Campaign Asia

Swiss-Brit adventurer emulates Marco Polo’s footsteps in Hangzhou

Liam Bates, a 26-year-old who grew up in Switzerland and London, has been named the winner of Hangzhou’s ‘Modern-day Marco Polo’ global competition.

Get a woman to choose a man’s shoes

Why Ecco selected actress Qin Lan as brand ambassador for its men's collection.

Photos: Hong Kong's Times Square celebrates 75 years of Batman

Comic book fans should leap to Hong Kong's Times Square as Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment are holding a ‘Batman 75th Anniversary Exhibition' from June 20 to July 20. The exhibit transforms the shopping mecca's entrance piazza with a backdrop of the Gotham City skyline. Fans will also see a giant Batman figure atop the Times Square clock tower, replicas of three batmobiles, 75 vintage comic-book covers and the action-figure and toy collection of a die-hard collector, Paul Ho.

Highlights from San Miguel's dragon boat beerfest

San Miguel, the beer sponsor for the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Carnival for the fifth year in a row, threw a three-day Beerfest at Tsim Sha Tsui East from June 6 to 8. The event saw 14 international and 12 local teams participate in a 'ground-level' dragon boat rowing and beer drinking competition. The public also enjoyed free performances by singers and bands from Hong Kong Taiwan and Beijing including Paul Wong, Won Fu Supper Moment, Chochukmo, and of course, most importantly, free beer.

Ad man turned gallery owner urges brands to see value in art

HONG KONG - Twenty-year industry veteran Vincent Tam quits the agency race to open his own gallery, but hasn't left the concerns of brands behind.

Swire Properties stages an office musical to engage tenants

HONG KONG - If ‘work hard and play harder’ makes for a positive work-life balance, Swire Properties has plans to help its tenants get the balance right. The company has invited the workforce community in the developer’s Island East commercial block to audition for an unusual office musical.

Media Palette Hong Kong promotes Alice Lee as MD

HONG KONG - Alice Lee (李詠詩), GM and employee of Media Palette since its inception in 2010, has been promoted to the newly created MD role.

P&G’s Whisper attracts 40,000 users with counting-sheep app

HONG KONG & TAIWAN - Based on the insight that women may have trouble sleeping during their period, P&G's Whisper brand has offered young women a mobile-phone app that counts sheep for them while encouraging them to get some real rest by not touching their phones.

Beauty brand launches mask-by-mail initiative

HONG KONG - My Beauty Diary (我的美麗日記), a popular Taiwan-based beauty mask brand under President Pharmaceutical Hong Kong (統一藥品), is promoting its latest product line with a digital campaign allowing users to send its Platinum Series facial mask to friends via post.

Former ZenithOptimedia Taiwan CEO rejoins Carat as new Shanghai MD

SHANGHAI - Robert Hsieh (谢祥伟), former CEO of ZenithOptimedia, has taken up the MD role at Carat Shanghai, releasing Adil Zaim, the agency’s CEO to focus on national growth and strategic direction.

Ruder Finn drives media relations for Audi R8 LMS Cup

Audi China has appointed Ruder Finn to handle PR and media relations for its Audi R8 LMS Cup, following a pitch against undisclosed agencies in April.

759 Store: The story of Hong Kong's unlikely snack-food empire

HONG KONG - The founder of the fast-growing chain shares his odd journey from manufacturing to running a successful retail brand.

Yahoo World Cup campaign promises training with Mourinho

ASIA-PACIFIC - Yahoo has launched 'José Mourinho’s international search for special ones', a global campaign that promises five lucky winners an opportunity to have a personal training session in London with the Portugese football star and current manager of Chelsea Football Club.

Sony camera ad captures positive Hong Kong spirit

HONG KONG – At a time when local news continues to be quite negative, independent agency The Right Side is taking a positive approach in a new 60-second TVC campaign for Sony's Alpha 6000 camera series.

