Bates adds muscle for global clients

<P>BatesAsia has strengthened its global creative offering, by hiring highly-rated creatives Rob Goldenberg and Joji Jacob as creative director and associate creative director, respectively. Both will report to ECD Robert Gaxiola for work on the agency's Nokia and Heineken accounts. </P> <P>Goldenberg joins directly from Secret Weapon, a US-based TV shop. He has worked in the industry for 14 years, at agencies including Ogilvy & Mather and Suissa/Miller. His former clients include Superbowl-friendly accounts such as Jack in the Box and Ikea. </P> <P>Jacob, meanwhile, will join the agency as an associate creative director from his previous role as JWT's head of copy. At Bates, he will pair again with head of art Thomas Yang, his previous partner at JWT Singapore. </P> <P>Jacob most recently scooped metal for last year's Listerine campaign, which took home the Singapore Creative Circle Award's 'Best of Show' in 2005. </P> <P>Their appointments follow another pair who joined in June, copywriter Monika Lie and art director Yvonne Hung, who hail from the United States and Hong Kong, and will work on Heineken (Media, 29 June). </P> <P>"The key here is that we have international clients that need top talent from all over the world," said Gaxiola, "The stuff we do is unique because we're a Singapore-based office that does global TV work for Heineken and Nokia." </P> <P>"Creatively we want to compete with some of the best shops in the world," added Gaxiola. "We can't work in a vacuum. A mix of world-class talent who share the same vision will give our clients the advertising they deserve." </P>