Tag: McCann

Singapore – McCann Singapore is excited to announce expansion of its creative team in response to several recent business wins and portfolio growth. The bolstering of the creative department includes the hiring of five talented creatives, each bringing unique skills and experiences to enrich the team’s offerings.

The new hires include Martin Coppola as creative director, Wynn Gray as art director, Seth Low as junior art director, Luna Teo as copywriter, and Jodi Ong as junior copywriter.

A multi award-winning creative originally from Uruguay, Martin joins McCann after an illustrious career at global agencies such as VML, Ogilvy, and Mullen Lowe, and most recently, the LEGO Group in Denmark. Martin’s visionary leadership will be focused on the agency’s regional DHL and Ferrero accounts. 

Meanwhile, Wynn is a multifaceted art director and tattoo artist with a passion for transforming concepts into impactful visuals. With experience working on high-profile brands such as SK-II, The Faceshop, Samsung, and Fairprice, Wynn will be working on Singapore Government business, Ferrero and DHL.

Though McCann is Seth’s first full-time position, he has already made his mark in the creative landscape through internships at Dentsu and Publicis. His early accolades, including recognition in the AKQA Future Lions and the Crowbar Awards while still in school, reflect his potential and creativity. Seth was the creative behind the agency’s recent festive campaigns – “Yapping Paper” for SOSD and “Phone Shui”. 

On the other hand, Luna joins McCann from Goodstuph, where she created compelling copy for clients such as MCCY and UOB. Having previously collaborated with agencies like Havas and Ogilvy, Luna brings a wealth of experience in crafting social-led campaigns and will be working under the agency’s McCann Content Studio offering. 

Lastly, Jodi began her career at Goodstuph, gaining valuable exposure to both art and copy. Her talent was recognised when she won the One Club 2023 All-Star Competition. She will be working with the McCann Content Studios team across both Singapore Government and MNC clients. 

These new hires join Dan Parmenter, who joined the agency back in October as a creative director leading the McCann Content Studio offering, as well as the agency’s ECD, Alfred Wee. 

Additionally, given the importance of Singapore to the region, Valerie Madon, chief creative officer at McCann Worldgroup Asia Pacific now adds the title of chief creative officer at McCann Worldgroup Singapore to her remit.  

Speaking about the new appointees, Madon said, “We believe that these significant new hires, will not only enhance our creative offering but also position us for future growth. These colourful talents inject new energy to our team, and their diverse experiences will shape our agency’s future.”

Meanwhile, Nick Handel, President, McCann Worldgroup Southeast Asia commented: “This year marks the 50th anniversary of McCann in Singapore. We’re investing in this strategic growth to enhance our ability to deliver innovative solutions and exceptional service to our clients, allowing us to further strengthen our position in the industry.”

Tokyo, Japan – Second-hand clothing store SAFARI and McCann Japan has announced the launch of ‘SECOND LIFE’, a social commerce platform created to help pass on pre-loved treasured clothing to the next fashion generation in a meaningful way.

With this initiative, McCann and SAFARI have created a new business model – adding the stories of older people’s lives to their personal possessions and selling them to the younger generation, to create a brand-new shopping experience.

Launched in March, SAFARI’s new e-commerce site SECOND LIFE, is a place where people can purchase second-hand clothes along with their unique histories. The online store positions the clothing items as cinematic masterpieces, bringing the apparel to life by telling the special stories of each item of clothing – first dates, treasured moments with friends.

Additionally, the purchaser receives their chosen item together with the “story” and a postcard with a picture inspired by the story. The item is also accompanied by a clothing label, indicating the emotional elements that constitute the story.

A sample of the postcard highlighting the woman’s clothes when she was on a trip.

Talking about the initiative, Kazz Ishihara, ECD of McCann Worldgroup, said, “When we interviewed elderly people about their memories related to the clothing, their faces lit up with joy. So, we decided to use their words as prompts for an AI-generated image. The art direction is composed of soft, pastel colours to create a nostalgic, gentle and warm atmosphere.”

Meanwhile, Yusuke Tajima of SAFARI also commented, “In the course of running our vintage store, we have had many elderly people use our service. The experience has taught us that each piece of clothing contains a story, be it the owner’s memory or unique style. We felt that these stories themselves give the items value. And that is how we came to start the project. We hope that the vintage items will serve as a bridge that connects the elderly to younger generations.”