DDB Taiwan agency head resigns, office to consolidate with BBDO

TAIPEI - Roy Soetanto, president and managing director at DDB Group Taiwan, who has been with the company since 2008, resigned recently and plans to relocate to the US. DDB Group Taiwan’s operations and some servicing will combine with the local BBDO office.

Dentsu K scoops Line Cookie Run mobile game’s creative account

TAIPEI – Dentsu K (電通國華, formerly Dentsu Kuohua) has won Line's creative pitch for Taiwan promotion of a mobile game called 'Cookie Run', Campaign Asia-Pacific confirmed.

Mazarine Groupe Paris and Trimaran form luxury communications agency

HONG KONG - Trimaran PR Asia and Mazarine Groupe Paris have signed an agreement creating a joint venture called Mazarine Asia Pacific (众智亞洲), an integrated communication agency dedicated to luxury and premium brands.

Pink Dollar pushes for APAC equality with NOH8

HONG KONG - Paul Ramscar, founder of Pink Dollar, brings the NOH8 (‘no hate’) campaign to Asia for the first time to raise public awareness in Bangkok, Hong Kong, Taipei and Manila.

New Balance sponsors ‘Colour Run’ in Asia

ASIA-PACIFIC - Reaching out to a growing population of 'social runners', New Balance has signed on as a regional sponsor of the Colour Run—an event where runners get splashed with bright colours as they run a 5-km race.

Landmark Men lures discerning guys to 'exclusive' underground scene

HONG KONG - DDB Hong Kong has come up with a new ad campaign for Landmark Men, a dedicated basement floor at Hong Kong's Landmark Mall catering to the lifestyle of ‘discerning gentlemen’.

Gate Shanghai adds Breeze tissue account, hires new managing partner

SHANGHAI – Gate Shanghai has scooped the creative account for Breeze tissue paper (清风纸巾) and appointed Waters Xu (许歆) as managing partner.

Hong Kong pop star, Mr Men and Little Miss all don Skechers

HONG KONG - Skechers Hong Kong is kicking up its marketing game with children's book characters, a new brand ambassador in Hong Kong singer Alex Lam Tak Shun and a forthcoming sportswear line inspired by Korean designers.

Caltex activates Supa Strikas sponsorship to coincide with football fever

SOUTHEAST ASIA - Caltex is expanding on its title sponsorship of the Supa Strikas animated TV series with a social-media football trivia challenge for its 800,000 Facebook fans in Asia.

CASE STUDY: How Oreo turned animated emoji into sales growth

CHINA - With Carat China and WeChat, Oreo let people create and share Oreo emoji—animated digital images of themselves and loved ones—sparking a significant sales increase.

Photos: Couple ties the knot aboard a HK Express flight

Budget airline HK Express hosted a wedding ceremony on board one of its airplanes yesterday, which was an auspicious day for marriage because the date sounds like 'I love you forever' in Mandarin. The pair, Dan Su and Kobe Tsang, exchanged rings while en route to Thailand with 10 friends and relatives, having won the airline's online competition, 'Skyway to love'. The wedding party enjoyed a sumptuous wedding banquet at the Paresa Resort in Phuket, thanks to the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

CASE STUDY: How a YouTube star helped sell Scholl's ugly-foot 'terminator'

HONG KONG - Reckitt Benckiser brand Scholl launched a new product, Scholl Velvet Smooth Express Pedi Electronic Foot File (爽健電動去硬皮機 ) in April, presenting the product as a 'terminator’ of hard, ugly skin.

Etymon expands to a tech clientele with Orange

HONG KONG - Orange Business Services, a global IT and communications service provider (CSP), appointed Etymon for a PR retainer in Hong Kong.

Jung von Matt/Tonghui tasked to promote car loans for Mercedes

BEIJING - To encourage more Chinese car-buyers to take up loans, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services has appointed German independent agency Jung von Matt (JvM)/Tonghui to beef up its advertising and communications.

Can a campaign stop Hong Kong from gambling on football?

HONG KONG - In the run-up to the FIFA World Cup this June, and to counter aggressive advertising by local lending companies, Ping Wo Fund Advisory Committee (PWFAC, 平和基金) has launched a campaign with the perhaps impossible goal of discouraging the public from gambling on football.

