Tag: Virtue APAC

Singapore – Reinforcing its commitment to building brands from within culture, VIRTUE has announced the appointments of Clive Sin as senior content creator and Marie Lee as senior strategist.

With extensive background in creative development, content creation, and production, Sin brings a multi-disciplinary approach to his work. His previous roles include positions at RAPP Singapore, Studio 155, Socialyse, and Havas.

In his new appointment, Sin will play a key role in VIRTUE’s content and entertainment studio, which offers end-to-end services including content strategy, creative development, production, and measurement. He will leverage the agency’s entertainment-driven ethos to create high-quality, engaging content for clients and support VIRTUE’s growth and continued success.

Meanwhile, Lee joins VIRTUE from VaynerMedia, where she spent over two years in a senior strategy role. With a robust background in documentary research and prior experience at Culture Group, she has developed strong skills in cultural prediction, strategy, and social insights.

As the new senior strategist, Lee will oversee VIRTUE’s strategy for the global social retainer of prestige beauty brand Clé de Peau Beauté. She will also drive the agency’s cultural foresight and prediction capabilities—a proprietary model designed to help brands assess cultural capital and identify key networks and communities for growth, offering deeper insights into culture and global context.

Both Sin and Lee represent VIRTUE’s commitment to embracing unconventional talent, going against traditional silos to create the agency of tomorrow.

Lesley John, managing director at VIRTUE APAC, said, “We pride ourselves on attracting talent that is fearless in pushing boundaries, challenging the status quo, and has the ability to think beyond conventional career paths. Clive and Marie are perfect examples of the new generation of creatives and strategists who are reshaping our industry. Their unique perspectives and fluid approaches to how they work will further elevate our ability to create culturally resonant and impactful work for our brands.”

Commenting on his appointment, Sin said, “VIRTUE has a strong reputation for embracing experimentation and innovation, and I’m excited to bring my experience to the agency. I look forward to collaborating with a team that values diversity of thought and is committed to building brands that resonate with culture.”

Lee added, “VIRTUE’s approach to strategy is refreshingly aligned with my own philosophy of immersing myself in culture to inform and inspire. I’m excited to bring my passion for pop culture and brand building to a place that truly values non-conventional thinking and cross-disciplinary collaboration.”

Singapore – Toyota Motor Asia Pacific has appointed Virtue APAC, a creative agency powered by VICE, to create its regional integrated brand campaign titled ‘Move Your World’ for its Asia market.

Virtue APAC will spearhead and manage the strategy, creative, production, and distribution of the campaign, which will cover launch activation, regional brand assets, and a cultural programme centred on social, content, and communities.

The creative agency received the mandate after a competitive four-way pitch. The campaign for Toyota will become the newest addition to the agency’s global and regional work for clients like The Coca-Cola Company, Diageo, and Shiseido across offices in Singapore and India.

Toyota’s ‘Move Your World’ regional brand campaign is expected to launch by the first half of 2024 across the Asia markets.

Virtue APAC’s appointment comes as the multinational automotive company embarks on a brand transformation journey to become more than just a car company but a modern and progressive mobility platform of the future.

Jaja Ishibashi, general manager at Toyota Motor Asia Pacific, said, “Toyota is moving towards becoming a mobility company that provides cutting-edge solutions for transportation in the future with the use of technology. As part of that, we want to also be able to establish a brand that is associated with movement, excitement, and experiences that are relevant to both the present and the future. Virtue APAC was appointed because of their aptitude at navigating and positioning businesses inside culture, offering a novel and forward-thinking perspective that is aligned with our own.”

Lesley John, managing director at Virtue APAC, also shared, “Asia is the most dynamic and optimistic region in the world, and Virtue is honoured to have been entrusted to share Toyota’s ‘Move Your World’ story, drawing on our extensive capabilities to help brands find an authentic role and voice at the epicentre of culture, to position Toyota for future success with audiences across the region.”

Singapore – Virtue APAC, the advertising agency powered by VICE, has appointed Martin Soendergaard as its executive creative director following continued organic and new client growth. 

