Tag: Ogilvy

China – In celebration of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, Coca-Cola has unveiled an immersive multi-platform campaign, ‘Embrace Differences, Win Together,’ designed to invite Chinese consumers to experience and celebrate the power of connection and unity.

Created in partnership with WPP Open X and led by Ogilvy, the Greater China Olympic-themed campaign features a series of short films, outdoor ads, and interactive online and offline activations that allow users to virtually embrace China’s top athletes. 

In July, Coca-Cola launched a global campaign highlighting sports’ power to unite and bridge cultures ahead of Paris 2024. In China, the campaign focused on “hugs,” featuring local videos of China’s top athletes’ pre- and post-game embraces.

During the Olympics, Coca-Cola captured real-time moments of athletes hugging and edited them into short videos for China Central Television’s (CCTV) “Coca-Cola Hug Moments” daily recaps. Concurrently, the highlights and achievements of Chinese athletes were shared in real-time through social media and outdoor posters.

These scenes capture the Olympic spirit, where athletes from diverse backgrounds unite in their shared passion and embrace their differences to achieve their dreams. The campaign uses the act of sharing a Coca-Cola as a symbol of breaking down barriers and fostering connections. Each embrace becomes an inspiring testament to the Olympic ethos.

To further boost engagement during the Olympics, Coca-Cola also introduced the “Embracing the Moment, Cheer for the Olympic Games” mini-program. This interactive feature lets users create custom photos with their favourite athletes, using their own images and a range of backgrounds, stickers, and clothing options. This experience connects users with athletes and the event, fuelling excitement as they support Chinese competitors in the Olympics.

In addition to online interactions, Coca-Cola’s “Embrace Differences, Win Together” campaign featured offline outdoor ads across major Chinese cities. From landmarks to bus stops, metro stations, and shopping malls, these ads invited consumers to celebrate diversity and explore new possibilities.

Coca-Cola’s campaign invites everyone to rediscover the beauty of connection at the Olympic Games—by clinking bottles and cans to cheer on athletes and sharing “hugs” to celebrate every unforgettable moment together.

Manila, Philippines – Ogilvy Philippines has recently announced the appointment of executive creative directors Chino Jayme, Noah Valdez and Dino Ocampo to drive the agency’s creative strategy, bringing their wealth of experience and innovative thinking to the forefront. 

The creative triumvirate leads a team of young, passionate and multi-awarded creatives across the Ogilvy Group in the Philippines: Ogilvy Advertising, Ogilvy One, Ogilvy Public Relations, Bates CHI & Partners, Soho Square and Pulse Communications; across the agency’s advertising, brand and content, one-to-one communications, PR & influence, and health offerings.

The trio’s collective vision is centered around the concept that groundbreaking ideas can emerge from any corner of the agency, transcending traditional hierarchies. As ECDs, Jayme, Valdez and Ocampo are committed to fostering an environment where creativity knows no bounds.

“We believe in democratising creativity. Our goal is to empower every team member – from junior creatives to account managers – to contribute their unique perspectives and ideas,” Jayme said.

Meanwhile, Valdez commented, “Innovation thrives where diverse voices collaborate. Our role is to amplify those voices and turn them into impactful campaigns.”

Lastly, Ocampo said, “The mindset that everyone in the agency contributes to the creative process is key to fostering innovation and to our continued success. We’re excited to lead by example and inspire breakthroughs across all client projects.”

Speaking about the new appointments, Elly Puyat, CEO at Ogilvy Group Philippines, said, “We could not be more thrilled to have Chino, Dino and Noah as our Creative Leaders and my partners in growing the Agency’s twin peaks of creativity and effectiveness. Creativity has and will always be at the heart of the Ogilvy brand and culture. Our best ideas emerge from the intersection of diverse areas of expertise. By empowering everyone across our Agency to contribute, we benefit from a rich tapestry of ideas borne from various backgrounds, viewpoints, life stages, and cultures.”

She added, “We can count on Chino, Dino and Noah to sustain and elevate the creative momentum in each of our Group’s nine businesses built over the last decade.”