Lamborghini to open pop-up museum in Hong Kong

HONG KONG - Lamborghini will showcase its heritage and a series of special-edition cars at its first pop-up museum in Asia.

The best crashes from 2014 Red Bull Flugtag Hong Kong

HONG KONG - More than 40,000 people braved torrential-rainstorm warnings Sunday to watch the 2nd annual Redbull Flugtag event.

Photos: Red Bull's Flugtag event draws 40,000 Hong Kongers

More than 40,000 people braved a rainstorm warning on Sunday to watch the second-annual Red Bull Flugtag event in Hong Kong. The competition drew 43 teams, including students, engineers, ad-agency folks and Google staff, to try their 'aircraft' designs—including one shaped like a dim sum cart. Among the local celebrities attending the event was Sam Lee (李璨琛) of the Subcrew apparel brand, along with his orange-clad team and shark-shaped submarine/airplane. YouTube carried a live boradcast of the event in a first-time partnership. Please see the linked article at the bottom of this page for a video of some of the best crashes (surprisingly, few of the contraptions achieved anything resembling flight).

UBS becomes title sponsor of Art Basel Hong Kong

HONG KONG - UBS has signed on as title sponsor of Art Basel Hong Kong, which is expected to welcome 5,000 guests to 50 events at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre over the next several days.

Changan PSA Automobile calls media pitch for Citroën DS model

CHINA - China joint-venture company Changan PSA Automobile has called a media pitch for the Citroën DS model, with OMG, Carat and ZenithOptimedia among the hopefuls, according to sources.

NatGeo brings 'Dog Whisperer' Cesar Millan to Hong Kong

National Geographic Channel organized a meet and greet with the star of its "Dog Whisperer" programme, Cesar Millan, in Hong Kong Saturday. Millan shared training tips and posed for selfies with a crowd of dog lovers. SPRG was the PR agency for the event. Millan also did some filming for an upcoming TV programme and performed to a full house at the Asia World Expo Sunday night.

Langham Place Hotel presents sights and sounds of Asian wet markets

Langham Place Hotel, in Hong Kong's Mongkok district, is hosting an exhibition by travel photographer Peter Steinhauer that present not only the sights but also the sounds of wet markets in Asia. Visitors can scan QR codes on each image to listen to stereo sounds associated with the photograph. The exhibition, part of the mall's ongoing Art in Residence series, runs until 26 May.

LCX runs cheeky hotdog character exhibition to appeal to selfies addicts

LCX, the mall targeting young people at Hong Kong's Harbour City, has invited London design studio Yum Yum to create its LCX Rewards Card this year. Now the mall is holding an exhibition, ‘LCX x Yum Yum World’ from 25 April to 18 June, featuring Arnold, a furry purple monster who loves shopping, and a number of hot dog-based characters from its previous ‘Happy Food’ exhibition. Money raised from sales of premium products connected to the event will be go to local charity Food Angel.

Cans, codes and Q&A: Coca-Cola details Hong Kong World Cup campaign

HONG KONG - Special-edition cans, QR codes, online quiz questions and prize giveaways during live matches feature in the Hong Kong localisation of Coca-Cola's FIFA World Cup campaign.

Marriott hosts regional pitch for loyalty programme

ASIA-PACIFIC - International hotel chain Marriott has called a regional creative pitch for its Marriott Rewards loyalty programme, with McCann Worldgroup and Publicis among the three agencies invited to take part, according to sources.

Hammer time: This is not your father's Viagra ad

HONG KONG - An OOH campaign by Leo Burnett for Pfizer's erectile-dysfunction drug Viagra takes a more direct approach and addresses a younger audience than the brand's more familiar advertising featuring older men and couples.

Coca-Cola wraps bottled-water brand in social responsibility

CHINA - Buying Coca-Cola's bottled-water brand Ice Dew Chun Yue (純悅) will give consumers a chance to ‘Drink good, do good, feel good’ by supporting efforts to provide clean drinking water to rural schoolchildren.

