Marketing magazine Hong Kong, September 2025

DISRUPTION, DISCOVERY, AND DIRECTION

Editorial

Rezwana Manjur, Editor-in-Chief

Karen Wong, Deputy Editor, North Asia

Vanessa Yuen, Journalist

Design Production

Julia Li, Senior Graphic Designer

Advertising Sales

Karen Yung, Head of Commercial

Mandy Ma, Business Development Manager

Sally Hui, Senior Business Development Manager

Marketing and Circulation

Cyrus Ching, Regional Marketing Manager

Event Production

Selina Kwok, Events Producer Manager – Awards

Kelly Chan, Regional Event Producer – Awards

Event Services

Chiyan Lam, Event Services Manager

Hedy Chao, Events Services Executive

Event Delegate Sales

Gloria Yam, Senior Project Manager

Mandy Chan, Senior Project Executive

Kristy Cheng, Senior Project Executive

Management

Evelyn Wong, Managing Director

To get in touch with our editorial team editorialhk@marketing-interactive.com

For advertising enquiries

Karen Yung, kareny@lighthouse-media.com

Mandy Ma, mandym@marketing-interactive.com Sally Hui, sallyh@lighthouse-media.com

Lighthouse Independent Media Ltd. Printed in Hong Kong by Apex Print Limited. For subscriptions, contact circulations at +852 2861 1882 or email subscriptions@marketing-interactive. com. COPYRIGHT & REPRINTS: All material printed in Marketing is protected under the copyright act. All rights reserved. No material may be reproduced in part or in whole without the prior written consent of the publisher and copyright holder. Permission may be requested through the Hong Kong office. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in Marketing are not necessarily the views of the publisher. Hong Kong: Lighthouse Independent Media Ltd, publisher of Marketing magazine 15/F, Golden Star Building, 20-24 Lockhart Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong Tel: +852 2861 1882 Fax: +852 2861 1336 Singapore: Lighthouse Independent Media Pte Ltd 100C Pasir Panjang Road, #05-01 See Hoy Chan Hub, Singapore 118519 Tel: +65 6423 0329 Fax: +65 6423 0117

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Dear readers,

As we turn the pages in this issue, one thing is clear: the rules of engagement in marketing are shifting – and not quietly. From the rise of AI-powered advertising tools to the reconfiguration of agency models, the landscape has rarely been more dynamic or more challenging.

At the centre of this transformation is Google’s AI Max, a tool that’s sending ripples through the advertising world.

But what happens when algorithms begin making decisions once owned by media planners and creative teams? As AI Max continues to advance, we examine how it’s redefining campaign workflows – and potentially disrupting the traditional roles of both media and creative agencies. Discover the full story on page 6.

This naturally leads us to an equally pressing conversation: how are agencies adapting? Our story on page 30 takes the pulse of the Hong Kong market to examine whether clients are gravitating towards the precision of specialist partners or the endto-end convenience of full-service agencies.

As the lines between media, creative, and strategy blur, we uncover how brands are recalibrating their relationships to meet new demands – and tighter budgets.

Meanwhile, over in the social media space, another wave of change is rolling in. Instagram is now searchable, turning what was once a visual inspiration platform into something more akin to a discovery engine.

This shift presents new opportunities – and challenges – for brands and content creators. Read the story on page 54 to examine how this evolution will impact visibility, storytelling, and the way audiences find (and follow) content.

Of course, we can’t talk about content without revisiting Content 360 Hong Kong, our annual flagship conference held in June. From AI-assisted storytelling to the power of cultural nuances, the takeaways were as diverse as the speakers themselves – and we’re proud to share some of the key moments with you on page 34.

And finally, as we celebrate innovation, we’re proud to shine a spotlight on excellence. We honour the winners from the DigiZ Awards, Marketing Events Awards, and the Spark Awards. Each winner represents the creativity, resilience, and forward-thinking mindset that continues to drive our industry forward.

We hope this issue challenges your thinking, fuels your curiosity, and – above all – inspires your next big move.

Enjoy!

Karen Wong Deputy Editor, North Asia

What’s on?

Digital Marketing Asia Hong Kong

What: A conference that will empower local marketers to navigate tech-driven transformations through data-driven insights.

Where: The Mira Hotel, Hong Kong

When: 20-21 October

Marketing Excellence Awards

What: An award designed to celebrate the brightest minds and most extraordinary achievements within the marketing landscape in Hong Kong.

Where: Kerry Hotel, Hong Kong

When: 14 November

STUDY: HK’S AI EXPECTATION GAP WIDENS DESPITE WIDESPREAD ADOPTION

Despite the widespread adoption of AI and its tangible benefits for businesses in Hong Kong, only 42% of consumers agree that brands’ personalised customer engagement is satisfactory despite the widespread adoption of AI in Hong Kong, according to a Twilio study.

Twilio’s sixth annual State of Customer Engagement Report surveyed over 7,600 consumers and more than 600 business leaders across 18 regions, including Hong Kong.

According to the report, a majority (87%) of Hong Kong brands now use AI to tailor customer experiences. Notably, 100% of these businesses affirm that AI is improving customer-facing operations such as support, marketing, and personalisation, leading to 87% observing increased customer spending as a result of these personalisation efforts, most typically by 30% to 39%.

However, the report also revealed a significant disconnect: while businesses are increasingly adopting AI and seeing clear returns on investment, customer perception has not kept pace.

“AI has unlocked unprecedented opportunities to personalise customer experiences, but technology alone isn’t enough. Our research reveals that while Hong Kong brands are embracing AI to deliver better experiences, customers aren’t feeling the full benefits yet,” said Billy Chan, new business director of Twilio in Asia.

“The brands that will lead are those that can deliver personalisation at scale, with transparency, trust and a customer journey that puts people firmly in control.”

Billy

new business director of Twilio in Asia

• A mere 17% of Hong Kong consumers feel brands personalise customer engagement frequently.

• This figure starkly contrasts with the regional average of 41% and carries substantial implications as 74% of local consumers state they will abandon purchases if engagements feel impersonal.

• While 87% of Hong Kong brands rate their personalised customer engagement as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’, only 42% of local customers agree.

• This marks a widening gulf, as customer satisfaction has dropped from 44% in 2024.

• The increase in AI adoption also leads to “AI fatigue”, with 47% of Hong Kong customers feeling exhausted by the sheer volume of discussion around AI, according to the report.

• In fact, a substantial 67% of Hong Kong consumers deem it important for AI-powered interactions to be human-like, and half (50%) still prefer to speak to a human agent when it is needed, indicating that AI alone will not suffice in meeting evolving customer expectations.

Source: Twilio’s sixth annual State of Customer Engagement Report

Chan,

AD WATCH

William Chow Creative partner TBWA Hong Kong

PARKNSHOP CREATES LAUGH’NSHOP

In an age where every campaign chases scale, celebrity, KOLs, and spectacles, it’s easy to forget: a successful idea doesn’t have to be big – it just has to click.

PARKnSHOP 「笑通佳」 has proven this beautifully. A series of wobblers – printed riddles hanging off supermarket shelves – have popped up in stores across Hong Kong. Each riddle ends with a brand name as the punchline. That’s it. No flashy production. No big media spectacle. Just something that makes you grin while reaching for the soy sauce.

But here’s what’s remarkable: once it clicks, it spreads. A smile becomes a screenshot. A wobbler becomes a conversation starter. A tiny moment turns into something much bigger – not because it was designed to scale, but because it deserved to.

And while most brands obsess over “driving traffic” online, this one actually moves people – physically. Shoppers stroll aisle by aisle just to find the next punchline. It’s a rare kind of idea that turns footfall into fandom –powered purely by joy.

More than that, it brings other brands into the fun – not as product placements, but as co-conspirators. When “李敢寄” becomes the joke, that warmth flows from PARKnSHOP to Lee Kum Kee. Brand love extends. Emotional equity multiplies. That’s not just engagement – it’s chemistry.

In recent years, brands have doubled down on owning colour, fighting to be recognised at a glance. But what truly sets a brand apart is personality. Colour can be borrowed. Personality can’t. Colour might help you stand out, but personality makes people care.

If timing is everything, then clarity should be the bare minimum – especially when you’re in the business of lending money. X Wallet’s latest campaign arrived with ambition and polish, tapping into the generational zeitgeist and urging people to “seize the moment” and outsmart 99.9% of others.

It’s bold, visually sharp, and culturally current, but it also raises a deeper question: can a campaign take off before the brand is ready to explain itself?

After watching the full TVC, it’s still unclear what X Wallet actually offers. The script dances around theories – only briefly referencing “AI世 代流動資金” at the end. It almost feels like the brand is shy about what it does which ends up framing the product as something taboo. Selling a money-lending service isn’t the same as selling condoms.

Subtlety is a creative choice, but in this case, it comes at the cost of comprehension. Especially when your name already echoes a wallet or payment app, not a lending service, the storytelling can’t afford to whisper.

