The appointments strengthen the agency’s senior team as it continues to build its creative, strategy and account capabilities in the market.

As Executive Creative Director, Yousuke Ozawa will lead creative direction in Japan, focusing on social-first storytelling and campaign development. He brings more than 20 years of experience across agencies, including Havas, Weber Shandwick, Ogilvy and Dentsu, and has led work for more than 40 global and domestic brands, including Coach. His work has earned over 50 international awards, including Cannes Lions. He has also served as a speaker and jury member at Spikes Asia. He joins from UltraSuperNew, where he spent more than five years.

As Strategy Director, Nahoko Yokota joins after more than 14 years at the Swatch Group in client-side roles spanning brand and marketing strategy. She will focus on shaping strategic initiatives that connect social-first insights with business outcomes for clients in Japan.

As Account Director, Chiori Suzuki brings experience across digital entertainment and e-commerce, having previously worked at Hulu Japan and Amazon Imaging. She will focus on account leadership and supporting the delivery of social-first campaigns for clients in the market.

The appointments take effect immediately.

As brands increasingly shift toward social-first marketing to remain competitive, the appointments of Yousuke, Nahoko and Chiori reinforce VaynerMedia’s focus on producing consumer-centric social media content designed to deliver measurable business outcomes at scale. 

“Japan is an incredibly strong and dynamic market, and we are seeing a massive appetite from brands wanting to break away from traditional marketing to win attention where it actually lives. After five years operating in Japan, VaynerMedia is well-positioned with the expertise and knowledge for brands to succeed with a social-first strategy,” said Kota Murakami, Country Manager, VaynerMedia Japan.

“Yousuke, Nahoko and Chiori bring an incredible depth of expertise to our team. All three colleagues bring extensive experience in creating positive impacts for global brands, allowing them to push the boundaries of the status quo while respecting Japan’s specific consumer nuances. They will be monumental in scaling our capability for social-first marketing in Japan,” he added. 

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