Manila, Philippines – In a bit to combat underarm shaming and promote confidence across Filipinas, Dove has launched a new campaign initiative called “Raise Your Arms”, which celebrates the courage of women who have raised their arms for change, impacting their communities and the broader society.

The initiative, conceptualised alongside Ogilvy Singapore, stems from the recognition of underarm shaming as a persistent issue that diminishes women’s self-esteem and confidence. 8 in 10 Filipino women won’t raise their arms because of underarm insecurity. 

To empower them and help them feel better about their underarms, Dove, a longstanding advocate for real beauty and body positivity, wants to remind them of a simple yet powerful truth: Every time women raise their arms, positive change happens.

The campaign is executed across multiple channels including visually striking outdoor posters and a strong digital presence on social media platforms. Using the hashtag #freethepits, Dove encourages women of all ages in the Philippines to join the movement and share their own moments of bravery and confidence. The campaign also invites women to be ‘kili-kili proud,’ celebrating their underarms as a symbol of their strength and resilience.

Moreover, “Raise Your Arms” differentiates itself by directly addressing a specific and longstanding cultural stigma, offering a platform for empowerment and change. By focusing on such a unique aspect of body positivity, Dove is fostering a more inclusive environment where women can feel proud of every part of themselves. 

Bianca Cancellara, global vice president for Dove Deodorant, said, “We firmly believe that every woman deserves to exude confidence and empowerment in her own skin. Our campaign transcends societal norms, empowering women to #FreeThePits and refuse to let underarm anxiety hinder their potential.”

Meanwhile, Ria Ocampo, associate creative director at Ogilvy, commented, “In the Philippines, there’s an intense pressure to have perfect underarms. People might even be ridiculed for not conforming to this unrealistic beauty standard. This was shocking to me when I explained it to people from other countries – it shows how deeply ingrained this toxic norm is in our culture. This campaign is a call to action for Filipinas! Let’s raise our arms high and reject the cultural stigma.” 

Singapore – Coca-Cola, as part of its global Foodmarks campaign, has released a quirky interactive music video, intersecting the importance of music and food together as well as highlighting the diverse street food landscape in Thailand.

Conceptualised alongside WPP Open X and led by Ogilvy Singapore, the music video tells the story of two legends meeting for the first time and having an epic night out with Bangkok street food and Ice-Cold Coke – creating the ultimate ‘Recipe for Magic’.

‘Coca-Cola Foodmarks’ in Thailand revives a rich cultural legacy of street food, portrayed in new ways to resonate with younger audiences. By blending its culinary attributes as represented by Chef Pom with the latest chart-topper in the Thai music scene, F. Hero, Coca-Cola aims to champion innovative ways for more youthful audiences to discover and engage with these often-iconic signature food destinations.

Launched globally in February 2024, Coca-Cola Foodmarks puts a spotlight on unique “food landmarks” that are shaped by a market’s rich cultural tapestry and crafted with the real magic of Coca-Cola. In Thailand, Coca-Cola sourced the perfect ingredients from both the music and culinary scenes to cook up an upbeat, interactive music video that celebrates the ‘Epic Night Out’ the duo and their crew have in their discovery of Thailand’s own brand of Foodmarks. 

TeeJae Sonza, senior director of marketing at Coca-Cola, said, “Our Foodmarks are not just about the simple act of dining; they represent the love we have in Southeast Asia for discovering hidden culinary gems within dynamic, bussing food scenes. With Foodmarks, we’re inviting people to discover the humble, unassuming yet iconic eateries in their markets with rich histories that remain untold—all while sipping the classic flavour of a chilled Coca-Cola.”

Meanwhile, Nikhil Panjwani, executive creative director at Ogilvy Singapore, commented, “Working with legends like F.Hero and Chef Pom was the ultimate magic recipe we needed to drop Coke and meals into pop culture.” 

Singapore – Artotel Group has tapped Ogilvy Singapore and production house Sauce Universe to help with the creation of its newest loyalty program tier that rewards their hotel’s most loyal guests with a night of anything and everything. 

Breaking from the usual loyalty programs that offer the same rewards like complimentary breakfasts or free room upgrades, Artotel Group has taken a bold step towards rocking the hospitality landscape in Southeast Asia with their new loyalty program offer.

Called the ‘Rockstar Status’, Artotel Group’s latest loyalty programme is a first-of-its-kind that rewards the most loyal guests with a night where anything goes, anything. It is the group’s newest tier under their existing Wanderlust program. 

With the release of the newest loyalty program, Artotel and Ogilvy Singapore have also unveiled a teaser that shows the guests what the hotel meant when they said ‘anything is possible with the Rockstar Status’. 

For members to be able to achieve ‘Rockstar Status’, they would first need to prove their loyalty and stay at the hotel for 120 nights. 