Tokyo, Japan – McCann Japan has recently appointed Charlotte Auyeung as its new head of strategy. Her appointment took effect in February 1 this year. 

She has over 20 years of account management and strategic planning experience at global advertising agencies including McCann and Leo Burnett in Hong Kong, Beacon Communications, Naked Communications and TBWA/Hakuhodo in Tokyo, where she led the strategies for companies such as P&G, The Coca-Cola Company, McDonald’s, IKEA, Airbnb, H&M and more.

In 2019, she took on a marketing role at Netflix Japan, where she led campaigns for popular shows including “Stranger Things,” “The Naked Director,” and “Alice in Borderland.”

Speaking on his new role, Auyeung said, “I’m thrilled to join McCann, whose mission to help brands earn a meaningful role in people’s lives aligns deeply with my own. Alongside our talented strategists and embracing McCann’s philosophy of ‘Truth Well Told’, I am eager to cultivate a team dedicated to uncovering consumer insights and brand stories rooted in truth, crafting strategies that inspire actionable solutions and creative excellence across platforms, growing brand and business for our valued client partners.”

Meanwhile, Takashi Aoki, representative director and president at McCann Japan commented on the appointment, “I am very excited to welcome Char to our leadership team. She is the ideal strategist to help us evolve McCann’s one-of-a-kind mission and philosophy in a modern way. She brings the expertise, experience and leadership we need to redefine our digitally-driven integrated solutions to grow our clients’ businesses and accelerate our transformation to become a more innovative agency partner for our clients.”

Lastly, Shilpa Sinha, chief strategy officer at McCann Worldgroup Asia Pacific, said, “I am delighted to welcome Char to the APAC Strategy Leadership Community. Char brings a wealth of strategic experience, building power brands that have shaped culture. She also demonstrates the perfect combination of a thinking and doing growth mindset, a fundamental for strategy leaders of the future. I cannot think of a better person to drive meaningful and effective creativity for our clients.”

China – MINISO, a Chinese lifestyle retail brand, has collaborated with the creative agency McCann China to launch a comprehensive integrated marketing campaign titled ‘Reinvigorating China’s Intangible Cultural Heritage’ during the country’s Golden Week national holiday in October. 

Said project is part of the “Chinese Cultural Innovation Global Development Plan,” a collaborative effort between MINISO and China’s official state news agency Xinhua. This represents both parties’ common goal of promoting and advancing Chinese culture, and it is in line with the celebration of the Belt and Road Initiative’s tenth anniversary. 

The campaign included a variety of touchpoints, beginning with a film that highlighted the beauty and current state of China’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. It then went on to actively involve consumers through interactive offline events, allowing them to share in and enjoy the pride and enthusiasm associated with “Continuing to Write China’s Intangible Cultural Heritage.”

MINISO’s Xian flagship store was transformed into a theme store dedicated to intangible cultural heritage as part of the campaign. This fusion of traditional and contemporary elements resonated with customers, propelling the store to fame in Datang’s Sleepless City, a bustling pedestrian street known for its fusion of culture, tourism, and commerce. 

Speaking about the campaign, David Zhang, group planning director of McCann Shanghai, said, “When MINISO reintroduced the three wonderful daily items they really enriched people’s lives. The campaign resonates across hundreds of years of time and space. When people put these small intangible cultural heritage items to use, you can say that our cultural heritage came alive again.” 

Meanwhile, How Chu, executive creative director of McCann China, said, “Our Intangible Cultural Heritage should not be a cultural memory that will gradually fade over time. So we took a very sincere approach to tell the story in a way that made our Intangible Cultural Heritage fresh and vivid, so it could be recognised and used by people again. MINISO was the key driver of this transformation. Our Intangible Cultural Heritage will not disappear if people actually use it.” 

Singapore – Valerie Madon, currently the chief creative officer for Southeast Asia at McCann Worldgroup, is expanding her current role to include the Asia-Pacific region. Madon will be responsible for creative product across Asia as the network continues in its mission to be the irrefutable leader in the business of creativity. 

She also retains her existing role as Chair of McCann Worldgroup’s APAC Creative Leadership Community (CLC).

Madon joined McCann Worldgroup in May 2023 from her previous role as the director of creative shop for SEA and emerging markets at Meta. Her 20 years of experience spans senior network roles at Havas, JWT and VMLY&R, along with two stints at Meta/Facebook.