Amidst the many Asia-Pacific winners from Cannes Lions this year, the Philippines had a handful of winners, including for the campaign ‘This is an IKEA Store’ by IKEA alongside Ogilvy Philippines. Said campaign won a Silver Lions for the Media Category under the Single-Market Campaign section. For context, this campaign integrated IKEA’s physical products into diverse public locations, allowing consumers to check out the store’s catalogue on their mobile devices.

For our next Top Story feature, we recently spoke with Mona Nazario-Garcia, managing director for advertising, brand and content at Ogilvy Group Philippines to better understand their work with IKEA, the results the campaign had across Filipino consumers, and what can we look forward between IKEA and Ogilvy for campaigns in the future.

Making IKEA more accessible to Filipino consumers

It is worth noting that IKEA opened its largest store in the country back in 2021–encompassing 730,000 square foot of space and is located in Pasay City, Philippines. Despite all of this, the popular Swedish brand was still unable to reach to Filipino consumers, with many saying that the store is too far away from them.

With that in mind, an idea came to life: what if IKEA brought not only its store but also the experience much closer to Filipino consumers?

“‘This is an IKEA Store’ was born from a simple truth: despite having the biggest IKEA store in the world, the Philippines’ complex geography made it difficult for Filipinos to reach our store. We realised that if people couldn’t come to IKEA, we had to bring IKEA to them. This sparked the idea of turning everyday locations into interactive IKEA showrooms, by strategically placing IKEA products in public spaces with QR codes for easy purchase. We recreated the IKEA shopping experience in 927 locations, both online and offline. This not only made IKEA more accessible but also brought the brand closer to the hearts of Filipinos,” Mona said.

She also stressed the importance of accessibility not only physically but also digitally, given how many Filipinos are digitally connected, hence they added an e-commerce aspect with the campaign to highlight the brand’s accessibility to Filipinos.

“We recognised that accessibility is crucial in the Philippines, where traffic and transportation can be challenging. The rise of e-commerce also highlighted the need for a strong online presence and a way to combat unauthorised online sellers. By tapping into Filipinos’ love for experiential shopping, we created a campaign that was immersive, shareable, and personalised, ultimately driving traffic to IKEA.ph and building trust with consumers,” she added.

Understanding the campaign’s impact to Filipinos

As the campaign rolled out in various places in the country, ranging from coffee shops, beaches, camping spots, salons, to even gyms–Ogilvy Philippines noted that the “This Is An IKEA Store” significantly boosted IKEA’s presence in the Philippines by making the brand more accessible and relatable. 

“The campaign’s success is evident in the 30% increase in e-commerce transactions and 8% growth in website revenue — an all-time high for IKEA.ph. This success, along with the Silver Media Lion win at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, solidified IKEA’s position as a forward-thinking brand,” Mona said.

She further added that from a branding perspective, the campaign positioned IKEA as a creative and consumer-focused brand in the Philippines.

“The campaign’s reach, with over 46 million impressions, and high engagement rates demonstrated strong consumer interest. From a consumer perspective, the campaign tackled the accessibility issue, resulting in a 14% increase in new website visitors and a 30% increase in e-commerce transactions,” she said.

When we asked what we can expect more from IKEA and Ogilvy PH in terms of new local campaigns in the Philippines, Mona said that IKEA and Ogilvy will continue to push boundaries. 

“We owe it to the legacy of the IKEA brand to keep striving for creative and effective excellence. We’re committed to bring IKEA closer to Filipinos, through dialed-in data-driven work, and our goal is to deliver impactful campaigns that resonate with our audience and drive meaningful results,” she concluded.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Multinational personal care corporation Kimberly Clark has partnered with Ogilvy Malaysia to launch its newest ‘Scott Calorie Absorber Pro’ campaign, taking a new approach to health and wellness with Scott Kitchen Towel. 

The latest campaign transforms consumer perceptions by making a humble kitchen staple, the kitchen towel, into a vital health supplement. Labelled and repackaged as ‘The Calorie Absorber Pro’, the kitchen towel is now a product that has no preservatives or artificial flavour and can even absorb up to 127 calories per sheet. 

