Campaign Asia

Nestle Thailand appoints JWT Connect to handle multiple brands

BANGKOK - Nestle Thailand has awarded the digital work for a large portfolio of brands to JWT Connect, the digital unit of JWT Bangkok.

NZ Transport Agency stops time to deliver safety message

NEW ZEALAND – The New Zealand Transport Agency has launched an impactful TVC, entitled ‘Mistakes’, to remind drivers to slow down when they drive.

Rohit Jawa appointed as chairman, CEO for Unilever Philippines

SINGAPORE - FMCG giant Unilever has appointed veteran Rohit Jawa, senior vice president of global marketing operations, as chairman and CEO for Unilever Philippines.

Great Eastern promotes a healthy lifestyle to engage consumers

SINGAPORE - Relevance is key to consumer engagement. Great Eastern takes up the challenge and turns it into an opportunity to support its customers' health and lifestyle choices and capture their loyalty. It’s an initiative that runs deeper than just a “Life is Great” tagline.

IG Markets picks TSLA in Singapore

SINGAPORE - Contracts-for-differences provider, IG Markets Singapore, brings on independent agency, The Secret Little Agency (TSLA), as its creative lead in Singapore.

Tensions create opportunities for the luxury sector

SINGAPORE - Yannis Kavounis sees cultural tensions dominating the luxury sector. But the future, he says, depends on how companies resolve them.

Vizeum appoints regional CEO, launches new global brand identity

ASIA-PACIFIC - Vizeum Asia Pacific has promoted Kristian Barnes, chief commercial officer for Aegis Media in Australia and New Zealand, to regional CEO, following the recent launch of its global rebranding.

BBDO Guerrero appoints joint-ECD

MANILA - BBDO Guerrero has promoted Dale Lopez to the position of executive creative director, joining current ECD Tin Sanchez in the role.

FutureBrand names Sarah Reiter as regional president, to join global board

SINGAPORE - FutureBrand has promoted regional CEO Sarah Reiter to the position of president, Asia Pacific, and to a position on the company's global board.

Mobile apps an untapped opportunity in the travel industry

ASIA-PACIFIC - Mobile applications remain a largely untapped opportunity within the travel industry in the region despite the high adoption rates of smartphones and tablets.

Guinness Anchor's training unit appoints brand agency

KUALA LUMPUR - GAB Professional Solutions (GABPS), a training and innovation unit for Guinness Anchor Berhad (GAB), has appointed boutique brand consultancy LAB as its brand communication agency.

Singapore employment policy to exacerbate talent struggle

SINGAPORE - Singapore's latest employment measure promises to aggravate the already-intense talent war in the industry.

TekMark names agency for major branding project

KUALA LUMPUR - TekMark has appointed Leo Burnett Institute of Behaviour, a division of the Leo Burnett Group, for a major and expansive branding project.

High loyalty among online shoppers: UPS Pulse survey

ASIA-PACIFIC - More than half (62 per cent) of Asian online shoppers prefer to shop with their favourite retailers online, and more than two out of three use their mobile devices for shopping online.

BMW appoints Riverorchid in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH - Automotive brand BMW has named Indochina communications network Riverorchid for its brand marketing in Cambodia.

Samsung Asia sees restructuring in marketing team, "small number" of layoffs

ASIA-PACIFIC - Samsung Southeast Asia & Oceania has seen a restructuring in its marketing team, under its new regional president and CEO KK Park, for reasons that have been phrased as “new boss, new team”.

Pfizer appoints Leo Burnett for flagship-brand launches in Vietnam

HO CHI MINH CITY - Pharmaceutical corporation Pfizer has named Leo Burnett Vietnam for the launch of Pfizer’s two flagship brands, Centrum and Caltrate, in the country.

Telkomsel consolidates digital account with local shop Narrada

JAKARTA - Leading Indonesian telco Telkomsel is believed to have consolidated its digital works with local shop Narrada, after a competitive pitch called early this year.

Hakuhodo's Woon Siew Hoh reflects on the right place to shine

CREATIVE PROFILE: After turning its Indonesia office around, Hakuhodo’s Woon Siew Hoh enjoys the challenge of bringing the rest of the region up to the standard set by Japan.

Indian Embassy names agency to promote cultural initiatives in Indonesia

JAKARTA - The Indian Embassy in Indonesia has named The Thinking Machine to help promote its various cultural initiatives in the country.

Lasalle appoints Grey Group Singapore as creative agency

SINGAPORE - Lasalle, a specialist tertiary institution in arts education, has appointed Grey Group Singapore as its advertising partner across the region.

