Tag: VMLY&R

Singapore – Brand and customer experience agency VMLY&R has appointed Rhys Taylor as its new managing director for Singapore. He will be reporting to Hari Ramanathan, CEO of VMLY&R South and Southeast Asia and Japan.

In his new role, Taylor will be overseeing VMLY&R’s SG’s sales, account management, and revenue generation. 

Prior to joining VMLY&R, Taylor was managing director for Asia Pacific at marketing and advertising agency dentsu international. He also has 14 years of industry experience working in senior leadership roles at Wunderman and financial services company Saasu, amongst others.

Speaking on his appointment, Taylor said, “VMLY&R stood out because its culture is built around an attitude of innovation and connectedness; and I’m incredibly excited to get to know and work closely with everyone who has been a part of its success so far and look forward to building more with our clients in 2023.”

Meanwhile, Ramanathan also commented, “Rhys’ background in strategy and CX makes him the ideal leader to take Singapore to the next level, complementing our full suite of capability leaders, and helping us to build connected brands for our growing portfolio of clients via our cutting-edge Commerce, Experience, Technology and Creative offering,”

Taylor’s appointment is part of VMLY&R’s strategy to strengthen its regional flagship operation and emphasise its focus on commerce as the intersection point between business experience and customer experience. 

VMLY&R Singapore also launched its global commerce accelerator programme last September in partnership with the Singapore Economic Development Board.

Thailand – Tops, Thailand’s largest supermarket chain, has released its new Christmas advertisement that shows the value of gift-giving even with the most unassuming supermarket items.

The campaign was made in collaboration with global brand experience agency VMLY&R. The short film titled ‘The Underrated Gift’, portrays how people have the tendency to overthink the gifts they give during the holidays.

The story revolved around a woman worrying over her gift search. In the film, she overcame this worry as she discovered how simple supermarket items such as zip-lock bags, canned wild salmon, and a pack of salami can delight her loved ones.

“At Tops, we have always believed in providing premium products at affordable prices. With our motto #EveryDayDISCOVERY, we want to emphasize that the best gifts are the ones that receivers can enjoy and that value and happiness can be found from even the most underrated items,” said Chakkit Chatupanyachotikul, head of marketing, public relations and CSV at Central Food Retail Group (CFG).

Anuwat Nitipanont, chief creative officer at VMLY&R Thailand, further commented, “Joyful experiences should not be limited to expensive, one-of-a-kind gifts. We want to encourage everyone to see the value of seemingly ordinary things and become free from their own limitation of choices.”

He also added that the film showcases how these’‘underrated gifts’ triumph this holiday season and will get people to rethink their holiday shopping lists.

VMLY&R Thailand also previously collaborated with Thai home improvement retailer Boonthavorn for the latter’s rebranding campaign with the short film ‘Ummm..’

Mumbai, India – Global brand and customer experience agency VMLY&R has announced the appointment of Saurabh Saksena as chief executive officer of VMLY&R India. 

He will be based out of Mumbai and will report to Hari Ramanathan, CEO of VMLY&R, South and Southeast Asia and Japan. 

In the new role, Saksena is expected to drive the integration of VMLY&R’s capabilities across India, such as creative excellence and transformational solutions at the intersection of brand and customer experience, data, platforms, and commerce.

Prior to joining VMLY&R India, he was the president of Red Fuse Communications India. He also held the CEO position at J. Walter Thompson Worldwide and brings with him experience in social, commerce, data and CRM, shopper marketing, full-funnel management, and new-age media, amongst others.

On his appointment, Saksena said, “I’m thrilled to take up this new role and lead the VMLY&R operations in India. The agency houses a great pool of talent across specialisations that don’t usually exist together in a single agency, making it well-positioned to harness creativity, technology, and culture to create connected brands.”

He likewise mentioned that VMLY&R has outstanding growth potential in India and that he and his team will continue to build on it.

Ramanathan further commented, “India is an anchor market for us in Asia and with a breadth and depth of offerings that are unmatched in the industry, VMLY&R India, under Saurabh’s leadership, is all set to help clients get their ‘unfair’ share of growth in a vibrant market.”

VMLY&R India also previously appointed Rajshekar Patil as its executive creative director last year.

Australia – Kindness Factory, a non-profit organisation based in Australia, has recently announced the launch of its first-ever brand campaign for World Kindness Day on November 13.

The organisation has partnered with global brand experience agency VMLY&R and global media agency Wavemaker to promote random acts of kindness through a series of ‘Public Kindness Announcements’ on print, newspaper, radio, and digital platforms. 