Speaking on her appointment, Madon said, “It’s a privilege to work with all the diverse talent we have in this region. Their collaboration, hunger and integrity inspires me every day and I look forward to creating more meaningful work together for our clients.”

Meanwhile, Ghassan Harfouche, APAC regional president at McCann Worldgroup and Prasoon Joshi, regional chairman, CEO, and CCO of McCann Worldgroup India, said in a joint statement, “Initially Valerie was tasked with focusing her efforts on our Southeast Asia hub, which houses many key regional clients. We’re delighted that she will now expand her remit to cover the rest of the region, as an inspirational leader for our creative teams across all markets. She has a strong track record in APAC leadership roles and we are confident that she will be an excellent partner and elevate our work.”

Shanghai, China – Advertising agency McCann in Shanghai has been appointed by multivitamin brand Centrum to handle its strategic and creative communication in China until 2024. This comes ahead of Centrum’s 30th anniversary in the market.

Shu Wu, managing director of McCann China, said, “McCann has always been dedicated to helping brands earn a meaningful role in people’s lives, and Centrum has provided us with an excellent opportunity to showcase our strength in the field of healthcare.” 

Wu added, “Together, we will help Centrum to resonate more deeply with consumers through more emotional and personalized communication, so Centrum will become the top-of-mind brand for people when buying healthcare products for themselves or their family”.

To celebrate their 30th anniversary in China, Centrum plans to upgrade their brand image, as well as establish and strengthen its reputation as a daily health empowerment brand for Chinese consumers.  

Since its entry into the Chinese market in 1993, Centrum has been a leader in the multivitamin category, enjoying widespread popularity and an excellent market reputation. With the nation’s rapid economic development and corresponding lifestyle changes, the Chinese people’s focus on healthcare has evolved to place more care into daily health management.

Singapore – SEEK Asia, the parent company of jobs platforms JobStreet and JobsDB has rolled out its pan-regional omnichannel campaign for Asia that is targeted to empowering job seekers to go after careers they are passionate about.

A prime figure for the campaign is its TVC that depicts workers encouraging job-seekers to find work that matters to them, whether to save lives, design for fashion, explore new things, or discover future technologies. All of the TVCs, localized for their respective markets, end with the campaign’s mantra and name ‘Let’s Get to Work’.

The inspiration for the campaign stems from the fact that the pandemic has changed people’s attitudes towards their jobs, with many re-evaluating where and how they want to work and the kind of work they want to do. This has led to the emerging trend known as the “Great Resignation”, a term coined by associate professor of management at Texas A&M University Anthony Klotz, which explains why even experienced job seekers are choosing to leave their current careers in the search of something more meaningful.

The campaign is made possible by the direction of acclaimed Manila-based director Adrian Calumpang and through the creative direction from marketing company McCann Worldwide. As part of the campaign activation, Ogilvy will lead the social drive for the campaign, while PRecious Communications will drive the campaign’s PR.

Speaking about the campaign, Jane Cruz-Walker, chief marketing officer at SEEK Asia who was recently appointed as CMO for SEEK this year, said that the campaign is launched to motivate job seekers to pursue the jobs they love, adding that by providing them with these opportunities, they at SEEK Asia want to be the career partner that will inspire the next generation of workers to be the ‘heroes’ in their own career journey.

“While the pandemic has caused widespread job loss, reduced working hours, and pay cuts, it has also caused many to re-evaluate what they want out of their career. Job seekers’ demands have evolved beyond remuneration — they want a sense of fulfilment, good work-life balance, and career progression — and it is time for companies to adapt to this new world of work,” she stated.

Focusing on the hyperlocal nature of the job market, ‘Let’s Get To Work’ will also feature influencers and key opinion leaders will be used across the region — including Singaporean actress Sharon Au, Malaysian stand-up comedian Harith Iskander, Indonesian vlogger Gerry Girianza, Filipino actor and chef Marvin Agustin, Thai musician Manassavee, and Hong Kong fitness entrepreneur Charlz Ng.

Additional activities will also be introduced to get local job seekers excited, including Roro Jonggrang in Indonesia. This hyperlocal campaign will use the popular Javanese legend to tell the story of love and betrayal, and contrast this with how finding a job with SEEK Asia can be easy and drama-free. Said hyperlocal campaign for Indonesia is directed by Ben Wee, a freelance film director and cinematographer that has worked on multiple projects locally, including advertisements for Google and Indomie.

