GUT, the South American-based global creative network, has recently made its first foray into Asia-Pacific with the launch of its office in Singapore. This marks the agency’s tenth office globally, with existing offices in Miami, Buenos Aires, São Paulo, Toronto, Mexico City, Los Angeles, Amsterdam, Madrid, and New York.
Following the agency’s recent official Singapore office opening, MARKETECH APAC caught up exclusively with Jessica Davey, managing director at GUT Asia to better understand why this new office launch means much for the agency, and how their vision fits well with the region’s continued advancement–technologically and creatively–globally.
A dream five years in the making
Davey had noted that GUT’s founders–Anselmo Ramos and Gaston Bigio–have long dreamt about opening shop in Asia since the agency was founded in 2018. With that in mind, Davey has expressed that the agency is optimistic about working with a lot of regional and global clients in the region, given how diverse Asia-Pacific is.
“Opening an office in Asia has been a dream of the founders since they first started the agency in 2018 and it represents an incredible opportunity for us as we continue our explosive growth journey. This dynamic and diverse region is home to many global and local clients who are looking for brave and innovative solutions to help drive business growth. Having a presence in Asia makes us a truly global agency network that can service clients anywhere in the world,” she explained.
Speaking on why they chose Singapore as its APAC home, Davey said, “Singapore’s diversity, innovative spirit, and vibrant energy are a perfect fit for GUT’s brave creative approach. We couldn’t be more excited to open our doors in this iconic city that has been pushing the boundaries of creativity, technology, and design and become a part of this amazing community.”
Making brave work right for clients
At the centre of GUT’s vision as a creative agency are three core principles: Courage, Transparency and Intuition. For them, the order of work means being people first, work second and clients third.
This is exactly what Davey also echoed when asked about whan can the region expect from GUT in their expansion to APAC.
“At the centre of our business is our core mantra: we are a brave agency for brave clients. But it is important to acknowledge that bravery isn’t binary, it is a spectrum and that clients all have different paths to bravery,” she said.
She also stressed that creative ‘brave’ work clients means making sure that it fits well their client needs, as well as the needs of the region.
“So we want to make brave work that is right for our clients, their markets & cultures and people. We want to ensure our work reflects this diverse and dynamic region, not just in what we make but in who and how we make it,” she added.
Davey also noted, “With many of our global clients looking for local presence and expertise – the time was right to bring GUT to this market and position ourselves for even greater growth and success around the world.”
Collaboration is all about working together to make impact
Going back to GUT’s three core principles: Courage, Transparency, and Intuition–Davey says that they always ask potential new clients if they are aligned with those values to make sure they are a good fit.
Some of the agencies GUT has recently worked with include AB-InBev, Tim Hortons, Mercado Libre, Coca-Cola, Kraft-Heinz, P&G, and NotCo.
“We have a philosophy called ‘Open Kitchen,’ which is all about working collaboratively with clients. We will do whatever it takes to understand a client’s business, identify communications needs and opportunities, and proactively bring bold ideas to the table,” Davey explained.
When asked about the agency’s future plans in the region, she stated, “Asia has historically been one of the most creative and technologically advanced regions in the world and we are thrilled to tap into the talent and innovation in the region to bring bravery to every touchpoint. We see a huge opportunity to play a meaningful role in pushing the boundaries of what’s possible leveraging technology, design and creativity to connect brands and consumers in this region in impactful ways.”
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As an agency whose mantra revolves around how the more diverse they are, the more creative they are and that they will never be diverse enough. For GUT, they believe that diversity is an ongoing process and measure of intention. As a region whose growth continues to be manifested through growth of digital channels and changing consumer behaviour, there is a huge opportunity for GUT to make a splash in the region and bring its learnings from existing markets to APAC.
