Titled “Go All In on Freshness—It’s a Must”, the campaign is shaped by viral phrases and shared online moments among Hong Kong netizens, using internet culture as a creative lens for its baked series.

Developed with dentsu Hong Kong, the campaign features a series of social-native videos starring local content collective JFFT, known for their humour and widely circulated Cantonese phrases.

“Culture today moves at the speed of social, shaped by creators and the communities around them. By collaborating with the internet sensation behind the trend and embracing the language they’ve helped popularise, Café de Coral is able to connect with audiences in a way that feels more immediate and relevant today,” said Diana Tam, Managing Partner & Director of Operations at dentsu Hong Kong.

Featuring BedGo, MicFu and HumGorGor, the content places the trio in a livestream-style gaming environment, where they appear as lobster-inspired characters diving underwater to “catch” seafood ingredients, blending gaming formats with food storytelling.

Moving away from Café de Coral’s traditional commercial approach, the videos are designed to feel more interactive, reflecting how audiences engage with content on social platforms.

Built around Cantonese wordplay, the campaign uses a phonetic twist where “lobster sauce” sounds similar to “lobster picking”, which is extended into social spin-offs referencing the viral “$1 lobster grab” moment. The content also includes the line “Your claw is broken” and depicts the trio bypassing claws to grab lobsters by hand, echoing the original viral scene within broader online conversation.

Angel Tam, Director (Marketing), Café de Coral, said, “We’re reimagining how our iconic baked series connects with today’s diners. With our new Baked Seafood Rice with Lobster Sauce, we’re bringing a vibrant, social-led approach that refreshes the experience with a new tone of voice. By spotlighting the richness of our premium sauces and the abundance of seafood through playful, everyday-inspired moments, we aim to make the offering feel both engaging and relevant—while reinforcing its strong value.” 

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Yano brings 28 years of experience with dentsu across Japan and APAC and has a track record in client leadership, cross-market collaboration, and regional connectivity. In his new role, he will focus on strengthening how dentsu integrates capabilities across APAC to support the evolving needs of Japanese clients.

He also joins dentsu’s regional client leader community, an integrated group overseeing the company’s largest clients across APAC, and will work closely with Prerna Mehrotra, Chief Client Officer, dentsu APAC.

Commenting on his new role, Yano said, “I am honoured to step into the role of APAC Chief Client Officer for our Japanese clients. Having worked closely with Japanese clients across the region for many years, I have a deep appreciation for the importance of Gemba – being present on the frontline where the work happens and listening to what clients actually need. 

He added, “By truly understanding our clients’ challenges, their goals and their value chain, we can build solutions genuinely designed around them. That’s how we become a true growth partner, not just a service provider.”

Prerna Mehrotra, Chief Client Officer at dentsu APAC, said, “Kenji’s appointment reflects our commitment to further strengthening how we support Japanese clients across Asia Pacific. He brings deep experience, strong regional understanding and a collaborative leadership style that will help us build even closer connections between our markets and capabilities.”

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In partnership with Carat Hong Kong, the integrated campaign highlights the tea’s refreshing and no-burden positioning, aiming to re-engage existing consumers while reaching new audiences with the introduction of the No Sugar Crimson Aroma Black Tea variant.

The out-of-home (OOH) execution spans Admiralty and Tsim Sha Tsui MTR stations, two of Hong Kong’s busiest commuter interchanges. At Admiralty, the campaign features a first-in-market, three-storey station takeover covering concourses, interchange corridors, and platforms. Sequential placements are used to guide commuter movement through the station, while light beam installations, described as “energy waves”, are designed to evoke a sense of refreshment and clarity.

At station gates, sound-enabled elements trigger an audio prompt of “KEEP GOING” as commuters tap in and out, integrating the campaign into daily transit routines. The activation is positioned as a brief moment of encouragement within the commute, reinforcing the brand’s core proposition.

Beyond OOH, the campaign extends into social media through KOL-led storytelling. Creators highlight everyday scenarios such as back-to-back food tastings, creative work blocks, and demanding schedules, positioning VITA Cold Brew No Sugar Tea as a quick, no-sugar refreshment option for staying alert throughout the day.

Naomi Chan, Business Director at Carat Hong Kong, said, “This campaign reflects how media can move beyond reach to create meaningful experiences within people’s daily routines. By embedding the idea within high-frequency commuter environments and pairing it with culturally relevant storytelling, we were able to deliver both scale and contextual relevance. This is key to building stronger brand connection and driving sustained impact.” 

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According to the study, travel behaviour in the region has shifted from being largely aspirational to more intentional, as travellers become more cautious about spending and rely increasingly on familiar brands.

