"Our biggest creative gun is going to be part of our assault on that market," said BBH regional chief executive officer Ben Fennell. "We think Shanghai is the most exciting and vibrant city to be in at this point. I don't think we're apologetic about the fact that we're coming in late -- we're going to absolutely go in as a premium-priced player."
As part of its Asian expansion strategy, Fennell added that he expected headcount in the region to double from 50 to 100, including major growth in Shanghai and Tokyo.
"The next couple of years is going to be a period of massive investment and expansion," he said. "Rather than run Asia out of one hub, we believe there are at least three."
Fennell said a new China CEO would soon be appointed and that staff would be relocated from BBH's London HQ to Shanghai. In addition, he noted that the agency was in discussions with sister agencies under the Publicis umbrella.
"We're obviously talking to our partners about what is the best launch strategy for us and about how we can help each other," he said.
Fennell also pointed out that BBH's regional headquarters in Singapore would continue to grow, given its strong Southeast Asian client base, and that a new Japan creative director would soon be announced.
"In terms of client growth, there's huge opportunity for Singapore," he explained. "As Steve takes on a bigger role, it opens the door for (creative director) Todd Waldron to take the business to another level under his creative leadership."
The news comes as BBH launched its first campaign for China client TNT, using the tagline 'You to the power of TNT'. Aiming to communicate the TNT's benefits as a business facilitator, the campaign is rolling out on TV, print and outdoor -- at both a national and local level.