Building on last year’s campaign, which centred on the immersive escape room experience The Trip: What Happened in Larspura, the latest phase shifts its focus to what the organisations describe as “permissive drug talk”—casual comments, jokes and rationalisations that can make drug abuse appear less harmful or socially acceptable.

To make these subtle conversations more visible, the campaign introduces vibrant 3D speech bubbles carrying common permissive statements. 

These appear across MRT platform screen doors, bus shelters, wallscape installations and inflatable displays. By scanning QR codes displayed alongside the installations, users can access an augmented reality (AR) experience that allows them to virtually “take down” the speech bubbles.

The AR experience also includes a personality quiz that matches participants with one of four ‘Uninfluenced Pals’—Gut, Wit, Reason or Empathy—each representing a different approach to responding to permissive drug conversations. 

The tool is designed to help youths understand how they can confidently speak up when encountering such narratives.

The campaign extends across paid media, social platforms, content partnerships, digital experiences and on-campus activations at Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), where students can participate in interactive games and collaborative exercises that simulate real-world conversations about drugs.

Among the highlights is the “Takedown Battle”, a larger-than-life game where participants work together to burst oversized speech bubbles carrying permissive messages before learning practical ways to challenge similar conversations in everyday situations.

According to Kaye Chow, Deputy Director (Partnership & Outreach) at CNB’s DrugFreeSG Office, the campaign recognises the influence everyday conversations can have on young people’s perceptions of drugs.

“CNB’s Uninfluenced campaign seeks to equip them with the awareness and confidence to think critically about these messages, and to respond constructively when they come across views that may normalise or downplay drug harm,” Chow said.

For Ogilvy Singapore, the creative challenge was making invisible social influences tangible.

Troy Lim, Group Creative Director at Ogilvy Singapore, said the campaign visualises permissive drug narratives so young people can recognise and respond to them more easily.

“Permissive drug talk is powerful precisely because it doesn’t feel dangerous—it hides in jokes and casual rationalisations,” Lim said. “Through AR, gamification and our four Pals—Gut, Wit, Empathy and Reason—we gave permissive thinking a shape, and its audience a way to answer back.”

The second phase of Year Two, scheduled to launch in October, will further equip the youth with practical skills to initiate conversations, call out permissive thinking and encourage peers to stay resilient against drug influences.

The campaign continues CNB and Ogilvy Singapore’s broader effort to modernise preventive drug education by using immersive technology, interactive storytelling and youth-focused experiences to encourage critical thinking beyond traditional awareness messaging.

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As part of the move, Archetype has promoted Mei Ling Yeow to Executive Vice President and APAC Head of Strategy & Innovation, while Simon Lesch joins the agency’s regional senior leadership team as Head of APAC AI & Transformation. The agency has also appointed Florence Mae Jarillo as APAC Data & Insights Lead.

The leadership expansion comes as organisations acrosAr the region seek new ways to improve visibility, trust, and discoverability as AI becomes a growing gateway for information, recommendations, and decision-making.

Together, the appointments are designed to strengthen Archetype’s consulting capabilities across strategy, AI, data and analytics, enabling clients to build stronger visibility and credibility in an increasingly AI-shaped world.

Leading the agency’s strategy and innovation agenda, Yeow will focus on expanding Archetype’s AI visibility consulting offer, deepening its advisory capabilities across markets, and helping clients connect business strategy, communications, and technology into measurable programmes.

Lesch will lead the integration of AI across Archetype’s consulting and creative workflows, helping teams and clients leverage intelligent systems to improve speed, decision-making, and campaign effectiveness.

Meanwhile, Jarillo joins the agency to strengthen its regional data and insights capabilities, translating audience, brand and campaign signals into actionable strategies that help clients better understand and engage their audiences.

The appointments also support the continued expansion of VISTA, Archetype’s integrated consulting framework designed to help brands improve their visibility, authority and trust across AI-powered discovery platforms.

VISTA combines the agency’s expertise across communications, strategy, AI, data and analytics to help organisations strengthen the signals they send to both people and machines, while connecting communications efforts to measurable business outcomes.

“What we’ve found is that having a consulting framework that acknowledges this and yet embraces testing and validation is critical. VISTA gives clients a way to step in, start moving and evolve their approach as they go, while connecting what they’re doing to what’s actually changing, attributing action to impact, not just activity to hope,” said Yeow. 

“AI has changed the operating model of communications, but it has not replaced strategy, judgement or creativity. The opportunity is to use AI to remove friction, accelerate workflows and create more space for higher-value thinking. For clients, that means faster decisions, smarter execution and communications programmes that can adapt with greater precision,” Lesch shared. 