The report indicates that travellers today are more digitally engaged but also more economically cautious, making decisions shaped by familiarity and trust rather than exploration. Technologies such as artificial intelligence, social media platforms, and broader economic pressures have contributed to what the study describes as a more compressed decision-making process, where travel brands are evaluated more quickly and compared more critically.

Across APAC, 57% of travellers reported using AI for travel planning. However, the report also found that 53% consider AI recommendations to be generic, while 42% say the technology makes them more likely to stay with familiar brands.

According to the study, AI is functioning less as a tool for discovery and more as a validation filter, favouring brands that consumers already recognise and trust.

The report also highlights differences across Southeast Asian markets, noting that travel behaviour varies significantly within the region.

Malaysia: High influence, lower trust

In Malaysia, travellers appear highly influenced by digital content but remain cautious about acting on it. The study found that 67% of Malaysian travellers rely on social media for travel inspiration. At the same time, 67% said they are choosing more affordable destinations, while 63% reported that geopolitical concerns influence their travel decisions.

This dynamic, according to the report, creates a situation where brands may achieve visibility online but struggle to convert that attention into bookings without strong credibility signals.

Audrey Chong, CEO of Dentsu Malaysia, said, “Travel marketing often assumes that more inspiration automatically creates more demand. Malaysia proves the opposite. Malaysian travelers have developed an unusually sharp instinct for separating perception from reality.”

She added, “Years of economic pressure and digital saturation have created consumers who are incredibly adaptive, knowing know how to navigate abundance without fully trusting it. That changes the role of branding entirely. This is where inspiration may open the door, but credibility is what gets a brand invited in.”

Vietnam: Experience-led but constrained

In Vietnam, travellers show the strongest interest in experiential travel across the region. The report found that Vietnamese respondents prioritise experiences at a rate 12 percentage points higher than the regional average.

Despite this appetite for experiences, the market also recorded the highest level of trip postponements in APAC, at 31%. The study further found that 63% of respondents in Vietnam are navigating geopolitical concerns, while 40% view travel as an extension of everyday life.

According to the report, Vietnamese travellers increasingly approach travel with deliberate intent, with many prioritising meaningful experiences over generic offerings. Domestic and nearby destinations also remain popular, influenced by concerns over currency fluctuations and regional tensions.

Thu Nguyen, CEO of Dentsu Vietnam, said, “Vietnam’s travel mindset today is incredibly revealing of where Southeast Asia is heading next. This is a market with enormous appetite for experience, self-expression and personal enrichment, but also one that is acutely aware of constraint. Vietnamese consumers are simply becoming more selective about what deserves emotional and financial investment. That makes this one of the most emotionally intelligent travel markets in the region, but also one operating with far more nuance than many brands realise.”

***

Overall, the study suggests that travel consumers across Southeast Asia are becoming more selective and emotionally driven in their decision-making. While AI may accelerate the discovery of travel options, the report indicates that it is also shortening the evaluation process and reinforcing the advantage of brands that already hold consumer trust.

For travel marketers, the findings suggest that building credibility and distinctive brand positioning may be increasingly important as travellers weigh options more carefully before making decisions.

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“Hear in Hijab” takes a different approach to conventional hearing aid design, aligning with the realities of how hijab-wearing women live. The device is worn externally as a brooch pin, sitting outside the hijab to capture sound without obstruction. Audio is then transmitted wirelessly to the ear at up to 100dB clarity.

The concept is based on the role of the hijab in Indonesia, where it is a daily part of life for many women, shaping how they move, connect, and experience their surroundings. As women age and transition through different stages of life, maintaining clear hearing becomes increasingly important. 

Today, 1 in 3 Indonesian women, particularly those above 50, experience partial hearing loss. When combined with fabric covering the ears, this can further reduce sound clarity and has been associated with an increased risk of falls and accidents of up to 60%. However, most hearing aids are designed for in-ear use, which can limit their effectiveness when worn beneath layers of fabric.

Developed in partnership with Digital Nativ, the device rethinks the architecture of conventional hearing aids. It weighs 12 grams, is adjustable, and compatible with most hijab fabrics.

Defri Dwipaputra, Chief Creative & Experience Officer, Dentsu Creative Indonesia, commented, “Indonesia is a market with layered lives, deep faith, and needs that resist easy generalisation. The women of this country, in particular, have always deserved brands willing to meet that complexity honestly and be responsible to the women who make this country what it is.”

Defri added, “For us, innovation and technology are instruments for change that can be genuinely good for the people they touch. Partners, like Wardah Personal Care, who share that belief with us are the ones that understand this country’s women as individuals with real lives, real faith, and real needs that the market has too often ignored.” 

The project is currently in its early rollout phase, with initial units distributed to selected users. A second phase is underway to expand access to more hijab-wearing women across Indonesia.

