What 60 days in China's lower-tier cities revealed to me about retail
After 60 days travelling solo through 30 cities in China, Wai Social founder Olivia Plotnick shares what she saw and learned.
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What 60 days in China's lower-tier cities revealed to me about retail
After 60 days travelling solo through 30 cities in China, Wai Social founder Olivia Plotnick shares what she saw and learned.
Making a statement: when fashion meets protest
When fashion brands co-opt protest to bridge the gap between politics and youth, it can bring people together behind a cause. But not all get it right.
The unusual shared existences of co-chief creative officers
How do co-ECDs navigate being their agency's creative engine and manager to their teams, as well as an effective, empathetic partner?
The 'chaotic beauty' of adland in Bangladesh
With its economy growing great guns and a youthful, content-hungry population, this is a market primed to channel its artistic heritage towards great advertising.
How ads are used as weapons in Hong Kong protests
Adverts that promote the demands and opinions of various factions are an enduring feature of pro-democracy movements—and they largely favour print as their medium.
Coca-Cola, Uber Eats gain favour: New Zealand's top 100 brands
How do stalwart brands like Nike, Uber and Coca Cola rank in New Zealanders' affections in 2019?
Discount local brands faring better than premium in New Zealand
Pak'nSave and The Warehouse are among lower-priced brands out-performing their higher-priced counterparts in New Zealand's favourite brands list.
Are social-media brands feeling the impact of NZ's criticism?
Under closer-than-usual scrutiny this year in New Zealand for various reasons, few of them good, how are consumers responding to the top tech and social media platforms?
Google and Facebook will obey Australia's laws or leave, says ACCC
The chairman of the Australian consumer watchdog says the country will act alone if necessary to regulate the tech giants.
Thailand's love affair with Chanel, and other luxury brands
The French fashion house is Thailand's fourth most popular brand, according to our consumer data.
How AIS used influencers to become Thailand's top local brand
Partnerships with the pop stars and cut-through social campaigns have helped the mobile phone operator rise up the charts of Thais' favourite brands to hand out with the big internationals in the top 10.
Why Thailand really likes all things Japanese
From cosmetic shops to discount chains and all kinds of food in between, Thai people are big fans of Japanese exports.
'Women to Watch boosted my self-esteem and my reputation'
"Being recognised on a regional level next to some incredibly experienced women helps speak to the merit and impact of my work—rather than the gender and tenure that sits behind it." Last year's Women To Watch explain what nomination meant to them.
Giphy's Alex Chung: Why advertisers love branded GIFs
The founder and CEO of the phenomenally popular search engine for GIFs started monetising his business last year in the US—and has plans to extend sponsored GIF slots to the rest of the world.
Why don't 'chief children's officers' exist in every big tech firm?
The CEO of SuperAwesome describes the state of the internet in terms of children's safety — and says China is further ahead than most in getting it right.
Carlsberg commercial chief: 'Asia is not following, it's leading'
In her last few months before leaving the group for Beam Suntory, Jessica Spence discusses global drinking trends, the changing role of agencies and Asia's still-unrecognised role in global business.
Alfamart, BCA, GoJek; local Indonesian brands soar in popularity
The majority of local brands that rank among Indonesian consumers' favourites are rising in popularity, finds Nielsen's survey.
Samsung still Indonesia's favourite brand
The electronics provider holds over a quarter of the mobile phone market share and is Indonesia's favourite TV maker, as well as being the most popular brand overall.
Twitter down but Facebook, Instagram more popular than ever in social Indonesia
Despite a temporary ban related to the recent elections, and a potential threat (still relatively slight) on the horizon in the form of rising brand Telegram, Facebook and Instagram are still beloved brands in Indonesia.
Women to Watch 2019 opens for entries
Nominate the women whose work — and way of working — inspires you, for Campaign's annual list celebrating the industry's top female talent.
The ultimate post-Cannes 2019 breakdown
APAC wins, festival highlights and hot topics, all in one place.
Nike China pulls shoe line after designer supports HK protests
The US sports brand has reportedly nixed a limited edition line of shoes by the Japanese design brand Undercover in China following an Instagram post that sparked controversy.