To be fair, the campaign is well crafted. The visuals are slick. The production is strong. And the ambition is clear – this isn’t a transactional loan ad, it wants to say something.

But storytelling shouldn’t come at the expense of clarity. And insight doesn’t have to come through forced opposition. When you’re still earning your space in the conversation, being understood is the first win.

Google’s latest AI Max update is reshaping the paid search landscape, promising smarter targeting, automated creativity, and enhanced performance. But while the move towards automation may seem to be sidelining traditional agency roles, it’s actually doing the opposite.

As AI takes over many roles, the value of human oversight, strategic thinking, and creative vision has become even more critical. In this new era of AI-powered advertising, agencies aren’t becoming obsolete – they’re becoming indispensable. Karen Wong turned to industry players to find out more.

Google’s recent rollout of its AI Max update is making waves in the paid search landscape, presenting marketers with both new challenges and opportunities. This follows Google’s earlier improvements to its ad quality prediction model, which increased scrutiny on landing page relevance and navigation, prompting many businesses to adapt quickly.

According to Google, AI Max for Search campaigns offers a comprehensive suite of AIpowered targeting and creative enhancements designed to elevate performance. It uses advanced machine learning to match ads to a broader range of relevant queries, including those not explicitly targeted, unlocking access to new and high-intent audiences.

In addition, AI Max automatically generates and optimises headlines and descriptions based on user intent and landing page content, enhancing both relevance and engagement. It also directs users to the most appropriate landing page for each search, increasing the likelihood of conversion.

While the update offers significant advantages, industry players caution that it could disrupt the traditional roles of both media and creative agencies, signalling a broader shift in the digital advertising ecosystem.

Reshaping the traditional roles of media and creative Google’s AI Max represents a major leap towards automation in both media buying and creative development, said Serm Teck Choon, co-founder and CEO of Antsomi.

“This is not a surprise to the industry as platforms such as Google and Meta have been working hard over the last few years to make their ad systems more AI-driven, more intelligent and more automated. And what we see now is just the beginning, and I expect more of these will come.”

Indeed, Meta is also reportedly revamping its ad business with AI. According to The Wall Street Journal, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has emphasised that AI is already driving better results, from generating high-performing creative to refining targeting strategies. Choon believes this will force the traditional roles of creative and media agencies to go through an “evolution”.

“The ‘services’ they have sold in the last two decades will no longer be the same. While they have been ‘media’ or ‘digital’ experts to their clients for a long time, now they need to be AI experts as well. The agency may somehow evolve itself to be an ‘AI agency’ to fulfil the needs of the new era.”

Jacky Chan, co-founder and CTO of Votee AI, added that media agencies must transition from manually managing campaigns to orchestrating AI systems.

“Their new role is to define the high-level strategy, set the right business objectives, and ensure the AI is fed high-quality data such as first-party customer lists.”

On the creative front, Chan said the age of manually A/B testing dozens of headline variations is over.

“Creative agencies’ value now lies in ‘strategic creative’. They need to focus on the

“Their new role is to define the high-level strategy, set the right business objectives, and ensure the AI is fed high-quality data such as first-party customer lists.”

bigger picture: developing the core emotional hooks, brand narratives, and foundational visual concepts. Their job is to supply the AI with a rich palette of high-quality, diverse creative assets – images, videos, and core messaging pillars,” Chan shared.

With each wave of automation, agencies are required to input more, not less, in order to truly help brands stand out, according to Eric Ng, director for performance marketing Malaysia at NP Digital. This means human judgement becomes even more critical when everyone uses the same tools and strategies.

“Those who blindly follow generic AI playbooks risk blending into the noise –something we’re already seeing with overused, AI-generated content that weakens both the user experience and brand identity,” he said.

However, by combining dynamic search ads and broad matches into one campaign, which operates without keywords, Ng said AI Max is not applicable for creative optimisation.

“Instead, it uses your website content to generate ad headlines and direct traffic to the most relevant landing pages based on what Google knows about the user,” he said.

“This shifts the focus from controlling keywords to structuring and optimising content, which is yet another reason strategic oversight matters more than ever.”

Joy Liu, director of marketing at SleekFlow, also sees this as an opportunity to upgrade the service where AI and human collaboration work hand in hand at a lower cost, and where agencies can focus on delivering a higher level and more complex strategies to bring value to their customers.

“It’s about finding the right balance between AI-driven insights and the unique human touch that drives innovation and connection,” she added.

Navigating the new landscape

Despite simplifying campaign executions, AI Max raises the bar in terms of strategic oversight and insight, Ng said. “Media teams need to think more like system architects, not button-pushers.”

The advantage now lies with those who understand how to guide the machine, he added.

“Brands should craft brand-safe, datarich creative inputs while making deliberate trade-offs. For instance, should you allow AI to prioritise short-term conversion at the cost of long-term brand equity? That’s not a decision AI can or should make alone.”

After all, any new technology shift will disrupt the business models of brands or even agencies working with them, Choon added. “Brands may start to pick up simpler tasks such

“It’s about finding the right balance between AIdriven insights and the unique human touch that drives innovation and connection.”

as creating Google Ads and turning on Google AI Max by themselves.

“Some brands will adopt a new hybrid model working with agencies: what can be done and managed by the internal team with the empowerment of AI; and for certain more complex projects, brands will still engage agencies to provide them a more holistic solution to tackle their complex business requirements.”

Having said that, Stella Leung, SVP, Greater China and Korea, The Trade Desk, said agencies that embrace AI can unlock even greater value.

“Traders who combine AI tools with human insight are becoming key drivers of future agency success. As service-based AI tools develop rapidly, agencies are integrating them into workflows.”

But trust matters. According to NewtonX’s Trusted AI Study, 56% of executives cite transparency as the foundation for building AI trust. “This means agencies must explain clearly how AI and data are used,” Leung added.

So, what makes a brand stand out? Yoyo Ng, managing director of Greater China at First Page, said it comes down to the creative spark, the cultural nuance, and the gut instinct.

“That’s where agencies shine. Agencies aren’t being replaced, they’re being upgraded. The ones that lean into this shift and learn how to guide the tech will be the ones leading the charge,” she said.

Adjusting your CRO approach

With AI Max automating much of the ad optimisation process, the approach to conversion rate optimisation (CRO) must

also evolve. Votee AI’s Chan pointed out that AI Max’s ability to match users with specific landing pages changes the game.

“Every page on your website is now a potential front door,” he said.

“First, we move from page-level optimisation to journey-level optimisation. We need to ensure a consistent and high-quality experience across the entire website. Second, we need to think beyond just A/B testing a button colour.”

The new core question for CRO is: Does this page’s content perfectly satisfy the user intent the AI identified?

In other words, content quality and relevance become primary levers for conversion, he added.

“As we see with the advancements in models such as Gemini, AI is getting incredibly good at understanding context and intent. Our landing pages must be equally good at satisfying it.”

On the other hand, NP Digital’s Ng added that CRO is no longer just about minor tweaks to landing pages.

Since AI Max does not rely on keywords, and instead uses user intent, a site needs to be optimised with relevant and structured content that’s easy for AI to interpret, he added.

“If your content isn’t clear, relevant, and easy for AI to understand, you’re leaving performance on the table,” he said.

“CRO is now a performance multiplier. It influences not only your website and the visitors who see your ad, but also how Google delivers your ad. The brands that win will be the ones creating personalised, localised, high-quality experiences and not generic AI spam.”

Valerie Riley, VP of marketing at Unbounce, said the “post click” world is getting even more important with the introduction of AI Max.

“Your funnels have to be more customised than before. While in the past, brands may have used one landing page per campaign, we’re seeing customers today develop multiple landing pages per ad in order to give the algorithm options for sending traffic to the destination most likely to produce a conversion.”

Landing page builders have had built-in AI features for sending traffic to the version of a landing page that is most likely to produce a conversion, she added.

“This isn’t a new feature, but it’s a valuable one that may be under utilised. Now, Google AI Max is doing this as well, based on intent signals, so organisations using these features together –from their landing page builder and via AI Max – get the best chance at converting traffic.”

In this AI-driven landscape, brands can maximise ROI by leveraging AI agents to really maximise the post-click user journey such as deploying it to qualify leads to win the volume game, said SleekFlow’s Liu.

“Since May this year, SleekFlow has been experimenting using its AI sales agent as a business development representative to qualify a large volume of leads before handing it over to our human account executive.”

“These agents can either identify or nurture a lead to make sure they are ready to be handed off to human teams for closing, improving efficiency and ensuring that resources are focused on high-potential opportunities. By automating this process, brands can reduce friction and improve conversion rates, ultimately boosting ROI.”

