Gen Z Perspectives: DBS Seeks Creative Agency, Esquire SG's AI Play & Nutella Goes Cosmic
DBS’s marketing chief announced a regional search for a creative agency to reinforce the bank’s image as a “beacon of trust” across Singapore, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia and Taiwan. Esquire Singapore faced backlash after an AI‑generated interview with actor Mackenyu, prompting the magazine to explain the decision as a thematic, “echo”‑driven creative choice. Meanwhile, a jar of Nutella briefly floated aboard NASA’s Artemis II mission, sparking a viral moment that flooded social media with space‑themed brand chatter. The three stories illustrate how finance, media and consumer brands are navigating trust, technology and unexpected exposure.
Nutella Made a Cosmic Cameo and Social Media Users Can't Get Enough
Nutella’s jar briefly floated past the Orion spacecraft during NASA’s Artemis II livestream, creating an unexpected viral moment. Social‑media monitoring showed mentions rise modestly while engagements exploded to over 1.1 million within hours. The brand quickly amplified the cameo with coordinated posts...
Razer Strengthens Global PR and Partnerships Leadership
Razer Inc. has promoted Nikhil Kharoo to senior director, global head of PR and partnerships, expanding his remit to oversee communications, AI projects and brand collaborations across the US, Europe and Asia. Kharoo, who joined Razer in 2024 after senior...
Volkswagen Picks Agency to Lead Global Social Media Strategy
Volkswagen has selected Jung von Matt SPREE as its global social‑media lead agency, covering platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, Threads and Facebook. The agency will advise the brand communications team, run headquarters’ channels, build communities, launch campaigns and...
DoorDash Taps Airbnb’s Nick Sinclair to Lead ANZ Marketing
DoorDash has appointed Nick Sinclair, former Airbnb marketing chief for APAC, as its marketing director for Australia and New Zealand. Sinclair will be responsible for brand, growth, retention and partnership initiatives across the region, reporting to the global CMO while sitting...
VML Just Created the World’s First T-Rex Leather
Creative agency VML, The Organoid Company, and Lab‑Grown Leather have engineered the world’s first T‑Rex leather from reconstructed dinosaur collagen and turned it into a one‑of‑a‑kind luxury handbag. The piece debuted beside a massive T‑Rex statue at Amsterdam’s Art Zoo...
DBS Marketing Team Seeks Creative Agency to Cement Brand as 'Beacon of Trust'
DBS Bank has issued a Request for Information to find a regional creative agency that will lead its next‑phase brand and marketing transformation. The agency will shape overall brand expression, launch marquee campaigns, and ensure strategic coherence across key markets...
Ashley Madison Sheds ‘Affair’ Label as It Courts a New Era of Ethical Discretion
Ashley Madison is shedding its "affair" image, relaunching as a privacy‑first platform for discreet dating with the new tagline "Where desire meets discretion." The brand’s "Blessed are the discreet" campaign rolls out across CTV, OTT, podcasts and out‑of‑home, emphasizing ethical...
How Hyatt Is Making 'Racecations' A Thing
Hyatt has become the exclusive Asia‑Pacific hotel partner for HYROX, leveraging the three‑day Singapore race that drew more than 14,000 athletes. The partnership frames hotel stays as integral to the competition, offering recovery‑focused amenities and curated destination guides. Hyatt plans...
LEGO Builds Its Own World Cup Lineup of Football Heavyweights
The LEGO Group has launched a global LEGO Editions campaign featuring football icons Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi and Vini Jr. The initiative rolls out a series of 490‑510 piece football‑highlight sets and larger “legend” collectibles ahead of the 2026 FIFA...
Microsoft Reportedly Shifts Global Media Mandate to New Agency
Microsoft has transferred its $700 million global media spend from Dentsu’s Carat unit to Publicis Groupe after an internal review. The shift gives Publicis a major foothold in tech advertising, while Dentsu retains the Xbox media mandate despite losing the broader account....
Typo Unveils World-First Concept Store in Malaysia, in Global Brand Refresh Push
Typo, a Cotton On Group brand, launched its first-ever concept store at IOI Mall Puchong in Malaysia, marking the debut of a global retail format. The new space is styled as a "creative playground" with open layouts, doodle‑inspired graphics, and...