How Adidas China and TBWA won the first ever TikTok Lion
Fresh from judging the Creative Effectiveness Lions at Cannes, the CEO of TBWA Greater China tells Campaign Asia-Pacific about her agency's 'ripping' campaign that went viral on Douyin.
The world's biggest retail events, ranked and rated
Long-established peak-selling periods like Christmas now have major competition from a host of “shopping events”, which usually involve heavy discounts. But as China’s Singles Day, the largest of these, proves, the future of all shopping is set to go way beyond holiday promotions and daily deals.
Why no work from China made the 80-strong Digital Craft shortlist
Isobar's chief creative officer Chris Chen explains the challenges work from China still faces when seeking medals at Cannes; and talks us through the decision to award the first ever Digital Craft Grand Prix to a campaign about a technology that doesn't yet exist.
On the ground in Cannes: Editor's Diary Day 5
It's Day 5. No question, there are some tired eyes and long faces. But there are also some very excited creatives gearing up for the final awards gala tonight. Stick with Campaign - we've got you covered!
On the ground in Cannes: Editor's Diary Day 4
Yesterday was exciting. We saw Sheryl Sandberg stand up for Facebook, shielded ourselves from Gary Vaynerchuk's highly popular invective and watched in alarm as Extinction Rebellion protesters took over the red carpet steps. What will happen today?!
Gary Vaynerchuk: Cannes 'lacks truth at an uncomfortable scale'
In an expletive-filled discussion, the outspoken entrepreneur and CEO of VaynerX says the industry remains wilfully blind to what really drives humans to take action and continues to kid itself about the reach and impact of work.
On the ground in Cannes: Editor's Diary Day 3
It's the third day of baking heat along the Croisette. Coming up: our notes, pictures and thoughts on what's happening at Cannes, from IPG women's breakfast this morning to Massive Music and Media Monks' MMMbassy party tonight.
Why AVEs are a "bullshit" PR measurement tool
Asia is behind the rest of the world in abandoning this metric, which has been proven worthless for years, says AMEC's Richard Bagnall.
Triple winners McCann Health: "We're at the top of our game"
CANNES IN SHORTS: Global chief creative officer Matt Eastwood and Wendy Chan of McCann Health Shanghai on the campaign that won them the first Pharma Grand Prix in three years—and the first Pharma Grand Prix for China ever.
Asia, it's time to move on from lazy stereotypes: Cheil
Three senior women from Cheil's India, South Korea and China offices told Campaign Asia about the moment they realised they'd all worked right up until the day before they gave birth; and why Asia's media landscape needs to catch up with reality and ban clichés in ads.
On the ground in Cannes: Editors' diary, day 2
Today's agenda for our editors includes hearing Tencent's new luxury products report, meeting some of the great and good from McCann, whose Shanghai team has been winning big already, and finding out whether Lovot the Japanese robot is as cute as everyone says.
On the ground in Cannes: Editors' diary
Campaign Asia-Pacific editors will be running up and down the Croisette all week, bringing you their unique perspectives from inside the Palais and out, from the beach house sessions to the industry one-on-one interviews. If you couldn't make it this year, live it vicariously.
What Cannes wants to talk about? Quitting social media
Conversations at Cannes kept returning to the negative influence of social media on mental health, with other strands of the same discussion touching on harmful agency-client working relationships and the introduction of psychological "safe spaces" at work.
Rankin: Quitting harmful social media made me more creative
CANNES IN SHORTS: The world-renowned photographer tells Campaign about the moment he realised the social platforms he was using were affecting his mental health, and why he's happier embracing what he calls 'JOMO' — the 'joy of missing out'.
Cathay CMO knew this ad would "stir hornet's nest"
Speaking exclusively at CampaignComms yesterday, Ed Bell revealed what really happened when the ban of the airline's ad featuring a gay couple sparked controversy in Hong Kong and around the world.
Coke stuns Asia with near-total knockout of Pepsi except in Thailand
Coca-Cola reigns supreme among more than 470 beverage brands in Asia Pacific.
Heineken, Johnnie Walker still Asia's favourite alcohol, but some markets put local way ahead
While the international giants have a firm hold on some parts of Asia, homegrown brands such as Moutai in China, McDowells in India and San Miguel in the Philippines still win out with their home markets.