SNAPPED

Undercover underworld: The unsung heroes of Hong Kong cinema

DATE: 1 August – 5 October VENUE: Block 01 Duplex Studio, Tai Kwun

1. The exhibition will take visitors on a journey through 10 different scenes recreated from classic local undercover films, featuring manuscripts and interviews with film directors and actors.

2. The display will allow the audience to step into the undercover world from an actor’s perspective, deeply exploring the psychological torment brought about by dual identities and the struggle to return to real life.

3. The iconic tea house from John Woo’s Hard Boiled movie, where police and gangsters engaged in an intense chase and a series of climactic fight sequences, showcases the director’s signature action aesthetics.

4. The psychiatrist’s consulting room from Andrew Lau and Alan Mak’s Infernal Affairs film was a key setting in unveiling an undercover agent’s mental turmoil.

“Mickey keep it real” campaign

DATE: 26 June – 31 December

VENUE: Peak Tram Central Terminus

1. The Peak Tram and The Peak Tower have been transformed into an enchanting wonderland where Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Chip and Dale are gathered.

2. Visitors will be in wonder as they enter a wondrous realm at the Peak Tram Central Terminus, with the Mickey & friends video playing across the walls in stunning 360-degree projections.

3. There is also an exclusive popup at The Peak Tower, where visitors can take home their favourite Disney merchandise, including Hong Kong first-release and limited-edition Mickey & Friends items.

4. On exiting the tram, visitors will be greeted by Mickey’s six-metre tall gigantic hand and a cheerful inflatable “I Love HK” logo.

Coca-Cola X HK Disneyland 20th anniversary collaboration

DATE: 12 September onwards

VENUE: Hong Kong

Disneyland Resort

1. To celebrate the park’s 20th anniversary, it has partnered with Coca-Cola to roll out the exclusive Coca-Cola in glass bottles.

2. Coca-Cola and Hong Kong Disneyland have also introduced an exclusive white T-shirt featuring the park’s 20th anniversary emblem embroidered on the chest.

3. Another highlight of the commemorative apparel collection will be the dark blue long-sleeved denim jacket, featuring a Mickey Mouse embroidered pattern on the chest.

4. To extend the hype, CocaCola has also launched a “Share a Coke” version of its product, featuring the phrase “MagicalFan”, available only in the resort.

Accidentally Wes Anderson: Wes Anderson World Aesthetics Exhibition

DATE: Now – 14 September VENUE: The Mills

1. “Accidentally Wes Anderson” is an Instagram account founded by American photographer Wally Koval and his wife, specialising in collecting live-action photos from around the world.

2. The exhibition space boldly uses eye-catching colours such as bright red, orange, yellow, and powder blue, and cleverly designed symmetrical compositions.

3. The “Hotel Theme Area” will take visitors into a nostalgic hotel building, just like being in a scene from The Grand Budapest Hotel movie.

4. The “Hong Kong Theme Zone” will create surprise eggs for local audiences, showcasing a number of familiar and Wes Andersoninspired local landscapes.

Events are a cornerstone of Hong Kong’s economic activity, with at least 93 mega events held in the city during the first half of this year. On the commercial front, we’re also witnessing a surge in large-scale exhibitions and concerts making their way to the city.

These events not only attract international visitors and drive business opportunities, but they also contribute to the local economy by boosting sectors such as hospitality, retail, and tourism. In line with this thriving momentum, our very own Marketing Events Awards stand as a testament to the innovation driving the industry forward.

This year, the competition was incredibly tight with over 530 entries across 36 categories and a total of 115 trophies awarded to the leading brands and agencies across the region at the ceremony.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE would like to thank the esteemed panel of judges for their time in judging the entries.

We would also like to congratulate all the finalists for their remarkable success. We are confident this year’s awards have set the stage for exciting and innovative initiatives within the industry in the years to come.

PANEL OF JUDGES

WINNIE TANG

Head of Communications Bonhams Asia

ELLEN CHAN

JULIE CHIU

Executive Director, Head of Marketing & Marketing Communications, Consumer Banking Group and Wealth Management DBS Bank (Hong Kong)

Assistant General Manager, Marketing Henderson Leasing Agency SUMMER HA

Assistant Director, Event Marketing and Community Engagement HKSTP

CASSIE CHOI

Head of Marketing, Greater China and Korea Jabra

KAREN WOO

General Manager – Branding and Communications MTR Corporation

PERCY KWAN

ISABEL CHAN Head of Marketing Jebsen Wines & Spirits

ANTHONY TSANG Head of Marketing & Digital (Greater China Region) Oriental Watch Company

Vice President, Group Marketing Shangri-La Group IVY WONG Head of Marketing Shell Hong Kong

ADWIN LAU Marketing Director Fairwood

JONATHAN KO

Chief Marketing Officer Hong Kong Life Insurance

CYNTHIA YUEN

Head of marketing, north east asia Kohler Co

LOUISE VAS Head of OSW Marketing PrimeCredit

NANCY WONG Head of Communications Sotheby's Asia

ELAINE TAI

Regional Marketing Head Geox

CHARLOTTE HO

General Manager, Branding & Marketing Hong Kong Resort

DAVID LEUNG

Head of Branding + Research & Development (Head Quarters) Maxim's Group

SALLY WONG

Marketing Director Royal Medic

TERESA MUK

Head of Brand and Strategic Marketing Swire Hotels

AMANDA CHANG Head of Marketing Guardforce Group

GLORIA LEE Director of Marketing Communications Hotel COZi

ANNIE CHOW

Associate Marketing Director Merz Aesthetics Hong Kong

MAXIMILIAN WANG Managing Director SAU LEE

ADA LAU

Marketing Director WeChat Pay HK

GOLD

Festival Walk

Campaign: AVANTGARDEY Pop-up Store Agency: The Bridge Agency

SILVER

DFI Retail Group

Brand: Wellcome Campaign: Wellcome 80th anniversary –

A Little Gift. A Lot of Joy Agency: Fevawork

BRONZE

DBS Bank (Hong Kong)

Brand: DBS SME Banking Campaign: DBS SME Banking –2025 Year of the Snake Campaign Agency: BYFA Consultancy

SILVER

GOLD

Cathay Group

Brand: Cathay

Campaign: Nothing Beats Being There

Agencies: Leo Burnett HK, MSL, Luminous, Digitas

Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong)

Campaign: Standard Chartered Anti-Fraud Campaign Agencies: dentsu Hong Kong, Secret Tour

SILVER

Melco Resorts & Entertainment

Brand: Studio City

Campaign: Studio City 2024 Halloween Campaign

Agency: The Bread Digital

BRONZE

Hong Kong Mahjong Company

GOLD

Chubb Life Hong Kong

Campaign: Conversations of Life – Every Wish Lasts At Art Basel

Hong Kong Agency: Projct

SILVER

Cathay Group

Brand: Cathay

Campaign: Nothing Beats Being There

Agencies: Leo Burnett HK, Luminous, MSL, Digitas

BRONZE

MTR Corporation

Campaign: Journey Together

Agencies: Mindshare, Uth Creative Group, The Bread Digital

Best Audience Growth Event

GOLD

Cathay Group Brand: Cathay

Campaign: Nothing Beats Being There

Agencies: Leo Burnett HK, Luminous, MSL, Digitas

SILVER

Ocean Park Hong Kong

Campaign: Celebrating the Birth of the First Hong Kong-born Giant Panda Twins Agency: KREW

BRONZE

Hong Kong Times Square

Campaign: Inside Out 2: Emotion Playpark

Campaign: Traditional Mahjong School Experience Agency: Trellis Digital Company

Best Event – Health / Wellness / Fitness

GOLD

Airport Authority

Brand: Hong Kong International Airport Campaign: mAIRathon Hong Kong Agency: Havas Hong Kong

SILVER

lululemon Hong Kong

Campaign: Together We Grow Agencies: N&R Integrated Marketing Communications, DL Media, Prime Concepts

BRONZE

DFI Retail Group

Brand: Mannings

Campaign: Mannings 5D Salon Agencies: L Concept Communications, Tag Worldwide Asia

GOLD

L'Occitane en Provence

Campaign: Ocean or Plastic? Pop-up Exhibition Agency: reEDIT

SILVER

MTR Corporation

Campaign: Green T Baby Fun Day

Agencies: Frengers Communications, MORE PR & Marketing

BRONZE

Super Super Congee & Noodles

Campaign: Super Super x Lee Kum

Kee – Claypot Rice with Abalone Launch Campaign

Best Engaging Event

GOLD

Cathay Group

Brand: Cathay

Campaign: Nothing Beats Being There

Agencies: Leo Burnett HK, Luminous, MSL, Digitas

SILVER

TamJai International

Brand: TamJai Yunnan Mixian

Campaign: TamJai x Grandma’s Scones –The Mala Job Fair

Agency: Hardchi Creative

BRONZE

Chubb Life Hong Kong

Campaign: Conversations of Life – Every

Wish Lasts At Art Basel Hong Kong Agency: Projct

Best Event – Arts / Leisure / Entertainment

SILVER

GOLD

Cathay Group

Brand: Cathay

Campaign: Nothing Beats Being There

Agencies: Leo Burnett HK, Luminous, MSL, Digitas

Henderson Leasing Agency

Brands: Henderson Malls MCP, MOSTown

Campaign: MCP x MOSTown x LEGO®

Lucky Up New Year

Agencies: Event Elite Production and Promotion, Boxing Promotions

SILVER

Nan Fung Group

Brand: AIRSIDE

Campaign: AIRSIDE CULTURETAINMENT Agency: Above The Line

Agency: Purple Cow Communications

BRONZE

Bank of China (Hong Kong)

