Tag: Marketing

New Delhi, India – Advertising agency Cheil India has recently announced its latest significant business win with Indian fashion-led hypermarket Vishal Mega Mart with a mandate to focus on integrated advertising and marketing solutions.

This expansive partnership comes at a pivotal juncture where the agency is poised to grow its roster of clients through its assortment of creative, media, data, activation, and retail capabilities.

Talking about the partnership, Hanish Batra, head of marketing, Vishal Mega Mart, said, “We look forward to our association with Cheil India and a great partnership in our ambition of making aspirations affordable for our customers.”

Meanwhile, Neeraj Bassi, chief growth officer, Cheil India, commented, “Vishal Mega Mart is a retail powerhouse enabling consumers to experience high end fashion across India. We are elated to partner with them in their quest to make fashion accessible to masses.”

“We are eager to create a benchmark creating work that sets a new standard for the fashion retail industry. This partnership will mark our foray into managing retail clients, which is a dynamic category in itself,” he added. 

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Insurance and takaful solutions provider Zurich Malaysia has joined forces with Malaysia-based pet insurance platform Oyen to introduce ‘Oyen Takaful Kucing’, the first-ever cat takaful product in Asia.

Oyen and Zurich’s innovative collaboration aims to address the growing demand for takaful pet coverage that can provide comprehensive protection for cats and their owners in Malaysia.

The ‘Oyen Takaful Kucing’ coverage can cover up to RM8,000 of unexpected vet bills when a customer’s pet cat falls ill or is injured. With this, owners can seek quality veterinary care for their feline companions during emergency situations.

Additionally, the Shariah-compliant product will provide pet owners with coverage plans that are aligned with the Islamic principles and values of mutual protection and shared responsibility.

Leveraging Oyen’s AI-enhanced application, the cat takaful insurance ensures seamless submission, processing, and tracking of claims, which offers a swift assessment and greatly simplifies the experience for pet owners.

Shamsul Azman, chief executive officer of Zurich General Takaful Malaysia Berhad, said, “We are excited to collaborate with Oyen in introducing Asia’s first cat takaful product. We believe that this product aligns with the evolving needs of pet owners and supports our commitment to innovation and customer-centric solutions. Zurich is proud to be part of this venture, and we look forward to making a meaningful impact on the pet insurance and takaful industries in Malaysia. This ties back to our brand campaign “Care For What Matters,” reinforcing our dedication to protecting what our customers value most.”

Kevin Hoong, co-founder and CEO of Oyen, also shared, “As the pioneer of pet insurance in Malaysia, we are encouraged to see the exponential growth in the segment since our launch in 2021. We have seen growing interest from pet owners who prefer takaful as a protection option for themselves and their family (including their pets). With our new takaful offering with Zurich, a leading global brand, we look forward to helping more Malaysian pet owners afford high quality veterinarian care that is comparable to that of developed nations like UK, Japan, and Sweden. This partnership marks a significant step in providing peace of mind and security to pet owners while respecting their faith-based principles.”

Singapore – Global financial superapp Revolut has officially launched a first-of-its-kind, limited edition 24-karat gold-plated card for its users in Singapore.

Revolut’s new gold card underscores the company’s goal of continuously providing its users with a variety of eye-catching card designs that are not only innovative but also involve the customers in the creative process.

Made through a meticulous design process, the limited edition card is carefully crafted from a single sheet of reinforced steel that is plated in real 24-karat gold. Users who will have the opportunity to have the card must handle it with care and not combine it with sharp objects to avoid any scratches on its soft and real gold plating.

The gold card can be redeemed for free by the app’s top 100 spenders from December 1, 2023, to January 31, 2024. Another set of cards will also be given for free to the top 50 spenders in December 2023 and 50 in January 2024.

Revolut’s luxurious 24k gold card is the newest of its exclusive designs, following its current metal card offering that is available in lavender, rose gold, space grey, and black. The company is also offering personalised cards to customers on paid plans, where they can add emojis or freehand drawings to their cards.

Ashley Thomas, head of strategy and operations at Revolut Singapore, said, “We are always looking to provide our customers with card designs that are unique and reflect their personalities. Our users carry their Revolut card almost everywhere they go, across the world. Why not add some character and flair to each transaction they make? The 24-karat gold-plated card is made for those who are looking to add some luxury to their lives.”

Singapore – Telecommunications company Singtel has recently announced its partnership with television channel Nickelodeon to launch an electronic waste recycling campaign to raise greater awareness of the impact of e-waste on the planet, and how recycling helps in reducing one’s environmental footprint.