Yakult TVC combines gem theft and germ warfare

A new TVC for probiotic dairy drink Yakult dramatises an odd jewellery-store robbery to urge people to maintain their health in preparation for germ attacks.

Ikea Taiwan builds trial home space for social gatherings

TAIPEI - Ogilvy & Mather Advertising Taipei has helped Ikea convert a vacant three-storey building in central Taipei into a space the public can use for social gatherings—free for a day.

Times Square Hong Kong debuts Gaudi’s artwork in Asia

Times Square Hong Kong, Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC) and Basilica de la Sagrada Família of Spain, have opened an exhibition of architecture by Antoni Gaudi at the mall in Causeway Bay. Open through May, the exhibit includes 14 works, all of which are appearing in Asia for the first time. The exhibition will include a guided tour, Spanish food and wine tasting and the staging of flamenco dance performances on weekends in May.

PHD Hong Kong welcomes back Kelly Chan and Kylie Chiu

HONG KONG - Kelly Chan and Kylie Chiu have come on board as business director and planning manager, respectively, at PHD in Hong Kong.

1600 pandas world tour comes to Hong Kong

AllRightsReserved has brought 1600 panda sculptures to Hong Kong for a month-long exhibition to celebrate the opening of PMQ, a high-end entertainment complex, and as part of the government’s ‘Conserving Central’ initiative. The organisation will also perform flashmobs in dozens of landmarks around the city to promote conservation. Etymon is the PR agency for the project.

Train lovers travel down memory lane to join MTR's 35th anniversay exhibition

Hong Kong's Mass Transit Railway has launched an exhibition to celebrate its 35th anniversary at Telford Plaza in Kowloon Bay. Among the displays at the exhibition, entitled 'MTR journeys with you for 35 years', is part of an original train system control panel from the first central control room in Kowloon Bay. Other exhibits include in-train grab handles from different generations, old rail tickets, past TV commercials and scenes from movies filmed in the MTR.

Alan Huang to join JWT Taipei as general manager

TAIPEI – Alan Huang (黃國燦), currently GM of local agency Ideata (異言堂廣告), will take up the general manager’s role at JWT Taipei starting in May.

Jeffrey Yu resigns from Publicis Greater China for consultant role

GREATER CHINA - Jeffrey Yu, who joined Publicis as the Greater China CEO in February 2012, has resigned from the agency but will continue to work as a consultant to key clients across Asia, Campaign Asia-Pacific has confirmed.

Something Big afoot for the NBA

SHANGHAI - The US National Basketball Association (NBA) has tapped Chinese mobile-game maker The Something Big Group (大事科技), to develop a new interactive game that will launch globally. Both sides confirmed the partnership this month.

Ocean Park's sea horse exhibition to generate public awareness

Ocean Park is staging an 'Animal Discovery Fest' between 5 April and 11 May with an exhibition on sea horses highlighting the plight of the endangered marine fish, and to educate visitors about the various species and the fact that male sea horses actually get pregnant to give birth. It is part of the park's theme based on the Year of the Horse, and is also part of its Blue matter marketing campaign encouraging the public to keep the sea clean and to improve the ecosystem for sea inhabants.

Passion, attitude, teamwork and honesty keep Pure International balanced

ASIA-PACIFIC - Fitness and exercise have always been a part of Colin Grant’s life. Growing up in Hong Kong, he played semi-professional tennis, representing the city for 10 years. Now, as CEO of Pure International, he says working in yoga and fitness keeps him sane and happy in an age of multitasking and information overload.

Mindshare tipped to secure US$250 million Pepsi China account

CHINA – After a four-month competitive pitch that started in December, Mindshare China has reportedly captured Pepsi China’s traditional media planning and buying for its beverage and food business, according to sources.

Kronenbourg’s ‘Finish at Five’ campaign on tap for Le French May

HONG KONG - Ogilvy PR, JWT and OMD join forces to brew up a leave-work-early movement for French beer brand Kronenbourg 1664.