Hear in Hijab received the Grand Prix of Medium at Citra Pariwara, Indonesia’s leading creative awards programme.

Khikin Indahsari, Group Head of New Brand Innovation at Paragon Technology and Innovation, commented, “Wardah has always believed that beauty is for every woman, at every stage of life. Beauty is not separate from how they move through the world. The hijab is an expression of faith and identity, bound up with confidence, in hearing the people they love clearly, in feeling present and capable.”

“Our mission has always been to stand for Indonesian women in ways that matter beyond the product, and Hear in Hijab is the most direct expression of that. Together with Dentsu Indonesia, we believe brands can create meaningful impact where it truly matters.” 

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Following a competitive pitch process, the brewer has reappointed Dentsu as its agency for global media, while Publicis Groupe will continue serving as the global secondary production partner. The company also consolidated its global creative roster across three holding companies: Publicis Groupe, WPP, and Stagwell.

Creative responsibilities for the Heineken brand were not included in the review and will remain with Publicis Groupe.

The new structure is designed to support HEINEKEN’s global brands, including Amstel, Birra Moretti, Desperados, and Tiger Beer, as well as selected priority local power brands. According to the company, the streamlined roster aims to enable deeper collaboration with agency partners and improve consistency and scalability across markets.

The transition to the new agency model will begin immediately, with implementation taking place in phases aligned with brand planning cycles to maintain continuity and operational stability across markets.

The company said the move reflects its ongoing focus on long-term brand investment, marketing innovation, and building a more connected global marketing ecosystem.

“This marks a significant step in HEINEKEN’s EverGreen 2030 Growth Strategy and the ambition to build a more streamlined, effective, and future-fit agency model, designed to deliver greater creative impact, operational efficiency, and consistency at scale. Moving to fewer, better and bigger agency partners is part of our broader Freddyai Commercial transformation,” said Bram Westenbrink, Chief Commercial Officer HEINEKEN.

Jorn Socquet, Senior Director Global Brand Impact & Growth Transformation, HEINEKEN, added, “Our new agency ecosystem is a key enabler of our ambition to build stronger, more distinctive brands at scale. By partnering with a smaller number of world-class agencies, we are creating the conditions for deeper collaboration, sharper strategic focus, and more impactful creativity.

They added, “At the same time, this model allows us to operate with greater speed and efficiency, ensuring we can deliver high-quality work consistently across our global and local brand portfolio. We are grateful to all participating agencies for their commitment throughout this extensive process. The quality of thinking, creativity, and talent on display was exceptional.”

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In his new role, Thu will lead dentsu Vietnam’s integrated offering, with responsibilities spanning client growth, market development, and alignment with the wider Southeast Asia cluster.

Thu is a long-standing executive within dentsu Vietnam and brings more than two decades of experience across digital, media, and integrated marketing. He previously founded Ambient Digital, one of Vietnam’s independent digital agencies, which was later integrated into dentsu.

Most recently, as Deputy CEO of dentsu Vietnam, he played a key role in driving integration across the business and strengthening client partnerships.

Commenting on his new role, Thu said, “dentsu has always been a business shaped by people and a belief that ideas can move society. That is our heritage and what makes us endure. In Vietnam, this cannot be more relevant, as it is a market defined by how quickly people adapt and shift, and we have been building a business that listens closely to that. Stepping into this role is about continuing that direction and helping our clients grow in ways that are truly connected to the realities of this market and the role they play within it.”

His appointment follows a period of sustained growth for dentsu Vietnam and comes as the market continues to expand in scale and influence within the region.

Thu succeeds Sanjay Bhasin, who will continue in his role as CEO, Southeast Asia, dentsu, overseeing the six-market regional cluster.

“Vietnam has been a key part of our Southeast Asia story, one we have been building with clear intent over time. It deserves leadership that can match its pace and the ability to translate it into real growth for our clients, our people, and our business,” Sanjay said.

He added, “Thu has been central to that progress. He has built businesses here, led through multiple cycles of industry transformation, and earned deep trust with clients and talent alike. This transition reflects that continuity, allowing us to scale what is already working, with the right leadership that is deeply rooted in the market and fully aligned to where we are going next.” 

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The idea, developed with Dentsu Creative Thailand and Dentsu One (Bangkok) for Valentine’s Day, lands at the intersection of ritual and retail, where gestures are increasingly expected to do more than simply exist.

The campaign, “Your Heart Needs More Than Love”, arrives as Southeast Asia’s brand landscape continues to shift toward real-world interventions—campaigns that leave behind objects, not just impressions.

Traditional flower holders are replaced with structures inspired by fitness equipment—dumbbells, kettlebells, and padel rackets. 

