Tag: executive creative director

Singapore – Digital brand agency Bonsey Jaden has welcomed Daniel Loo as its new regional executive creative director for Southeast Asia, and brings with him over twenty years of experience that followed the industry shift from traditional to digital media.

He has previously led creative teams in some of the top international advertising agencies in Malaysia including Ogilvy, McCann and Hakuhodo. A copywriter at his core, Loo has also acted as the regional head of copy at Grab—at a time when the company was changing rapidly—giving him a necessary cross-cultural perspective on what drives the coming waves of new businesses.

Speaking on his appointment, Loo said, “I was really drawn to Bonsey Jaden’s adaptable and very flexible culture because one thing I’ve learned over the past two decades is there are no clear-cut solutions, especially now; the digital space has expanded and changed so much.” 

He added, “I’ve always been interested in the way advertising evolves, so it’s been both fascinating and daunting to witness that change, but it’s also taught me that these so-called ‘soft skills’—being resilient, being curious, being able to wrap your head around the experiences of others—are objectively far more valuable than society would have us believe.”

Meanwhile, Daniel Posavac, co-founder and CEO at Bonsey Jaden, commented, “I consider us very fortunate to have connected with Daniel Loo at the right time. It’s not often you come across talent with such depth and breadth of experience, who also knows when and how to bend or break a rule if it’s just going to work. I feel that Daniel’s work speaks for itself, and we are excited about him joining our leadership team and heading up one of our largest teams in the business.”

Loo’s appointment follows the recent appointments at Bonsey Jaden, including Marvin Duval as new head of strategy and Sherwin Kukreja as new head of social media. Bonsey Jaden has primary investment from the CUE Group, and more recently the two companies have collaborated in launching a data-driven solution targeted at the retail industry.

Australia – Advertising agency CHEP Network has elevated Amy Weston, its former creative director, to be its new executive creative director, joining the national creative leadership team. 

Weston joined CHEP over seven years ago, and during her time with the agency has led innovative creative work for clients including 7-Eleven, AGL, Mazda, and TAC, as well as Pernod Ricard, and RACV, amongst others. Over the course of her career, she has turned t-shirts into road safety tools with RACV’s ‘Booster Tag’, made young drivers fear social death more than actual death in MAC’s ‘Lose your License’ and ‘You’re Screwed’ campaign, and most recently created 7-Eleven Australia’s first entry into the beauty world with its Coffee Body Scrub. 

Moreover, Weston’s work has been recognised at a host of local and international award shows, and has recently joined The Aunties’ senior mentorship programme, using her experience and expertise to help support the next generation of female leaders. 

Commenting on her elevation, Weston said, “It’s a pleasure to be recognised in this role and I’m excited to continue making world-class work with all the clever people at CHEP.”

Meanwhile, Glen Dickson, CHEP’s deputy chief creative officer, noted, “Amy is a truly creative person. And a natural creative leader. She’ll do amazing things in her new role at CHEP – for our clients, our people and our work.”

Hong Kong – Wunderman Thompson in Hong Kong has announced new appointments in its creative and strategic leadership teams namely Wilson Ang as executive creative director and Anant Deboor as head of strategy.

Ang was previously the group creative director at JWT while Deboor had spent more than a decade within the agency.

Ang joins the agency as one of the first creative leaders applying creativity and innovation into digital transformation for clients. In the past 20 years, Ang has worked on Hong Kong and regional accounts as varied as AIA, Disneyland, HSBC, IKEA, McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble and Samsung with over 10 of these years in digital and traditional leadership roles. 

Speaking on his appointment, Ang said, “2022 is destined to be a year of transformation. There are a few things at the core of this celebrated agency, and network at large, that strongly resonate with me. Whether it is an unabashed love for ideas or the wonderful management team one gets to learn from. WT is bubbling with opportunity, and I’m looking forward to working with WT’s creative force to explode its massive potential.”

Meanwhile, Deboor brings a wealth of varied experience, previously working client-side as a global head of strategic marketing, independent board-level marketing strategy consultant and advertising/branding agency-side business leader and planner across Asia-Pacific.

On his appointment, Deboor commented, “As someone who cut his teeth in the ‘thinking, planning’ Thompson world, it gives me immense pleasure to return to the family. New name, newer more advanced capabilities but the same awesome people, and still the same culture and feeling. Wunderman Thompson is home. And really looking forward to doing my bit to help WT Hong Kong return to being the biggest, baddest, most lusted after agency office in all of Asia-Pacific.”

Speaking on the appointments, Maggie Wong, chief executive officer at Wunderman Thompson Hong Kong, said, “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Anant and Wilson back to bolster our strategy and creative teams. Wilson brings with him the passion and expertise in fusing creativity and technology to deliver innovative and meaningful solutions. Anant is an accomplished strategist with decades of experience. I’m confident that they’ll inspire fresh perspectives and collectively take Wunderman Thompson HK to new heights.”