Bear Brand on the up; and why Vietnam favours KitKats
The reigning names in food categories across Asia held onto their spots in 2019. But there is interesting movement further down the chart, and between markets.
Dolce & Gabbana falls 140 places in Asia's Top 1000 Brand ranking
The brand is still suffering from a poor marketing strategy last year, which caused outrage in China and has seen it drop in consumer preference in almost every APAC market.
20 equality actions everyone should take by 2020
The APAC CEO of Wunderman Thompson, Annette Male, outlines 20 actions she thinks adland should take to move the needle on equality and diversity in the workplace, from policies on harassment to pay parity.
How to recognise (and stop feeling) imposter syndrome
Recruitment expert Jacqui Barratt and psychologist Lissy Puno dispel myths about this commonly felt phenomenon, looking into its origins, how to identify it in yourself and others, and how to get yourself out of the cycle.
APAC adland inequality persists in race, age and gender: Exclusive research
Campaign's third survey with Kantar into workplace diversity in the APAC marketing and advertising landscape uncovered a deep seam of feeling about bias stretching beyond gender, while the results suggest equality for women has not improved.
Can better stock pictures eliminate stereotypes?
Stock picture houses and media companies are making more efforts to use photos that represent a broader spectrum of people, particularly women, than they have in the past. But while this could have big implications for advertising, there may still be a lot of work to do.
Indian adland's #MeToo is not over: "Anger makes things happen—and women are mad as hell"
Sexual harassment is endemic, a systemic "rot" at the heart of the industry, says advertising's Cindy Gallop. She is sure that in India's adland, where the #MeToo movement appears to have slowed, just as in the rest of the world, there are many more developments to come.
Bangladeshi farmers switch veg for first bank accounts
Grey Dhaka brought Bangladesh's United Commercial Bank and the grocery company Shwapno together in this effort to help farmers convert their spare food into savings.
Merger creates Myanmar's largest ever marcomms agency, ERA
The joining of two pioneer shops, Echo and RevoTech, is a first for the frontier market. Echo's Anthony Larmon explains why the move is of "huge significance" on both an industry and a personal level—and how ERA hopes to make communications cool again.
Stigma? Amgits! Edelman team's mental-health campaign wins PRHK competition
A smart idea to help people realise that they treat mental health differently to physical health in Hong Kong will see the winning team from Edelman travel to the Cannes Lions this year.
“My question for the industry’s men: ‘Hey, when are you going to realise? It’s time.’”
Gabriela Guerra successfully campaigned against discrimination in Brazil's 'Young Lions' competition. Here the 2019 Cannes 'See It Be It' finalist shares her thoughts on equality (lacking), the overwork epidemic and the creative benefits of living in her new home, Singapore.
Game of Ads: Lavish activations abound as GoT returns
Is DDB and Foxtel's 2,000 square metre virtual graveyard built to 'honour' late Game of Thrones characters excessive? Exceptionally so—but it's all in the spirit of the unbridled hype surrounding the final season of the HBO series.
Look around your office. Is it serious about diversity? Take our survey
Campaign and Kantar invite you to take our survey assessing how much companies in Asia have achieved in their pursuit of "diversity", whether it relates to gender, age, race or any other factor. One participant will win a ticket to our Women Leading Change event in Singapore, to hear the results.
Police arrest man for defaming Utopeia's Sudarshan Banerjee in #MeToo posts
The development comes after Banerjee initiated police proceedings when sexual harassment claims against him caused a business loss of over US$1 million and the resignation of over 40 staff members, according to his lawyer.
100 of the best ads from Asia Pacific (according to us)
We could have called it the 'ultimate' list of best work from the region, but that would offend our appreciation of the variety of subjective responses to creativity. So we ask for your faith in our judgement—and for your help to expand this epic list from 50 to 100.
Facebook APAC head speaks of "massive" efforts to remove harmful content
VIDEO: Interviewed at Campaign360 the week before the Christchurch attacks, Neil Stewart's remarks now hold greater significance in the light of what happened.
Why respect and 'loving kindness' are central to personalisation
Serving consumers with personalised messaging is a much more nuanced business than simply recording the way they like their eggs cooked, say senior China brand experts from Mars, Accor and McCann Health speaking at the Digital360Festival in Shanghai.