In his new role, Soendergaard will oversee and guide the agency’s entire creative output across its offices in Singapore and India, in addition to growing and developing a team of creatives working across global and regional clients such as Coca-Cola, Diageo, and Shiseido.

Soendergaard joins Virtue APAC from We Are Social Singapore, where he was ECD for more than two years, delivering global and regional work for brands including Samsung, Activision, Amazon Prime Video, and Bandai Namco.

Originally from Denmark, Soendergaard has worked internationally for the past 16 years at agencies such as CPB, 360i, and BBDO, leading diverse teams responsible for developing global multi-platform campaigns. His extensive portfolio includes iconic brands in culture like Absolut, Volkswagen, Ford, Burger King, Bose, and Porsche. 

Speaking on his own appointment, Soendergaard said, “Virtue APAC is doing really innovative and creatively driven work such as the recent Coca-Cola Creations’ Y3000′ and ‘Soul Blast’ launches and its ‘Walk Beyond’ brand platform for Johnnie Walker that spotlights the progressive creative culture born from the streets of Southeast Asia.” 

“Everything they do is rooted in deep cultural insights, and I’m looking forward to helping our clients think differently while championing and building the brilliant creative talent within the agency. I couldn’t be more excited to join the Virtue family,” he added. 

Meanwhile, Lesley John, managing director at Virtue APAC, commented, “Martin joins Virtue as we partner with more ambitious clients wanting to build their brands inside culture. His extensive experience at leading global agencies, combined with his strong social capabilities and passion for effectively using tech, make him ideally suited to drive our creative offering.” 

“He is a proven leader with a reputation for collaborating and motivating his teams to maximise creative opportunities. His international and regional knowledge will be a major asset, and I’m delighted to welcome him to our growing Virtue APAC team,” she concluded. 

Singapore – Popular scotch whisky brand Johnnie Walker has recently launched the ‘Walk Beyond’ brand platform, which aims at spotlighting the progressive blend of creative cultures born from the streets of Southeast Asia.

Conceptualised alongside Virtue APAC, ‘Walk Beyond’ places Johnnie Walker’s legendary brand philosophy of ‘Keep Walking’ inside culture, giving it fresh meaning, cultural credibility and relevance to a new generation of changemakers in Asia.

The platform will include a content series featuring unexpected collaborations between established cultural icons and up-and-coming trailblazers across Singapore, the Philippines and Vietnam. This brings together different communities to create new genres and champion new narratives to enrich street culture across Southeast Asia.

To launch this brand platform, Johnnie Walker and Virtue partnered with three local ‘Walkers’, each of them a cultural icon in their own right – Yung Raja, a Singaporean breakthrough dubbed Southeast Asia’s next avant-garde bilingual hip-hop artist; James Reid, an actor turned musician, artist, manager and entrepreneur innovating and changing the game of Original Pilipino Music (OPM); and 16Typh, a Vietnamese rapper and songwriter who has put Vietnamese rap on the global map. 

Lyndon Govender, marketing director for Diageo Southeast Asia said, “The Johnnie Walker philosophy, ‘Keep Walking’ stands for positivity, progress and resilience. The ‘Walk Beyond’ collabs are a tangible demonstration of that sentiment; a simple, yet powerful idea that brings together different changemakers to champion collective progress, uniting these authentic voices to empower a new generation.”

Meanwhile, Chris Gurney, group creative director at Virtue APAC, commented “‘Walk Beyond’ empowers and celebrates the voices of an emerging generation of multi-hyphenate artists who are transforming the region’s streets into a dynamic and diverse cultural melting pot. The collaboration between established icons and up-and-coming trailblazers creates a new narrative for self-expression, authenticity and progress that we believe will inspire and shape the future of street culture in Southeast Asia.”

‘Walk Beyond’ will be featured on VICE Media, which managed talent, the collaborative output and production for the campaign. In addition to the digital amplification, on the ground activations in Singapore, Philippines and Vietnam will bring the ‘Walk Beyond’ content series to life for consumers to experience the Johnnie Walker’s ‘Keep Walking’ spirit, with updates to come. 