Campaign: Banking TrendyToo presents: “Strive for the Best. Together We Break the Record!” Agency: The Bridge Agency

Best ESG Event

Best Digital Integration

GOLD

Chubb Life Hong Kong Campaign: Conversations of Life – Every Wish Lasts At Art Basel Hong Kong Agency: Projct

SILVER

CATALO Natural Health Science Brand: CATALO Campaign: CATALO 25th ANNIVERSARY WELLNESS SECRET GARDEN Agency: Don't believe in Style

BRONZE

Cityplaza Hong Kong Campaign: Streets of X’mas Joy Agencies: Neonet, Boxing Promotions, Rabbit Studio

Best Event – Retail

GOLD

Nan Fung Group Brand: AIRSIDE Campaign: AIRSIDE CULTURETAINMENT Agency: Above The Line

SILVER Henderson Leasing Agency Brand: MOSTown Campaign: MOSTown x Sanrio characters

MOST-Fluffy Winter Musical Agencies: BBG Promotion, Boxing Promotions

BRONZE Swire Properties Campaign: Swire Properties x LFC “Welcome to Anfield – The LFC Experience”

Best Event – Public Awareness

GOLD

Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Campaign: Standard Chartered Anti-Fraud Campaign Agencies: dentsu Hong Kong, Secret Tour

SILVER

Henderson Leasing Agency

Brands: Henderson Malls MCP, MOSTown Campaign: MCP x MOSTown x LEGO®

Lucky Up New Year

Agencies: Event Elite Production and Promotion, Boxing Promotions

BRONZE Central Market, D•PARK Campaign: Panda Fiesta Agency: AllRightsReserved

Best Event – Targeted Community

GOLD

Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Campaign: Standard Chartered Anti-Fraud Campaign Agencies: dentsu Hong Kong, Secret Tour

SILVER

PrimeCredit Brand: WeWa Campaign: WeWa Plays Big: Lying Down Challenge Agency: Project Doloo

BRONZE

DBS Bank (Hong Kong) Campaign: DBS Culinary Delights Agencies: Narrow Door, Tatler Asia

GOLD

TamJai International

Brand: TamJai Yunnan Mixian

Campaign: TamJai x Grandma’s Scones – The Mala Job Fair Agency: Hardchi Creative

SILVER

Cathay Group

Brand: Cathay

Campaign: Nothing Beats Being There

Agencies: Leo Burnett HK, Luminous, MSL, Digitas

BRONZE

Swire Properties

Brand: Pacific Place

Campaign: Christmasville

Agency: ANON

GOLD

Swire Properties

Brand: Pacific Place

Campaign: Christmasville Agency: ANON

SILVER

Swire Properties

Campaign: Swire Properties x LFC

“Welcome to Anfield – The LFC Experience”

BRONZE

Chubb Life Hong Kong

Campaign: Conversations of Life – Every Wish Lasts At Art Basel Hong Kong

Agency: Projct

GOLD

Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hong Kong International Airport Campaign: “Step into Hong Kong, Step into Hong Kong Movies” Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In Exhibition

SILVER

L'Occitane en Provence

Campaign: Ocean or Plastic? Pop-up Exhibition Agency: reEDIT

BRONZE MTR Corporation

Campaign: Station Rail Voyage exhibition

GOLD

Swire Properties

Brand: Citygate Outlets

Campaign: “Catch the Luck” CNY Campaign

Agencies: AM PM (HK), Boxing Promotions

GOLD

Nan Fung Group

Brand: AIRSIDE

Campaign: AIRSIDE

CULTURETAINMENT

Agency: Above The Line

SILVER

Melco Resorts & Entertainment

Brand: Studio City

Campaign: Studio City 2024 Halloween Campaign Agency: The Bread Digital

BRONZE

Lee Tung Avenue

Campaign: Dazzling Christmas Agency: Globall Concept Asia

Best Event Production

Best Experiential Event

Best Festive Event

Best Exhibition Event

Best Immersive Experience

GOLD

Cityplaza Hong Kong

Campaign: Cityplaza x Coca-cola “LIVE HAPPY Cheers!”

Agencies: Button Creations, DDPR, Hardchi Creative

SILVER

Melco Resorts & Entertainment

Brand: Studio City

Campaign: Studio City 2024 Halloween

Campaign

Agency: The Bread Digital

BRONZE Festival Walk

Campaign: HANGYODON • HONG KONG

WINTER FUN FEST 2024

Agency: The Bridge Agency

Best Integrated Event

GOLD

Cathay Group

Brand: Cathay

Campaign: Nothing Beats Being There

Agencies: Leo Burnett HK, Luminous, MSL, Digitas

SILVER

Swire Properties

Campaign: Swire Properties x LFC

“Welcome to Anfield – The LFC Experience”

BRONZE MTR Corporation

Campaign: Journey Together

Agencies: Mindshare, Uth Creative Group, The Bread Digital

Best Innovative Event

GOLD

Henderson Leasing Agency

Brands: Henderson Malls MCP, MOSTown

Campaign: MCP x MOSTown x LEGO® Lucky Up New Year

Agencies: Event Elite Production and Promotion, Boxing Promotions

SILVER

Melco Resorts & Entertainment

Brand: Studio City

Campaign: Studio City 2024 Halloween

Campaign

Agency: The Bread Digital

BRONZE PrimeCredit

Brand: WeWa

Campaign: WeWa Plays Big: Lying Down

Challenge

Agency: Project Doloo

Best Launch / Rebranding Event

GOLD

Swire Hotels

Brand: EAST Hong Kong

Campaign: Arrive at a Different Place

SILVER

CTF Life

Campaign: CTF Life . CIRCLE – MyFuture Sportsman

BRONZE

TamJai International

Brand: TamJai Yunnan Mixian

Campaign: TamJai x Grandma’s Scones –The Mala Job Fair

Agency: Hardchi Creative

GOLD

Cityplaza Hong Kong Campaign: Cityplaza x Coca-cola “LIVE HAPPY Cheers!” Agencies: Button Creations, DDPR, Hardchi Creative

Best Pop-Up Event

GOLD

Chinachem Group Campaign: Summer Go!ympics Agency: AM PM (HK)

SILVER

Swire Properties

Campaign: Swire Properties x LFC “Welcome to Anfield – The LFC Experience”

BRONZE

Chinachem Group

Brand: Lucky Plaza Campaign: Lucky Plaza Grand Opening Campaign Agency: Hardchi Creative

GOLD

L'Occitane en Provence

Campaign: Ocean or Plastic? Pop-up Exhibition Agency: reEDIT

SILVER

Ngong Ping 360

Campaign: “100% DORAEMON & FRIENDS”@Ngong Ping 360

BRONZE

Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Campaign: Standard Chartered Anti-Fraud Campaign Agencies: dentsu Hong Kong, Secret Tour

GOLD

Ngong Ping 360 Campaign: “100% DORAEMON & FRIENDS”@Ngong Ping 360

SILVER

Airport Authority

Brand: Hong Kong International Airport Campaign: mAIRathon Hong Kong Agency: Havas Hong Kong

BRONZE AIA

Brand: AIA Carnival Campaign: AIA Carnival 2024/2025 Agencies: Great Entertainment Group, Zicket

Best Result-Driven Event

GOLD

MTR Corporation Campaign: Journey Together Agencies: Mindshare, Uth Creative Group, The Bread Digital

SILVER

Sun Hung Kai Real Estate Agency Brand: apm Campaign: Pass the Torch! Ignite Your Olympic Spirit @apm

BRONZE

Lee Tung Avenue Campaign: Dazzling Christmas Agency: Globall Concept Asia

Best Outdoor Event

Best Mall Event

Best Sponsorship / Partnership Event

GOLD

Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong)

Brand: The Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon Campaign: The Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon 2025 Agency: Secret Tour (HK)

SILVER

Hong Kong Fashion Council, Vogue Hong Kong

Campaign: Vogue Loves Hong Kong Agency: EX-R Consulting

BRONZE

Cathay Group Brand: Cathay

Campaign: Nothing Beats Being There

Agencies: Leo Burnett HK, Luminous, MSL, Digitas

GOLD

Melco Resorts & Entertainment

Brand: Morpheus, City of Dreams, Macau Campaign: An Artful Palate Agency: Rubison Marketing Solutions

