Elizabeth Tan on Humor, Play, and the New Language of Authenticity
Elizabeth Tan argues that in an era saturated with seriousness, humor becomes a vital tool for emotional regulation. She notes that AI has made visual perfection cheap, eroding the value of effort in branding. Authenticity, she says, should no longer glorify struggle but simply acknowledge imperfection without turning it into a performance. The piece positions playful, imperfect communication as the new language for brands seeking genuine connections.
Oobit Appoints Katashe Group as Strategy, Research and Ecosystem Innovation Partner
Oobit, an open payments platform backed by Tether and Solana, has named Katashe Group as its strategy, research, and ecosystem‑innovation partner. The alliance will generate market insights and experience frameworks to help Asian Web 2 platforms integrate digital‑asset wallets with traditional...
Japan and China See Rising Interest Among SEA Travelers Ahead of Hari Raya
Agoda reports a 55 % month‑on‑month jump in accommodation searches from Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore for the Hari Raya period of 20‑23 March 2026. While Bali stays the top choice, Japan and China have entered the top‑five list, reflecting a broader appetite for...
Carlsberg’s Jeff Chong on Sonic Identity and the Year of the Horse Campaign
Carlsberg Asia’s 2026 Lunar New Year campaign, celebrating the Year of the Horse, combined a unified sonic anchor with AI‑enhanced zodiac packaging to deliver a region‑wide yet locally adaptable platform. Partnering with Chinese artist SKAI ISYOURGOD, the remix of “Blueprint...
IWD Voices: Karishma Changroth – ‘Spotting Women in Senior Leadership Shouldn’t Feel Like a Game of Where’s Waldo’
Karishma Changroth, featured in IWD Voices, argues that identifying women in senior leadership should be systematic, not a "Where’s Waldo" exercise. She highlights persistent gender gaps across major agencies such as FCB India, Stagwell, and 72andSunny. Changroth calls for data‑driven...
IWD Voices: Subarna Mukherjee – ‘Policies May Be Written for Everyone. Access Rarely Is.’
Subarna Mukherjee argues that while policies are drafted for universal applicability, true access remains uneven. She likens equal rules to giving a short and tall person the same shelf height, highlighting the gap between formal fairness and lived experience. The...
Monks Appoints Bharti Agrawal as CFO of APAC, Marketing Services
Monks, the S4Capital marketing services unit, has appointed Bharti Agrawal as Chief Financial Officer for its Asia‑Pacific Marketing Services division, operating from Singapore. Agrawal will report to Global CFO Jordi Covas and will steer financial strategy, governance, and operational transformation...
IWD Voices: Ji Young Park – ‘Fairness Means Recognizing Differences While Making Sure Everyone Has Equal Opportunities’
Ji Young Park, featured in IWD Voices, argues that fairness means recognizing individual differences while guaranteeing equal opportunities. She emphasizes that equity cannot be a static statement; it must be lived daily through concrete actions. Senior leaders hold the unique...
IWD Voices: Mugdha Pradhan – ‘We Raise Girls to Be Good Patients—In Medicine, in Relationships, in Life’
Mugdha Pradhan, founder of iThrive, uses International Women’s Day to highlight how women’s health concerns are routinely dismissed or labeled psychological, a phenomenon she calls medical gaslighting. She connects this bias to broader patterns of narcissistic abuse and chronic illness,...
Lippincott Refreshes Brand Identity for Latitude
Lippincott has unveiled a refreshed brand identity and comprehensive toolkit for Latitude, the Australian‑New Zealand consumer‑finance provider. The new visual and verbal system streamlines asset creation, supporting acquisition, engagement and growth across credit cards, personal and auto loans. A redesigned logo...
Lotus’s and VML Malaysia Turn Abandoned Carts Into a Loyalty Opportunity
Lotus’s, a leading Malaysian retailer, partnered with ad agency VML Malaysia to launch the Drop Cart Draw campaign. The initiative tackles the persistent problem of abandoned shopping carts left in store parking bays by rewarding customers who return them. Participants...