Dubbed ‘Go Green with the Turtles’, the integrated campaign features Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, encouraging members of the public to drop off their unwanted electronic devices at designated recycling bins at selected Singtel shops.

With the campaign running from December 1,2023 to February 29, 2024, the items will be refurbished by Engineering Good, Singtel’s non-profit device circularity partner, and distributed to vulnerable communities so that they too can enjoy the benefits of a digital lifestyle. 

The campaign includes a series of animated videos featuring the Turtles rallying viewers to become “eco-ninjas” and join them in their mission to reduce e-waste, or as they call it, ‘technotrash’.

These will be aired on Nickelodeon as well as other English channels on Singtel TV, Singtel TV GO and the CAST app, Singtel and Nickelodeon’s social media channels, as well as four Singtel shops. There will also be a booth at Singapore Comic Con where visitors can meet their favourite Turtle heroes, take part in challenges to win attractive prizes and enjoy event-exclusive freebies. Singtel customers get 10% off tickets to the convention.

Talking about the campaign, Diana Chen, managing director, customer management at Singtel Singapore, said, “Singtel is committed to playing its part to bring about a greener future. In keeping with our goal of achieving net zero by 2045, we’ve been taking active steps to improve our energy efficiency across our mobile base stations, increase the use of renewable energy sources and reduce packaging to minimise our environmental impact.”

“We’re pleased to partner like-minded organisations such as Nickelodeon and Engineering Good to raise greater awareness of climate change and device circularity among the public. We want to inspire more people, especially families with kids, to take steps, no matter how small, to fight the effects of the climate crisis,” she added.

Queensland, Australia – In a bid to reduce the risk of skin cancer across the state, Queensland Health has partnered up with advertising agency CHEP Network to launch the latest sun safety campaign, with a twist that definitely generates awareness. 

The campaign has been crafted to resemble a horror film starring Queensland’s sneakiest killer – the sun, with a series of trailers and promotional posters telling audiences that the sun can also be a cause of something terrifying.  

Utilising well-known horror tropes including a spooky young girl, a foreboding elderly lady, a bathroom mirror scene and lots of screaming, the campaign is aiming to engage 18-34 year olds across the State to better protect themselves from the sun’s damaging UV radiation as this age group, melanoma is the most diagnosed cancer.

The campaign tagline ‘You do the 5. You Survive’, aims to educate young Queenslanders how to be safe in the sun by adopting the slip, slop, slap, seek shade and slide on sunglasses advice that is crucial in protecting your skin from the sun, and reducing your risk of skin cancer.

Talking about the campaign, Phil Shearer, executive creative director at CHEP Network Brisbane, said, “Our audience know they need to be sun safe. Unfortunately they’re not putting that into action in their daily behaviour. It’s scary. We knew we had to do something different to engage a notoriously difficult audience.”

“To properly get their attention, we made some scary film trailers to get under their advertising radars and remind them that the sun can actually kill,” he added.

The campaign launches today across online video and audio, social media and a range of out-of-home placements.

Sydney, Australia – Creative agency Accenture Song has recently announced the appointment of Tara Ford as the chief creative officer for growth markets at Accenture Song, effective immediately. 

Retaining her position as chief creative officer of The Monkeys Sydney, Ford is now also responsible for overseeing all creative output from the Asia Pacific and Latin America regions. 

The regional role will see Ford work closely with Neil Heymann, global chief creative officer of Accenture Song.

Throughout her career, Ford’s work has been consistently recognised at the highest level of every major international award show across an expansive range of clients and disciplines. This includes most recently the coveted Dan Wieden Titanium Grand Prix at Cannes with the ‘The First Digital Nation’ for the Government of Tuvalu.

Under Ford’s creative stewardship, The Monkeys has won Campaign Brief Agency of the Year 2021, Mumbrella Creative Agency of the Year 2022, and AWARD Creative Agency of the Year 2022. In 2023, the agency was crowned Spikes Australian Agency of the Year, Cannes, D&AD and One Show Agency of the Year Australia, along with Effies Effective Agency of the Year, Australia.

Ford also serves as a board member of the Advertising Council of Australia and the D&AD Advisory Board, where she was named ‘Creative Captain 2022’ in the Women Leading Change Awards by Campaign Asia Pacific. She was also named ‘Global Creative Leader of the Year 2021’ by Creativepool and ‘Creative Person of the Year’ for ANZ by Campaign Asia.

Speaking on her appointment, Ford said, “I am thrilled to be working with Neil, heading up the creative offering of Song’s formidable regional team. Leading our diverse creative talent across Song in Growth Markets is going to be super interesting. I look forward to helping our people and clients shine through the combination of creativity, innovation and technology.”

