Staff Reporters
Nov 16, 2023

Women to Watch 2023: Kelly Pon, BBH

For breaking the walls and shattering the glass ceilings, for building from scratch, and leading with heart, Pon has proved herself to be a true unicorn of the industry.

Women to Watch 2023: Kelly Pon, BBH
SEE ALL OF THE 2023 WOMEN TO WATCH
Celebrating outstanding talent in marcomms

Kelly Pon

Chief creative officer
BBH
China

A look at Kelly Pon’s profile, and it’s hard to believe her list of achievements are pinned on one person. She plays a multitude of roles, and her title doesn’t do justice to the amount she packs in.

A founding member of BBH China and the first female CCO of the agency, Pon produces work that wins metals regionally and exports Chinese creativity globally. Case in point: The futuristic Nike ‘Trove’ campaign, a digital library of Nike’s collaborations with cultural pioneers that inspire and empower China’s youth; aesthetically brought to life by fusing AR tech with immersive 360 experiential videos. The campaign won the ‘FWA of the Day’ for marrying design with cutting-edge innovation.

Her recent work on global campaigns for Sephora, KraftHeinz, LG, Samsung, Garena and Goat Games push artistic boundaries in innovative ways—winning both clients and commercial results along the way. Instrumental in diversifying BBH China’s roster with 11 key wins, including Mini-Cooper (BBH China’s largest account), Keppel Land, Athletic Greens, Nike and others. Her strength lies in cross-cultural work, having worked in different markets around the world, resulting in her also taking on roles outside of China in her remit as the global lead of SKII, operating out of Singapore.

Her team admires her for being a people-oriented leader—as visible in the glorious testimonials from both clients and seniors at Publicis. Leading with heart, Pon values people, diversity and inclusion. These aren’t just buzzwords or business imperatives; as the pioneering female CCO, she believes in changing the narrative for women in advertising and actively gives back with mentoring junior talent through Publicis’ mentorship program ‘L’avenir’, playing coach for The London International Awards, and several other in-house efforts.

Her robust extracurriculars include co-founding a support group, 'Project Herd' to inspire and uplift women in advertising. With a spot on The One Club for Creativity's International Board, Pon gets to extend her influence globally. She is also the Chairwoman of Publicis Groupe China’s Creative Council and one of 22 diverse creative leaders selected from around the world to serve a three-year term working to elevate creativity and champion diversity in the industry.

As a working woman, wife, and mother of three, Pon has perfected the balancing act: aces the day job, finds time to play DJ outside of work. A trained classical musician with a degree from Boston University, Pon is the co-founder of a successful underground club in Shanghai, Elevator.

A winner of the Women to Watch Greater China award, Pon’s stellar accomplishments make way for a regional spot as well. 

SEE ALL OF THE 2023 WOMEN TO WATCH
Celebrating outstanding talent in marcomms

 

Source:
Campaign Asia

Related Articles

Just Published

4 hours ago

Ads next to 'brand unsafe' content deliver stronger ...

Brand lift of 40% on 'unsafe' content was observed versus 18% on 'safe' content.

13 hours ago

Brands must eradicate the 'insight famine' to find ...

The fifth annual 'State of Creativity' report finds that more than half of brands describe their ability to develop high-quality insights as poor or very poor.

15 hours ago

Sweaty Betty kicks off campaign focused on leg

'Wear the damn shorts’ empowers women to embrace their legs and challenge beauty standards.

15 hours ago

Is a four-day working week viable for adland?

A small number of agencies have embraced the four-day working week, and while agency leaders seem to be up for it, there are a few hurdles to overcome before it can become a more general reality.