Carlsberg boosts fan engagement with English Premier League

HONG KONG- To promote its three-year global deal as official beer sponsor of the English Premier League (EPL), Carlsberg Hong Kong has kickstarted a series of marketing initiatives including a chance to win a free trip to an EPL match in the UK.

Shane Crombie becomes MediaCom China’s new head of interaction

SHANGHAI - Shane Crombie, a 16-year Australian digital marketing veteran who worked as an independent digital marketing consultant since 2008, has joined MediaCom China as the new head of interaction.

DBS sponsors Affordable Art Fair in Hong Kong

The second Hong Kong Affordable Art Fair took place from 21 to 23 March at the HKCEC. DBS is the regional title sponsor for the Fair in both Hong Kong and Singapore, along with others like Peroni and Nespresso. Starlit put together the creative workshop, while QNM Communications is the PR agency. The fair attracted more than 29,000 visitors this year and sold US$5 million in art.

Taiwan agencies caught up in protest against China trade agreement

TAIPEI - Controversy over an agreement that would ease trade restrictions with China swept into the marketing communications industry as more than 200 agency people, including some senior 4A executives reportedly declared their solidarity with protesters.

HK Express’ rebranding aims to build a strong budget airline identity

HONG KONG - Charles Johnson, GM in charge of marketing and PR for HK Express, reports feeling like a proud parent as the brand launches a campaign aimed at creating a strong brand image for the low-cost carrier (LCC). And like any parent, he knows his work is only beginning.

Harbour City snares Spider-Man fans in advance of May movie release

HONG KONG - Comic fans and kids will happily get enmeshed in the Spider-Man craze at Hong Kong mall Harbour City, which is trying to capture the buzz for the upcoming Marvel film ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’.

HK Express devises hands-on challenge for free air tickets

HONG KONG – Budget airline HK Express is inviting people to hold their hand on an ad in a bus shelter for hours at a time in order to win free flights to Asian destinations.

Maxus gives Japan MD control in Korea as well

TOKYO – Michael Morano has apparently done a good job in just over a year as MD of Maxus Japan, as the company has now given him an additional role as MD of another market that often proves difficult for international agencies: Korea.

Longchamp engages HK celebrities to promote tailor-made bag service

HONG KONG - French apparel brand Longchamp has selected four local celebrities to appear in a print campaign titled ‘I am who I am’ to promote the brand's new ‘Le Pliage Cuir Personalised' handbag service.

Burberry launches Brit Rhythm fragrance in Shanghai

Burberry celebrated the launch Brit Rhythm for men with a performance by British boy band The Family Rain at its new three-storey flagship store in Shanghai. The event on 21 March drew over 300 guests including George Barnett (British musician and face of Brit Rhythm). Burberry partnered with Baidu on a digital sampling programme; fans signed up to receive a scented temporary tattoo in the shape of the fragrance's bottle.

Manulife reminds Hong Kong people their spouse may outlive them

Manulife Hong Kong has launched a new ad campaign focusing on the need to engage in retirement planning in order to provide for the needs of one's spouse.

Elite Step Asia adds Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival on its sports marketing credentials

HONG KONG - Local sports-marketing agency Elite Step Asia has scooped the race-management business of the 2014 Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival, which will take place along the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade between 6 and 8 June.

SCMP Group acquires Destination Macau from Ignite Media Group

MACAU - By acquiring Destination Macau from Ignite Media Group, SCMP Group gains entrance to the world’s fastest growing gaming market.

Attacks on Hong Kong journalists raise concern

HONG KONG – With two violent attacks on Hong Kong journalists receiving global news coverage, the international community has joined local journalists and media watchers in asking whether media owners and the government are doing enough to protect press freedom.

ADK Taiwan CEO Yves Huang bids farewell

TAIPEI - Yves Huang (黃逸甫), CEO of ADK Taiwan(聯旭廣告) for four years, is leaving the agency at the end of this month. The agency has promoted Barbie Lin (林詠絮), its executive vice president, to the MD role effective 1 April.