Meanwhile, Sheung Yan Lo, regional chief creative officer at Wunderman Thompson, commented on Wilson Ang’s arrival, “Wilson used to work with us in JWT and it’s great to welcome him back to our new family, Wunderman Thompson. He is one of the very rare creative talents in Asia who embraces data, technology and creativity in work to solve clients’ market challenges.”

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.

Australia – Purpose-driven integrated communications agency Think HQ has appointed Michael Knox, former executive creative director at News Corp Australia, to step into the newly created role of executive creative director, as part of the agency’s strategic evolution to significantly expand its creative capabilities.

In his new role, Knox will be working across all disciplines and teams at Think HQ to push and elevate the work, creating famous campaigns on any channel, and leading and mentoring people. He will also be working closely with clients.

During his over 25 years in the industry, Knox has worked across some of the world’s most widely recognised brands and campaigns including TAC’s Ungiven Gifts, MS Australia This Bike has MS, and Hong Kong Tourism Board Reframing Hong Kong. He is also the co-host of the popular podcast, The Imposterous, where he and Graham Drew explore the idea that the world’s most respected creative professionals suffer pangs of inadequacy that can either stifle their potential brilliance or protect them from mediocrity.

Aside from his previous role at Roller, Knox was also the CCO of Grey Australia for six years before moving to Grey Group Hong Kong for three years where as CCO he was responsible for improving the creative product and strategic reputation of Grey Group Greater China. He has also held senior creative roles at Ogilvy Melbourne and was ECD for six years.

Commenting on his appointment, Knox said, “Think HQ is an incredible business. It is uniquely positioned to create the type of work that’s needed to be effective today. Its purpose first beliefs, inclusive approach to creativity and desire to only make work that has a positive impact in culture is something I’m strongly aligned with and looking forward to being part of.”

Meanwhile, Jen Sharpe, Think HQ’s founder and managing director, commented that they are thrilled to have Knox join the Think HQ team, not only because he is one of the best in the business, but because his appointment moves us a step closer to achieving one of the boldest and most exciting goals I have for our agency.

“Our creative offering is already exceptional, and with Michael on board, we are confident that we can take that to the absolute next level and evolve the agency into very exciting territory,” said Sharpe.

Andy Lima, Think HQ’s group head of creative, production, and digital, said, “Michael brings world-class experience, aligned values, and shares our commitment to producing creative work with a conscience. I’m very much looking forward to working together as we redefine the role of creativity in delivering positive change, both with our clients and across the Think HQ group, collaborating with all our business units.”

Mumbai, India – BBH India has appointed George Sebastian, former senior creative director at DDB Mudra, as its newest executive creative director. He will report to BBH India’s Chief Creative Officer & CEO Russell Barrett and lead a talented team of copy, art and design professionals.

He brings into the agency around 14 years of experience and has helped brands like Gillette, Tanishq, Glance, Dell, McDowell’s No 1, Britannia, TTK Prestige, 3M and TicTac unlock their purpose and ambition. Prior to joining DDB Mudra, he also worked with Enormous Brands and Grey Group.

Speaking on his appointment, he said, “There are a few things at the core of this celebrated agency, and network at large, that strongly resonate with me. Whether it is an unabashed love for ideas, a robust culture of expression and debate, or the wonderful team of Good and Nice folks one gets to learn from. BBH is bubbling with opportunity, and I’m looking forward to working closely with Russell and all black sheep to explode its massive potential.”

Meanwhile, Barrett commented, “George is an exceptionally talented creative individual who is also incredibly versatile. He’s as comfortable working on a 30-second commercial as he is on an AR idea. He’s as gifted at his craft when he’s writing in Hindi as in English. He’s a mature creative leader who is as driven as the hungriest first jobber. We’ve got the ‘all-inclusive-package’ with George and I’m certain he’s going to produce extremely famous, relevant and modern work for BBH India.”

Shanghai, China – Media.Monks, the digital-first creative company, has announced the promotion of Darren Crawforth to executive creative director of Media.Monks China, effective immediately. In his new role, Darren will work with Rogier Bikker, the office’s Managing Director to fulfill Media.Monks’ FutureProofed business vision in China.

With over 20 years in design and technology, the former group creative director, with stints that spanned London, New York, Boston, LA and Beijing, spent the past 10 years living and working in China to help brands in the country connect with global audiences whilst enabling international brands to nestle into China. He has created award-winning work for the world’s most prestigious brands such as Nike, Google, Puma, Riot Games, OPPO, HP, Golden Goose, to name a recent few.

In the past two years, Crawforth has been building a team that brings the talent and perspective needed to challenge the industry status quo and build the unique creative culture in Media.Monks China.

Commenting on his appointment, Crawforth said, “It’s an epic journey to establish what a creative agency from the future looks like and how it behaves. Can’t wait to see what’s next as we continue to build Media.Monks in China together with our teams and client partners.” 

