While Chongsrichan declined to comment on the development, Y&R Asia president Ambar Brahmachary noted that Sohn will retain his position in charge of the Y&R group in Thailand.
“We’re excited with exploring the opportunity of starting up something,” said Brahmachary, who took over regional management at Y&R in late 2006. “Everybody in the industry has noted Wiboon and Passapol’s sheer brilliance in creativity.”
It is thought that one of the names under consideration for the new agency is ‘Monday’. Sources within Y&R, meanwhile, noted that the decision to invest in Sohn’s new agency was made in response to the respected Thai executive’s growing disillusionment with holding company bureaucracy. “If they don’t keep him, the profit contribution of Thailand to Y&R’s owned agencies in Asia is huge,” said a Y&R insider.
“The big business that he has is local, but he has also created regional business from clients like Ovaltine and Brand’s.”
Sohn joined Y&R in early 2004, after previously working as executive vice-president for account management at Lowe Worldwide.
Wiboon and Passapol, meanwhile, depart Euro RSCG Flagship after an illustrious spell of award wins, including top honours at Media’s Spikes, AdFest and a Cannes Gold Lion. In particular, the duo’s 2003 Soken DVD campaign was ranked the third most awarded commercial in the world by the Gunn Report for that year.
Flagship has moved to replace the duo by hiring Roenchai Prompicharn from Idea Avenue as its new ECD, reporting to chief creative officer Chukiat Jaroensuk.
“We still aim to focus on creativity,” said Chukiat. “Maybe we are going to get weaker for six months or a year, and then become better again.”
“We have been having a very amicable discussion with Wiboon and Passapol,” said Euro RSCG regional chief George Gallate.
“They are great guys and we are happy for them. Chukiat has always been the creative leader at (the agency) and he remains.”
Prompicharn, for his part, has excelled at Thailand’s local Adman Awards, taking home a slew of metal in 2006 for his Back Up Coffee campaign, and golds in 2005 for Ranger Energy Drink. Prior to joining Idea Avenue, he worked at Lintas.
