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.”

Singapore – #BuySingLit, a local-based movement aimed at promoting local literature, has appointed The Hoffman Agency as its official agency partner, effective 4 October. 

The Hoffman Agency will be responsible in strategizing and and overseeing #BuySingLit’s rebranding from a two-weekend campaign to a year-long program, including branding, creative guidelines, marketing activations, and counsel on media placement.

They will also be responsible for furthering the cause of celebrating stories from Singapore; advocating homegrown book publishers, retailers and literary non-profits to encourage more people to discover and embrace Singapore’s literature. 

#BuySingLit continues with its advocacy of ‘Buy Local, Read Our World’ where homegrown book publishers, retailers and literary non-profits come together to encourage more people to discover and embrace Singapore’s literature.

“The #BuySingLit committee is delighted to welcome Hoffman on board as our official PR, Media and Creative Agency. As a movement supported by a diverse range of industry players, we look forward to wider media outreach and deeper relationships in the coming year. Readers can look forward to more exciting updates coming soon,” said Chong Lingying, manager of Asiapac Books and member of the #BuySingLit Marketing Module.

Maureen Tseng, general manager for Singapore at The Hoffman Agency, commented that they are excited with bringing #BuySingLit’s initiative alive through a 360-degree integrated communications campaign, cutting across PR, media and creative outreach.

“Hoffman is proud to partner with #BuySingLit to raise awareness of the breadth and depth of local literary talent in Singapore. The Hoffman Agency’s mantra of storytelling is completely aligned with what this movement stands for – creating an inclusive, diverse and vibrant community of Singapore Literature lovers,” Tseng said..

The Hoffman Agency has recently won various accounts in Asia-Pacific this year, including of Microsoft HK for PR duties and Shutterstock for communications.

Singapore – Global media and digital marketing communications network dentsu International has retained the global media remit for financial services company Standard Chartered, extended for five more years following a competitive pitch. Said assignment covers Standard Chartered’s global markets across media planning, strategy and buying.

For Emma Sheller, global head of brand strategy and consumer for private and business banking marketing at Standard Chartered, dentsu came to the table with a deep knowledge of their business, commitment,s and how they can drive growth from the media with an impressive service model and a team aligned to that value set.

“At Standard Chartered, we are here for good. It’s the motivation of our business, and a principle we clearly share with dentsu in the commitments and progress they’re making to be a force for good. We are committed to reducing carbon emissions, lifting participation and improving lives, and setting a new model of globalization based on transparency, fairness and trust. It is important for us to have a partner with shared values and ambitions who would work with us to achieve our goals,” Sheller stated.

Meanwhile, Prerna Mehrotra, CEO for media at dentsu Asia Pacific and Singapore, commented that they are proud of the work they have delivered with Standard Chartered over the course of their previous four-year long relationship, and are excited for the potential of their next five-year commitment.

“We presented Standard Chartered with a team of brilliant people, who felt passionately about delivering performance with purpose for the Standard Chartered business, which set strong foundations for us to build the next five years on. Our vision for good growth, delivered through our ‘one dentsu’ service model across the diverse markets Standard Chartered operates in, delivered the competitive advantage for the team.” Mehrotra added.

Standard Chartered has tapped dentsu in the past for the adoption of dentsu’s programmatic supply solution as part of Standard Chartered’s global campaign ‘Here for good’.

Just recently, the company has also announced other company endeavors, specifically the launch of its gaming solution for APAC.

Singapore – Tech PR agency Bud Communications has been awarded the public relations account of TPG Telecom in Singapore, following a four-month competitive pitch.

Through the appointment, Bud Communications will be responsible for helping set up influencer engagement, communication strategy, and brand campaigns on TPG Telecoms’ behalf. The agency will report to Crystal Sim, who joined TPG Telecom as marketing communication manager earlier this year, and Richard Tan, TPG Telecom’s CEO.

“We were looking for a communications partner that understands the lightning-speed of innovation and disruption in the telecoms space, whilst bringing fresh thinking to the fore. Bud was chosen due to their passion, appetite for fresh thinking, and experience in this area, and we look forward to our future partnership,” Tan stated.

The telco represents a new wave of growth for the integrated communications agency as it doubled down its efforts in the technology space since the pandemic.

Meanwhile, Oliver Budgen, founder and managing director at Bud Communications, commented, “TPG Telecom has already made an impressive start in Singapore, bringing together its world-class innovation and customer focus to challenge the competition. The pace of disruption, the variety of challenges and opportunities emerging in the telco space makes this a fascinating time to be representing them.”

Bud Comms has been winning multiple accounts since last year, which includes OTT-revenue management platform Evergent, electronics e-commerce company RS Components, entertainment marketing agency Culture Group, media intelligence company CARMA ASIA, and cybersecurity firm, White Ops, now known as HUMAN.

Sydney, Australia – Following a competitive pitch across multiple agencies, local independent creative agency The Core Agency has won the business account of Quest Apartment Hotels, spanning brand strategy and creative development, covering identity design, advertising and digital.

Quest Apartment Hotels is a global apartment hotel brand run by local business owners, and since 1998, Quest has opened four to 10 new properties every year in Australia alone, to become the largest serviced apartment operator in Australasia. 

Quest’s business continues to grow rapidly, with four hotels currently announced as under construction in Australia. The group is also expanding overseas with plans for five new Quest Apartment Hotels to be opened by 2025 in Europe.

Christian Finucane, founder and creative partner at The Core Agency, said, “Quest Apartment Hotels represent a fantastic choice for travellers who want more than just a room with a bed in it. During the pitch we visited their properties and instantly realized they had a wonderful product. We’re excited to now partner with the Quest team and help tell their story.”