Brands Struggle with AI Disclosure as Usage Surges Across Marketing
Nearly 80% of multinational brands now incorporate AI‑generated or AI‑enhanced assets into their consumer‑facing marketing, according to the World Federation of Advertisers. While 67% have drafted internal disclosure policies, eight‑in‑ten still call for clear global guidance as regulations remain fragmented....
Estée Lauder Pushes ‘One Team, One Culture’ Model as WPP Deal Details Emerge
Estée Lauder has appointed WPP as its first global media partner, launching a new “One ELC” operating model that unifies media, data and commerce across the company. The model consolidates previously fragmented regional structures into a single AI‑enabled ecosystem, aiming to accelerate...
Gen Z Is Rewriting Fandom: From Gigs as Social Hubs to a Return to Physical Culture
Live Nation’s 2026 Love Song study reveals Gen Z treats concerts as social hubs, with almost 90 % comfortable attending alone and 96 % valuing pre‑ and post‑show moments. Fandom has morphed from hobby to identity, driving attendees to seek tangible connections and...
Tech in Asia CEO and COO Step Down as Editor-in-Chief Prepares to Lead
Tech in Asia’s founder and CEO Willis Wee and COO Maria Li announced they will leave the company, ending 16 and seven years of leadership respectively. Their departures coincide with the platform’s integration into Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) Media and a restructuring...
Millennium Hotels and Resorts Names CCO to Steer Brand and Commercial Strategy
Millennium Hotels and Resorts, a Hong Leong Group subsidiary of City Developments, appointed Cinn Tan as its chief commercial officer. Tan, who joined in January 2026, will steer global branding, marketing, loyalty, sales, revenue management and digital platforms. She brings over three decades of...
What Can Advertising Re-Learn From PR?
The article argues that advertising has drifted from its core purpose of forging human connections, turning instead into a product‑centric, technology‑driven machine. In contrast, public relations has preserved the relational, credibility‑focused playbook that brands still need. With 68% of agencies...
Samsung Strikes BTS Tour Deal to Put Galaxy at Centre of Fan Experience
Samsung Electronics announced a global partnership with BTS’s “ARIRANG” world tour, positioning its Galaxy lineup—headlined by the new Galaxy S26 Ultra—as the core technology for fan experiences. The collaboration includes interactive activations in Seoul and on‑the‑road, allowing concertgoers to use...
Capital A Taps Former CIMB Heavyweight as Deputy CEO
Capital A announced the appointment of former CIMB executive Effendy Shahul Hamid as deputy chief executive officer, effective 6 April 2026. The move follows the group’s recent divestiture of its aviation businesses to AirAsia X, signaling a strategic shift toward its core digital...
Agency Agenda: Moonfolks' Anish Daryani Sets Eyes on New Market Entries This Year
Moonfolks CEO Anish Daryani announced the agency’s next regional expansion into Vietnam, following a recent launch in Brunei. The plan uses a hub‑and‑spoke model with Indonesia as the central hub and local specialists in each market. Daryani also highlighted a...
Hashtags Aren’t Dead, They’re Just ‘on Life Support’ as AI Reshapes Discovery
Hashtags remain on platforms but have lost their discovery power as AI-driven algorithms now interpret content directly. TikTok and Instagram prioritize engagement signals, context, and viewer behavior over manual tags. Industry experts say performance hinges on relevance, timing, and the...
Adidas Trefoil Logo Makes a World Cup Comeback After 36 Years
Adidas has revived its classic Trefoil logo for the FIFA World Cup, debuting official away kits for 25 partner federations, including 13 nations qualified for the 2026 tournament. The designs fuse retro 1990s aesthetics with modern performance technologies such as...
WPP Elevates Japan CEO to Lead Creative APAC
WPP has promoted its Japan CEO, Kyoko Matsushita, to lead WPP Creative across the Asia‑Pacific region. The move is part of a leaner regional leadership structure designed to streamline the company’s creative operating model. Matsushita will oversee a portfolio that...
