Tag: Dentsu Creative

Shanghai, China – Dentsu China has recently announced the appointment of Richard Tan as CEO of Dentsu Creative China. His appointment will be effective on November 16 this year.

Tan will be reporting to Deric Wong, CEO of Dentsu China, and will be leading about 1,200 strong teams across Dentsu’s offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Nanjing, and Wuhan. 

He is expected to accelerate growth for the group’s extensive client base while championing innovation to drive greater integration to Dentsu’s creative services to media and its customer experience management.

Speaking on his appointment, Tan said, “I am passionate about balancing bold creativity with sustained business impact in China’s dynamic digital ecosystem. I love where DENTSU CREATIVE is heading and leading with ‘Modern Creativity’… through a simplified but compelling proposition that navigates practical challenges in the modern world of complexity.”

Prior to joining Dentsu Creative, Tan held several senior management positions as country head in various agency networks in China for 20 years. This includes Euro RSCG, DDB, and Mullenlowe China.

On Tan’s appointment, Wong commented, “I am pleased to welcome Richard as he takes on the leadership of Dentsu Creative China. We live in a time of exciting possibilities and Richard as a seasoned agency leader will continue to build on the momentum with dynamism.”

He added, “Our leadership team looks to work closely with Richard, to continue building on our bold strategies to fuel market-leading growth and help brands create lasting good with meaningful progress, as Dentsu continues to evolve in China’s digital era.”

Tan will be replacing Dentsu Creative China’s incumbent CEO Keita Ishikawa, who will be moving on to a management role at Dentsu Inc. in Japan.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Keita-san for everything we’ve achieved together under his transformative leadership and wish him our best in his new role,” Wong further stated. 

Cheuk Chiang, chief executive officer at Dentsu Creative APAC, also said, “There is no creative leader in China more experienced than Richard. As we take Dentsu Creative to the next level, he is well placed to deliver success. He lives and breathes creativity.”

Since its launch last June, Dentsu Creative has been continuing its series of leadership appointments with Benny Augustine for India, Cheuk Chiang for APAC, and four new hires for its global leadership team.

Japan – Dentsu Creative has announced key members of its global leadership team, including Andrea Terrassa, the new global chief operating officer, Iván Czwan Altobelli, the new global chief people officer, Julie Scelzo, the new global clients chief creative officer, and Jon Dupuis, the new global clients president.

Terrassa has acted as the chief operating officer of Dentsu Creative Americas since 2021, where she was instrumental in the organisational and transformation efforts of moving from 11 agency brands to three, and joined dentsu International in 2018 as chief operating officer for 360i. She will work closely with the global operations teams across all areas of the business, including Media and CXM, led by dentsu International’s Global Chief Operating Officer, Nnenna Ilomechina, to help achieve the business’ ambition of offering Horizontal Creativity to clients and being the world’s most integrated creative network.

Meanwhile, Altobelli will oversee all Human Resource functions, including an ambitious talent acquisition strategy. He joined dentsu International in 2021 from Accenture Interactive, where he played a key role in delivering its creative and digital agency integration for agencies including Karmarama, Rothco, Droga5, Creative Drive, MXM, and PacificLink.

In her new role, Scelzo will ensure creative excellence for global clients focusing on delivering modern creative ideas that Create Culture, Change Society and Invent the Future. Since 2018 Scelzo has served as global executive creative director for DentsuMB’s American Express business. Before that, Scelzo spent several years as a creative director at Leo Burnett, FCB, and Meta. Prior to joining Dentsu, she was the executive creative director of Pandora Music. Using this experience, Scelzo will look to offer enhanced content marketing, entertainment and IP creative strategies, as well as ensure creativity delivers horizontally for the client, from content to commerce, media to CXM.

And lastly, Dupuis will be working with Dentsu Creative’s leadership teams globally to ensure that clients are provided with powerful integrated solutions to achieve bold new executions that connect with the largest possible audience in contextually relevant ways. The key to this will be using data and technology to connect the right global talent around the right global client briefs and build teams that reflect the modern world. Dupuis has been with dentsu since 2017, when he joined as global managing director for dentsuMB and was promoted to global president and CEO in 2019.

Together, they are tasked with building and sustaining a culture of creativity, through operational excellence, attracting, and retaining world-class talent and ensuring seamless collaboration, to ensure that clients achieve the full potential of ‘Modern Creativity’ – Dentsu Creative’s expanded capabilities and bold ambition.

