FOCUS: YEAR-END REVIEWS - Exceptional rewards, but still a way to go

This was an excellent year for BBDO. BBDO was named the most creative network in the world in the latest Gunn Report, going one better than last year's second place, and Asia-Pacific played its part in achieving this. With 32 awards at the two top Asian shows, Asian Advertising Awards and Adfest, BBDO Asia-Pacific won more than any other agency network. What's encouraging is the honours were spread around the network with Hong Kong, Singapore, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai and Bangkok all contributing. Although there's still a way to go before we catch up with our illustrious sisters elsewhere, BBDO Asia-Pacific's creative product is growing from strength to strength. BBDO Hong Kong capped another stellar creative year with a dominant showing at the 4As - the Sunday campaign confirming it's position as contender for the most famous and effective campaign of recent years. BBDO Singapore was voted Agency of the Year, and BBDO Thailand shone again. In the Philippines, BBDO Guerrero Ortega continued its push for creative leadership, winning Campaign of the Year for our Bayer client and leading the successful Visa pitch. BBDO/Komunika also delivered a strong showing at the Indonesian awards winning more golds than all except one. The year saw every office delivering strong revenue growth with excellent performances in our younger offices. New business performance was exceptional. BBDO won perhaps the single largest new business assignment in the region when Visa International moved its account after a three-way pitch. Allianz followed in October. New assignments from existing regional clients like Fedex, Bayer and ICI combined with significant domestic wins, such as Maxis in Malaysia, made 2000 a terrific year for new business growth. Our merger and acquisition team has been active and we expect their labours to bear fruit in the coming year. On the people front we strengthened our pool with some significant new hires as well as rewarding from within. Patrick Wilkerson, who led the successful Visa pitch, moved from Japan to Singapore as regional director for that business, and May Song joined the company as regional account director reporting to him. Arto Hampartsoumian took on the newly-created role of regional client services based in Hong Kong, taking the responsibility for co-ordinating the company's key regional clients and regional new business. John Roberts took over the helm at BBDO Singapore and brought in Simon Winterflood as creative director. Melissa Crucillo will move from Manila to Singapore to take on the regional account director role on Bayer. We have a solid base of proven professionals who are either Asian or have depth of experience in Asia, located at the business points where our clients need them. So a great year, but there's still along way to go.

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