The campaign features bold and thought-provoking messages that encourage people to be kind to others. Its goal is to generate one million acts of kindness throughout November and to help to make the country a kinder place.

The radio campaign includes three 30-second announcements done in stereotypical government PSA style that will remind people to be kind. Meanwhile, the print campaign includes hyper-contextual messages printed in full-page spreads in motor, home, gardening, gossip, and food magazines.

The announcements will also be printed in newspapers, disguised as real news headlines. They will also be in digital-out-of-home ads that will target poor driving etiquette.

“At the very heart of Kindness Factory is the drive for the world to be kinder. We do this through our school curriculum and our community acts, which have proven to have a long-term benefit on one’s social, mental and physical state. This World Kindness Day, we set out to spread the word and benefits of being kind, by encouraging small acts of kindness — because from small things, big things grow,” said Kath Koschel, founder and CEO of Kindness Factory.

She further explains, “Testament to the ‘Public Kindness Announcements’ idea and campaign; it’s simple, bold, drives action and creates a smile. From the very first concept to the last piece of despatched artwork, the VMLY&R team nailed it every time, and they had us laughing along the way. It’s designed to stop you, make you think, inspire you to take action and give you a chuckle.”

Jack Delmonte, VMLY&R creative director, also said, “We absolutely jumped at the chance to work with the wonderful humans behind Kindness Factory. Positive change and a healthy mindset towards others is a mantra we care deeply about here at VMLY&R.”

Wavemaker’s Chief Investment Officer Philippa Noilea-Tani added, “Provoking positive change is a guiding principle for Wavemaker. There are things in this world out of our control. How we treat others isn’t one of them. What we say, what we do and how we treat others is always our choice.” 

Noilea-Tani also commented, “It’s been great working with the not-for-profit sector and making truly meaningful work that can spark change. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see our industry come together and make this happen.”

Founded in 2015, Kindness Factory has been funding valuable research and insights on kindness, as well as collaborating with individuals and organisations who share their passion for kindness.

Thailand – Thai home improvement retailer Boonthavorn is launching a new rebranding campaign that aims to show the importance of ‘living your way’. The campaign is made in collaboration with global brand experience agency VMLY&R. 

‘Live Your Way’ features a humorous short film titled “‘Ummm..”, which highlights the consequences of not making the right decisions for yourself. 

The campaign aims to make deeper connections with discerning Gen Z and Gen Y consumers while highlighting Boonthavorn’s ability to meet the needs of the individual. It also encourages the consumers to embrace their own style and eccentricities instead of just ‘settling’ and accepting whatever is available.

Sittichai Tayanuwat, managing director at Boonthavorn, said, “As a specialty store, Boonthavorn crafts the best solutions to meet the needs of the younger generation, who value distinctiveness, appreciate design and have the freedom to be themselves. Each component and detail is carefully considered so that customers can be inspired and choose a way of life that fulfills them uniquely.”

“Working with VMLY&R we’ve been able to differentiate ourselves from other homestores by launching this advertising campaign to encourage everyone to ‘Live Your Way’,” Tayanuwat added.

“At VMLY&R it’s our mission to build connected brands that resonate with target audiences in ways that are authentic and relevant. Boonthavorn’s rebrand is all about highlighting the brand’s depth of product, services and expertise – which goes way beyond other home improvement and decoration brands in Thailand,” VMLY&R Thailand’s Chief Creative Officer Anuwat Nitipanont commented.

He added, “Our strategic insight shows that this is what consumers want, however, it’s not what most brands are able or willing to deliver – and this is where Boonthavorn comes in.”

This campaign follows VMLY&R’s collaboration with used car sales platform Carsome Thailand last year titled “Mr. Handsome”.

Australia – Continuing a long-standing tradition of its annual Worldwide Foundation Day, VMLY&R, brand and customer experience agency under WPP, has closed its more than 100 offices across the globe for business last 29 September 2022, to give more than 13,000 employees the opportunity to support worthy causes and non-profit organisations of their choice through volunteer projects.

For this year, the theme for VMLY&R’s Worldwide Foundation Day is ‘Make Your Mark’, which encouraged employees – regardless of whether they engage virtually or in person, individually or with a small group, or with family members – to do something that resonated with them. The day aimed to highlight the collective impact of all employees rolling up their sleeves to give back in meaningful ways over the same 24-hour period. 