Dentsu launches new unit to expand content business

ASIA-PACIFIC - Dentsu will launch a new content-creation unit, Dentsu Media Creative Content (DMCC), on 1 April.

Greenfields Dairy demonstrates cheesy dishes to local chefs

Media Palette Hong Kong helped its client Greenfields, a joint venture by a group of Australian farmers and Indonesian entrepreneurs, to showcase its dairy and cheese products. The client invited award-winning Singaporean Swiss chef Otto Weibel to do a live demonstration to local chefs at the WaterMark Restaurant on 18 March. Greenfields boasts that its 'happy cows' make its products stand out.

Manchester United scores well with Asian fans

ASIA-PACIFIC - The 135-year-old English football club Manchester United has built an very emotional bonding with its fans. Inside the Old Trafford Stadium hangs a flag that says “United, kids, wife in that order", depicting where the fans' priorities lie. Many Asian fans, who've never been to Britain, share the same passion. Why?

BBDO takes TOTO’s creative account from ADK in Taiwan

TAIPEI - After a four-way pitch on 25 February, premium bathroom brand TOTO has shifted its creative business in Taiwan from ADK to BBDO.

Wall Street English uses celebrity to encourage Chinese students to learn English

Weber Shandwick organised a large PR event for Wall Street English (WSE) at Prosper Centre in Beijing on 9 March, where the educational-services company presented its new brand ambassador, Chinese TV and movie star Zhang Han (张翰). Han shared a film about his ‘aspirational’ story of learning English with an audience of more than 500, including fans and both current and prospective students.

Three agencies gear up for Asia-Pacific Telecom creative pitch in Taiwan

TAIPEI – Three Taiwanese agencies, Toplan (太笈策略), SHAPE Advertising (雪芃) and 印堂創作, are gearing up for a creative pitch for Asia Pacific Telecom (亞太電信) in Taiwan.

AB InBev pitch: AKQA grabs Budweiser, IM2.0 holds Harbin

SHANGHAI - Budweiser’s social-media and digital accounts go to AKQA, while Anheuser-Busch (AB) InBev’s incumbent, VML IM2.0, retains the Harbin account.

KFC Singapore charges Ren Partnership to lead creative

SINGAPORE - Ren Partnership, a 2-year-old independent agency founded by Chris Chiu, has taken home KFC Singapore’s creative business effective this month.

Ginseng campaign reaches out to younger buyers

HONG KONG - Korean ginseng is popular among affluent consumers to beef up their immune system and keep warm, but Cheong Kwan Jang (CKJ) Korean Ginseng (正官庄高麗參) is hoping to entice younger customers to add the product to their shopping lists.

Carat tipped to win Amway TV buying pitch in China

CHINA - American direct selling giant Amway has reportedly chosen Carat to handle a TV buying contract from May to December this year after a competitive pitch against GroupM’s Mindshare in Q4, according to sources.

Hong Kong's Chocolate Rain uses collaborations to elevate brand

HONG KONG - Prudence Mak, founder of local design brand Chocolate Rain, rejuvenated an old dream this month with the opening of a restaurant in the brand's new flagship store in a newly renovated space in Hong Kong.

MSLGROUP Taiwan becomes United Airlines’ PR agency in Taiwan

TAIPEI - United Airlines (UA) has chosen MSLGroup as its PR retainer agency in Taiwan, with a focus on raising brand awareness for the airline's Taipei to San Francisco direct flight launching on 31 March.

JWT Taiwan tipped to win major share of Japan Tobacco creative pitch

TAIPEI - JWT has won a major part of Japan Tobacco International's business in Taiwan, including top-selling brand Mevius, after a pitch, according to sources.

Lee Kum Kee hosts regional challenge for aspiring Chinese chefs

Nearly 50 aspiring young chefs from seven countries in Asia participated in a two-day regional Chinese culinary challenge sponsored by Lee Kum Kee. Themed ‘Legacy and passion: A new page in Chinese culinary art ’, the event took place at the Chinese Cuisine Training Institute in Hong Kong on 5 and 6 March. The century-old sauce brand organised the event to elevate industry standards and promote Chinese cuisine.

