TODAY'S EDITION 04/09/2026

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The Knowledge

Australia and Malaysia lead APAC charge in first indie league of 2026

While US shops dominate, Bench Media and Bastion represent Australia in the global top 10, with Malaysia’s Trapper Media narrowly missing the cut at number 12.

What the Oatside backlash in Vietnam reveals about how brands misread local markets

Misalignment occurred when an audience responded based on trust to a stunt designed for reach.

How AIA's 'Rethink Healthy' is challenging body image pressures shaping Asia's next generation

CMO Stuart A. Spencer breaks down the insurer's latest campaign film and why he believes shifting consumer attitudes towards health is key to making a lasting brand impact.

AKQA names managing director in Japan

Toshihide Otsuka joins to lead growth following the 2025 expansion of AKQA's five-year partnership with Japanese trading company, ITOCHU.

Havas CEO Yannick Bolloré earned $8 million in 2025

The chief executive received a base salary of $1.75 million.

Three executives depart amid ‘changing of the guard’ at The Trade Desk

The leaders have stepped down amidst a slew of changes, challenges and disruptions for the company.

DBS calls creative agency review across six markets

The remit spans Singapore, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, and Taiwan.

China’s new marketing test: Can global brands thrive by going glocal?

As more global brands like Starbucks and Burger King sell key stakes in Chinese operations to local partners to speed up digital, product, and cultural localisation, what lessons are multinationals learning?

What PR Awards APAC judges are eyeing this year

Two of this year's jurors, DHL's Amanda De Silva and Nomura's Ross Rowbury, weigh-in on how technology is being used to navigate more complexity in comms today, and explain what they're looking for in winning submissions.

Final call for nominations: Campaign Asia-Pacific’s 2026 Power List

You have until an extended deadline of April 13th to put forward worthy brand marketers across Asia Pacific who drive innovation, shape consumer behaviour, and redefine the game. Nominate now.

The Renaissance: Why the age of AI will be accompanied by a rebirth of human wisdom and re-connection

CULTURAL RADAR: As more people push back on technology, in-person gatherings are starting to reinvigorate how we approach work, says our columnist on culture.

The Work


Telstra turns up the volume on e-waste

In a world producing 7kg of e-waste per person, Telstra promises to give every second device a second life by 2030.

Watch


OPINIONS

Stop feeding the machine: Why APAC's content arms race is making platforms rich and brands invisible

The brands that win in culture to commerce won't be the most reactive. They'll be the most intentional, the most curious about culture, and the most willing to experiment says Dentsu APAC's head of insights and intelligence.

'Trendslop': when your AI strategy is just averaging the internet

Marketers are getting coherent, well-structured, completely generic thinking from AI. The problem isn't the technology, writes Brainwaves co-founder Ben Crawford.

Be more punk: Why design needs to get messy again

Brands must embrace counter-culture, RGA APAC's Ben Miles opines. As AI takes over the predictable, the creative industry's greatest asset is its humanity.

Women’s sport has arrived, the brands haven’t

Women’s sport in APAC has outgrown its untapped potential tag with explosive viewership and year-round fandom, yet brands haven't caught up, says We Are Social's Suzie Shaw.

In an age of direct buying, what exactly is a DSP for?

The spat between Publicis and The Trade Desk is an overdue reckoning with misaligned expectations between auditors, agencies and adtech platforms, as direct buying becomes cheaper and easier.

Why the ChatGPT uninstall wave is a brand story, not a tech story

When a defence contract determines whether people will use that AI, we have moved beyond features. Something deeper is happening, opines Sanat Sinha.

Why the messy middle of the 'sandwich years' makes the best leaders

The sandwich years are hard. Parenting, parents and a high-pressure professional role, all at the same time.

The Iran war will not hit APAC advertising the way many assume

‘China is still the strategic variable,’ Whittaker writes, as a more fragmented APAC advertising landscape could blunt the risk of a single shock hitting all markets equally.


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