While this is a big ask, the hotel is also confident that guests will enjoy their long stay as they will also receive the very best the hotel could offer even before achieving Rockstar Status. 

Erastus Radjimin, CEO of Artotel Group, said, “Of all my years in the hospitality line, I’ve yet to see any hotel do something like this. At least, not voluntarily. This hotel membership brings the rockstar in you to life to have fun like never before! ” 

“Artotel Group has always gone above and beyond for our guests. As a hotel chain that celebrates creative hospitality, we believe rewarding our loyal guests with a night to fulfil their wildest dreams aligns perfectly with our philosophy. We want them to have an experience that they will never forget,” he added. 

Nicolas Courant, chief creative officer at Ogilvy Singapore, also shared, “ARTOTEL is a brand that truly believes in adding a creative touch to the hospitality business. In the past, we helped them create a safe haven for Chinese gamers. This year, we’ve worked with them to take their loyalty program to the next level.” 

Singapore – Ogilvy Singapore has announced the promotion of Ishita Roy and Frederick Tong to joint heads of strategy. 

Roy and Tong have been members of Ogilvy Singapore for the last ten years, and they have both contributed to the agency’s expansion, improvement of its standing, and strengthening of client relationships. With a range of experiences and abilities, they are promoted to take the lead in their new positions as Ogilvy Singapore’s strategy leaders.

Since joining Ogilvy in 2017, Tong, who has over 18 years of experience in creative, digital, and PR agencies, has been helpful in the company’s new business successes. His skill has been shown by the campaigns he has created for the Early Childhood Development Agency, Decathlon, IHG, and AIA. Tong was named Campaign Asia’s SEA Strategic/Brand Planner of the Year in 2022. 

With her 17 years of expertise, Roy has worked as an agency brand strategist in addition to being a marketer. Roy was involved in leading strategy for clients like the Changi Airport Group, Pringles, NCPC, Swisse, and, most recently, Mondelez, since she joined Ogilvy in 2017. She was shortlisted as a finalist for Campaign Asia’s SEA Strategic/Brand Planner of the Year in 2023 as a result of her accomplishments.

Speaking about the appointment, Kunal Jeswani, group CEO at Ogilvy Singapore and Malaysia, said, “Both Ishita and Fred are fantastic Ogilvy ambassadors and I am so happy that we have been able to create the opportunity for them to take leadership roles in the company. Their promotions to Joint Head of Strategy are a testament to their strategic capability as much as their ability to lead people and build culture.”

Meanwhile, Arvind Srivastava, chief strategy officer for Asia at Ogilvy, commented, “Ishita and Fred embody the strategic excellence that defines Ogilvy. Their combined expertise and vision will undoubtedly elevate our strategic capabilities and drive innovation across all facets of our work.” 

Singapore – Kellogg’s has appointed Ogilvy Singapore to handle its creative mandate in Southeast Asia. Through the mandate, the agency is tasked at reshaping breakfast choices in a region where cereal consumption has plateaued, partly due to consumers “skipping and skimping” breakfast.

The scope of work includes the creation of three films, featuring Granola, Coco Galaxy, and Coco Fills – each laddering up to a single idea to build the Kellogg’s master brand. Additionally, Ogilvy Singapore has crafted key visuals (KVs) for each product, with adaptations for digital billboards, bus wraps, and in-store merchandising. 

The campaigns will run in Singapore and Thailand for Kellogg’s Granola and Coco Galaxy, and Indonesia for Kellogg’s Coco Fills.

Moreover, Ogilvy, in partnership with Hogarth, extended its network’s capabilities to ensure that this innovative idea was executed in diverse ways across the markets it served.

Jeremy Webb, vice president and head of content at Ogilvy Singapore, said, “This is the perfect demonstration of Ogilvy’s ‘borderless creativity’ – a powerful single big idea that will evolve and serve the brand over time, based on insights from multiple markets and executed with Ogilvy’s strong geographical network. Not many agencies can leverage their network in the way we did–and through this, we can deliver efficiencies, but more importantly, insightful and modern work that cuts through and drives business growth for our clients in APAC.”

Recognising the need for a unifying idea that transcends borders and resonates with diverse audiences, Ogilvy harnessed its network and research capabilities to uncover valuable insights into breakfast consumption habits. The resulting campaign tagline, “Your day is waiting, but first Kellogg’s,” encourages individuals to press pause before they embark on their daily routines, positioning Kellogg’s as the ideal breakfast companion.

Meanwhile, Hao Tran, commercial leader for RTEC SEA at Kellogg’s, commented “We were looking for a creative agency and in Ogilvy we found a partner who delivered on quality strategy, and strong client servicing. Plus, it’s always a delight to work with a team of passionate creatives. Together we came up with a powerful big idea, executed quickly and efficiently, that will support our ambitious brand growth across products, markets and over time. We hope this campaign will be the first of many.” 