Agency Agenda: Burson APAC’s HS Chung on Resetting Culture for the Future
HS Chung, newly appointed APAC CEO of Burson, made cultural integration the first priority after the agency’s merger, insisting the organization think as one rather than preserving legacy habits. She framed Burson as a two‑year‑old entity, building a collaborative culture from...
Unilever's Food Business Picks Global Influencer Agency
Unilever has engaged global influencer agency SAMY to run its foods division’s influencer strategy, covering brands like Hellmann’s and Knorr across 13 markets. The partnership will leverage SAMY’s proprietary Maia platform, which connects Unilever to more than 120 million creators and...
Is Sprite's Gen Z Play the Freshest in the Game?
Coca‑Cola’s Sprite has launched a new global brand platform, “It’s that fresh,” across 180 markets. The refresh unifies visual identity, introduces a Mustard‑produced sonic logo, and pairs the brand with music, skate, fashion and food collaborations aimed at Gen Z. New...
Nord Anglia Education Unifies Regional Media Operations in Asia
Nord Anglia Education has named Omnicom Media Vietnam as its agency of record for media across 19 schools in Asia, shifting from school‑level to a centralized hub. The partnership covers integrated strategy, planning and buying for markets including Thailand, India,...
Levi’s Bets on ROSÉ to Keep Its Denim Cool and Culturally Fluent
Levi’s has entered a multi‑year global partnership with K‑pop star ROSÉ, integrating her aesthetic into the denim brand’s women’s line. The deal builds on previous collaborations, including campaigns with Alia Bhatt and Beyoncé, and features custom stage outfits displayed at Levi’s...
Gen Z Perspectives: Creative Labs, Starbucks X Harry Potter and PR Awards 2026
Creative Labs announced Cher Young Wee as its new global marketing lead, reporting to CEO Ernest Sim. Wee will craft a unified worldwide strategy to strengthen brand positioning, support product launches, and drive demand in key markets. Meanwhile, Starbucks unveiled...
How Sanrio Is Bringing 'Kawaii' To Street Style, One Chuck at a Time
Sanrio has teamed with Converse to release a new Chuck Taylor collection that blends the Japanese brand’s kawaii characters with the iconic sneaker’s street‑wear heritage. The line features Hello Kitty, Kuromi, My Melody and Cinnamoroll across shoes, apparel and accessories,...
Coach and Kate Spade Conclude Global Media Pitch
Luxury conglomerate Tapestry, owner of Coach and Kate Spade, has appointed Dentsu as its global agency of record for media planning and buying outside the United States. The agreement covers the APAC region—including Japan, China, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, and...
Can Penguin's Playful Flock Carry the Brand Into the Digital Age without Losing Soul?
Penguin Random House unveiled “Playful Penguins,” a modular visual identity featuring a suite of illustrated penguin characters in varied poses and props. Unlike a single mascot update, the kit allows the brand to mix and match illustrations across campaigns, seasonal...
Mediaplus Expands Into Asia with Singapore Joint Venture
Mediaplus Group has entered the Asian market through a joint venture with Singapore‑based The Media Shop, launching Mediaplus Singapore on 1 March 2026. The new entity serves as a regional hub for Serviceplan Group’s clients, offering media strategy, planning, buying and AI‑powered...
How Simmons Is Turning Snoozing Into a Shareable Moment
Mattress maker Simmons marked World Sleep Day with a social‑first campaign featuring humor‑laden greeting cards. Created by The Secret Little Agency, the cards encourage sharing on Instagram and include a limited‑time SG$100 discount on Beautyrest Prime and Platinum mattresses. The...
JCDecaux Retains Melbourne Yarra Trams Advertising Network in Major OOH Win
JCDecaux has secured a renewed exclusive out‑of‑home contract with Melbourne’s Yarra Trams for up to 14 years, covering both tram exteriors and shelter displays. The renewal underscores the company’s long‑standing partnership and grants uninterrupted access to one of Australia’s most...
DBS Looks to Launch Creative Pitch
DBS is preparing an APAC‑wide creative pitch after appointing Audrey Kuah as group marketing and communications head. Kuah, a 25‑year agency veteran, is tasked with reinforcing the "One bank, one brand" vision through data‑driven storytelling. The bank’s existing "Trust Your...
