JWT building up Singapore as SEA creative hub

<p>SINGAPORE: J. Walter Thompson has restructured its creative function to </p><p>make Singapore a regional hub for its multinational clients, principally </p><p>Unilever. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The move will see other offices in Southeast Asia use Singapore as a </p><p>creative centre. But according to JWT's Asia-Pacific chief operating </p><p>officer Kevin Ramsey, it will also have implications further afield, </p><p>positioning the office as an international hub on a much bigger scale. </p><p>"It's going to be a hub for regional work and for global work," he said. </p><p>"We think we've got such a high creative standard there - high enough to </p><p>do something like this." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>JWT is strengthening the office's creative function with the appointment </p><p>of joint creative directors. Andrew Spurgeon takes the role of Southeast </p><p>Asian creative director, while Norman Tan is executive creative </p><p>director. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The office is still headed by general manager Elaine Low. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Ramsey said Unilever was the main driving force behind the move, but </p><p>that it would also affect other multinational clients, such Shell. "Even </p><p>though everyone talks about genuinely regional advertising, no one </p><p>actually does it," he said. "We believe we're in a position to actually </p><p>do it." </p><p><BR><BR> </p>