Meanwhile, Jeff Baars, chief marketing and digital officer at Quest Apartment Hotels, commented, “We’re thrilled to be working with The Core Agency to help bring our passion for the local soul, and commitment to a truly effortless guest experience to center stage.”

The Core Agency’s clients include IGA Supermarkets, PwC, Just Better Care, EasyFlowers, Doctors on Demand and Evergreen Garden Care.

Sydney, Australia – Local independent agency L&A Social has been recently appointed by fashion distributor True Alliance, which handles brands such as Ben Sherman, Lacoste, Lee, Nautica, Riders, Rockport, Speedo, Teva, The North Face, UGG and Wrangler; to handle its company portfolio’s social strategy, following a competitive pitch.

Said appointment marks the first time True Alliance has aligned all of its fashion brand portfolios to have its social strategy handled by one agency.

In addition to managing social media strategy for existing brands, L&A will also launch new brands into the Australian market and focus on driving shoppable customer engagement as part of True Alliance’s growth plans.

According to Ken Kennedy, head of digital at True Alliance, the agency demonstrated a clear understanding of the strategic direction they want to take across their portfolio of world-famous brands, adding that it pushed the boundaries of innovation and used social media channels to reach new customer bases while elevating their brands in a crowded and highly competitive space.

“Working in a truly collaborative manner we are set to embark on our next phase of growth, their creative thinking and reputation for delivering results using social media made them the ideal choice and we look forward to working with them to drive our business in line with our ambitious plans,” Kennedy said.

Meanwhile, Elena Fullerton, managing director and business director of L&A Social, commented, “This is a really exciting partnership for us. We are bringing together our two teams in True Alliance and their suite of globally recognized brands and L&A in our knowledge of deep, end-to-end social. We are embarking on a strategic growth journey and we can’t wait to get started.”

L&A has been currently working with major local and global brands including Woolworths, Unilever, Volkswagen, Palmolive, Ampol, Hublot and Ocean Spray.

“The business continues to grow from strength to strength, with leading local and global brands entrusting us to deliver strategic and creative social campaigns which are effective and people want to consume. Being recognized as one of the top places to work in Australia is a testament to our outstanding team who, even during challenging periods such as lockdowns, continue to maintain our positive, collaborative culture, and ensure we deliver for our partners,” said Gina Lednyak, CEO at L&A Social.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Multinational Malaysian telecommunications company Axiata has recently appointed advertising company dentsu in Malaysia as its creative agency of record, effective by December this year.

The agency was tasked by Axiata in building its brand equity aligned to its strategic purpose of ‘Advancing Asia’, which is the company’s objective of being the best in the region in terms of innovation, connectivity and talent. Furthermore, dentsu will be providing end-to-end communications support for Axiata to strengthen its reputation with key stakeholders across the region.

Axiata’s appointment of dentsu Malaysia comes in retrospect of the need to elevate its growth as a trusted regional brand, its brand plans will require a targeted mix of campaigns focused on technology and innovation thought leadership, employer branding, good governance, credibility, sustainability, diversity, nation-building, and digital inclusion.

Kunal Roy, CEO of dentsu Creative, said, “We feel deeply honored and privileged to partner with a client that is so alike in our values and our purpose; we look forward to bringing alive Axiata’s purpose of ‘Advancing Asia’ with meaningful innovation and experiences. As Axiata continues to champion progress across Asia, dentsu is committed to partnering with Axiata using creativity as a force for lasting good everywhere, in every way.”

Meanwhile, Dato’ Izzaddin Idris, president and Group CEO at Axiata, commented, “As one of the largest diversified telco groups serving emerging markets in Asia, Axiata is well-positioned and anchored to support digital inclusion and progress in a time when governments, businesses, and societies turn to technology and digital innovation to drive recovery and growth. We look forward to dentsu’s best work to support our regional momentum and aspirations as The Next Generation Digital Champion by 2024.”

For Kien Eng Tan, CEO of dentsu Malaysia, they are thrilled to win Axiata’s mandate, which is not only a recognition of their creative excellence but a demonstration of how the agency can deliver impactful ideas, through a strong collaboration with their client.

“We look forward to leveraging our inclusive Consumer Vision 2030 to unlock opportunities for growth through integrated solutions that are real-time, data-driven and tech-enabled. I am proud of our team, the work we do is our people’s mission and pride — each employee at dentsu is fearless in embracing the invitation to the never before,” Tan concluded.

Singapore – The Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech), which operates under the premise of delivering the government’s digital services to the public, has recently appointed Reprise, the global performance marketing network under global advertising company IPG, to be its social content agency, effective immediately.

Reprise, known for its full suite offering of crafts designed to deliver customer flow, will lead the strategic social content development for GovTech across their digital platforms. 

“At Reprise we are focused on providing a holistic Flow throughout the entire digital customer experience. We are beyond proud to partner with GovTech, an innovative and transformative brand that focuses on building effective solutions for both citizens and businesses across Singapore” said Karen Soo, head of Reprise Singapore.

Reprise has been active in various appointment and brand campaigns in the region. Just recently, in celebration of the upcoming Merdeka or the Malaysian Independence Day, they have worked with chocolate drink brand MILO for a new campaign. In addition, Reprise has also worked with Ford in Malaysia for a new video campaign about ‘seeking the outdoors’ soon.

All of these activities come after Reprise has also recently appointed Pippa Berlocher as the new APAC president at Reprise.