World Gym Taiwan and Your Reformer Launch Specialised Pilates Programme
World Gym Taiwan has partnered with Australian Your Reformer to launch a specialised Pilates programme across its 140 clubs, deploying the Kiosk Pro digital platform with over 1,000 classes. The agreement makes Your Reformer the exclusive Pilates vendor for World...
Starbucks Brews Magic with Harry Potter Partnership
Starbucks has teamed with Warner Bros. Discovery to roll out a Harry Potter‑themed collection across 12 Asia‑Pacific markets starting 23 March 2024. The launch features three Honeydukes Bursting Bonbon beverages infused with vanilla, honey‑bergamot and citrus‑bright bubbles, alongside more than 20...
Missed the Cherry Blossoms? Klook Might Refund You
Klook has launched a "Bloom back guarantee" that refunds 30% of the price if cherry blossoms in Japan or South Korea fail to bloom during the official forecast period. The guarantee is offered as a free add‑on with the promo...
Disney Shifts Into High Gear with New F1 Collabs and Trackside Activations
Disney is expanding its multi‑year “Fuel the Magic” partnership with Formula 1 for the 2026 season, adding new merchandise collections, retail tie‑ins and character appearances. A global Disney × F1 apparel line of ten streetwear pieces launches on March 12, while host‑city capsule drops...
CHAGEE Ventures Into South Korea as Part of Regional Expansion
CHAGEE announced the opening of three flagship stores in Seoul—Gangnam, Yongsan and Sinchon—scheduled for the second quarter of 2026. The rollout follows a soft launch in Macau and marks the brand’s first East Asian entry beyond its home market. CHAGEE...
How This Telecom Is Redefining Itself for an AI and Cloud-Driven World
Tata Communications has launched a global brand refresh under the tagline “Together, limitless,” signaling its shift from a conventional telecom to an orchestrator of enterprise digital ecosystems. Central to the new positioning is the “Digital Fabric,” a programmable layer that...
'Signing Is the Easy Part': How Airwallex Turned Sport Into a Global Growth Engine
Airwallex has expanded its sports sponsorship from a single global deal to a portfolio that includes McLaren F1, Arsenal FC, the San Francisco Giants, and regional teams in Australia and New Zealand. The company says the partnerships are already boosting brand trust,...
Publicis Groupe APAC Creates New Chief Communications Officer Role
Publicis Groupe APAC has created a new chief communications officer role and appointed Naomi Michael, effective 9 March 2026, to lead regional communications from Singapore. Michael arrives after senior stints at Omnicom Media and IPG Mediabrands, bringing more than two decades of...
Women Who Lead: Microsoft Advertising's Renee Stopps on Carving a Path in Tech
Microsoft Advertising’s Regional Sales Director for APAC, Renee Stopps, discussed her unconventional rise from account director to a newly created regional leadership role. She credited mentorship, continuous learning, and a willingness to take stretch assignments for building confidence and authenticity...
Shake Shack Names Director of Global Marketing
Shake Shack promoted Alaric Sng to global marketing director, giving him oversight of Mainland China, Southeast Asia and new APAC markets. The role expands his previous responsibilities rather than replacing an existing director. Sng joins from a background in loyalty...
Coach Just Turned Storytelling Into a Fashion Statement
Coach’s Spring 2026 "Explore your story" campaign turns storytelling into a fashion platform, pairing a new book‑charm collection with the iconic Tabby bag. The initiative was co‑created with Gen Z communities across the U.S., China and beyond, and features ambassadors from film,...
Explora Journeys Turns the Ocean Into a Five-Star Hotel
Explora Journeys launched a global “hotel without an address” campaign, positioning its cruise ships as five‑star floating hotels. Developed by McCann Paris and directed by Jonas Lindstroem, the film showcases on‑board rituals reimagined as hotel experiences. The brand highlights its...
Eu Yan Sang Picks Brand Partner to Give 150 Years a Modern Twist
Heritage traditional‑medicine brand Eu Yan Sang has engaged Agency Design, led by fractional CMO Bassam Abdel‑Rahman, to revamp its brand and growth‑marketing strategy ahead of its 150th anniversary. The partnership will focus on brand positioning, digital acceleration and e‑commerce across...