SILVER MTR Corporation

Campaign: Journey Together

Agencies: Mindshare, Uth Creative Group, The Bread Digital

BRONZE

DBS Bank (Hong Kong)

Campaign: DBS Culinary Delights Agencies: Narrow Door, Tatler Asia

Best Story-Telling Event

GOLD

Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Campaign: Standard Chartered Anti-Fraud Campaign Agencies: dentsu Hong Kong, Secret Tour

SILVER

Chubb Life Hong Kong

Campaign: Conversations of Life – Every Wish Lasts At Art Basel Hong Kong Agency: Projct

BRONZE MTR Corporation

Campaign: MTR 45th Anniversary

Themed Train

GOLD

FWD Life Insurance Company (Bermuda) Campaign: Unbeatable C/P Value with FWD VHIS” Campaign

SILVER MTR Corporation

Campaign: Journey Together

Agencies: Mindshare, Uth Creative Group, The Bread Digital

BRONZE

Ocean Park Hong Kong

Campaign: Ocean Park Halloween Fest 2024 Campaign

Agency: The Bread Digital

Best Use of Influencer

Best Use of Omnichannel

Best Use of Social Media

GOLD

Ocean Park Hong Kong

Campaign: Celebrating the Birth of the First Hong Kong-born

Giant Panda Twins

Agency: KREW

SILVER

Cathay Group

Brand: Cathay

Campaign: Nothing Beats Being There

Agencies: Leo Burnett HK, MSL, Luminous, Digitas

BRONZE

MTR Corporation

Campaign: Journey Together

Agencies: Mindshare, Uth Creative Group, The Bread Digital

GOLD

Cathay Group

Brand: Cathay

Campaign: Nothing Beats Being There

Agencies: Leo Burnett HK, Luminous, MSL, Digitas

SILVER

MTR Corporation

Campaign: Station Rail Voyage exhibition

Best Use of Technology

GOLD

CATALO Natural Health Science

Brand: CATALO

Campaign: CATALO 25th ANNIVERSARY WELLNESS

SECRET GARDEN

Agency: Don't believe in Style

SILVER

Futu Securities International (Hong Kong)

Brand: Futu

Campaign: Futu Expo 2025

Agency: Rear Creative

BRONZE Henderson Leasing Agency

Brands: Henderson Malls MCP, MOSTown

Campaign: MCP x MOSTown x LEGO®

Lucky Up New Year

Agencies: Event Elite Production and Promotion, Boxing Promotions

GOLD

MTR Corporation

SILVER Sino Group

BRONZE

Airport Authority

Brand: Hong Kong International Airport

Campaign: mAIRathon Hong Kong

Agency: Havas Hong Kong

BRONZE AsiaWorld-Expo

Best Use of Venue

Best Event Team

Event Marketer of the Year CATHAY

Standing out from the crowd and impressing the jury was Cathay, which took home 10 trophies – six golds, three silvers, and one bronze. The campaign that wowed the judges and helped secure golds was “Nothing beats being there”.

The campaign was done in partnership with the Event Agency of the Year winner, Leo Burnett Hong Kong, along with PR agency MSL, Luminous, and Digitas.

Running from October 2024 to March 2025, the campaign aimed to leverage Cathay’s sponsorship of the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens, held for the first time in the new Kai Tak Stadium – the former site of Hong Kong’s International Airport and coincidentally Cathay’s old “home”.

After more than four decades at Hong Kong Stadium, the Sevens moved to Kai Tak Stadium, which some Hongkongers may have been sceptical about.

As the lead sponsor, Cathay believed it had a role in ensuring the success of the 2025 event while also promoting inbound tourism and showcasing Hong Kong on the world stage.

At the event, Cathay provided additional fun at every turn – from fan-cam activations for the best dressed, to getting the crowd to do the wave to its creative mascots, along with the merchandise seen throughout the stadium, as well as generating excitement in the Fan Village and the VIP suite.

Event Agency of the Year LEO BURNETT HK

Done in partnership with the Event Agency of the Year winner, Leo Burnett Hong Kong, the campaign’s creative strategy tapped into the mindset of rugby fans who are also partygoers: you have to be there to know the excitement.

Inspired by “FOMO” (the fear of missing out) that anyone missing the event would feel, a film was launched in the pre-event stage to show that only attendees of the upcoming Hong Kong Sevens would experience the real excitement.

Furthermore, the campaign took over key MTR stations and utilised its concourse digital motion network, partnering with the Hong Kong Tourism Board to create visitor centres throughout the city. It aimed to achieve high-impact media exposure targeting the most die-hard party-goers and rugby fans in England, Australia, and Hong Kong.

On the final day of Hong Kong Rugby Sevens 2025, Cathay launched a special flight demonstration featuring a Cathay Pacific A350 that flew near Kai Tak Stadium, passing through Victoria Harbour.

This event also introduced CX8100’s homecoming, celebrating the 100th anniversary of Kai Tak Airport and marking Cathay’s role as title sponsor in the first year of the Sevens at the newly opened stadium. It also recreated the famed “low-altitude fly-past” for the first time since the airport closed 27 years ago.

To facilitate this special flight demonstration, Cathay partnered with the Hong Kong government to establish a temporary restricted fly zone in and around Victoria Harbour. The initiative was announced mere days before, and was broadcast live in the stadium after a behind-the-scenes video, with the captain speaking to the entire stadium.

HK’s client pie: A slice towards integration or specialisation?

As Hong Kong’s marketing landscape undergoes a rapid transformation, brands are increasingly reevaluating their agency partnerships. With tighter budgets and rising demands for ROI, the debate has intensified: should marketers consolidate with full-service agencies for a seamless integration or lean into the precision of specialist partners? Karen Wong turns to industry experts to find out more.

Breaking down silos has long been a priority for marketers and agencies, but in today’s climate, it’s become a necessity. As Hong Kong’s marketing landscape evolves under the pressures of shrinking budgets and heightened ROI demands, brands are being forced to rethink their agency partnerships.

This has also been reflected in the recent mergers and acquisitions within the ad agency world such as WPP’s decision to move Grey under Ogilvy, Omnicom’s ongoing acquisition of Interpublic Group, and a potential M&A deal between Accenture and WPP.

While full-service agencies offer the convenience of an integrated approach –covering everything from strategy and creative to media and performance – specialist agencies bring deep expertise into niche areas such as SEO, influencer marketing, content creation or data analytics.

Once again, the industry finds itself at a crossroads: should it opt for the integrated approach of full-service agencies or the precision of specialist partners? Industry leaders MARKETING-INTERACTIVE spoke to are deeply split – and the divide reveals a market in flux.

Industry observations

Penny Chow, COO at IPG Mediabrands Greater China, said the agency is seeing a clear shift towards integrated models as clients are looking for agencies that not only deliver ideas and execution, but can also connect strategy, data, media, and creative under one roof.

“Especially in today’s uncertain economy, many brands prefer partners who can simplify complexity and drive performance. At IPG Mediabrands, we see the OneMB model –where media and creative work hand in hand – as a response to that need for strategic cohesion and business results,” she said.

In Hong Kong’s fast-paced, mobile-driven market, clients increasingly favour integrated agencies for cohesive, data-driven campaigns, which reflects a clear trend towards integrated, full-service agencies, as clients seek to navigate an increasingly complex marketing ecosystem, according to Derek Yip, COO of OMG Hong Kong.

“While specialist agencies remain relevant for tactical, platform-specific expertise such as programmatic or influencer marketing, clients are increasingly consolidating partnerships with agencies that offer deep specialisation within an integrated framework,” he said.

Tom Kao, CEO of Publicis Groupe Hong Kong, said clients are leaning towards fullservice agencies rather than working with multiple specialist agencies across the communications spectrum.

However, the situation is not that clear, he added. “Many clients are still working with specialist agencies that may offer deeper expertise, targeted solutions and flexibility. On the other hand, there are also many other clients who appreciate the benefits of integration, streamlined processes, and cost effectiveness.”

When it comes to procurement lead pitches, Andrew Cawte, CEO of Havas Media Hong Kong, said he is still seeing separation between creative and media. “Although fullservice pitches are still in the minority, we are often able to introduce additional services once a client is onboard or build towards a full-service situation through multiple pitches across disciplines.”

While full-service and specialist agencies offer different expertise, marketers prioritise

how well agencies collaborate with in-house teams to meet business objectives, said Shufen Goh, APAC president of MediaSense, and former principal at R3, adding an agency’s structure still matters, but what matters more is its ability to collaborate.

Agency and brand fit go beyond structure or capabilities. The real difference lies in collaboration.

“Brands seek partners who break down silos, work transparently with shared metrics, and keep pace with evolving business needs. Whether integrated or specialist, the best agencies align with both brand and performance goals – and adapt as those goals change,” she added.

