which will cater to its zippy viewers through its short format munchable content pieces.

Australia – Marketing communications agency Clemenger BBDO in Melbourne has been appointed by the Victorian Government’s Department of Transport as its creative lead agency of record.

As part of the partnership, Clemenger BBDO Melbourne will be responsible for brands including Public Transport Victoria, VicRoads, and Regional Roads Victoria. Moreover, it will develop engaging communications to encourage commuters back onto all modes of public transport, manage road congestion and disruptions messaging, and promote safety for all Victorians when travelling by road or public transport.

Anne Stout, Department of Transport’s acting director of brand and marketing, said, “Throughout the pitch process, they demonstrated a clear understanding of the Department’s goal to provide simple, safe connected journeys that help people connect to life, and the creativity that will help us communicate that ambition.”

Meanwhile, Julian Bell, Clemenger BBDO Melbourne’s managing partner, said that the Department of Transport is more than the sum of its trains, trams, roads, and ports.

“The network is ultimately about the people who use it, and we’re thrilled to be able to apply deep human insight and creativity to both rebuild confidence in our public transport system and help shape the way we’ll travel into the future,” added Bell.

New Delhi, India – Advertising agency RepIndia has recently bagged the digital and creative mandate for Sleepwell, a flagship brand under bed foam company Sheela Foam. Through the agency mandate, RepIndia will be driving Sleepwell’s consumer marketing initiatives across online and offline channels. In addition, RepIndia will partner with the brand’s growth through innovative and disruptive marketing and communication strategies.

The brand has a pan-India presence with over 110 distributors, over 5000 exclusive dealers, having a web and omnichannel presence supported by over 10 manufacturing units in India, and has become a ubiquitous name for sleep products in every Indian household. 

According to Vishal Sharma, head of marketing at Sleepwell, they have found RepIndia to be exactly the right fit and a partner with the right mindset that will help them translate their strategy and vision into this new reality for their consumers. He added that they are in particular love with the team’s young energy and fresh original approach to their business, going on to say that this partnership shall propel both companies to create a winning formula for the consumers.

“With the fast-changing nature of consumer outreach, emerging new business opportunities and in line with our new strategy of being digital-first, we are very excited to partner with RepIndia and take forward our brand building and communication strategy to all our consumer touchpoints. The Sheela Foam Group on its journey to becoming a multinational [company, and] Sleepwell with its Pan India presence has embarked on a journey to redefine the consumer journey of discovery, trial, buying and post-purchase services in an experiential manner led by digital transformation,” Sharma said.

Meanwhile, Nikhil Kashyap, AVP for strategy and business at RepIndia, commented, “Sleepwell is undoubtedly one of the biggest brand success stories of our time. It is, therefore, an honour to now be associated with them and help unfold & partner the next level of consumer experience journey that they have embarked upon. The team is super excited for this big win, and we are looking forward to connecting with the audience on a deeper level through a blend of clutter-breaking strategy and creativity.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Global advertising company Publicis Groupe in Malaysia has recently won the creative and social account of isotonic sports drink brand 100PLUS, effective by February 2022. The pitch covers the enhancement of the brand’s consumer journey, elevating brand experiences, and building product category relevance for each 100PLUS beverage and their audiences. 

Neil Hudspeth, CEO at Publicis Groupe Malaysia stated that they are delighted with the extension and expansion of their partnership with Fraser and Neave and 100PLUS.

“Our continued collaboration is a testament to our joint belief in great work that delivers impactful business building solutions. This extension and appointment is another hugely valued milestone for us and we’re committed to build upon the existing relationship and drive 100PLUS forward to win in this platform world.”

Meanwhile, Graham Lim, managing director at F&N, commented, “We are excited to announce the renewal of our partnership with Leo Burnett. As Malaysia’s favorite rehydration beverage, we seek a strong agency partner who is passionate about building brands and also able to take 100PLUS to the next level of consumers’ share of mind in the current dynamic market.”

Lim added, “We are confident that our renewed partnership with Leo Burnett will unleash 100PLUS brand potential to new heights.”