“Data only matters when it improves the quality of decisions. Our role is to turn signals into insight, and insight into strategy clients can act on. By strengthening our data and insights capability across APAC, we can help clients better understand audiences, measure what matters and design campaigns that are more relevant, responsive and effective,” added Jarillo. 

According to Archetype, the strengthened leadership bench reflects its commitment to building a future-ready consultancy model as brands increasingly adapt to an environment where AI influences how audiences discover, trust and engage with businesses.

With the additions, Archetype APAC aims to further position itself as a strategic partner for organisations looking to remain visible, relevant and trusted in the next era of communications.

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Ong, who previously served as Vice President for Client Growth, will report to Daryl Ho, Managing Director for Singapore, and oversee the agency’s day-to-day strategic growth and client delivery while continuing to expand its integrated communications and AI-led capabilities.

He joined the agency in 2020 and has since led business development, grown its client portfolio, advanced its digital innovation agenda, and spearheaded its AI readiness initiatives alongside integrated communications, creative, and content-at-scale offerings.

The appointment reflects We. Communications’ continued focus on developing leadership talent from within while strengthening its operational capabilities in Singapore.

“We.’s growth has always been driven by our people,” said Ho. 

“Investing in leadership from within lets us move even faster on the capabilities, culture and expertise that define our business. Ayden brings the innovation and operational discipline that will help us continue to evolve and deliver world-class communications alongside our clients.”

Commenting on his appointment, Ong said the agency’s continued success depends on balancing innovation with its core strengths.

“The most successful agencies are those that keep reinventing while staying true to what made them successful in the first place. My focus will be building on that foundation and ensuring that we remain a relevant and trusted partner to clients navigating an increasingly complex digital-first business and communications landscape,” he said.

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The launch marks the first milestone of a digital transformation programme that aims to reshape how audiences discover performances, explore arts content, and engage with Esplanade online. 

Vertis was appointed to lead the project in September 2025 following a competitive public tender involving eight regional and international agencies.

Previously operating as separate websites, Esplanade.com and Offstage have now been consolidated into a single platform with a shared navigation system while maintaining distinct experiences. 

The live performance-focused Onstage experience adopts a light interface, while Offstage, which features editorial stories and archival content, uses a dark interface connected through a simple toggle.

The redesign also introduces curated landing pages, an enhanced events calendar, clearer content categories, a dedicated visitor information hub, and a scalable design system built to support Esplanade’s more than 4,000 annual programmes.

Beyond the front-end redesign, the platform was built on Sitecore XM Cloud with a headless architecture powered by Vercel, enabling isolated development, staging, and production environments. Vertis also implemented a defence-in-depth security model and completed extensive user acceptance testing with Esplanade’s teams before launch.

Birendra Balakrishnan, Co-Founder of Vertis, said the project extends beyond refreshing the website’s appearance.

“This is more than just a digital facelift — it’s about crafting a future-ready platform that reflects the soul of Esplanade while making the arts more accessible to all.”

Mathew Searcy, Executive Creative Director at Vertis, added that the agency focused on improving content discovery across Esplanade’s extensive programming and editorial archive.

“By connecting related Onstage events and Offstage articles, we’ve built a structure that makes it easier to browse, easier to discover, and easier to appreciate just how much Esplanade brings to Singapore.”

Meanwhile, Lee Kit Pui, Director of Marketing at The Esplanade Co Ltd, said the new platform supports the organisation’s ambition to build stronger relationships with audiences through more connected digital experiences.

“This launch is an important step towards creating a connected digital ecosystem that enables us to serve audiences better and strengthen Esplanade’s role as Singapore’s national performing arts centre.”

Looking ahead, Esplanade said future phases of its digital transformation will focus on enhancing customer relationship capabilities, developing a unified audience data platform, and delivering more personalised communications and content experiences through subsequent public tenders.

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Running from July 2026, the activation is designed to create an immersive commuter experience across stations and trains, reaching more than 16 million passenger journeys each month. The initiative also coincides with the completion of the Circle Line, marking a significant milestone in Singapore’s public transport network.

Building on the momentum of its 2025 campaign, which saw 65 Maybank-branded buses operating across Singapore, the bank is now bringing its signature yellow identity to the MRT network to strengthen everyday connections with consumers.

The Circle Line links several of Singapore’s key interchanges, including Bishan, Serangoon, HarbourFront and Bayfront, making it one of the island’s most connected transport routes. 

Through the activation, Maybank aims to reinforce its commitment to serving customers through meaningful touchpoints that connect communities, businesses and destinations.

According to Annie Lee, Head of Country Corporate Office at Maybank Singapore, the activation reflects the bank’s purpose of humanising financial services while celebrating the connectivity enabled by the completed Circle Line.

