Singapore – TBWA\Singapore has launched an Innovation Lab in Singapore, establishing the first Centre of Excellence in its Asia-Pacific network with support from the Singapore Economic Development Board to accelerate AI-led brand innovation.
The Lab is intended to help companies develop scalable brand experiences, intelligent systems, and new growth models powered by emerging technologies, positioning Singapore as a regional testing ground for innovation.
“Technology has finally caught up with creative ambition,” said Mandy Wong, chief executive officer, TBWA\Group Singapore.
Wong added, “AI and immersive platforms allow us to build, test, and learn at a pace the industry simply couldn’t achieve before. This Lab exists to ensure that speed is used responsibly, creating brand experiences that are richer, more engaging, and grounded in real value, not hype.”
Designed to prioritise rapid prototyping and early validation, the Lab aims to help brands identify growth opportunities, test ideas quickly, and scale only proven concepts.
Artificial intelligence underpins the model, enabling teams to shorten development timelines across insight generation, experience design, and production.
“We’re interested in the spaces where creativity and systems collide. AI, robotics, and spatial computing let us prototype experiences and operating models that used to be too slow, too complex, or too risky to attempt. Our job is to make those ideas real, usable, and scalable,” said Mel Daniels, head of Innovation, TBWA\Asia and TBWA\Singapore.
The Lab will also explore applications of robotics, intelligent systems, and immersive technologies across sectors including education, training, service design, and social impact, while building on the agency’s previous work in interactive digital environments and bespoke AI systems.
Supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board, the initiative will test and refine solutions locally before scaling them across markets, while collaborating with educational institutions and industry partners to strengthen the innovation ecosystem.
“TBWA\Singapore’s Innovation Lab will harness AI in marketing and advertising to support businesses, while partnering [with] our Institutes of Higher Learning to develop the next generation of AI-savvy talent. Firms like TBWA\Singapore play an important role in Singapore’s marketing ecosystem, strengthening our position as a trusted hub for professional services. We look forward to working with TBWA\Singapore to advance AI transformation in the marketing sector,” said Junie Fo, vice president and head of Professional Services, EDB.
The Lab will also serve as a training and incubation platform for new hybrid roles combining creativity, technology, and systems thinking, forming part of the agency’s future talent strategy.
“The future of our industry depends on new hybrid skillsets. The Innovation Lab gives us a live environment to train, experiment, and incubate talent for the roles the agency and our clients will need next, not just the ones that exist today,” said Mandy Goh, head of Talent and Human Resources, TBWA\Singapore.