In Aotearoa, New Zealand, VMLY&R Auckland has supported Family Action and cleaned Western Springs Lakeside Park, while VMLY&R Wellington has volunteered with Clean Where You Walk, removing plastic from Wellington’s beaches and contributed to public art installations with the Wellington Sculpture Trust 

Meanwhile, in Australia, VMLY&R Brisbane has volunteered with Conservation Volunteers Australia and Daisy Hill Conservation Park to help rehabilitate local wetlands and enhance the biodiversity of a national park, while VMLY&R Melbourne and Sydney have volunteered with Legacy Australia to reimagine a modern donation box, sorted and packaged clothing for redistribution at UPPAREL Recycling Centre, and organised Bondi, Wollongong, Manly, and St Kilda beach clean-up efforts. 

“The annual VMLY&R Foundation Day is a really special time for our team. Having a positive impact on the societies we live in has always been a core value to VMLY&R since we began,” said Thomas Tearle, VMLY&R’s CEO in Australia and New Zealand. 

He added, “It’s amazing to see our five offices across Australia and New Zealand make their own unique marks in their individual communities. Being a part of this global initiative is such a privilege and demonstrates that this really is the most connected agency network on the planet with over 100 offices doing this in unison.”

Singapore – Global marketing agency VMLY&R Singapore has launched the global commerce accelerator programme in partnership with the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB). 

The commerce accelerator programme will be based in Singapore and is aimed at developing commerce and commercial advisory services for the agency’s clients around the world. 

It will bring to life three new commerce innovation projects, including IMPACT™, an in-store touchpoint planning platform, OhMyCart™, a disruptive path to e-commerce for small retailers and social sellers, and the agency’s own Commercial Growth Advisory, a Data Driven Commercial Growth Consultancy for Incremental Growth.

VMLY&R will also ramp up its team in Singapore by appointing over 20 new hires across a variety of roles in commerce research and innovation, including commercial consultants, commerce planners, data analysts and engineers, CRM specialists, cloud solution architects among others.

Hari Ramanathan, chief executive officer at VMLY&R South and Southeast Asia and Japan said, “Commerce is an integral part of our key service offerings. We believe that accelerating growth across not only the more traditional commerce channels that agencies have worked on, but expanding through Commercial Growth Advisory and Commercial Marketing, are key to converting an entire consumer journey at the point of sale, ensuring we not only have influence to get people there, but to complete the transaction as well.” 

He added, “Anchoring the program in Singapore will allow us to enhance our capabilities quicker and at scale, and help Singapore remain at the forefront of the Commerce evolution.”

Meanwhile, Junie Fo, vice president and head of commercial and professional services at EDB, commented, “We are delighted to have VMLY&R launch their global commerce accelerator Programme in Singapore, which will unlock new value for brands and create new opportunities for advertising and marketing talent. VMLY&R’s new offering will further strengthen Singapore’s position as an innovative global marketing hub.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Malaysian telecommunications company TM has launched its Merdeka campaign, utilising the ancient artform of wayang kulit or a puppet-shadow play to tell the story of Ibu Zain, who encouraged Malaysians to unite and empowered Malaysian women to fight for their right to an education.

The campaign, conceptualised by VMLY&R, is narrated by Ibu Zain’s daughter Fadzilah Amin–a renowned Malaysian scholar–uses 360° video technology to create a truly immersive 360 Wayang Kulit experience for modern audiences. Titled ‘Ibu, Kisah Seorang Tokoh Kemerdekaan’ (‘Ibu, The Story of Malaysia’s Independence Hero’) the ad was created in partnership with Mojo Film, with guidance and performances by puppeteers from Fusion Wayang Kulit, Malaysia.

The film tells the story of the forgotten Malaysian heroine who encouraged Malaysians to unite and empowered Malaysian women to fight for their right to an education. Said use of the VR technology is part of TM’s #MengukirMalaysia (Crafting Malaysia) initiative to celebrate, elevate and preserve Malaysian culture through technology.

Shanti Jusnita Johari, chief marketing officer at TM, said, “Through our Mengukir Malaysia initiative, we aspire to leverage technologies that not only change the way we live, work and play, but also enhance our perspectives and ideas, drawing from our local culture and history to remind us about what’s made us a great nation.”

She added, “This Hari Kebangsaan and Hari Malaysia, we wanted to remember and celebrate Malaysia’s many unsung heroes, such as Ibu Zain, who made our country great. We hope that through this short film, people will be encouraged to learn more about this historical icon as we commemorate her legacy via Wayang Kulit, one of the first forms of storytelling by our ancestors which we must also preserve.”