Meanwhile, Peter Bithos, CEO at SEEK Asia, commented that through their campaign, they hope to be able to better engage with and inspire job seekers to find jobs that are meaningful to them. He added that with their appeal to job seekers, this will also allow them to get more employers on the platform looking for quality talent, allowing an ‘explosion’ of opportunities. 

“Let’s Get To Work is an integral part of SEEK Asia’s commitment to job seekers and employers, and this is just the beginning of our exciting developments and plans,” Bithos stated.

He further added, “SEEK Asia is the biggest and most trusted jobs board in Southeast Asia. Our ambition is to grow fourfold in the next five years and to expand our platform beyond what people have come to know and love us for today. We are strengthening our existing business by making big investments in ​​people, innovation, and technology.”

Philippines – Jollibee has been known for its heartwarming ‘Kwentong Jollibee’ (Jollibee story) series, its brand of short films that stirs audiences’ emotions through its relatable stories. Part of the appeal of the narratives is that they are inspired by true events – human stories by ordinary people.

This time, the top fast-food chain is taking a different route. For its latest ‘Kwentong Jollibee’ film which will be launched tomorrow, 15 October, it decided to bring front and center the story of a national personality – the first-ever Olympic gold medalist in the Philippines, Hidilyn Diaz, who recently brought pride to the country in the Tokyo Olympics.

Diaz attained the victory last July 2021 in the Tokyo Olympics 2020 for the sport weightlifting, besting countries China and Kazakhstan. From the momentous win, the untold story of the hardships she went through in training and in life came into the spotlight, and this is what Jollibee aims to immortalize through its latest short film titled ‘Ginto’.

Unveiled in a media launch Thursday, 14 October, Jollibee aimed through a creative narration to tell the story of Diaz – both her immediate journey leading to the gold medal and her humble beginnings before she became every Filipino’s pride today.

Partnering with a young actress who portrays Diaz, the film showed how Diaz grew her simple dream as a young girl to the national pride today that has now been imprinted in the country’s history. The film showed how Diaz used to work with improvised barbells in native gyms and also the experience she’s had in Malaysia just before the Tokyo Olympics 2020, where she found herself going back to dealing with improvised training due to limitations brought by the pandemic.

Francis Flores, JFC Philippines’ country and regional marketing head and Jollibee Philippines’ marketing head, said, “For Hidilyn, the road to gold at the Olympics has been full of ups and downs but what’s incredibly powerful about her story is that it brings the message of not giving up and working hard for your dreams.”

Flores adds, “Aside from being proudly Pinoy, Hidilyn embodies positive values that we at Jollibee also stand for. We are very proud to welcome her to the Jollibee family.”

The film also marks Diaz’s signing with Jollibee as an official ambassador.

Translated from Filipino, Diaz commented, “Of course I feel honored to be a part of the Jollibee family because when you say Jollibee, it’s a trademark for Filipino. As I was growing up, Jollibee has already been there and now that my life story is now part of ‘Kwentong Jollibee’, that’s a big thing for me.”

She adds, “I am very happy that my story will be able to give inspiration to every Filipino especially during the pandemic.”

The film was developed together with creative agency McCann Worldgroup Philippines, who hopes that the new ‘Kwentong Jollibee’ would make a mark in the hearts of Filipinos just as its previous works have.

“The Kwentong Jollibee films have always been about hugot feelings. It capitalizes on making the Filipinos cry, laugh, go ‘awww’ by using unexpected story narratives about romance, family, and relationships. In this new ‘Kwentong Jollibee’, we tried to capture a different kind of hugot – the feeling of pride for the accomplishment of a fellow Filipino,” said NJ Mijares, creative director of McCann Worldgroup Philippines.

Narratives of ‘Kwentong Jollibee’ usually revolve around commemorative themes such as Valentine’s Day and Independence Day. The fast-food chain has also launched in May its first-ever global campaign with a story set in the future, narrating the story of a migrant Filipino family in New York City to send across the message of hope.

Everyone can catch the premiere of Hidilyn Diaz’s special Kwentong Jollibee film on Jollibee’s official Facebook page and Jollibee Studios YouTube channel beginning 15 October.