Volkswagen names agency for its return to The Philippines

MANILA - Auto brand Volkswagen is returning to the Philippines and has handed its creative duties to Harrison Communications for its re-entry into the highly competitive market.

Singapore's National Heritage Board calls media pitch

SINGAPORE - The National Heritage Board (NHB) has called a media pitch to appoint agencies to provide services in media planning and buying.

WDA Singapore chooses Comwerks as social AOR

SINGAPORE - The Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) has appointed Comwerks, a Wunderman company, as its social agency of record.

Affle Group, MMA launch US$3.3-million fund to boost mobile marketing

SINGAPORE - Media company Affle Group, in association with the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), has launched US$3.3-million fund called Mobile 2x (M2X) to fuel the growth of a mobile-marketing ecosystem in emerging markets.

KidZania Singapore confirms six partners

SINGAPORE - Educational and entertainment theme park KidZania has entered into partnership agreements with six brands for the theme park that will be opened on Sentosa Island early 2015.

When global sensibilities trump local marketing: Thailand's Dunkin' Donuts ad

BANGKOK - A controversy over a recent Dunkin' Donuts ad in Thailand, which was first defended by the local CEO and then pulled after it created negative publicity in the West, highlights a complication of marketing in the hyper-connected age.

Petronas debuts film to celebrate Malaysia National Day and Malaysia Day

KUALA LUMPUR – National oil and gas company Petronas has launched a film, entitled ‘Children’, to celebrate National Day and Malaysia Day this year.

Sensodyne lets sensitive teeth speak for themselves in AR-driven campaign

SINGAPORE - Pharmaceutical brand GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is letting consumers hear directly from sensitive teeth in a campaign for Sensodyne that uses AR (augmented reality) technology.

Changing an icon's role: The curious case of the 'Singapore Girl'

The recent global campaign launched by Singapore Airlines (SIA), which gives the brand's iconic 'Singapore Girl’ new roles, has drawn varied responses from the public and industry insiders.

DirectAsia.com extends relationship with IPG Mediabrands

SINGAPORE - Online insurance company DirectAsia.com has extended its relationship with IPG Mediabrands, after it awarded its media planning, buying and marketing consultancy duties in Hong Kong and Bangkok to the agency.

Caltex campaign showcases 'five-star' fuel

ASIA-PACIFIC - Caltex has launched a regional campaign showcasing its Techron fuel as a 'five-star' product.

P&G leads creation of crowdsourced national song in the Philippines

MANILA - Procter & Gamble Philippines has created a campaign, 'The Kayanihan Project', with the tagline “For a New Philippines all must be as one!” in answer to President Aquino’s message to Filipinos to unite in positivism and contribute to a national project for continuing progress.

Edelman launches Words of a Generation: Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR - PR network Edelman has launched the Malaysia edition of Words of a Generation short film series to allow the nation to tell its stories and hopes for the future, families and the country.

'Share a Coke' launches in Thailand

BANGKOK - Coca-Cola Thailand has unveiled an integrated campaign, entitled ‘Be fizzy, be bold, share a Coke’, for the launch of its ‘Share a Coke’ initiative in Thailand.

What if Malaysia's founders had live-Tweeted the fight for independence?

KUALA LUMPUR - 1 Malaysia for Youth (1M4U) is carrying out a National Day campaign in which the voices of historical figures speak through the media of today to tell the story of how the country gained independence.

VP Bank opts for Leo Burnett to launch virtual prepaid card in Vietnam

HO CHI MINH CITY - Vietnam Prosperity Bank (VP Bank) has named Leo Burnett Vietnam to handle the launch of its new virtual prepaid card offering, SmartCash.

Spikes Nights 2013: Parties take to the streets, bus and rooftops

SINGAPORE - Like previous years, Spikes Asia isn’t just about seminars. There are opportunities to network—aka “parties”—on each evening of the three-day festival.

Skin-whitening products should embrace the chance to empower women

Many skin-whitening products capitalise on socio-cultural dynamics exploiting negative emotions and going so far as to suggest an association between lighter skin and intelligence. Instead brands could play a role in changing and improving these dynamics while actually helping their business.

DDB wins big in SEA at 2011 Agency of the Year Awards

SINGAPORE - DDB Group topped the 2011 Agency of the Year Awards for the Southeast Asia region with four major awards including Creative Agency of the Year, Digital Agency of the Year, Agency Head of the Year and Creative of the Year.

This is your brain on a Kit Kat break

SINGAPORE - A traveling campaign for Nestlé's Kit Kat gives participants a chance to create artwork that reflects their inner state of mind by measuring the brainwaves triggered whilst eating the chocolate bar.

Fight the talent war with total engagement

Posting a ‘We’re hiring’ sign on the door just doesn’t cut it anymore. To attract top talent, companies need to build bonds.