The idea behind Ogilvy Malaysia’s campaign is rooted in the latest data showing that Malaysia grapples with the concerning reality that it is ranked as the most obese country in Southeast Asia as per the World Obesity Atlas 2023. With this, the advertising agency is set to redefine wellness, which is not just anchored on a flood of dietary supplements promising miraculous results. 

Partnering with Muscle Mania for a strategic retail activation, Ogilvy Malaysia leveraged the influence of fitness personalities to highlight and demonstrate the innovative features of ‘The Calorie Absorber Pro’. The campaign showcases real-life testimonials, illustrating how individuals seamlessly integrate ‘The Calorie Absorber Pro’ into their fitness regimen. 

By presenting Kimberly Clark’s Scott Calorie Absorb Pro Kitchen Towel as an essential ‘supplement’ in the journey towards health and wellness, Ogilvy Malaysia seeks to defy industry marketing conventions and foster a stronger emotional bond with consumers. 

Martin Soong, marketing manager at Kimberly Clark, said, “We are thrilled to partner with Ogilvy Malaysia on this truly innovative campaign. The Calorie Absorber Pro campaign not only underscores the innovative capabilities of our product but also aligns with our commitment to promoting healthier lifestyles in Malaysia and beyond.”.

Jaz Lee, executive creative director at Ogilvy Malaysia, also shared, “At Ogilvy, we thrive on transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. The Calorie Absorber Pro campaign exemplifies our dedication to innovation and purpose-driven marketing. By reimagining Kimberly Clark’s Scott Calorie Absorb Kitchen Towel as a health supplement, we’ve demonstrated the power of perspective in reshaping consumer perceptions”. 

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.” 

Philippines – IKEA launched the #IKEAEverywhere campaign in collaboration with Ogilvy, integrating physical products into diverse public locations. Ogilvy executed a campaign for IKEA Philippines by turning every possible place into an IKEA shop.

Restaurants functioned as easy places to shop in addition to providing places to eat. nail salons became all-inclusive destinations for Filipinos, providing manicures and pedicures in addition to the chance to browse IKEA’s items. 

Some of these integrations were smoothly transformed into retail spaces were gyms, clinics, and beaches. e-jeepneys, GrabCars, outdoor billboards, and outdoor installations were placed throughout EDSA, SLEX, and NLEX.

Customers can shop at these places by scanning the QR code located near the furniture. This strategy drove Filipinos to the IKEA website, increasing the pool of potential customers.

Influencers went farther than usual by actively participating in a national easter egg hunt. They searched and scanned every IKEA store throughout the nation with diligence. IKEA fans even got involved, exhibiting their homes as virtual IKEA stores on the internet.

Beijing, China – Following the company’s commitment to inspire brands with sustainable climate communications solutions, global advertising, marketing, and public relations agency Ogilvy has recently entered into a partnership with Tsinghua University’s Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development (ICCSD).

With this agreement, the two are expected to advance the international image and profile of the institute by putting ICCSD’s valuable academic research and Ogilvy’s global branding expertise at the forefront of the campaign.

At the same time, they also intend to help corporations across industries leverage data-driven insights to inform their strategic decisions in regard to climate change and sustainable transition.

In particular, Ogilvy will serve as a global brand planning and communications partner, assisting in the conceptualization and establishment of ICCSD’s integrated database, which compiles their extensive collection of data and research. Through this platform, the institute sets forth a commitment to support China’s sustainable development and economic transformation objectives.

Zheng Li, president at ICCSD, commented, “Climate change is one of the greatest threats of our time, and requires urgent action. This cooperation between our Institute and Ogilvy aims to accelerate and facilitate the adoption of sustainable solutions by corporations across industries, through a new type of data platform powered by our world-class research resources and Ogilvy’s branding capabilities.”

Chris Reitermann, chief executive officer at Ogilvy APAC and greater China, said, “We are delighted to enter into this partnership with Tsinghua University’s Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development, and are grateful for ICCSD’s trust in Ogilvy. We look forward to leveraging our branding expertise to raise awareness around Tsinghua University’s contributions towards global climate governance and are excited about the prospect of collaborating closely on sustainability-related thought leadership and research projects. 