Live from Digital360Festival in Shanghai
Text, images and video takeaways from the Digital360Festival, which took place March 28 in Shanghai.
Foreign vs local KOLs: who wields more power in China?
We explore the work of some successful non-Chinese influencers working in China and ask whether they command more or less influence than their local counterparts—and whether that's changing.
FCB's Susan Credle: Young job-hoppers "just creating stuff, not building brands"
The agency's global CCO talks about her worries for role-switching millennials, why we're about to see a "beautiful change" in favour of creativity and how work from New Zealand might change post-Christchurch.
Ian Czencz resigns from Atomic 212
The MD of the Sydney branch leaves to focus on strategy, according to the agency.
Updated: Jonathan Chadwick tipped to depart Dentsu Aegis
Campaign understands that the former CEO of Carat Asia Pacific, who in January was named head of DAN's newly formed One Singapore Media Group, is to leave the company.
Watch: Magna global chief on the "critical" value of agencies
Andy Zonfrillo took some time at Campaign360 to share his thoughts on in-housing, internal client relationships and the challenges of agency life today.
Phil Teeman, Rob Hughes among latest out at DAN
Teeman and Hughes have followed Susana Tsui out of Dentsu Aegis Network's doors, Campaign learns, as the group executes a major leadership restructure in the region. Here we round up all of the changes so far this year.
Agencies must urgently upskill talent to meet CMO needs
At Campaign360, three senior agency representatives and a "client in the hot seat" discussed how a skills gap in agency talent is leaving the door open for consultancies.
“It's Not That Hard” to make unconscious bias front of mind
Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand worked with a group of C-level bosses to drive inclusion in workplaces by highlighting how easy it is to avoid bias, in a campaign for International Women's Day.
Uncertain or "wrong" metrics ruffling the finance-marketing marriage
Despite many regular meetings and discussions, the relationship between CMOs and CFOs could be a lot smoother, finds a panel at Campaign360 — and good metrics are at the heart of this.
Exclusive Campaign study finds clients value agencies' creativity the highest
Despite the many sophisticated bells and whistles agencies are striving to provide, brands still think of creative campaign work as the number one value-add offering, finds new research presented at Campaign360 by Campaign and Kantar.
"Dad wanted me to be a tai tai, have kids... I did none of that"
Amy Ho of Integral Ad Science shares her career path, some of the challenges she's encountered as a woman—and how it felt to be called "bossy" and "intense" during a review.
Bad ads disguised as content undermine trust: Dow Jones revenue chief
Ahead of his appearance at Campaign360, Dow Jones' new global chief revenue officer Josh Stinchcomb discusses innovating on custom content, shiny new ad tech tools and navigating changing audience habits.
"Everything would be better if we had more women": Tara Ford
We talk to the executive creative director of DDB Sydney about the idea of being labelled a "female ECD", the lack of role models for women in advertising and raising four children alongside a successful career.
Just what women need: a discounted purple ice cream
You know International Women's Day is fast approaching when campaigns that fail to do anything real for women, such as this by Magnum Singapore, start landing in our inboxes.
Mastercard, Linkin Park and an earworm coming soon to a shop near you
The financial services provider has furnished itself with a new 'sonic identity' that it says will help it remain relevant in a world of frictionless payments and conversational commerce.
Deepfake videos menace publishers and brands
The rise of video manipulation is spurring news publishers to take action, explains the director of the BBC World Service Group. But risk experts say it's only a matter of time before brands get hit too.
If you're not excited about OOH yet, you should be, says new report
A study by Magna and Rapport assesses the state of out of home in 70 markets, including 15 in APAC.
BBH Singapore promotes David Webster to MD
Webster steps up from a managing partner role.
YDM Thailand acquires FCB Bangkok
The 35 staff at FCB Bangkok will begin working in collaboration with YDM Thailand, effective immediately.
Superunion in Asia: A year in the life of a new agency
Brands may continue to reel work in-house, but as the agency celebrates its first year, CEO Benedict Gordon talks D&G, Chinese national pride and opportunities in the region that are ripe for the picking.
Four China truths I learned when I moved my family across the world
Bill Brock, co-founder of AnalogFolk, moved his wife and son from London to Shanghai for four months so he could get a better grip on market trends. Here's what he discovered.