Which industries are more inclined to opt for full-service agencies?

Regardless of the industries they’re in, brands focused on building long-term brand equity, while simultaneously driving performance metrics, are inclined to more integrated approaches, said

Chris Reitermann, president, WPP China and Ogilvy Asia Pacific and Greater China.

“That being said, clients in asset-rich industries such as retail, beauty and FMCG are keen to integrate faster because that would bring more savings and efficiency,” he said.

While FMCG and retail were early adopters of integration, IPG’s Chow said even more traditional or regulated industries are now following suit. “Across our portfolio, we’ve seen digital-first and performance-led brands increasingly demand tighter coordination between creative and media to shorten feedback loops and improve efficiency.”

Beyond that, the financial services and tourism sectors strongly prefer integrated solutions due to their complex consumer journeys and the need for cross-channel consistency, said OMG’s Yip. “Financial services demand unified strategies that blend trustbuilding creativity with performance media.”

Small and medium enterprises in Hong Kong, constrained by resources, also favour integrated

“Brands seek partners who break down silos, work transparently with shared metrics, and keep pace with evolving business needs. Whether integrated or specialist, the best agencies align with both brand and performance goals – and adapt as those goals change.”

agencies to maximise efficiency, he added. “Tech and gaming sectors may lean towards specialists for platform-specific campaigns, but even these clients increasingly seek an agency’s holistic approach for GBA expansion.”

In general, the industries leading the charge towards integration are those where speed, personalisation, and seamless omnichannel experiences are non-negotiable, said Connie Chan, chief growth officer, APAC, Stagwell.

“For them, a single partner who can align brand storytelling with performance marketing – powered by real-time data – is a fast track to results. While highly regulated or niche sectors may still rely on specialists, they are leaning into hybrid models that offer tighter coordination and smarter execution,” she added.

Factors to consider

Sometimes, integrated or siloed approaches aren’t strictly tied to full-service or specialist agencies, said MediaSense’s Goh. “Holding companies may have gaps or broad resources, while specialists offer deep expertise, but limited scope. The choice depends on finding the right fit for the brand’s needs.”

Results come from the synergy between client and agency, not structure alone, she added. “Success depends on an effective collaboration, shared goals, and seamless alignment. A tailored, rigorous process spanning both media and specialist partners,

combined with strong in-house governance, ensures those partnerships deliver.”

After all, the true test in agency selection is how well partners keep pace with change, she said. “As AI and other technologies continue to reshape the landscape, agencies must remain curious and agile, staying tuned in to emerging trends and being prepared to adapt to evolving brand needs.”

Meanwhile, efficiency or strategic coherence are natural reasons when brands opt for a streamlined agency model with the current economic uncertainty, said WPP’s Reitermann.

“However, integration doesn’t mean you can only work with one agency or rule out specialised agencies. A best-in-class integration model requires a partnership from both sides and consistency throughout the process – akin to what we’ve developed for TCCC with WPP Open X.”

Apart from speed and brand coherence, OMG’s Yip said data integration and scalability also influence advertisers in selecting integrated solutions.

“Integrated campaigns achieve higher brand recall and conversions compared to siloed efforts, per industry benchmarks, due to streamlined execution and unified data. Specialists may optimise specific channels, but struggle to deliver full-funnel impact.”

This fragmentation isn’t just a strategic challenge – it’s a growing operational burden for brands. Speaking from a broader

perspective, Cawte highlighted the mounting pressure on clients who now juggle multiple agencies across media, creative, content, social, influencer, affiliates, SEO, CRM, UX, CRO, and events – each vying for influence, often with competing priorities.

“It must be exhausting,” he noted. “What we offer is a single account management team working across all disciplines and a single strategy team ensuring a common strategic thread running through everything that we do. Inevitably this results in joined-up thinking, more effective work and a simpler life for the client.”

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Content as a competitive edge –Content360 Hong Kong 2025

In 2025, brands in Hong Kong have faced challenges navigating a complex regulatory landscape, adapting to changing consumer behaviours, and staying competitive amid rising digital disruption and AI.

Under the current challenges, there is an increasing need for marketers to develop smarter, more strategic, and more human content – content that not only performs, but also connects.

That’s why MARKETING-INTERACTIVE brought back Content360 to Hong Kong this year with the tagline: “Content as a competitive edge.”

The event discussed topics such as AIenabled storytelling, modernising content strategies, and leveraging creativity in marketing messages. It saw over 200 marketing professionals gather at the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong on 17 June.

Kicking off the conference was a fireside chat featuring Douglas Young, co-founder and CEO of G.O.D, moderated by Karen Wong, deputy editor for North Asia at MARKETING-INTERACTIVE.

While AI can be fast and convenient, Young said it may lack the creative diversity of the human mind, so balancing the two is key. This balance between technology and human creativity also highlights the importance of collaboration, especially when promoting a unique and culturally rich place such as Hong Kong, he added.

With the essence of the human touch, usergenerated content (UGC) is another powerful tool for building authentic connections with audiences that AI cannot replace. UGC is as equally important as brand communications, as it focuses on experiences and lifestyle, said Kylie Wong, director of marketing and

communications for APAC at Victorinox, during a panel discussion moderated by Tony Chow, vice president of digital marketing at Galaxy Entertainment Group.

Meanwhile, brands should monitor UGC from their collaborating key opinion leaders (KOLs) and key opinion consumers, as well as unofficial posts from others, to understand what the public is saying about the brand and its content, said Franklin Law, marketing director at Ocean Park Corporation, during the same panel discussion. Monitoring this content also helps brands fine-tune their upcoming posts and create new material, he added.

Beyond UGC, it is common for brands to boost engagement by integrating out-of-home advertising to achieve greater reach and visibility. When placing ads on transit media such as tram cars or bus bodies, marketers should ensure

the message is big, clear, and impressive, while avoiding too many details, said Hilda Cheung, marketing director at CODY Out of Home, during a fireside chat moderated by Ziv Wang, marketing director at Avenir Capital.

“If the campaign is a digital one, we can include a QR code and hashtags to drive more engagement with online media as well,” Cheung said.

Connecting with the audience through original content

As attention spans shrink and expectations rise, brands are seeking more effective ways to communicate their value, with video content emerging as a game-changing solution.

This saw Mingo Tsang, director of marketing and branding at Bowtie, take the stage to share how his brand uses video to cut through digital fatigue and reframe long-form content for Hong Kong audiences.

One of the key factors in driving sales conversions through video content is the ongoing search for trendy viral topics, Tsang said. In addition to trendy topics, leveraging popular media formats is also essential, as YouTube prioritises average view duration and is more likely to promote videos with longer watch times, he added.

In a fast-paced world where agility is crucial, long-term brand building should also not be overlooked. One brand that exemplifies this is Nestlé’s ice-cream, which responded to social media demand by bringing back its peelable banana ice-cream stick, a beloved childhood treat.

Rita Fan, head of marketing – ice-cream and chilled businesses at Nestlé Hong Kong –said while creating strategic excitement through nostalgia can generate buzz, brands also need to balance core innovations with these limited additions for maximum market impact.

In a digital landscape of filters and fleeting trends, audiences seek authenticity and genuine connections, a desire that extends to creators as well.

While it’s not entirely wrong for influencers to pursue reach and awareness on social media, the bigger picture is about creating lasting content and retaining audiences, said Grace Chan, Hong Kong actress, host, and digital creator, during a fireside chat moderated by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE’s Wong.

“It’s not about only going for reels or whatever that is trending, because that dies out, but it’s who you are as a content creator that creates that long lasting faithfulness with your audience, and with your family, with their family and friends, and anyone else who wants to share their content as well,” she said.

Tapping into the Chinese market Beyond engaging audiences through creativity and authenticity, marketers in Hong Kong and China are focused on strategies for entering the Chinese market, with Xiaohongshu being a key community-first, culturally nuanced platform.

This saw Tina Zhao, marketing director for global business solutions at Xiaohongshu, take the stage to share insights on what resonates

on the platform and how to effectively navigate it.

While Xiaohongshu features browsing and searching territories that enable brands to target the right audience with engaging content, Zhao recommends that brands with KOLs mix different types of content and leverage feeds, and the search tool, to create a loop of discovery, ensuring their products resonate at every stage of the user journey rather than just reaching the audience once.

Yet, a number of creators still don’t know how to navigate Xiaohongshu and are unfamiliar with its logic, said Oris Nam, head of mobile marketing at AnyMind Group, during the powerhour session – a series of focused, 15-minute discussions, designed to deliver sharp insights in a short time.

“Therefore, AnyMind Group is offering an AI service on its influencer platform, ‘AnyCreator’, which helps creators within the AnyMind network generate content directions, shooting guidelines, and enhanced social media drafts.”