Hong Kong celebrities (plus Spiderman) make sacrifices for Earth Hour

HONG KONG - Comic icon Spiderman will be the first superhero ever to act as an Earth Hour ambassador, together with local celebrities including Eason Chan, Kay Tse, Leo Ku and Miriam Yeung, all of whom have promised to give up something today for a better tomorrow.

Etymon Communications treats staff to time out in Hokkaido

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, and Hong Kong boutique PR agency Etymon Communications believes the same holds true for PR professionals. The agency took its staff of seven on a five-day incentive holiday to Hokkaido, Japan, last month. The group savoured fresh crabs and sushi, visited a farm, and enjoyed playing in the snow.

Jung von Matt/Tonghui tasked to boost beer-football connection for Carlsberg in China

BEIJING - German independent agency Jung von Matt/Tonghui has taken home a digital project from Carlsberg after a competitive pitch in Q4.

Siegel+Gale promotes Eric Lin to regional role

SHANGHAI - Eric Lin, Shanghai GM of international branding agency Siegel+Gale for four years, will be moving to a new US-based role as executive director, leading APAC client engagements and business development. Franco Xu will take over as Shanghai GM.

Jamie Oliver butchers Cantonese in tongue-and-cheek YouTube promotion

HONG KONG – Mischievous British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver plans to open his new Jamie’s Italian restaurant in Hong Kong this July. To promote the location, he uploaded a YouTube video to contrast his poor grasp of Cantonese with his real skills in the kitchen.

Smash-hit TV drama sustains 'Korean wave' across Asia

HONG KONG - A Korean TV series titled 'My Love From the Star' has made an impact far beyond its home country, benefitting brands from luxury handbags to fried chicken. The only people unhappy with the show's success and what it bodes for the future may be traditional broadcasters.

Weber Shandwick to enhance Ferragamo's perfume brands in China

BEIJING - Weber Shandwick has added Ferragamo Parfums PR AOR to its luxury clientele portfolio with the aim of raising awareness of its various perfumes among digitally sophisticated Chinese consumers.

HKJC taps McCann for 130th anniversary campaign

HONG KONG - McCann Worldgroup and Weber Shandwick have galloped into the year of the horse with a major piece of new business: a creative project for the Hong Kong Jockey Club's (HKJC) 130th year-long anniversary campaign.

Iris Lo resurfaces as MD for new Publicis sister agency Red Lion

HONG KONG – After the closure of Draftfcb Hong Kong in December, Publicis has hired Iris Lo as the MD for its newly created sister agency Red Lion in Hong Kong, Jeffrey Yu, CEO of Publicis Greater China, confirmed to Campaign Asia-Pacific.

Hong Kong marketers to boost spending for online, new free-TV options: HK2A and Nielsen

HONG KONG - Forty-two per cent of advertisers indicated they will increase advertising spending in 2014, with internet advertising accounting for much of the growth, according to the latest survey on advertising spending projections by the Hong Kong Advertisers Association (HK2A) and Nielsen.

Engine Asia throws house-warming party at new office in Shanghai

Engine Asia held a housewarming party on 17 February for its new office in Meng Zi Road in Shanghai. A converted warehouse, the office now houses both Calling Brand Consulting and Deep Focus under one roof. More than 100 staffers, clients and suppliers joined Engine global chairman Peter Scott, Engine's board members and Engine Asia chairman David Liu for the party, which of course featured a lion's dance and roast suckling pig.

DATA POINTS: 2014 Hong Kong ad spending trends

Selected infographics from a survey by Nielsen and the HK2A (Hong Kong Advertisers Association) into the 2014 ad-spending outlook and economic confidence in Hong Kong. The HK2A presented the findings yesterday. Please see the related-article link at the bottom of the page for additional information.

Alice Chow steps up as MediaCom Hong Kong’s new MD

Benjamin Li