CSR: Brands can no longer afford to pass the buck

Brands can avoid guilt by association with unethical practices by adopting a policy of sustainability and transparency.

Singapore's MICA calls PR pitch for DesignSingapore Council

SINGAPORE - The Ministry of Communications and Information has called a PR pitch for the DesignSingapore Council to conceptualise, plan and implement communications and public-relations strategies for the council’s programmes and events.

LinkedIn to sell Sponsored Updates on CPM and CPC basis

SYDNEY - LinkedIn has launched Sponsored Updates as a tool for brands to build relationships with users by promoting their business content.

P&G's Fast5 Force rescues Vietnamese women from laundry woes

HO CHI MINH CITY - P&G has launched an online campaign for its new Tide Plus Liquid detergent in Vietnam.

Tourism Authority of Thailand launches first-ever TV commercial in US

BANGKOK - Hoping to entice travelers who would otherwise visit closer destinations, the Tourism Authority of Thailand has unveiled an integrated campaign in the United States, including its first-ever TV commercial in the country.

Heineken partners with Rev Asia to build audience for 'Thirst' music festival

KUALA LUMPUR - Heineken has partnered with digital media group Rev Asia to handle the bulk of a four-month integrated campaign promoting Heineken Thirst, an electronic-music festival taking place in Malaysia in December.

ASOS launches retail website in China

CHINA - UK-based fashion website ASOS has entered China by launching a standalone website, Asos.cn.

Initiative Media Indonesia wins Santos, retains Sampoerna

JAKARTA - Initiative Media has announced two significant business wins in Indonesia: coffee company Santos Jaya Abadi and tobacco brand Sampoerna.

MasterCard launches global media pitch

GLOBAL - American multinational financial services corporation MasterCard has launched a global media review.

Travel Corporation pledges US$20,000 to typhoon victims

SINGAPORE - The Travel Corporation, parent company of Trafalgar, Insight Vacations, Contiki and Uniworld, has pledged SG$25,000 (US$20,000) worth of aid to the victims of super Typhoon Yolanda in The Philippines.

Bite Singapore appoints Adrian Heng to newly-created role of general manager

SINGAPORE - Bite has made two senior appointments to its Singapore operations, naming Adrian Heng and Smitha Virik as general manager and director, respectively.

Zen and the art of Facebook comment maintenance

ASIA-PACIFIC - Social-media managers must tread a fine line when it comes to monitoring and moderating comments posted on social-media sites such as Facebook.

Carat tipped to win Dutch Lady regional media pitch

KUALA LUMPUR - FMCG Dutch Lady is tipped to have moved its regional media account to Carat.

JWT sets up shopper-marketing offering in Singapore

SINGAPORE - JWT Singapore, together with China-based field and activation company Always, has launched a shopper-marketing division, JWT Always to address Southeast Asia.

Haymarket Media to take over publishing Singapore version of Stuff

SINGAPORE - Haymarket Media will begin publishing the Singapore edition of consumer-technology magazine Stuff in January, taking over from current licensee Absolute Publishing.

Dutch Lady selects BBH Asia Pacific for Southeast Asia creative business

SINGAPORE - Dutch Lady has appointed BBH Asia Pacific for its business in Southeast Asia.

CASE STUDY: Eye-care product builds affinity by referencing Vietnam history

Vietnamese eyedrop product OSLA launched its first campaign in 15 years to boost its market share.

CASE STUDY: How Durex increased awareness of safe-sex preparedness

Durex Malaysia and Durex Singapore unveiled a social media campaign to increase awareness on safe sex practice among young people.

Ketchum acquires Icon Singapore

SINGAPORE - Communications firm Ketchum, a unit of Omnicom Group, has officially established its presence in Singapore through the acquisition of independent public-relations consultancy Icon International Communications.

Unicef Thailand moves its media duties from OgilvyOne to UM

BANGKOK - Global humanitarian group Unicef has appointed UM Thailand for its media planning and buying duties, following a competitive pitch against incumbent OgilvyOne.

Content on Twitter: Irrelevant/hilarious or formal/boring?

Malindo Air's Twitter account has surged in popularity of late with posts drawing expressions of affection and delight from its followers. Only problem? The airline's account has been hacked and the poster isn't from the brand.

The Observatory International, Roth Associates consolidate businesses

GLOBAL - Specialist marketer/agency management consultancies The Observatory International and Roth Associates have consolidated their businesses under the name Roth Observatory International.

Johnson & Johnson Philippines appoints digital AOR for several brands

MANILA - FMCG company Johnson & Johnson Philippines has named creative digital agency Di9it as its digital agency of record for several brands.