Fred Levron, Dentsu International’s chief creative officer, commented, “We are on a journey to design the creative network of the future. Andrea is without doubt one of the best when it comes to engineering modern structures and processes, while Iván is top in the game to onboard the best next generation of talent. In Julie and Jon, we have [a] unique driving force, who together will deliver the most compelling offer to meet the needs of, and attract more, global clients. They say, ‘If you don’t like change, you will not like irrelevance’, and we are building for change.”

India – Dentsu Creative India has announced the appointment of Dalip Daniel, as the new group executive creative, and Tulika Seth, as the new group creative director, to bolster its creative team. Both will be reporting to Joy Mohanty, chief creative Officer of Dentsu Creative India.

In their new roles, Daniel and Seth will be focusing on boosting the agency’s creative competence for its existing and prospective clientele. They will design ideas that ‘Create Culture, Change Society, and Invent The Future’ by keeping modern creativity at the heart of the business.

Daniel is a seasoned creative leader and has held leadership roles across agencies and radio stations like Ogilvy & Mather, GroupM ESP, and BIG 92.7 FM. He has worked for brands like Airtel, Nokia, Limca, Dabur, and Pepsi, as well as SONY, and Honda, amongst many others. In addition to this, he has also created branded content for TV shows and launched BIG 92.7 FM in North India.

Meanwhile, armed with over 16 years of experience, Seth has led creative teams at agencies like Lowe, TBWA, Grey, Innocean, and Humour Me in Delhi and Mumbai. Some of the brands she has worked with include Hyundai, Dunzo, LG, and National Geographic, as well as Henkel, and Anne French, amongst others.

Commenting on his appointment, Daniel said, “This is an exciting opportunity, and I am thrilled to be joining dentsu at such a pivotal time.”

Meanwhile, Seth also commented, “‘Wholly integrated’ is the key descriptor that has really got me excited. The work that has been coming out of the agency is truly inspiring, and I can’t wait to dive right in.”

Mohanty said, “Together with a superb body of work, Tulika & Danny bring with them a wealth of experience across formats. They will both play a key role in driving our agenda of creativity beyond silos. It is great to have them on board.”

Just recently, Dentsu Creative India announced the appointment of Benny Augustine as its new chief operating officer, where he will oversee the agency’s operations in India. His objective will be to build various frameworks, platforms, and business processes that promote efficiency and effectiveness for clients using modern creativity.

India – Dentsu Creative India has announced the appointment of Benny Augustine as its new chief operating officer, where he will oversee the agency’s operations in India. He will be reporting to Amit Wadhwa, chief executive officer at Dentsu Creative India.

His objective will be to build various frameworks, platforms, and business processes that promote efficiency and effectiveness for clients using modern creativity. 

Furthermore, he will aim to foster the company culture by leading internal initiatives and implementing training programs to help develop talent.

Augustine will be also working closely with the global operations team at Dentsu Creative led by its global chief operating officer Andrea Terrassa.

Prior to his new role, he was with the senior management team at Dentsu Webchutney as chief financial officer (CFO). During that time, he played a key role in establishing the agency as one of the largest digital creative agencies in India.

Speaking on his new role, Augustine said, “I am super thrilled to take up this new assignment. It would be both challenging and exciting to be the COO of one of the most creative networks globally. I am thankful to Amit and the dentsu senior management for considering me for this critical role.”

Meanwhile, Wadhwa commented, “While we move into this new era of a strong brand like Dentsu Creative in India, it is important to have someone to spearhead the operational transformation who understands people as well as the business. To be honest, I don’t think I could have asked for a better person than Benny to do this.”

Augustine’s appointment follows a slew of local appointments, including Bhasker Jaiswal as new COO of media and Arjuna Gaur as new chief creative officer. The appointments follow their recent wins at the Cannes Lions Festival for their campaign with media company VICE.

India – Dentsu Creative India has appointed Joy Mohanty as its new chief creative officer. In his new role, Mohanty will be instrumental in accelerating the agency’s growth trajectory in the North region. 

Moreover, Mohanty will be aligning with Dentsu Creative India’s ambition and work closely with the creative teams to build solutions that have the power to transform brands and businesses through the lens of Modern Creativity.

In a career spanning over three decades, Mohanty’s professional journey has been deeply rooted in Indian culture. He has worked on a host of brands such as Maruti Suzuki, Google, Nestle, and Absolut, as well as Thums Up, and HP, amongst others. In his previous roles, he held creative leadership positions in agencies like Publicis Capital and Lowe Lintas. Prior to joining dentsu, he also led Goldilocks – an agency from the Usha International Group.