The campaign also moved onto the streets, where Decathlon distributed limited-edition roses across high-footfall areas in Thailand during Valentine’s Day. 

The approach relied less on targeting and more on interruption—placing the idea directly into commuter flow and public movement.

“Valentine’s Day has always been about the heart, we just took that a little more literally,” said Piyaporn Chaisawat, Marketing Director, Decathlon Thailand. 

Further explaining, “We wanted to give people something that felt romantic in the moment but stuck around as a reminder long after the flowers wilted. Dentsu brought that to life in a way we could not have imagined on our own, turning it into something people actually stopped for. As a sports brand, we know better than most that the best things you can do for your heart are not always the obvious ones. This was our way of sneaking fitness into a moment people already love.”

“Nobody wakes up on Valentine’s Day thinking about their fitness journey and that is exactly why we went there,” said Paroon Suthaveepramochanon, Executive Creative Director at Dentsu Creative Thailand and Dentsu One (Bangkok). 

Suthaveepramochanon emphasised, “We could have made a campaign about heart health but instead we made a flower holder. The best creative decisions are the ones that make you laugh first and think second, and a dumbbell with roses in it does both. Decathlon gave us the room to go somewhere unexpected with this. Sport belongs in everyday life, not just the gym and, for us, Valentine’s Day turned out to be a surprisingly good place to prove that.”

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The brand’s Provision Store (愛迪達辦館) drew directly from Fa Yuen Street, the city’s iconic football jersey district, blending kits, street fashion, and local flair.

At the heart of the booth, a towering wall of jerseys evoked the dense, bustling lanes of Mong Kok, giving visitors the feel of browsing amid a sea of fans and neon signs. 

The layout made clear how football culture in Hong Kong has long overlapped with street style.

Visitors could personalise jerseys on-site, adding letters, numbers, and decorative touches. 

The interactive feature positioned sport apparel as a canvas for creativity, reflecting broader trends in urban Asia where merchandise doubles as fashion statements.

The activation reached its peak when Korean superstar Jay Park and rising boy band LNGSHOT performed live, drawing fans to the booth and amplifying the event’s energy. 

Their appearance highlighted the growing crossover between music, streetwear, and football in youth markets across the region.

The installation also transformed retail into theatre, showing how a deep understanding of local culture can turn a product into a public performance—and why Hong Kong streets, even indoors, remain a stage for style and sport.

The adidas activation at ComplexCon mirrors a broader regional shift in marketing strategies, where cultural insight and immersive experiences are increasingly central.

Similar moves are seen in Singapore, where the Singapore Tourism Board is courting younger travellers with its “We Don’t Wait for Fun” campaign, blending heritage and street culture through installations, interactive art, and pop-up experiences at ComplexCon Hong Kong. 

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Developed in partnership with Lumen, the platform uses a format-level attention database that combines global benchmarks, market norms, and client-specific studies. This enables the evaluation of audiences beyond traditional media metrics such as exposure, incorporating factors such as brand recognition, affinity, shopping behaviour, and off-trade activity.

The tool is also designed to bring together planning across retail and shopper environments, in-store and in-bar activation, paid media, branded content, sponsorship, and experiential marketing into a single system. It is currently being rolled out across 15 global markets.

According to the company, the system allows planning teams to allocate budgets, model outcomes, and develop integrated touchpoint strategies using a shared framework. It also enables planning either from the point of purchase or from media channels, reflecting a shift in how campaigns are structured and assessed.

Moreover, the solution is currently being deployed with an initial group of global clients across various categories. Dentsu said it intends to further integrate its media and production capabilities into the system over time, to create an end-to-end planning framework. Early deployments suggest that unified TTL planning may improve reach, frequency, and brand performance within existing budgets.

“Dentsu’s pioneering work on attention showed the industry that there are factors beyond audience, reach, and frequency that determine media’s potential to drive brand and business impact,” said Hamish Kinniburgh, global chief strategy officer at dentsu. 

“Our new Media Planner augments owned, earned, shared, and paid touchpoint knowledge at global scale with an equally robust understanding across retail touchpoints, as well one of the world’s most advanced format-level attention database. This is a huge leap forward for the industry and puts dentsu at the heart of a new golden age of truly integrated touchpoint planning,” Hamish added.

“For decades, marketing has been planned in fragments,” said Will Swayne, global president for media at dentsu. “While integrated planning has evolved, the separation between ATL and BTL decision-making has remained embedded in process and structure. Media Planner removes those artificial divides. It enables brands to design entire customer systems, not isolated campaigns. This isn’t just better planning, it’s a structural shift in how growth gets built.”

The launch builds on dentsu’s broader media strategy, known as Media++, which seeks to connect media, data, technology, and production into a unified system focused on business outcomes.

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