For brands looking to scale their content engine in the era of “northbound” consumption, Gian Chan, associate director at Sanrio Global Asia, emphasised the need for brand innovation and cultural respect, highlighting the importance of embracing diversity and continuous innovation to stay competitive.

Next up, Lina Li, head of APAC social media at J.P. Morgan, unpacked how localisation goes beyond language – it involves nuances, platforms, and intent. Brands should remain vigilant and flexible while evolving with the changing needs of their regulators and audiences, she said.

Engaging the younger audience with innovation

Looking at the broader ecosystem, and the city’s evolving digital landscape, brands are adapting their content, influencers, and digital strategies, especially to engage Gen Z, as traditional marketing no longer resonates with them.

That’s why Bastian Wong, founder and CEO of Flare Communications Group, discussed what matters to Gen Z and how to leverage micro and nano influencers to boost brand credibility.

When brands choose KOLs to partner with, Wong said the follower count is not the most important factor; what matters is whether Gen Z can connect with the KOLs and whether the content is relatable to them.

“If you talk to Gen Z, it’s not about how the game is being played, it’s about what they want to hear and how you make your brand and your product relatable to them sensibly,” she added.

Echoing Wong’s insights, Athena Cheung, director of marketing for Brand Shiseido at Shiseido Hong Kong, shared during her lightning talk that while some influencers have commercial voices that help brands reach a wider audience,

some are narrative crafters with stronger personal brands, so brands should create not only content, but also experiences that foster synergy with these KOLs.

“The best storytellers aren’t always the loudest voices; some bring eyes, while others bring hearts. It is crucial to choose the voices that can amplify the brand story you want to deliver to your consumers,” she said.

Indeed, many brands are trying to localise storytelling to connect deeply with younger consumers by staying local, fresh, and culturally relevant, which can be challenging for global brands.

To stay local and loved, Coca-Cola’s brand lead, Kelvin Au, who oversees the Hong Kong and Macau markets, shared that the global relaunch of the “Share a Coke” campaign in Hong Kong targeted Gen Z with digital experiences.

Going beyond featuring personality-themed bottles with local slang, the campaign also introduced the first-ever customisation pop-up station in Hong Kong, aimed at creating a sense of ownership and pride while strengthening the bond between brand and audience.

“We are not just selling drinks; we are selling happiness, togetherness, memories, identity. In a limited time, every Coke bottle or can offers a unique experience for each of you,” Au said.

The conference concluded with a fireside chat on what it truly means to premiumise in today’s saturated market, featuring Eric Lin, general manager for Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan at Lee Kum Kee, and moderated by Rezwana Manjur, editor-in-chief, MARKETING-INTERACTIVE.

As a brand with a long heritage and history, Lee Kum Kee has successfully overcome the challenge of reconnecting with the younger generation through various initiatives, such as the launch of its “FunCook” app, which makes cooking easy and fun for them, Lin said.

To leverage its brand heritage while introducing new products, Lin said Lee Kum Kee has created a premium line, as consumers are willing to pay more for quality even in uncertain times. The brand has also launched a salt-reduced soy sauce to attract healthconscious consumers.

In today’s fast-paced and ever-evolving digital landscape, no campaign is truly complete without the pulse of innovation and the spark of creativity. As consumer behaviors shift, and technologies advance at breakneck speed, brands must constantly adapt, reimagine, and reinvent the ways they connect with audiences.

That’s why MARKETING-INTERACTIVE brought back the DigiZ Awards – an event dedicated to recognising and celebrating the brightest minds and most impactful work in the digital marketing world.

These awards shine a spotlight on creativity, innovation, and effectiveness – from standout campaigns and strategic excellence to cutting-edge marketing technologies and inspiring leadership in the ever-growing digital domain.

This year’s competition was notably intense, attracting more than 290 submissions across 36 categories. A total of 113 trophies were awarded, honouring the leading brands and agencies throughout the region.

We would like to congratulate all the finalists for their outstanding achievements. The high quality of the entries has truly inspired us, and we believe this year’s awards have set the stage for future innovation in the industry.

Peter Chiu Director, eCommerce adidas Taiwan

Ken Lee Deputy General Manager –Digital & Innovation Bank of China (Hong Kong)

Howell Wong Regional Omni Channel Director Christian Dior Couture

Judy Chang VP, Head of Marketing Coach APAC

Fatima Lam Marketing Director, APAC Bonhams

Winky Chow Head Of Digital Marketing, Hong Kong & Singapore Cigna Healthcare International Health

Margaret Mok SVP, Head of Digital Acquisition & MarTech DBS Bank

Susanna Yip Marketing Director, Greater China Inchcape plc

Key Ng Vice President, Brand and Communications

OCBC Bank

Danny Tsang Associate Director –Digital Marketing Chow Sang Sang Jewellery

Paul Sze Head of Digital & eCommerce City Chain Bea Atienza Marketing Director Colgate-Palmolive

Candyse Yip Head of Ecommerce (SG & MY) Fossil Group, Inc.

Stella Wei Former Head of Digital Marketing & CRM Kai Tak Sports Park

Bonnie Mak Head of Branding & Marketing Communications One Degree

Rachel Yeung Director of Digital Marketing The Peninsula Hotels

Ben Chow RVP, Digital – Asia Pacific Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Frankie Li Global VP, Category Marketing Lee Kum Kee International Holdings

Katie Leung Brand Director, Asia Pacific Supergoop!

Flora Tsui Vice President, Marketing and Digital Strategy Toys"R"Us Asia

Eileen Tang Head of Digital Business Maxim's Group

Birgitta Tam Head of Customer Digital Experience and Innovation The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Eva Wong Group Digital Director Wharf Hotels

Alin Dobrea Marketing Director ZALORA

Best Influencer Strategies

GOLD

Hang Seng Bank

Brand: Preferred Banking Campaign: Plan Smart For Every Dollar Campaign Agency: Sunny Idea

SILVER Mars Company Hong Kong

Brand: M&M’S Campaign: M&M’S CNY – "Fun for All" Agency: Muse Group

BRONZE Swire Properties

Brand: Pacific Place Campaign: ChristmasVille Agency: Oink Oink Communications

Best Data Activation

GOLD

Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong)

Campaign: Standard Chartered In Times of Need Campaign Agencies: dentsu Hong Kong, Hungry Digital

SILVER DBS Bank (Hong Kong)

Brand: DBS SME Banking Campaign: DBS Online Business Account Opening Upgrade Lead Generation Campaign Agency: FABCOM

BRONZE Asahi Beer Asia

Brand: Asahi Campaign: We Brew Data – Asahi Dry Crystal Launch Campaign Agencies: dentsu Hong Kong, The Trade Desk

Best Digital Mass Audience Campaign

GOLD

Ocean Park Hong Kong

Brand: Water World Ocean Park Hong Kong Campaign: Water World “Summer Party Time” pDOOH Campaign Agency: Dentsu X Hong Kong

SILVER Mars Wrigley

Brand: M&M’S Campaign: M&Memes Agencies: TMRW Vietnam, EssenceMediacom Vietnam

BRONZE Hang Seng Bank

Brand: Preferred Banking Campaign: Plan Smart For Every Dollar Campaign Agency: Sunny Idea

Best Digital Branded Content

GOLD

Ocean Park Hong Kong

Campaign: PandaHK: A social media journey with Hong Kong’s Panda Agency: KREW

SILVER SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST

Brand: SCMP Campaign: Regular & Loyal (R&L) Reader Agency: Havas

BRONZE Uber Hong Kong

Brand: Uber Taxi Campaign: Skip the Kung Fu Campaign Agencies: EssenceMediacom Hong Kong, Special

Best Digital Integrated Campaign

GOLD

DBS Bank (Hong Kong)

Brand: DBS Treasures Campaign: 2024 DBS Treasures Campaign Agencies: Potassium, Wavemaker Hong Kong

SILVER AXA Hong Kong & Macau

Campaign: Leading in medical protection, your needs come first Agencies: So Don’t Bore, Wavemaker Hong Kong

BRONZE Chubb Life Hong Kong

Brand: Chubb Campaign: Every Way of Legacy Agency: Assembly

Best CRM Campaign

GOLD

Shangri-La Group

Brand: Shangri-La Circle Campaign: Tuesday’s Treasures Agencies: AIR Concepts, Lenovo PCCW Solutions

SILVER Café de Coral

Brand: Club 100 Campaign: Club 100 3.0 upgraded –Joy Together! Agencies: Omakase Advertising, GBA, Deloitte Digital

BRONZE FWD Life Insurance Company (Bermuda) Campaign: FWD MAX: A Unified CRM Platform for Seamless Customer Acquisition and Engagement Growth

Best Digital Launch/Rebranding Campaign

GOLD

Ego Pharmaceuticals Hong Kong

Brand: QV CERAMIDES Campaign: 2024 QV CERAMIDES Gen-Z Campaign – Embrace the Transformed You Agencies: PressLogic, EchoMaker