Singapore – The National Crime Prevention Council of Singapore (NCPC), a non-profit organisation committed to promoting public awareness about crime, has launched their latest anti-scam awareness TVC for its ongoing ‘Spot the Signs’ campaign, aimed at renewing efforts to educate the public about scams that continue to plague the city.

The new spot, which was created in partnership with advertising agency Ogilvy Singapore, uses behavioural science techniques to hone in on the emotional and mental toll of being scammed, and the effect it can have on individuals.

Titled ‘The New Job’, the TVC highlights the scary aftermath and fallout that victims have to deal with after being exploited in a scam. The narrative brings Singaporeans to the realization that they too could have been victims, through juxtaposition with internal monologues, that capture the train of thought that led them to fall for the scam.

Khee Jin Ng, the chairman of Public Communications Sub-Committee, the council of National Crime, and the creative partner of Kheej LLP, shared that many in Singapore have been lulled into a false sense of security by thinking that they are immune to scams. 

“Therefore, NCPC needs to continue in its efforts to raise awareness and educate the public in recognising the different signs of potential scams. We hope that the TV commercial and online video, which forms part of our NCPC Anti-Scam Campaign, will help convey this urgent message to the general public,” said Ng.

According to mid-year statistics released by the Singapore Police Force, scam victims last year lost S$168m to conmen in the top 10 scam categories in the first half of 2021, and a sharp spike from S$63.5m in the same period last year. This comes on the back of a 16% rise in the number of reported scam cases and an 11.2% hike in overall crime.

Mitchell Tan, Ogilvy Singapore’s executive group director, noted that their aim with this latest campaign is to go beyond logic and use emotion and empathy to reach the audience.

“Together our goal was to communicate to the public by using best practice techniques to help craft powerful, behaviour-changing narratives so that people will protect themselves against scams,” said Tan.

Singapore – As part of the National Library Board’s (NLB) ongoing ‘National Reading Movement’, the statutory board under the Ministry of Communications and Information of the Government of Singapore, has launched a new campaign to encourage Singaporeans to “read more, read widely, and read together.”

The campaign, which was created in partnership with advertising agency Ogilvy Singapore, aims to inspire people to read more books, both fiction and non-fiction, through the NLB mobile app. 

Titled ‘Read More. Be More’, the campaign includes activity across Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, as well as OOH in MRT stations, and digital display banners, reminding people how reading can turn day-to-day mundane situations into unexpected adventures. 

Moreover, the campaign includes two films – ‘The Unmasked Superhero’, where audiences discover how an unassuming supermarket employee mysteriously knows everything about superheroes, and ‘The Space Explorer’, which reveals how a humble tennis coach is also a budding astronomer. The two stories show how through reading books, people can expand their worlds and be so much more.

Chris Koh, the program director for National Reading Movement, noted that this year’s campaign continues to bring a fresh take in asking people to read more and widely.

“Our intent with this year’s campaign is to connect with audiences in specific everyday moments and demonstrate how reading can unexpectedly help you to be interesting, and this is true no matter what genre, language, or format reading can take,” said Koh.

Nicolas Courant, Ogilvy’s chief creative officer for Singapore and Malaysia, shared that the approach was to introduce reading as the source of how someone becomes interesting.

“By reading, you gain knowledge and knowledge leads to stronger connections with those around you,” added Courant.

Elrid Carvalho, Ogilvy Singapore’s creative director, further shared that the campaign used physical books to create their protagonists, in an aim to pull audiences into the world of books. 

“If we’ve inspired those who may have given up their reading habits, to pick up a book again, then we’ve succeeded in this campaign,” said Carvalho.

The campaign will be running until March 2022.

Thailand – Swisse, an Australian-made skincare brand, has announced that its recent campaign on social media platform TikTok has charged the skincare market in Thailand.

The campaign, which was developed in collaboration with advertising firm Ogilvy Singapore, is a hashtag challenge on TikTok that allows the brand to target young women aged 20 to 35 to create strong brand awareness, engagement, and establish its presence in social media and e-commerce.

Titled ‘#MaskingforbeautywithSwisse’, the campaign centers on the idea that no matter how unique or outrageous one’s current facial regimen is, Swisse’s clay masks are simple to use and give better results that can be felt and seen while using all-natural ingredients.

According to Swisse, the challenge encouraged Thai TikTok users to showcase their most unique home facial treatments. Swisse has offered them beauty products valued at THB100,000 as a prize for the most unique do-it-yourself (DIY) facial treatment submissions. 

“The conversion goal was to drive consumers directly from the link on Swisse HTC page to the Swisse Official Brand stores on Watsons, Shopee, and Lazada,” said Swisse.