The new account won by Publicis Groupe MY follows its announcement of two new hires, namely Emir Shafri as chief creative officer and Andrew Michau as chief strategy officer.

Iska Hashim, executive creative director at Leo Burnett, said, “We’ve had a great relationship with the 100PLUS team for 2 years, weathering the challenges of the pandemic. And we’re honored to continue to serve as the creative agency of record, and now social agency of record, to help grow the business even further.”

Singapore – Advertising firm Ogilvy in Singapore has announced that over 20 people has been hired by the firm to beef up its creative department. This follows the firm’s recent growth from more than 25 pitch wins across categories such as technology, retail, financial services, and healthcare.

According to an Ogilvy spokesperson, the roles are a mix of integrated, conceptual, content and experience creatives and craft specialists.

The new hires are namely Bruno Andrade, Cheong Wen Xuan, Chun Sim, Clara Wong, Dana Lim, Dinah Nordin, Faith Low, Izz Bachtiar, Jamie Lim, Jerome Toh, Joseph Lim, Julia Batrisya, Maggie Michella, Rachel Chew, Sandra Tan, Sonali Ranjit, Toan Mai, Troy Lim, Winnessa Ho, Zac Tan, and Zi Wei.

Chris Riley, chairman of Ogilvy Singapore and Malaysia, said that the new hires will elevate the firm’s focus on integrating their skills in creative concept, design craft and content services all under single leadership, adding that they are well-placed to partner their clients with their growth objectives.

“As we emerge from the worst of the pandemic, we have seen an eagerness from our clients to accelerate their marketing transformation and related ambitions. The significant investment in our talent ensures we have all the creative firepower required to drive [a] bigger and bolder creative impact for our client’s customers, communities and importantly the environment in which they operate,” Riley stated.

Meanwhile, Nicolas Courant, chief creative officer at Ogilvy Singapore and Malaysia, commented, “This is an exciting time for us as creative energy is at an all-time high. Our client partners want to make a difference and they know they can only do it by connecting with their audiences in more meaningful ways. For us, it’s the opportunity to continue building a unique creative company that combines creative thinking, tech, data, content and commerce and become the most trusted partner for brands.”

Manila, Philippines – Global media and digital marketing agency dentsu International has appointed Ronald Barreiro as the CEO of dentsu Philippines’ creative service line, where he will be overseeing the operations of two creative agency brands, namely dentsu Jayme Syfu and dentsu One Manila.

The appointment follows after dentsu has promoted Merlee Jayme, former chairmom at dentsu Jayme Syfu, to the role of chief creative officer for Asia-Pacific at dentsu.

Barreiro was previously the managing partner and general manager at dentsu Jayme Syfu. His journey in the agency started in 2009, when he first joined DM9 Jayme Syfu as general manager and was instrumental in setting up dentsu Jayme Syfu in 2016, after it was acquired by dentsu.

His career started out as an account executive in Basic/FCB in 1992 under the guidance of advertising veterans, Tony Mercado and Minyong Ordonez. He then moved on to become account management lead in agencies like Publicis-AMA and Publicis Manila, before joining DM9 Jayme Syfu as its general manager.

Commenting on Barreiro’s appointment, Jayme said, “He partners with clients to push business growth, collaborates with strategists to explore deeper insights and newer perspectives, supports creatives with their fresh and brave ideas, and helps everyone survive the difficulties of our work experience today with empathy and care programs. This is a well-deserved promotion and I look forward to continuing working with him closely and driving the next chapter of growth.”

Vital to the succession planning, Alex Syfu will also be separately appointed as chief advisor of dentsu Jayme Syfu, effective January 2022. Alex transitioned to this new role after partnering with Merlee Jayme in 2005 to form the Jayme Syfu group. He remains committed to key clients in the agency in his new role and will continue to support Ronald in steering the agency to new heights.

“His business acumen has helped the agency grow through the years, coupled with his good rapport with clients. He makes people feel that work should be fun but when it comes to numbers, that’s when he means business. With him heading the dentsu creative agencies in the Philippines, I have no doubt that Ronald will be taking the dentsu brand to a higher level of excellence. My respect and admiration for this gentleman,” Syfu added, regarding Barreiro’s appointment.

