The launch of Ideata comes just weeks after the network's Initiative Media, FCB and Lowe combined to win the US$35 million Unilever media account from MindShare (media, May 3).
Two-thirds of the new agency's 15-strong staff come from the Ogilvy Group and D'Arcy. Ideata's MD is Jack Du, previously the Executive Creative Director of O&M Taiwan, while his deputy is Jeff Lee, who was ECD at D'Arcy.
Observers have linked Ideata to Unilever's shift towards IPG, but this has been denied.
The mission of the new agency is to come up with ideas that cut through the clutter and drive sales.
This is underlined in its launch ad which features a shop in a red-light district, surrounded by advertising signages but no customers.