“The completion of the Circle Line is a reminder of how connectivity brings people, businesses, and communities closer together. These are values that resonate strongly with us,” shared Lee.  

Meanwhile, Stellar Ace said the partnership demonstrates how out-of-home campaigns can create memorable experiences by engaging audiences throughout their daily journeys.

“The completion of the Circle Line brings people, places, and opportunities across Singapore closer together. We are delighted to partner Maybank, bringing its ‘Served Your Way’ campaign to commuters across the Circle Line network,” said Tony Heng, President of Stellar Ace.

“By bringing together stations and trains across the network, we are demonstrating how brands can engage consumers through shared everyday journeys to create memorable moments that stay well with commuters,” added Heng. 

For the next four months, commuters across the Circle Line will encounter Maybank’s ‘Served Your Way’ campaign as part of a network-wide experience designed to celebrate connection, accessibility, and the role brands can play in everyday life.

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Agoda’s 2026 Travel Outlook found that 73% of Gen Z travelers intend to travel one to six times annually and 86% prefer shorter trips lasting one to seven days, demonstrating a lifestyle shift toward more frequent travel that creates year-round engagement opportunities for brands.

These evolving travel habits are also changing expectations around loyalty programmes, as Gen Z consumers increasingly expect travel booking, rewards, and personalised offers to be integrated into a single digital experience, allowing banks, airlines, and financial service providers to keep users engaged while making travel planning more convenient.

Experiences remain the biggest motivation behind Gen Z travel decisions—led by cultural exploration at 32%, outdoor activities at 30%, and culinary experiences at 28%—which presents brands with opportunities to move beyond traditional discounts by offering destination-specific experiences, exclusive member perks, and bundled travel packages that make loyalty rewards feel more meaningful.

Sustainability is also becoming a stronger influence on booking behaviour. Around 38% of Gen Z travellers actively look for accommodation with recognised sustainability certifications, while 23% choose to travel during off-peak periods to reduce their environmental impact.

These preferences create new opportunities for brands to incorporate sustainability into their loyalty strategies, as airlines can encourage off-peak travel through exclusive member fares, while banks and loyalty providers can highlight certified accommodation, reward responsible travel choices, and make sustainable options easier to discover within their platforms.

The findings suggest that loyalty programmes are evolving from transactional rewards into connected travel ecosystems, where booking, experiences, and sustainability are embedded into a single customer journey, meaning that as Gen Z continues to prioritise convenience, personalisation, and purpose, brands that integrate travel more naturally into their digital platforms are likely to strengthen long-term engagement and customer loyalty.

“Gen Z is changing what travel loyalty needs to feel like,” said Damien Pfirsch, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Rocket Travel by Agoda. “They plan around experiences and expect a straightforward path from discovery to booking. The opportunity here is to make travel feel native within the platform’s existing experience, so members can see value clearly, book with confidence and use rewards across the trip.”

“Programs must also be thoughtful about surfacing offers that align with their growing budget and sustainability values. When travel feels like a natural extension of the loyalty experience, partners can increase engagement and build stronger long-term customer relationships,” added Pfirsch. 

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Developed by Connecting Plots Group, the campaign builds on Changi Airport’s 2025 A Taste of Asia and Week-long Layover initiatives, responding to growing demand for authentic, experience-led travel.

The new content series follows Australian food creator and cookbook author Tom Smallwood alongside comedian Lachy Mac as they explore Labuan Bajo in Indonesia, Cebu in the Philippines, and Phu Quoc in Vietnam, all accessible through Changi Airport. 

Through creator-led storytelling, the campaign highlights local cuisine, hidden attractions and cultural experiences that extend beyond conventional travel itineraries.

According to Changi Airport Group, the campaign is designed to inspire travellers to explore lesser-known destinations while positioning Changi as a gateway to discovering Southeast Asia.

Kelvin Ng, Vice President of Corporate and Marketing Communications at Changi Airport Group, said, “Many travellers return to Southeast Asia time and again because it’s close, familiar and offers incredible variety. But beyond the well-known destinations, there are countless experiences that often go undiscovered.”

“A Taste of Asia is about inspiring travellers to look a little deeper and giving them the confidence to explore a different side of the region, and of course to choose Changi Airport as the gateway to Asia.”

The campaign combines creator partnerships, destination-focused itineraries and social content designed to engage travellers throughout the planning journey. 

Trip.com has also joined the initiative as the booking partner, offering travel promotions aimed at converting inspiration into bookings.

Dave Jansen, Chief Imagination Officer at Connecting Plots Group, said the campaign reflects changing traveller expectations.

“Travel inspiration is everywhere. Trust isn’t. People are getting better at spotting manufactured influencer moments and polished recommendations. What they want now are experiences that feel real, useful and culturally authentic.”