Commenting on Ford’s appointment as well, Heymann mentioned, “Tara is the kind of creative leader shaping the direction of our industry. She’s a champion of creativity and creative people and has proven herself consistently on the global stage. As importantly, she’s ambitious, business-minded and tech-fluent in a way that positions her perfectly to drive work that is unique to Song’s capabilities. Tara having more widespread influence, especially across some of our most exciting markets, is great news for all of us.”

Meanwhile, Mark Green, president of Accenture Song ANZ and co-founder and chief executive officer of The Monkeys, added, “Tara is a world class talent, and it is with great pleasure we get to see her ply her talents on a bigger stage. We are in a fortunate position to have three incredible leaders in Tara, Ant and Damon in ANZ and the wider opportunities will come thick and fast.”

Seoul, South Korea – Advertising agency BBDO in South Korea has recently announced the appointment of Junhwa Jung as its newest executive creative director. This strategic move aims to elevate the agency’s presence in the dynamic creative landscape, focusing on infusing his expertise into the industry.

Jung boasts a rich portfolio as a creative director, leaving an indelible mark on global and domestic brands. With over two decades of experience, he has even cultivated collaborations with Korean artists and forged diverse partnerships.

Previously recognised as one of the country’s top creative directors, his influential role in crafting advertising narratives extends to renowned brands such as Samsung, Nike, Levi’s, Amore Pacific, SK Telecom, Yuhan-Kimberly, and Outback Steakhouse.

Apart from this advertising prowess, he has also ventured into the tech realm, establishing a tech agency committed to projects involving augmented reality platform development and digital human initiatives using real-time 3D technology.

Following the said appointment, Jang-Yong Kim, CEO at BBDO Korea, shared his enthusiasm, saying, “We are delighted to welcome Junhwa Jung as our new ECD. With his exceptional talents and passion for unconventional creativity, we are confident that he will lead BBDO Korea to new creative heights.”

In his newfound role, Jung is poised to imbue a novel approach into the company’s advertising initiatives, showcasing his remarkable copywriting skills and innate capacity for unconventional thinking.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Advertising Agency OMD Malaysia has been appointed by telecommunications company CelcomDigi to handle media duties for three years following a pitch called in August.

OMD Malaysia’s appointment follows their futuristic pitch which impressed CelcomDigi and aligned with the telco’s strategic priorities. Additionally, the agency imprinted themselves on the client by highlighting the power of Omnicom Media Group’s agile and bespoke service model and the use of Omni, a proprietary people-based precision marketing and insights platform.

Prior to this win, OMD worked with CelcomDigi to execute a brand launch campaign in October that is running for a quarter. The telco was formed last December following a merger between Celcom and Digi and recently unveiled its new brand spirit “Create a world inspired by you” along with a new logo.

Through this, OMD wanted to show how the union signified more possibilities and opportunities that could reimagine a new era for the country. The team also understood the need to communicate that CelcomDigi’s combined strength helps consumers reimagine their life and gives them power to do more.

Using this insight, CelcomDigi leveraged OMD’s innovative thinking to execute market-first initiatives on TV, radio, and social media. These included brand integrations within Malaysian news programmes and shows, and branded likes and hashtags on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Speaking on the appointment, Mayank Bhatnagar, managing director at OMD Malaysia, said, “We are chuffed to have secured the trust of CelcomDigi with our innovative media planning approach. This was one of the key pitches in Malaysia, and it was satisfying to see our team develop great chemistry with CelcomDigi over the past few months. With our knowledge and expertise in the field, we are confident that we can help CelcomDigi establish themselves as the nation’s trusted partner in innovation and digitalisation.”

Meanwhile, Eileen Ooi, chief executive officer, Omnicom Media Group Malaysia, commented, “It has been an absolute honour and an exciting journey to work with the CelcomDigi team to kick-off the brand launch campaign. We are absolutely thrilled about this new partnership, and look forward to continue creating innovations that inspire Malaysians every day.”

Taiwan – Prior to celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2024, McDonald’s Taiwan kicks off a full year of festivities with its latest campaign called ‘Simple Happiness’, in collaboration with Leo Burnett Taiwan.

Starring Taiwanese pop icon Jolin Tsai, the film by Leo Burnett Taiwan depicts moments of simple happiness across four decades, beginning in 1984, the year McDonald’s Taiwan first opened its doors.

Leaping from 1988, when McDonald’s launched its first Happy Meal, through to 2024, when McDonald’s Taiwan will celebrate its 40th anniversary, the film transitions from village streets to cityscapes in the blink of an eye using 3D animation with a timelapse effect to express the passage of time.