Some of the notable campaigns Joy has worked on include Maruti Suzuki’s ‘Kitna Deti Hai’, Absolut’s ‘Colourless’, Google Maps 2-wheeler’s ‘Paaon Zameen Se Door Rahenge’, and Housing.com’s ‘Yahan Search Khatam Karo’, amongst others. He was also a part of the ‘Money Made Simple’ campaign for Google Pay and Google Assistant’s India launch.

Commenting on her appointment, Mohanty said, “I am excited to join forces with Ajay and Amit and be part of the superb talent hub they have turned Dentsu Creative into. An enviable list of clients makes this a big opportunity. I look forward to adding to the energy and doing some great work.”

Meanwhile, Ajay Gahlaut, group chief creative officer at Dentsu Creative, said that the agency is transforming into a powerhouse of creativity, and they are rapidly building capabilities to stay ahead of the curve in a dynamically evolving industry. 

“However, the tallest structures are built on strong foundations. Joy’s appointment is, thus, vital to our plan for times ahead. He is a veteran who has worked on some of the most groundbreaking campaigns. I am certain that his experience will bring solidity and wisdom into the fresh, bubbling cauldron of creativity at dentsu,” added Gahlaut.

India – Appliance brand Panasonic in India has launched a brand new campaign which urges consumers to get smarter in a quirky way. The campaign is conceptualised alongside Dentsu Creative India.

The campaign is a series of short films that cleverly conveys the message to the world. The three-film campaign showcases Naveen – the protagonist, introducing Gupta Ji to a smarter way of washing clothes. The characters’ humorous banter illustrates the features of the washing machine in an entertaining and interesting way.

Said ads are for Panasonic’s washing machines, powered by its connected living platform Miraie.

Shirish Agarwal, head of brand and marketing communications at Panasonic Life Solutions India said, “Panasonic as a brand is committed towards helping consumers live their best by aiding them with the right choices customised as per their lifestyle. The digital campaign is an extension of this. It depicts the true, slice-of-life moments of an Indian household, on how we struggle to remove stubborn stains using various home remedies.” 

He added, “It goes on to highlight how technology can be the key enabler for clean and fresh laundry. Panasonic’s latest range of smart washing machines is designed with advanced technologies that offer a value proposition of comfort, convenience, and connectivity.”

Meanwhile, Ujjwal Anand, executive vice president at Dentsu Creative India, commented, “Very few people are aware that Panasonic is a noteworthy name in the domain of Home Appliances and washing machines globally. Even fewer people know about the astonishing features of these washing machines. So, as the brand custodians, it was pertinent for us to convey it to the audience; and what better way than utilising and leveraging the already established chemistry of Gupta Ji and Naveen for Panasonic?” 

He added, “We made sure to take that love-envy relationship of these two next-door neighbours to the next level and deliver the core message in a fun & interesting way. The catchphrases and punches in the communication will surely intrigue the TG to know more about Panasonic Washing Machines.”

Lastly, Mayank Khattar, executive creative director at Dentsu Creative India, commented, “Smart is what smart does. Easily. And that is what we wanted our TG to understand in a quirky way. We wanted to raise awareness without sounding ‘too techy’. Working on a simple insight that washing clothes need not be a mix of age-old hearsays, we decided to introduce the smart angle.” 

He added, “Through the banter between Gupta Ji and Naveen, we have tried to make it easy for the TG to understand what is it that the latest technology and features deliver to the consumers. Also, the quirky performances by the protagonists not only deliver the message effectively but are sure to bring a smile on everyone’s faces.”

Singapore – Dentsu Creative Singapore has announced the launch of ‘Dentsu VI’, its newest virtual identity offering which aims to aid brands in creating their own virtual identities by creating a relatable and familiar brand presence in all digital worlds.

Powered by the latest motion capture technology, commonly used in gaming and films, Dentsu VI creates virtual identities that deliver emotional performances in real time. 

In addition, the offering provides a process for businesses to easily access the potential of virtual identities by creating unique versions that personify their brands as part of their long-term digital strategy. This offers the benefits of owning fully custom-made virtual identities strategically built for targeted brand purposes as well as affording businesses full control over brand governance.

With Dentsu VI, virtual identities can power true brand intimacy across a wide range of brand experiences, bringing a face and personality to e-commerce destinations, serving as a virtual influencer for the brand, amping up live events and social commerce, interacting with consumers in the metaverse, metaverse citizens, and even employees, and more. 