“Most importantly, we see this collaboration as a fantastic opportunity to bring more visibility towards ICCSD’s research assets, and better support our clients with their sustainable transition ambitions, ” he ended.

Singapore – Unilever’s skin care brand POND’S Skin Institute has partnered with advertising and PR agency Ogilvy Singapore for its new product launch campaign to unveil its elevated brand world.

Pond’s new campaign with Ogilvy aims to revive the brand and breathe new life into it while finding ways to connect science with women around the world.

The skincare brand will undergo a complete redesign of its visual identity and brand essence. It will also onboard K-pop star Tzuyu from Twice as its new global ambassador. She will be instrumental in the brand’s reinvention as it invites women to discover how the science of Pond’s Skin Institute can make miracles happen for their skin.

With the tagline ‘Miracles Happen’, the campaign is set to unveil the transformative power of groundbreaking science and what it would mean for millions of Southeast Asian women.

The new campaign comes as POND’S announces the launch of its newest bright miracle product range, which features new formulations and the Nobel Prize-winning science of autophagy to boost skin’s ability to self-repair and achieve ultimate clarity and radiance.

This brand revamp and new campaign will commence in Indonesia and will cascade throughout Southeast Asia and the rest of the world into 2024 through a series of captivating videos, inspiring social media content, and arresting in-store designs.

Aanchal Sethi, global managing partner at Ogilvy Singapore and Unilever, said, “We tapped into the insight that despite their relentless pursuit, 9 out of 10 women struggle to bridge the gap to their desired skin. They believe it would take a miracle to achieve this skin. Today, we have the science to bridge this gap; the science to make miracles happen.”

Speaking on the campaign, Vandana Suri, global brand lead at POND’S Skin Institute, also shared, “At this pivotal moment for Pond’s Skin Institute, we are excited to showcase our longstanding heritage of skincare innovation while introducing the world to our unparalleled new Bright Miracle product range.”

“As we integrate the best of science and beauty, we couldn’t be more thrilled for our partnership with Tzuyu to invite people everywhere to experience the brand. From her unrelenting ambition, diverse talent, and unique craft to her warm personality and inspiring outlook on beauty, she is truly an icon who makes miracles happen,” she added.

Sydney, Australia – Ogilvy Sydney has announced three key senior appointments, which include Jane Jacob, who will serve as head of strategy, Clare Lambert, who takes on the role of Sydney client head, and Emily Shum, who joins as its customer experience director.

All three of these appointments take effect immediately and require these team members to relocate to Australia to begin their respective roles.

Jacob has 18 years of experience, most of which she gained at Ogilvy in South Africa, and has worked with a variety of global brands. Her most recent position was that of senior manager for consumer and shopper connections at Coca-Cola Africa. She will be in charge of overseeing the Sydney Strategy team and working closely with Ogilvy Sydney’s chief strategy officer, Ryan O’Connell, to strengthen Ogilvy’s emphasis on performance.

Meanwhile, Lambert has two years of experience as a business director at Wunderman Thompson in London. Her background includes various aspects such as experience design and digital transformation. She has held several business direction roles at companies such as ORM and the specialised UX/CX agency Bunnyfoot over her 20-year career.

Lastly, Shum brings global experience from her previous role as global program director at Ogilvy Paris. Throughout her 14-year career, she has led digital transformation and loyalty programs for clients in EMEA, the UK, the US, and China, and has held senior positions at companies such as Virgin Australia/Velocity Frequent Flyer, Next Hotel Melbourne, NA-KD, and Lendlease in various international markets. Notably, she has served on UN Women committees in both Australia and France since 2017, lending her digital marketing expertise.

Speaking about the appointments, Michelle Holland, managing director of Ogilvy Sydney, said, “Given our ongoing focus on delivering the best outcomes for our clients, many of which operate in multiple markets, we scoured the globe to ensure we had the best possible talent to join the team. While Jane, Clare and Emily each bring different skills and experience to the roles, they all have the ability to apply their craft to solving a range of business issues regardless of the platform, fitting perfectly with our concept of borderless creativity.  We’re excited to have them on board.”