Barreiro stated, “We will remain to be their partner for innovative solutions and they can count on both dentsu Jayme Syfu and dentsu One Manila to be their allies for idea-led, data-driven and tech-enabled initiatives. To my agency colleagues, I promise to take care of you like family as we go through our trials and triumphs.”

Mumbai, India – ePayLater, the buy now, pay later (BNPL) payments platform for retailers in India, has appointed media agency Madison, to handle its creative and media duties.

ePayLater offers interest-free financial credit. It focuses on small business owners and trader segments, as well as FMCG retailers, helping them to expand their businesses. The partnership will see full-service advertising unit Madison BMB managing ePayLater’s creative assignment, while media unit Madison Media Sigma will lead the entire media mandate including TV, print, radio, and OOH, as well as digital, and cinema. 

Akshat Saxena, the co-founder of ePayLater, commented, “It’s an exciting phase of growth for ePayLater and with Madison as our partner, we are confident about effectively reaching out to millions of retailers in the country who stand to benefit from this solution.”

Meanwhile, Vanita Keswani, Madison Media Sigma’s CEO, said that they are truly excited to be partnering with ePayLater, expanding its reach and strengthening it as a game-changer Fintech brand in today’s fast-paced digitized environment.

Raj Nair, the CEO and chief creative officer of Madison BMB, shared that fintech space in India is constantly innovating and developing, and while there are many players, the leadership team at ePayLater are very upbeat about their prospects by virtue of what they bring to the table to smaller retailers and helping them spread their wings and fueling their growth story. 

“Their partnerships with B2B majors like Metro Cash & Carry, Walmart, BigBasket, and large FMCG brands help hugely towards this end. We are looking forward to helping ePayLater succeed across the country,” said Nair.

Just recently, Madison BMB has also been appointed by fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), Gardenia Cosmotrade LLP, to manage its creative duties for its men’s grooming brand, Gatsby, in India.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Dentsu in Malaysia has named advertising veteran Kunal Roy as its CEO for the ‘Creative’ line of service. The CEO role is a newly created position following the global network’s restructuring which saw it dividing the business into three main lines namely, Creative, Media, and CRM, and which was first announced in late 2019. 

Dentsu said Roy will be initiating the transformation of dentsu malaysia’s Creative line of service in tandem with parent network dentsu international’s brand evolution and simplified business model, developing a modern creativity offering underpinned by a new delivery model called ‘AOR – agency of record – on demand’.

Roy brings with him 20 years’ worth of award-winning work with marquee agencies such as Leo Burnett, Saatchi & Saatchi, Cheil Worldwide, Ogilvy, BBDO, and TBWA. He has a demonstrated track record in building brands with clients like Samsung, Coca-Cola, adidas, McDonald’s, Unilever, P&G, as well as Axiata and Maxis, among others. Previously, Roy led Leo Burnett to achieve ‘Agency of the Year’ at the prestigious awards Effie in 2019, then a double Effie ‘Agency of the Year’ for 2020 and 2021. 

CEO of dentsu malaysia, Kien Eng Tan, who himself has just been appointed in February this year, said that they have ambitious plans for dentsu malaysia as a creative powerhouse, and that things would only be looking upward from here now with Roy onboard with his award-winning strategic and creative experience. 

“Kunal will be partnering the Malaysian media and CXM team as well as the network to drive end-to-end creative solutions to ensure our clients achieve sustainable growth,” said Tan. 

Meanwhile, the new Creative CEO commented, “I am truly excited to take on this role at Dentsu. I have always believed that creativity has the power to transform businesses, brands, and peoples’ lives. Dentsu’s heritage is rooted in innovation and a forward-thinking culture; that along with the dynamic talent in Malaysia will only propel me further to bring together meaningful creative solutions to augment our clients’ businesses and make their brands magnets.”

Dentsu Malaysia is made up of six brands – Carat, dentsu X, iProspect, Isobar, dentsumcgarrybowen, and Merkle. Aside from Roy and Tan, the agency in Malaysia has also announced in January this year Dheeraj Raina as CEO of the Media line.