Stan Lim, chief creative officer at Dentsu Creative Singapore, said, “It is easy to forget that on the receiving end of digitisation are people, social beings who value the familiarity of human interaction and so we want to help brands show up as a friendly face in all digital worlds. Dentsu VI addresses a real need for businesses and brands to remain human in a technology-driven world.”

He added, “We believe that the limitless potential of virtual identities truly represents Modern Creativity. Yet, we are also not trying to fake realism. The power of virtual identities comes from creative freedom, not from recreating reality. That is why we recently created Rumi, our first virtual identity from Dentsu VI, and have built up our capabilities to offer a powerful offering for businesses that are rethinking their marketing strategies for the new digital frontiers.”

Meanwhile, Prema Techinamurthi, managing director at Dentsu Creative Singapore, commented, “In providing the platform for brands to change the way they engage with a new generation, Dentsu VI embodies the power of Modern Creativity, where it was born to create culture, change society and invent the future. Dentsu VI has been in development since early 2021 to meet the rapidly growing needs and expectations for immersive virtual experiences with a human touch.” 

She added, “Whether you are already investing heavily on human influencers, or a brand that wants a foray into the world of virtual influencers or simply one that is looking to improve customer experiences, Dentsu VI is a game changer for brands wanting to innovate how they show up in the digital world.”

Dentsu VI is the first end-to-end offering to be able to let virtual identities show up live, in real time, on any channel. CGI specialists will bring these virtual identities to life in a live virtual studio equipped with motion capture and streaming capabilities. Businesses that do not require real-time engagements are also able to tap on pre-recorded virtual identity activations.

Singapore – Dentsu Creative, dentsu’s creative global network, has appointed Cheuk Chiang as its chief executive officer (CEO) for Asia-Pacific. He was previously the CEO for Great North APAC at dentsu and chairman of dentsu China.

A highly experienced creative leader, he is passionate about the value of creativity and how it transforms brands and businesses. Coupled with his deep understanding of key markets and the broader region as a member of the dentsu APAC executive team, Chiang has a strong platform for growth. 

Chiang has spent half his twenty-nine-year career at creative, data and tech agencies before moving into media and then onto an integrated role at dentsu.

Speaking on his appointment, he said, “The way consumers interact with brands is far more sophisticated than it used to be. In this complex environment, every marketer wants their brand to communicate consistently; to speak with one voice across all consumer touchpoints and experiences. The challenge they face is finding a simple integrated solution that embraces the full richness of the modern marketing landscape.”

He added, “Dentsu Creative is perfectly positioned to deliver on this need through modern creativity and seamless integration across the dentsu network, connecting the right talent around the right brief to deliver end to end solutions to our clients’ problems. I look forward to working closely with the teams in how we can shape the future of creativity for our business.”

Meanwhile, Fred Levron, chief creative officer at Dentsu International said; “At Dentsu Creative we have set a bold ambition for ourselves – owning horizontal creativity, a modern approach to creativity which infuses every part of our company to provide the most integrated solutions to our clients.”

He added, “To be able to deliver on this promise we need not only a new generation of creatives, but also business leaders. Individuals who are obsessed by creative excellence, and have the unique experience necessary to accelerate creativity through media and tech. Cheuk is exactly this. Asia-Pacific is a key region for Dentsu Creative and I am excited to have him by my side to reinvent the way we build brands and businesses here.”

Dentsu Creative was established during the Cannes Lions Festival in June, which unites dentsu’s creative agencies and expands its entertainment, earned attention and experience footprint.

India – Dentsu Creative India has appointed Sudhir Das as its newest executive creative director. In his new role, Das will oversee and strengthen the creative capabilities of the agency’s Bengaluru office, further leveraging the power of modern creativity across brands.

Dentsu Creative aims to transform brands and businesses through the lens of modern creativity, which delivers ideas that create culture, change society and invent the future.

Prior to this role , he was with Leo Burnett as associate executive creative director (AECD). In his previous roles, he has worked with brands like Coca-Cola, Nestle, Apple and Airtel, to name a few. In addition, he has also had an interest in technology and how it can be used to spark new and intriguing conversations.

He will report to Arjuna Gaur, chief creative officer at Dentsu Webchutney and dentsuMB.

The appointment comes after Dentsu Creative India recently took the world by storm when it was declared the ‘Agency of The Year’ at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity 2022 – a first-ever for India. This was for the campaign ‘The Unfiltered History Tour’ for media company VICE.

