Hong Kong – Global creative agency We Are Social has expanded its presence in Asia with the acquisition of Hong Kong-based above-the-line agency Metta Communications.
With this, Metta Communications has been rebranded to ’Metta/We Are Social’ under its new ownership. Metta will work alongside We Are Social’s existing team in Hong Kong; together the agencies now have a team of 25 who will be combining their expertise in creative and social media.
We Are Social and Metta’s clients in the region now include appliance and electronics maker TCL, global payment powerhouse Alipay, newly opened cultural landmark Hong Kong Palace Museum, pharma company Abbott Laboratories, travel and experience booking platform Klook, and the financial service Livi Bank.
Donald Wong takes on the general manager role of Metta/We Are Social, reporting to Pete Lin, CEO of We Are Social in North Asia. Wong was previously general manager at We Are Social Hong Kong, a role he’s held since the office first opened in 2018.
Matt Tse, formerly executive creative director at Metta Communications, is now ECD across all clients. All teams will work closely with We Are Social’s team of 135 in North Asia, and its network of 1000+ globally.
Metta’s notable works include the award-winning launch campaign for IKEA Hong Kong’s Tsuen Wan store, and the famous cat mascot for retail giant Mannings. Meanwhile, We Are Social, which has 15 global offices, is known for its expertise in social media. The formation of Metta/We Are Social creates an integrated creative offering that aims to deliver best-in-class above-the-line and social campaigns for clients in Hong Kong.
Pete Lin, CEO of We Are Social North Asia, said, “Joining forces with the team at Metta creates an integrated offering which is positioned to offer the best-in-class campaigns our clients want, both above-the-line and on social channels. We Are Social is now in the best position to support brands looking to reach the Hong Kong market, as well as homegrown brands in Hong Kong looking to market to the rest of the world.”
Lin adds, “As we head towards 2023, we look forward to putting our foot down on the growth accelerator in Hong Kong once more.”
Donald Wong, GM of Metta/We Are Social, also commented, “Metta has consistently proven its creative chops so this deal not only increases We Are Social’s presence in Hong Kong, it adds a whole new level of street cred. We couldn’t be in a better position to serve the growing digital and integrated marketing demands in the market.”