Meanwhile, Kenni Loh, CEO, VMLY&R COMMERCE Malaysia, said, “At VMLY&R we believe in harnessing creativity, technology, and culture to create truly connected brands that resonate with consumers in real and authentic ways. TM is a progressive Malaysian brand with technological innovation at its core. With this in mind, we were keen to work with them to design and deliver a campaign that would reflect their national pride, whilst underlining their positioning as an enabler of technology, in a way that would resonate with Malaysians everywhere.” 

He added, “Aligning with the Malaysian Government’s ‘#Keluarga Malaysia, Teguh Bersama’ (Malaysian Family, United Together) theme, this campaign couldn’t be any more uniquely Malaysian, reviving a forgotten art form via the use of innovative technology to capture the imagination of the nation and tell the story of one of the country’s most inspiring heroines this Merdeka.”

As part of the campaign, VMLY&R also created a specially curated TM Merdeka microsite tm.com.my/MengukirMalaysia, where audiences can immerse themselves in the world of Wayang Kulit, Ibu Zain and TM‘s Mengukir Malaysia initiative with videos, 360° interactive Wayang Kulit experiences and special behind-the-scenes content. Fans can also feel part of the campaign by adopting one of several Wayang Kulit Instagram filters.

Brisbane, Australia – Brand and customer experience agency at VMLY&R has announced the launch of its VMLY&R Commerce offering in Brisbane, Australia–and encompasses retail strategy, shopper marketing, e-commerce, social commerce, and experiential marketing.

The agency will have an on-the-ground presence for VMLY&R Commerce in Brisbane and leverage both Sydney and Melbourne offices for delivery, as well as the global network. Globally, VMLY&R Commerce has 5,000 team-members in 44 countries.

Adam Kennedy, managing director at VMLY&R Brisbane, said, “We’ve always been strong in retail generally in this market. But this takes it to a whole new level, and it’s something our clients have been asking for. It also means that we can fulfil a truly end-to-end experience. At VMLY&R, we exist to ‘Create Connected Brands’. The purpose of VMLY&R Commerce is to ‘Convert Connected Brands’. Clients need both.”

Meanwhile, Kate Warren-Smith, managing director for Australia at VMLY&R Commerce, commented, “We are in a new era. To be truly effective today, Commerce has to build brands as well as build baskets – consumers and shoppers expect a seamless transaction, but they want a great interaction with a brand too. That’s the essence of ‘Creative Commerce’ – inspiring conversion. And that’s what we do best.”

Lastly, Jon Cook, global CEO at VMLY&R, said, “Commerce is one of the fastest-growing capabilities for VMLY&R globally. It’s exploded, because these days Commerce can take so many shapes and forms – it can be gamified, socialised, livestreamed or experienced with all the senses, across every channel at any moment in the consumer journey.”

Vietnam – Global brand and customer experience agency VMLY&R has been appointed by Vietnam-based fabrics manufacturer Everpia Joint Stock Company, as its strategic brand partner for its flagship mattress and bedding brand, Everon, in Vietnam.

Working with VMLY&R, Everon hopes to relinquish its status as a leader in the market – maintaining the brand’s core values that consumers already know and trust, whilst introducing new values to enhance its connection and appeal to Millennial consumers. 

In addition, VMLY&R will also be tasked with helping the brand to expand its product portfolio, creating product differentiation and improving market competitiveness, whilst also helping Everon to become a home fashion brand, using its textile experience to develop its own range of home textile products.

The announcement follows a six-month process by Everpia to find the right fit in brand experience (BX), customer experience (CX), creativity and reputation to reposition the Everon brand and provide the company with guidance and counsel around the overall direction and long-term vision of the business.

Lee Jae Eun, CEO at Everpia Joint Stock Company, said, “We are excited to be working with VMLY&R, who stood out to us due to their experience in building truly connected brands. We were keen to work with a partner who can help us to understand the market, consumers and new industries as the basis for building a robust and comprehensive brand strategy for Everon.” 

He added, “This will involve every aspect of our business from product R&D and distribution, through to marketing, communications and point-of-sale, and we are confident that we have chosen the right partner to help us do this effectively.”

Meanwhile, Ha Nguyen, CEO at VMLY&R Vietnam, commented, “Everon is an exciting brand with a lot of potential. Their ambition to reform their brand and expand the business beyond their current product portfolio is inspiring and we are committed to helping them to realise their vision – every step of the way.” 

She added, “At VMLY&R we believe in harnessing creativity, technology, and culture to create truly connected brands that resonate with consumers in real and authentic ways. This means bringing together brand experience, customer experience and commerce to create brands that stand the test of time by continuing to meet the demands of today’s ever evolving consumer.”