Singapore – VICE Media Group’s multinational digital media platform Refinery29 announced that 29Rooms, its ten-week immersive event celebrating culture, cause, and creativity, will be making its debut in Asia. 

The event is made in collaboration with VICE’s creative agency Virtue APAC, alongside lead producer Two Four Seven Group, The Carrot Collective, and partner brands. They will be providing strategic, creative, and marketing consultancy capabilities and will help activate innovative brand experiences for 29Rooms.

Beginning in Singapore from February to April next year, 29Rooms will be featuring creations curated by special collaborators, partners, and creators. This aims to showcase the contributors’ creativity and deliver a series of thought-provoking experiences that reflect today’s culture and conversations.

The inaugural edition of 29Rooms Asia will centre on the ‘Lost & Found’ theme, aiming to encourage guests to ‘rediscover, reimagine and redefine the meaning of possibilities’, through experiences from art, culture, fashion and beauty, and music, amongst others.

“In a region with diverse cultures, creativity and causes, there is no better place to mark the international launch of 29Rooms Asia than in Singapore,” said Lesley John, managing director of Virtue APAC.

She further explained, “Guests across ten weeks can expect a broad program that will entertain, inform and offer fresh perspectives. Virtue, which builds brands from inside culture, is excited to be working with our other creative partners to deliver this landmark experiential event.”

Cory Haik, chief operating officer of VICE Media Group also commented, “Singapore is undeniably one of the most exciting international cities in the world. 29Rooms brings people together in a celebration of creativity, and there’s no better place for its international debut than Singapore; the hub of art, culture and technology in Asia. We can’t wait to inspire the local community with the magic of 29Rooms.”

The event is officially backed by the Singapore Tourism Board and is set to become one of the city’s biggest calendar events.

29Rooms, launched in 2015, has been gathering creatives, artists, and visionaries in the USA. It has also reached over 300 million through online and offline platforms and welcomed guests from over 24 countries.

Singapore – Pink Dot SG, a non-profit movement for the LGBTQ+ community, and Virtue APAC, the creative agency powered by VICE, have partnered to launch an artistic collaboration project to turn messages of support into art pieces and drive conversations around LGBTQ+ issues well beyond Pride month.

Created by Virtue APAC, ‘Words of Change’ invites artists to transform heartfelt messages of hope, written by attendees of Singapore’s annual Pink Dot event for LGBTQ+ equality, into art pieces. These works will then be exhibited across a network of public spaces on the island, preserving the inspirational messages beyond the one-day event.

Pink Dot SG is a non-profit movement started by people who care deeply about the place that LGBTQ+ Singaporeans call home. The 14th edition of Pink Dot ran last weekend in Hong Lim Park after two years of online-only events.

Clement Tan from Pink Dot SG, shared, “Hong Lim Park may be the only place in Singapore that one can protest without a permit, but our capacity to effect change as individuals doesn’t have to be limited by the boundaries of the park. This project not only celebrates the inspiring words of our participants but captures their spirit of hope, their determined energy, and their hunger for progress. Change can only come through sustained dialogue and action, and we hope this project will spark just that.”

Virtue APAC, which has its regional hub in Singapore and builds brands from inside culture, has already signed up 32 artists and 20 businesses for Words of Change, but are calling on more to join this community initiative.

Nuno Dores, associate creative director at Virtue APAC, commented, “Pink Dot is a landmark event for the LGBTQ+ community and allies who support the belief that everyone deserves the freedom to love. Each year, messages of hope and love are written by participants at the event, but once the event finishes, they all go into storage, never to be seen again. We wanted to give these messages longevity, recognising that issues impacting LGBTQ+ people don’t end once the event or Pride month is over.”

Dores added, “Tapping into Singapore’s vibrant artistic community, we are encouraging all those with a creative flair to reimagine these words as art, with the pieces to be displayed across the island, preserving them and extending the conversation around equality for months to come. Virtue is delighted to be partnering with Pink Dot SG on this important initiative.”

The Words of Change artwork will be live in venues across Singapore from August to September.