Mediabrands' BPN announces three business wins

ASIA-PACIFIC - Mediabrands’ full-service media agency BPN has announced three business wins in Thailand and Indonesia, from Direct Asia, AJE Group and Telkomsel.

Havas Worldwide appoints creative head in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR - Havas Worldwide has promoted creative director Ezra Foo as its head of creative in Malaysia beginning in January, replacing Ng Heok Seong who is departing to assume a role outside of the country.

Nepa opens a new market research firm in Singapore

SINGAPORE - Market research and analytical company Nepa has opened an office in Singapore. It plans to manage larger multi-market projects from the city while tapping into Asia's growing demand for consumer insight.

Saatchis Thailand launches real-time social and content-creation hub

BANGKOK - Saatchi & Saatchi Thailand has launched Live Creativity, a social and content-creation hub to amplify the reach of Thai advertisers through the rapid production of content for social networks.

SingTel awards creative, digital account to Ogilvy & Mather

SINGAPORE - After a lengthy pitch process, telecommunication company SingTel has consolidated its major marketing duties under the Ogilvy umbrella by selecting Ogilvy & Mather Singapore as its agency of record.

Eastern & Oriental selects Hume Brophy to target overseas buyers for condominium project

SINGAPORE - Malaysia-based luxury property developer Eastern & Oriental (E&O) has handed the PR duties for the launch of its Andaman condominium project in Penang to Hume Brophy.

NUS Business School opts for Bates Chi&Partners as branding agency

SINGAPORE - National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School has selected Bates CHI&Partners as its branding agency of record for MBA and Executive MBA programmes.

One9Ninety wins Volvo Cars, Playboy Fragrances

SINGAPORE - One9Ninety has announced business wins from Volvo Cars and Playboy Fragrances.

Attention travel brands: Asian vacationers can't put down their phones

ASIA-PACIFIC - Nearly nine out of 10 travellers in Asia-Pacific rely on mobile technology to stay in touch and avoid FOMO (fear of missing out) even while on vacation, according to research from TripAdvisor.

Fortis Colorectal Hospital appoints digital agency

SINGAPORE - Fortis Colorectal Hospital Singapore has appointed independent digital and technology agency Section for its latest digital marketing campaign.

Lego teaches girls how to be better friends

SINGAPORE - Danish toy-maker Lego has launched a regional video campaign, entitled 'Lessons of friendship from a 9-year-old' for its Lego Friends Diary, a book on friendship aimed at girls aged nine to 12-years-old.

White Ribbon Australia plays on tourism ads to highlight violence against women

AUSTRALIA - White Ribbon Australia has launched a campaign that cleverly disguises a message about violence against women in the trappings of a scenery-filled tourism commercial.

J&J appoints agency for Modess' digital business

MANILA - Johnson & Johnson has handed the digital business for its Modess brand to BBDO Guerrero.

Employer branding: Market the company, not just the products

SINGAPORE - As social-media heightens awareness of factors like how a company treats its employees, companies are recognizing the impact their reputation as an employer can have on the bottom line.

British American Tobacco relaunches in Myanmar

YANGON - Joining the influx of overseas companies following the easing of economic restrictions in Myanmar, British American Tobacco (BAT) has returned to the country through a joint venture with local distributor IMU Enterprise.

Lab Series names Blugrapes as social-media agency

SINGAPORE - Men’s skincare brand Lab Series has appointed Blugrapes as its social-media agency.

Media industry positive toward smaller, greener billboards in Manila

MANILA - The media industry is generally positive toward proposed guidelines to regulate the use of billboards in Metro Manila, and the changes are not expected to impact the demand from advertisers.

Singapore National Youth Council calls PR pitch

SINGAPORE - The National Youth Council has called a public relations pitch to conceive of, plan and implement an integrated public relations plan for its programmes.

CASE STUDY: How Oriental Princess Society turned envy into a virtue

The Thailand-based cosmetics brand Oriental Princess Society (OPS) launched Envy Club, providing an online outlet for customers to express the negative but normal emotion while engaging with the brand.

Ikea unveils 'Make space better' campaign

SINGAPORE - Swedish home furnishing brand Ikea has unveiled a campaign that colorfully emphasises the need to 'Make space better', in conjunction with the brand's 2014 catalogue launch.

Images, visual platforms central to experience exchange for young people: Starcom

SPIKES ASIA 2013 - Storytelling has become storymaking, and images and visual platforms have become central to the process of experience exchange between young people, according to Emma Montgomery, global product director at SMG Human Experience Center.

It is a partnership, not (merely) a sponsorship: Sports Matters panel

Racheal Lee