Holland added, “Diversity of experience and thought is a valuable asset in any business, but particularly at Ogilvy where innovative, digitally led approaches are driving such strong outcomes for our clients, and opportunities for our team.  Whether they come from Sydney, APAC or across the globe, this kind of broad experience is both sought-after, and welcome.”

Singapore – A staggering 98% of B2B marketers in Southeast Asia are already utilising influencer marketing, yet 60% are still not experiencing improved lead generation from B2B marketing activity, a new Ogilvy study shows. 

The research shows that B2B influence is among the fastest-growing marketing priorities in SEA.

In an interview with 550 chief marketing officers (CMOs) across 11 markets, including Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, from brands including LinkedIn, Dell, EY, IBM, and Samsung, it was shown that 75% of B2B marketers are now utilising B2B influencer marketing. Additionally, 93% of those are already planning to increase influencer activity.

Furthermore, the survey, which polled marketing leaders from across Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the USA, showed that C-suite leaders are already recognising the potential of B2B influence activity in building a credible brand and supporting lead generation.

Half of 49% believe influencers can help their brands be more credible and trusted, while 40% experienced improved leads or sales because of influencer marketing strategies.

In Asia specifically, industry adoption is soaring, with almost 94% of businesses in the region already integrating B2B influencer marketing into their strategies, and among them, 77% have expressed their intention to further increase their investments in this area. With this number, it is expected that those who haven’t formulated a B2B influencer marketing strategy may find themselves falling behind their competitors.

When it comes to influence effectiveness, 66% of businesses found that B2B influencers deliver more significant impact when compared to traditional brand-only marketing approaches. Further adding to this, almost all of the industry executives in Asia consider B2B influencers on social media as vital tools for staying updated and engaging with their respective industries (98%). This surpasses the global average of 90%.

Meanwhile, the study also showed that more than half of industry executives in Asia incorporate insights gleaned from B2B influencers into their presentations. Similarly, over 50% of these executives actively share relevant content with their network.

However, despite these impressive numbers and high usage, the survey also showed a worrying percentage of B2B influencer marketing potential that is still not realised or utilised properly.

The findings of the survey suggested that no teams are utilising after-sales influence to its full potential, despite 47% agreeing there is an opportunity for B2B influencers to have the biggest impact during after-sales when executed correctly. With 60% not yet experiencing improved lead generation from B2B marketing activity, there is also a large opportunity to immediately realise more value from influencer marketing.

In addition, the global research pointed out some missed opportunities for ROI, considering there is a symbiotic relationship between employees and influencers that few CMOs have spotted, with limited numbers identifying that employees can be influencers themselves. 

With this, the global report has pointed out three key imperatives that CMOs can use to improve their B2B influencer marketing strategies.

First, peer-to-peer 2.0, which is a widely recognised marketing channel to reassure prospective buyers and revolutionise digital relationships and professional communication. Second, the holistic growth approach recognises the importance of including influencers in the entire business operation and integrating them into the post-sales experience. Lastly, CEOs and CMOs must recognise their employees as valuable assets in promoting their brand, with each having a network of connections outside the company.

Commenting on the study, Emily Poon, President of PR and influence in Asia at Ogilvy, said, “With 66% of CMOs in Asia saying they find B2B influencers more impactful than their usual marketing activities, a B2B influencer marketing strategy has become a must-have for brands and businesses. Our global research— the first-of-its-kind—with local insights from senior marketers in Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines provides actionable steps for CMOs, communications, and business leaders in the region to turn influencers into the most versatile full-funnel tool in their B2B marketing communications armoury.”

Ashutosh Gupta, country manager and head of online sales for LinkedIn APAC, also added, “B2B companies are increasingly choosing creative ways to connect with their target audience in a more authentic and engaging way. A big reason behind this trend is the trust and credibility that these experts offer. On LinkedIn, we have seen industry leaders carve a niche for themselves as thought leaders in their space, where their opinions hold significance within their network. Thought leaders often provide a more genuine connection than brand advertising thanks to the fundamental trust that is already fostered between them and their network over time.”