The latest ‘A Taste of Asia’ campaign is now rolling out across Australia and New Zealand.

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Based in Singapore, Williams will oversee BBC Studios’ advertising sales strategy across Asia Pacific, including Japan and Australia and New Zealand. 

She will also lead the regional sales organisation, with responsibility for driving revenue growth, strengthening client relationships, and expanding the company’s advertising and branded content offering across platforms.

Williams joins BBC Studios from a career spanning senior leadership roles at CNN, Time Warner, and Fox Sports, bringing experience in commercial growth and advertising across Asia-Pacific markets.

The move comes as BBC Studios continues to invest in its advertising business in the region, with the appointment forming part of its strategy to expand its commercial footprint and deepen relationships with brands.

James Wildbore, Global Senior Vice President and General Manager of Advertising Sales at BBC Studios, said, “Erin brings outstanding leadership experience, deep regional knowledge and a clear commercial vision. Her appointment marks an important step in strengthening our advertising capabilities in APAC and positions us for continued growth across the region.”

Williams said, “As one of the most iconic and powerful brands in the world, I’ve long admired the strength of BBC Studios’ content, impact and reputation amongst audiences and partners alike.”

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining the APAC team, working together to evolve and grow advertising partnerships with smart and influential creative solutions.”

Beyond the appointment, Williams will work with BBC Studios’ global and regional leadership teams to advance the company’s advertising strategy and develop integrated commercial offerings for clients across the region.

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The refreshed brand goes beyond a visual update, aligning with the company’s vision of “Powering the Digital Evolution of the Global Economy” and its mission of “Engineering the Future of Global Payments.”

The move comes as businesses face growing complexity in managing cross-border payments, treasury operations, foreign exchange, and compliance amid an increasingly interconnected global economy.

Sunrate said the refreshed identity reflects its ambition to offer a unified platform that enables businesses to move money internationally, manage treasury functions, optimise foreign exchange, and address compliance requirements through a single system.

Paul Meng, Co-Founder and CEO of Sunrate, said, “Our brand refresh represents far more than a new visual identity—it reflects the company we have become and the future we are building.”

“Our vision is to power the digital evolution of the global economy by helping businesses operate seamlessly across borders. As we continue to engineer the future of global payments, we remain committed to combining trusted financial infrastructure with technological innovation to make global money movement simpler, smarter and more connected.”

“This refreshed brand reflects our ambition, our expertise and our commitment to empowering businesses to grow with confidence,” Meng added.

Beyond the new positioning, Sunrate has introduced a modern visual identity designed to better represent its expertise, technology capabilities, and global network while creating a more consistent experience across customer touchpoints.

The updated branding will be introduced progressively across the company’s products, digital platforms, customer communications, and global offices over the coming months.

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Yri, who most recently served as Vice President of International Marketing, announced her departure in a LinkedIn post, saying she was taking time to consider her next career move after building and leading both the company’s APAC marketing team and, later, its international marketing organisation.

“It’s taken me a while to write this post, because honestly, [it’s] been a hard one to write,” said Yri. “After nearly seven years, I’ve left PubMatic, and feelings are mixed to say the least – [it’s] been an incredible ride and one I’m sad to get off, but excited for what comes next.”

Beyond her departure, Yri reflected on the teams she helped establish across the region and internationally, thanking colleagues for their support over the years.

“I had the privilege of building and leading both the APAC Marketing Team and latterly the International Marketing team – an amazing, hardworking group who made the hard days easier and the good days brilliant,” said Yri. “I am so proud of what we built together, and I’m going to miss working with you enormously.”

She also credited her Manager, Johanna Bauman, for her leadership throughout her tenure.

“I could not have asked for a better manager,” said Yri. “I try to model myself on how you lead. Thank you for the trust you gave me and the team – and for always having our backs.”

The departure closes a chapter that spanned a significant period in PubMatic’s growth. Yri joined the company before its initial public offering, when its business was centred largely on desktop display supply-side technology.

“I joined PubMatic pre-IPO, when it was primarily a desktop display SSP; I leave it an agentic AI advertising platform at the forefront of CTV, mobile and commerce media – and I’m immensely grateful to Rajeev Goel, Mukul Kumar and Amar Goel for the opportunity to be part of that journey,” said Yri.

The move comes as artificial intelligence continues to reshape the digital advertising market across Asia-Pacific, with platforms investing heavily in automation, connected TV, retail media, and commerce advertising as competition intensifies.

For now, Yri said she is taking time before deciding on her next role.

“For now, I’m taking a bit of time to think through what’s next – weighing up a few different paths,” said Yri. “One thing I am sure of: there’s never been a more exciting time to be part of our industry, and I’m looking forward to the next chapter.”

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