So will take over creative assignments in an upgraded executive creative director role following the departure of creative director Jesus Yeh, who held the post for about two years.
Currently the acting ECD in Hong Kong, So's relocation will reunite him with Alex Cheung, who was ECD in the Hong Kong office prior to his appointment as Beijing managing director about a year ago. Cheung hired So, last year's Kam Fan winner, for his first advertising job at JWT Taiwan more than a decade.
"We want to upgrade our creative strengths in Beijing," said Cheung, while noting the difficulty in securing top-notch talent for the market.
The office is looking for about six to seven people, including art and copy directors, on the back of new business wins and incremental business from existing clients.
This year, the office secured the Yili milk powder business and creative assignments for a new product line and additional business from its existing Shell account. "Beijing is more of an integrated market compared to Hong Kong. My real problem is finding the talent that understands the market and has the skills to develop strong integrated campaigns," said Cheung.