Exclusive: WPP's 'deathtrap' Malaysia campus
After shattering windows, vermin infestations and lifts that would get stuck or plummet without warning, a terrifying blackout was the final straw that forced WPP to clear its new Petaling Jaya campus, Campaign Asia-Pacific has learned.
Maya Watono appointed head of DAN Indonesia
The new CEO will replace SK Biswas.
Here's the 'purpose' Asia really wants brands to serve: Kantar
When well-meaning campaigns and initiatives filter down from global headquarters they can end up meaning little to local markets. A new Kantar survey explores the issues people really care about in the region.
Dow Jones is launching luxury glossies even though print is pooped
After launching new Mansion Global and Penta products this year, publisher Mae Cheng tells Campaign Asia-Pacific what's working in the world of glossy magazines.
Are event budgets shrinking?
What goes up but never comes down? Venue costs and overheads that are eating into event budgets, apparently.
Hong Kong airlines launches new inflight magazine, +852
The airline revamps its inflight offering with a new publication named after the city's international calling code, along with fresh meals for economy passengers.
Forrester's 2019 brand outlook: drop the toys and get back to work
Businesses will spend the next year getting down to the hard graft involved in digital transformation, the firm predicts, after races to invest in the latest innovations have proved less fruitful than imagined.
Is it time to stop hating the procurement department?
They're often seen by marketers and agencies as antagonistic and difficult, but relationships with procurement don't have to be this way. Here's how the function can work well within the value chain.
Nominate for Asia's first CMO Power List 2018
We are taking suggestions for Campaign's first Asia-wide CMO Power List, a definitive guide to the most influential marketers in the region.
D&G's crisis: Lane Crawford, Alibaba, JD, Yoox Net-A-Porter drop brand
A crisis on this scale is "incredibly hurtful" according to one regional expert assessing what D&G's future in China might look like.
Dolce & Gabbana releases Weibo video apologising to 'every Chinese person in the world'
The famous designers say they will not forget this episode and the lessons learned, but the video's Chinese subtitles make no mention of the offensive comments Gabbana reportedly made via Instagram messages.
Driving Manulife's brand overhaul with a brighter shade of green
The insurance firm's CMO, Francesco Lagutaine, takes Campaign Asia-Pacific behind the scenes of the company's new look—which originated in Asia—and explains why his design team is currently engrossed in a T-shirt competition.
Google launches 'new ideas' fund for APAC news outlets
The company is inviting proposals from journalists and publishers in the region and says it will fund its favourites.
HK's The Women's Foundation calls out boardroom gender bias
Non-profit The Women's Foundation and its 30% Club Hong Kong, launched in 2013 to raise awareness of the perks of gender diversity, have released a new campaign aiming to reduce gender bias in boardrooms.
Why it's time for toys and toy ads to go gender-neutral in Asia
Many children's products are still created and marketed according to narrow gender stereotypes, which experts say leads to a variety of social problems. But efforts to make change in this part of the world are still nascent.
Ipsos heralds Asia's 'affluencers' as a marketer's dream
Ipsos releases its annual survey detailing the changing habits of Asia's most affluent consumers — and highlighting a new breed of high-spending opinion leaders
Utopeia co-founder strongly denies #MeToo claims
A letter from lawyers shared by Sudarshan Banerjee says three of four claims are "figments of imagination" and promises legal proceedings against "a criminal conspiracy" seeking to tarnish his reputation.
Centennials don't care about your brand's good reputation
A new study by Dentsu Aegis Media looks into the buying habits of 16- to 23-year-olds in Southeast Asia.
Detailed #MeToo claims against Utopeia's Sudarshan Banerjee
Two women have shared in-depth reports of harassment with Campaign Asia, saying Banerjee's wife's position as head of HR at the agency made it particularly hard for them to seek help.
40 Under 40: 2018's class of young leaders in APAC marketing and communications
The factor that unites all 40 is that they are regularly going beyond their job descriptions, treating these as a starting point from which they can make broader change happen.
Almost half of women in Indian adland have known harassment: Research
Our research with Kantar corroborates the recent #MeToo reports, as Havas Media's Anita Nayyar says, "We’ve known the industry to have put a lot of women to this ordeal over the years".