In a first for Taiwan, the film’s various eras were filmed entirely in a Virtual Studio in collaboration with Moonshine XR Studio using the latest 3D modelling and mapping technology. The film even uses AI to faithfully recreate McDonald’s most iconic packaging designs of yesteryear, which exist today only in people’s memories.  

Speaking on this innovation, Hsiao Ya-chuan, the film’s director, mentioned, “Simple Happiness is a leap forward for Taiwanese filmmaking. We created five distinct settings using 3D modelling and huge LED screens. Simulating natural sunlight was one of many hurdles, but after months of extensive planning and testing, our story was freed from the constraints of physical locations, giving us greater control, flexibility and creativity.”

With Jolin Tsai’s new song featured in the video, she also commented, “It has been over 20 years since I first collaborated with McDonald’s, and I’m truly honoured to be part of this 40th anniversary celebration. The narrative masterfully intertwines the journeys of growing up in various eras, and the courage that McDonald’s can instil along the way.”

Talking about the campaign, Brenda Kou, CMO, Asia business unit, McDonald’s, said, “To commemorate McDonald’s 40th anniversary in Taiwan, we loved the idea of creating a ‘happiness time machine’ campaign that revisits memorable moments of simple happiness over the past 40 years. By embracing the latest virtual production technologies, it also looks to the future, positioning McDonald’s Taiwan as an icon of food, tech and transformation.”

Meanwhile, Kevin Yang, CEO and CCO at Leo Burnett Taiwan, also added, “McDonald’s holds a special place in the hearts of Taiwanese people. When it first opened in 1984, it brought new cultural influences and immediately became a place where shared memories are created, like a good friend we’ve all grown up with. After many years of adapting global propositions to local culture, McDonald’s Taiwan is a loved and essential brand among many Taiwanese people.”

Singapore – Havas has recently announced the acquisition of Klareco Communications, Singapore homegrown agency and Southeast Asian corporate, financial and strategic communications consultancy, to strengthen its global strategic communications advisory arm, H/Advisors, in Asia-Pacific.

This acquisition allows Singapore to become a critical base for H/Advisors to steer its international clients through this macroeconomic environment, and will also strengthen Havas’ presence in Singapore through its integrated Village approach.

With a power base in Southeast Asia, the addition of Klareco Communications represents an important next step in H/Advisors’ strategic growth plan. On closing, the agency will be renamed H/Advisors Klareco.

This addition represents another significant milestone, following the successful launch of H/Advisors in Dubai earlier this year and the recent acquisitions of Australian Public Affairs, one of Australia’s most prominent and successful public affairs agencies, and Cunha Vaz & Associados, Portugal’s leading PR and communications consultancy.

H/Advisors Klareco and its senior management team will take on a significant role within the strategic advisory network. The local leadership includes CEO and co-founder Ang Shih-Huei, and managing director and co-founder Mark Worthington who will join the Asia board to help direct and lead the expansion of H/Advisors in Asia-Pacific.

Speaking on the acquisition, Yannick Bolloré, chairman and global CEO, Havas, and chairman, Vivendi, said, “Our partnership with Klareco allows us to draw on their breadth of experience and knowledge of the Asian market as we continue to expand our Havas presence in APAC. We are delighted to welcome the well-respected Klareco team onboard and look forward to achieving great things together.”

Shih-Huei added, “As an independent firm, we have already been working with some of the largest MNCs and leading Asian headquartered companies. H/Advisors allows us to deepen our core communications offering across corporate, financial, digital and public affairs, and expand our expertise in fast growing areas such as sustainability and change communications, to ensure we continue to deliver best practice for our clients. Our teams are excited for this new chapter ahead.”

Worthington also mentioned, “We are delighted to partner with H/Advisors to enhance our standing as a landing point for international firms coming to, or expanding in Asia. Increasingly, boards and management face complex communications challenges as they expand internationally. We are excited to build on our offering to support these challenges, ensuring we have expertise and relationships in the markets our clients need.”

Meanwhile, Stéphane Fouks, executive chairman, H/Advisors, and vice president, Havas, commented, “2023 has been an outstanding year of growth for H/Advisors, with the opening of our Dubai office and the acquisitions of CV&A (Portugal) & APA (Australia) and now our partnership with Klareco, which will strengthen our offering not only in APAC but globally. Klareco is the leading communications advisory in Southeast Asia, and we are delighted to welcome Shih-Huei, Mark and the talent and experience they will bring to H/Advisors.”