Speaking on his appointment, Das said, “The Cannes jury has confirmed what we knew all along – this is the best agency to be in. I am super excited to be joining this bunch of incredibly talented and hard-working people and aim to continue their awe-inspiring trajectory of success.”

Meanwhile, Gaur commented, “Sudhir Das is an experienced creative leader with some of the world’s biggest brands in his portfolio. He is as comfortable with mainline advertising as he is with new age forms and is an engineer to boot. A brilliant well-rounded creative, Sudhir will be an invaluable addition to the team.”

In a recent interview by MARKETECH APAC with Dentsu Creative, CEO Amit Wadhwa described said campaign for VICE as “very bold” and “possibly uncomfortable” idea, which was expected to ruffle a few feathers.

“Our aim is to spark a movement against the storage of artefacts from other countries in the British Museum, and that these should eventually be returned to the countries to which they belong,” Wadhwa said.

Cannes, France – The final day of the Cannes Lions 2022 festival ended on 25 June with Dentsu Creative India bagging the ‘Agency of the Year Award’, making the first Indian agency to win such an award in the history of the creative awards festival.

Dentsu Creative India was recognised for their efforts in the campaign ‘The Unfiltered History Tour’ alongside media brand VICE. The campaign focuses on a multimedia experience that takes viewers and listeners to the true historical nature of stolen artefacts at the British Museum.

The campaign also won a Titanium Award, given out to those campaigns that are ‘breaking new ground in branded communications with provocative, boundary-busting, envy-inspiring work that marks a new direction for the industry’.

Speaking of the recent win, Ajay Gahlaut, group chief creative officer for India at Dentsu Creative, said, “Winning the ‘Agency of the Year’ is an emotion I cannot even begin to describe. When I used to watch other agencies win the title I often wondered if I ever would get that same honour. What they say is true. Dreams do come true! I’m over the moon with the Titanium win along with the hat trick of Grand Prix and a whole lot of other metals.” 

He added, “Not just me I think no one in the entire Indian ad industry has been part of such a huge haul of Lions ever before. And I do believe we are the first full-service Indian agency to win the title of Agency of the Year. I doff my hat to the entire team responsible for the Unfiltered History Tours.”

Meanwhile, Amit Wadhwa, CEO for India at Dentsu Creative, commented, “We are undeniably proud to be associated with a campaign that takes top honours on a global platform. This indeed fuels the fire of passion and commitment in the team that has relentlessly worked on it. The entire credit goes to each one of them who has been involved, to all our present and ex-colleagues who have worked so hard on the campaign. They are the real winners.”

On other awards, APAC winners at the ‘Film’ category include:

  • ‘Shot on iPhone 13 Pro: The Comeback’ by Apple, TBWA\Arts Lab Shanghai, Lunar Films Shanghai (Gold Lion, Silver Lion)
  • ‘Chatpat’ by SOS Children’s Villages India, FCB India Delhi, Kinnect Mumbai (Silver Lion, Bronze Lion)
  • ‘Metaverrrrrrr’ by Krungsri First Choice, Leo Burnett Bangkok, Factory01 Bangkok (Silver Lion, Bronze Lion)
  • ‘Machine-Gun Mouth’ by Battlegrounds Mobile India, DDB Mudra Mumbai, Early Man Film Pvt. Ltd. Mumbai (Bronze Lion)
  • ‘Party’ by Cheers, GIGIL Taguig, Arcade Film Factory Makati (Bronze Lion)
  • ‘The Wisdom of the East’ by 5 Takabb, Phenomena Co. Bangkok (Bronze Lion)

The campaign ‘Adeli’ by Unipads and VMLY&R took a Bronze Lion in the category ‘Glass: The Lion for Change’.

Meanwhile, in the ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ category, the campaign ‘The Missing Chapter’ by P&G and Leo Burnett Mumbai won the Grand Prix award. Other winners include:

  • ‘Smart Fill’ by Unilever, VMLY&R Commerce India Mumbai (Silver Lion)
  • ‘Child Marriage Prevention Loan’ by IPDC Finance Ltd and Amal Foundation, Grey Bangladesh Dhaka (Bronze Lion)
  • ‘Goodie Box’ by Everybody Eats, DDB New Zealand Auckland (Bronze Lion)
  • ‘Quest for Dyslexia’ by Samsung, Cheil Worldwide Beijing (Bronze Lion)
  • ‘One House to Save Many’ by Suncorp Group, Leo Burnett Sydney (Bronze Lion)