Rogier Bikker, managing director at Media.Monks China, shared, “Darren has been instrumental in bringing our FutureProofed vision to life, attracting the best talent and consistently delivering industry-beating pitch wins. I’m excited for Darren to further build out our digital-first creative capabilities, advocate our FutureProofed vision, train the next generation of creative monks and guide our 40+ Shanghai creatives towards even more award-winning creative work”

Meanwhile, Joao Flores, regional executive creative director at Media.Monks APAC, commented, “Darren represents the very best of a new way of thinking, from a media-driven approach to a more experience-driven approach. He’s a Monk at heart and a key part of our creative collaborative process. We are extremely excited to have him leading the way for growth and extraordinary creativity with our China Team,”

Manila, Philippines – Havas Ortega Group has announced that Angie Tijam-Tohid joins the communications group as its executive creative director, where she will be responsible for driving the agency’s creative philosophy and creating meaningful brands for the Havas Village clients in media, digital, social commerce, CRM, public relations, branding, healthcare, and sustainability. 

Tijam-Tohid will report to Jos Ortega, chairman and chief executive officer at Havas Ortega Group.

She was formerly a radio DJ and newscaster for some of Metro Manila’s most popular FM stations before joining advertising. Her two-decade journey in the industry has taken her to Ogilvy and TBWA\SMP in the Philippines, and Grey Group in Malaysia. Prior to her new post, she led the digital creative group at Ace Saatchi & Saatchi Manila as creative director and head of content.

Speaking about her appointment, she said, “I’m extremely excited to be joining Havas. The post-pandemic landscape presents greater opportunities for us to elevate our creative capabilities and create work that’s data-driven, culturally relevant, delivered in the most engaging and impactful ways.”

She added, “Stepping into this role, I feel massive support from Jos, Mother Hermie, Jay and the entire Havas Village. I’m looking forward to collaborating with this awesome and talented team, nurturing our young creatives and creating meaningful work that truly makes a difference.”

Meanwhile, Ortega commented, “We have always believed that diversity drives innovation and creativity. Angie’s unique perspectives, both as a woman and a leader in her field, will help us come closer to achieving our mission of creating a meaningful difference to brands, businesses, and people.”

The appointment of Tijam-Tohid further strengthens Havas Ortega’s leadership team as she joins previous appointees Jay Lim as COO of Havas Media Group, Mel Panabi as business director of Red Havas, and Apple Galvez-Castillo as business director of Havas Market.

Sydney, Australia – ​Socially-led creative agency We Are Social in Australia has appointed Ben Clare, former group creative director at independent creative agency Emotive, to be its new executive creative director.

Clare’s creative reputation has been built over a 15-year career working in Australia and the United States. Aside from his previous role at Emotive, Clare was the creative director at TBWA Sydney, Clemenger BBDO Sydney, and Johannes Leonardo in New York. Over his career, Clare has also worked with brands including Google, Qantas, Tourism Australia, and Amazon, as well as Optus, and Skittles, amongst many others, helping them tell their stories in meaningful ways across film, digital experiences, and branded entertainment, as well as PR, and social.

In his new role, Clare will be leading the development of We Are Social Australia’s creative vision, working with a team of editors, copywriters, art directors, videographers, and photographers, as well as designers, delivering social-first ideas and integrated campaigns for clients including Samsung, Audi, Foxtel, and TikTok, amongst others.

Commenting on his appointment, Clare said that the opportunity to join We Are Social and help define its next chapter proved impossible to pass up. 

“More importantly, We Are Social is filled with lovely and talented people eager to take risks. It’s going to be a lot of fun,” added Clare.

Meanwhile, Suzie Shaw, We Are Social’s CEO for Australia, commented that he loves Clare’s work, and his energy. 

“Having him join the business at a time when we’ve got so many great clients all looking for interesting ideas, I’m seriously excited about the next creative chapter for We Are Social,” said Shaw.

Sydney, Australia – Advertising agency Howatson+Company officially welcomes Richard Shaw and Jeremy Hogg as new executive creative directors of the agency. They will be joining current executive creative director Gavin Chimes in the agency lineup.

Prior to joining, Shaw and Hogg were creative directors at CHE Proximity, leading the creative output across multiple accounts including Samsung, Australia’s largest account consolidated within one agency. Their creative oversight spanned every aspect of their business including CX, media, data, tech, social, retail, brand and beyond.

Speaking about their appointments, the duo said, “We’ve had the good fortune to work with a whole bunch of people at Howatson+Company before. We couldn’t be more excited to be reunited with such remarkably clever and lovely humans. Add to that getting to work with all new faces like Levi and it feels like the sky is the limit.”

Meanwhile, Levi Slavin, chief creative officer at Howatson+Company, commented, “At Howatson+Company we have a commitment to very senior talent, on the tools. It means our clients benefit from creatives with deep experience, and the confidence to apply creativity to its most powerful effect. We’re delighted that Rich and Jez have joined with Gav, to maintain our philosophy and standard to our growing client list.”

He added, “There are no better creative partners than Rich and Jez. They care fiercely, which makes them perfect for Howatson+Co.”

The new appointments follow a number of recent senior appointments including Managing Director Renee Hyde, Chief Data and Technology Officer Hoang Nguyen, Head of Production Holly Alexander, and Managing Partner Rebecca Robertson.