TBWA\Singapore Establishes First APAC Innovation Centre of Excellence With a Focus on AI-Led Innovation
TBWA Singapore has launched the first APAC Innovation Centre of Excellence, a dedicated lab for AI‑led brand innovation. The initiative is backed by the Singapore Economic Development Board, which will provide funding and strategic support. The centre will develop, test...
Untangld Appoints Amanda Quested Managing Director
Untangld, the agency network known for its collaborative branding approach, announced the appointment of Amanda Quested as its new Managing Director. Quested brings over two decades of experience in global brand strategy, having led teams at major creative firms across...
How KFC Thailand Used a Collectible Toy to Spotlight a Million ‘Missing’ Students
KFC Thailand launched a limited‑edition collectible toy campaign tied to its signature bucket meals, turning the popular giveaway into a platform to highlight Thailand’s education crisis. The initiative spotlights nearly one million youths aged 15‑23 who have left formal schooling, using...
Australian Steelers Launch ‘Officially Unsponsored’ Campaign
The Australian Steelers wheelchair‑rugby team unveiled an “Officially Unsponsored” campaign, openly declaring they have no current commercial partners. The initiative invites brands that share the team’s ambition, standards, and purpose‑driven ethos to step forward. By positioning the lack of sponsorship...
Uber Appoints Ally Doubé as APAC Marketing Director
Uber has appointed Ally Doubé as its new Marketing Director for the Asia‑Pacific region. Doubé brings senior experience in strategic innovation from Austrade and brand strategy from Campbell Arnott’s. In her role, she will oversee cross‑channel campaigns and AI‑driven targeting...
INNOCEAN Tops Korea Creative Rankings, Places Sixth in Asia Overall for 2025
INNOCEAN has been crowned the top Korean agency in the 2025 Creative Rankings and placed sixth across Asia overall. The agency’s strong showing reflects a surge in award-winning work, particularly at Cannes Lions and other regional festivals. Executives say the...
Guardian Malaysia Launches ‘Stay ONG in Health and Radiance’ Chinese New Year Micro-Drama Series
Guardian Malaysia has launched a Chinese New Year micro‑drama series titled “Stay ONG in Health and Radiance,” created in partnership with THE SHOUT GROUP. The multi‑episode narrative reimagines festive fortune while showcasing the retailer’s health and beauty offerings. Distributed across...
Special Australia Names Four to National Leadership Team
Special Australia announced four appointments to its National Leadership Team, elevating Simon Gibson and Nils Eberhardt from Group Creative Directors to Executive Creative Directors. The move adds two additional senior leaders whose names were not disclosed in the brief. The...
Three Trends in the Mix for 2026: Miki Sim – Platforms & Culture Director at VaynerMedia APAC
Miki Sim, Platforms & Culture Director at VaynerMedia APAC, outlines three pivotal trends for 2026. First, social shows are emerging as the primary battleground for brands navigating the interest‑graph era, where audience attention is fragmented across platforms. Second, a strategic...
Three Trends in the Mix for 2026: Aniket Shah – Co-Founder & Business Head at Social Tweebs
Aniket Shah, co‑founder of Social Tweebs, outlines three key trends shaping digital marketing in 2026. He highlights the rise of short‑form video, AI‑driven personalization, and the expansion of social commerce as the primary forces reshaping brand strategies. Shah also reflects...
Tata Communications Launches New Brand Identity ‘Together, Limitless’
Tata Communications unveiled a new brand identity centered on the tagline “Together, limitless,” signaling a strategic shift toward collaborative, border‑less connectivity. The rebrand introduces a refreshed logo, color scheme, and messaging that underscore the company’s focus on digital infrastructure, edge...
Hashtag Orange Promotes Gaurang Menon to Managing Partner & Creative Head – West
Hashtag Orange, a fast‑growing Indian advertising agency, announced the promotion of Gaurang Menon to Managing Partner and Creative Head for its West operations. The move elevates Menon, who has driven award‑winning campaigns for major brands, to oversee both business development...
Havas Group ANZ Promotes Olly Taylor to Expanded Chief Strategy Officer Role
Havas Group Australia & New Zealand has elevated Olly Taylor to an expanded Chief Strategy Officer role, adding responsibility for integrated brand strategy across the region. Taylor, who previously led strategic planning for several key accounts, will now coordinate creative, media and data...