US creative hotshop Fallon Worldwide has confirmed that it will set
up a presence in Asia-Pacific within the first half of next year.
Fallon chairman Pat Fallon said the first office would be established in
Singapore, with another one likely to open in Shanghai at a later
date.
On Hong Kong though, he expressed doubts.
"Hong Kong is critical as a business centre, but I am not sure if it is
an advertising communications centre.
"Singapore has a lot of good work and it is in-depth, but we are going
to have to take another hard look at Hong Kong," he told MEDIA.
Fallon recently hired Mr Calvin So, formerly of Saatchi & Saatchi
Singapore, as associate creative director in its New York office, and Mr
Fallon indicated that Mr So could be the one to head up the Singapore
operations when it was launched.
Fallon Worldwide is the newly-formed, second global network of
Paris-based Publicis Group after it became part of the Publicis network
last February.
Fallon has a long list of major clients including BMW of North America,
Holiday Inn Worldwide, Starbucks and United Airlines.
Some have been with the agency for a decade or more, such as Lee and
Time magazine.
Mr Fallon said many clients stick with the agency because of its
holistic work ethics.
"Most agencies simply suggest solutions they think the client needs, not
what is actually needed," he said.
"We don't just suggest advertising every time a client comes to us with
a problem. Sometimes, what we suggest as a solution is something other
than advertising.
"We are the partners of our clients and we work as though profit and
branding are inextricably linked because we want to be held
accountable."
Mr Joe Duffy, chairman of Duffy - a Fallon company involved in strategic
design to build brands - said the agency even went as far as designing
the look of a restaurant and the dishes it serves.
"If you bring in design, advertising and now interactivity, you can
create a much stronger brand value," he said.
"Because, altogether, they put you in touch with as many people as
possible through all points of contact."