SILVER Mars Wrigley Brand: M&M’S Campaign: M&Memes Agencies: TMRW Vietnam, EssenceMediacom Vietnam

SILVER Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Campaign: Standard Chartered Credit Card Acquisition Campaign Agencies: dentsu Hong Kong, Teads

BRONZE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST Campaign: PostMag Relaunch Campaign Agency: Assembly

Best Digital OOH Campaign

GOLD

Ocean Park Hong Kong

Brand: Water World Ocean Park Hong Kong Campaign: Water World “Summer Party Time” pDOOH Campaign Agency: Dentsu X Hong Kong

SILVER Hong Kong Tourism Board Campaign: The Pandastic Hong Kong Agency: dentsu Hong Kong

SILVER sim Credit Card Campaign: It’s SiMPLE to attend USCA Agency: WPP Media (formerly GroupM)

BRONZE MTR Corporation

Brand: THE SOUTHSIDE Campaign: Reframing The South Agency: Havas Hong Kong

Best Digital Performance Campaign

GOLD

Shangri-La Group

Brand: Shangri-La Circle Campaign: Tuesday’s Treasures Agency: AIR Concepts

SILVER Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Campaign: “Interest-ing Moments” Digital Deposits Agencies: Hungry Digital, dentsu Hong Kong

BRONZE DBS Bank (Hong Kong)

Brand: DBS SME Banking Campaign: DBS Online Business Account Opening Upgrade Lead Generation Campaign Agency: FABCOM

GOLD

Mars Company Hong Kong

Brand: SNICKERS Campaign: Snickers Gaming Campaign – “You’re Off Your Game When You're Hungry” Agencies: Muse Group, EssenceMediacom Hong Kong, B-Side Creative Agency

SILVER Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Campaign: “Interest-ing Moments” Digital Deposits Agencies: Hungry Digital, dentsu Hong Kong

BRONZE Samsung Electronics Hong Kong

Brand: Samsung Campaign: PARADIGM Agency: THINK CHINA

GOLD

AS Watsons Group

Brand: PNS eShop Campaign: Always-on Performance Campaign Agency: FABCOM

SILVER Citibank Singapore, Mastercard Asia/Pacific

Brand: Citi Mastercard Campaign: Citi Mastercard Amplify eCommerce Campaign x Shopee x Lazada

BRONZE Ma Pak Leung Campaign: Re-branding and Sales-driven Digital Marketing Campaign Agency: CM Binary

GOLD

United Asia Finance

Brand: UA Finance Campaign: UA Finance 0% interest rate campaign Agency: WPP Media (formerly GroupM)

SILVER Blue Insurance Campaign: SEO Content Hub Development Agency: Digital Zoo

BRONZE Hang Seng Bank

Brand: Preferred Banking Campaign: Plan Smart for Every Dollar Campaign Agency: EssenceMediacom Hong Kong

Best Engaging Campaign

GOLD

Swire Properties

Campaign: Swire Properties x LFC “Welcome to Anfield –The LFC Experience”

SILVER Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong)

Campaign: More Than A Payroll Account Agencies: Leo Burnett Hong Kong, dentsu Hong Kong

BRONZE L'ORÉAL TRAVEL RETAIL ASIA PACIFIC

Brand: Lancôme Travel Retail Asia Pacific Campaign: GÉNIFIQUE AI Agency: AIR Concepts

Best Phygital Experience

GOLD

Cityplaza Hong Kong

Campaign: Cityplaza x Coca-cola “LIVE HAPPY Cheers!” Agencies: Button Creations, DDPR, Hardchi Creative

SILVER Swire Properties

Brand: Citygate Outlets

Campaign: “Catch the Luck” CNY Campaign Agency: Cymballe

BRONZE L'ORÉAL TRAVEL RETAIL ASIA PACIFIC

Brand: Lancôme Travel Retail Asia Pacific Campaign: GÉNIFIQUE AI Agency: AIR Concepts

Best Mobile Campaign

GOLD

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Campaign: Discover by Classic 3-in-1 app

SILVER Hong Kong Disneyland

Campaign: World of Frozen Grand Launch Agency: AIR Concepts

BRONZE Café de Coral

Brand: Club 100

Campaign: Club 100 3.0 upgraded –Joy Together!

Agencies: Omakase Advertising, GBA, Deloitte Digital

Best User-Generated Content Campaign

GOLD

VinFast Commercial And Services Trading

Brand: VinFast VF 3 Campaign: UNLEASH YOUR PERSONALITY WITH VF 3 Agency: TMRW Vietnam

SILVER Diana Unicharm

Brand: Diana SuperNight Campaign: Diana SuperNight 3mm –“Không gì bằng Ԑmm” (“Nothing as Wonderful as You, Girl”)

Agency: TMRW Vietnam

BRONZE Swire Properties

Brand: Citygate Outlets

Campaign: “Catch the Luck” CNY Campaign Agency: Cymballe

Best Video Campaign

GOLD

Cathay Cargo

Campaign: Cathay Cargo Solutions Campaign Agencies: Leo Burnett Hong Kong, MSL

SILVER DBS Bank (Hong Kong)

Brand: DBS Treasures

Campaign: 2024 DBS Treasures Campaign Agencies: Potassium, Wavemaker Hong Kong

BRONZE The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Campaign: 140th Anniversary of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Agencies: VML Hong Kong, PHD Media, Mirum Hong Kong

Best Acquisition & Retention Strategies

GOLD

Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Campaign: More Than A Payroll Account Agencies: Leo Burnett Hong Kong, dentsu Hong Kong

SILVER Hang Seng Bank

Brand: Preferred Banking Campaign: Plan Smart for Every Dollar Campaign Agency: EssenceMediacom Hong Kong

BRONZE DBS Bank (Hong Kong)

Brand: DBS Treasures Campaign: 2024 DBS Treasures Campaign Agencies: Potassium, Wavemaker Hong Kong

Best Viral Campaign

GOLD

Mars Company Hong Kong

Brand: M&M’S Campaign: M&M’S CNY – "Fun for All" Agency: Muse Group

SILVER Swire Properties

Brand: Citygate Outlets

Campaign: “Catch the Luck” CNY Campaign Agency: Hardchi Creative

BRONZE Diana Unicharm

Brand: Diana SuperNight Campaign: Diana SuperNight 3mm –“Không gì bằng Ԑmm” (“Nothing as Wonderful as You, Girl”) Agency: TMRW Vietnam

Best Conversion Optimisation Strategies

GOLD

Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong)

Campaign: Standard Chartered In Times of Need Campaign Agencies: dentsu Hong Kong, Hungry Digital

SILVER FWD Life Insurance Company (Bermuda)

Campaign: FWD MAX: Maximising Customer Acquisition and Retention with Conversion Optimisation Strategies

BRONZE DBS Bank (Hong Kong)

Brand: DBS Treasures Campaign: 2024 DBS Treasures Campaign Agencies: Potassium, Wavemaker Hong Kong

Best Customer Journey

GOLD

The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Campaign: Discover by Classic 3-in-1 app

SILVER Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong)

Campaign: More Than A Payroll Account Agencies: Leo Burnett Hong Kong, dentsu Hong Kong

BRONZE L'ORÉAL TRAVEL RETAIL ASIA PACIFIC

Brand: Lancôme Travel Retail Asia Pacific Campaign: GÉNIFIQUE AI Agency: AIR Concepts

Best Digital Advertising Strategies

GOLD

Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong)

Campaign: Standard Chartered In Times of Need Campaign

Agencies: dentsu Hong Kong, Hungry Digital

Best Gaming Integration Strategies

GOLD

Cityplaza Hong Kong

Campaign: Streets of Christmas Joy Agencies: Neonet, Boxing Promotions, Rabbit Studio

SILVER Swire Properties

Brand: Citygate Outlets

Campaign: “Catch the Luck” CNY Campaign Agency: Cymballe

BRONZE Mars Company Hong Kong

Brand: SNICKERS

Campaign: Snickers Gaming Campaign –“You’re Off Your Game When You're Hungry” Agencies: Muse Group, EssenceMediacom Hong Kong, B-Side Creative Agency

GOLD Cathay

Campaign: Payment Awareness 2024 Agency: Digitas Hong Kong

SILVER AXA Hong Kong & Macau

Campaign: MBTI – My Best Travel Insurance Campaign Agencies: Wavemaker Hong Kong, Sunfullshine Productions

BRONZE Sun Life

Campaign: Precision Matters: How Sun Life Captured Attention and Lifted Brand Perception at Scale Agencies: Havas, Teads

Best AI-Generated Campaign

GOLD

Invest Hong Kong

Brand: FintechHK

Campaign: AI King of FintechHK Agencies: Aloha Group, Libertify APAC

SILVER Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong)

Campaign: Standard Chartered Credit Card Acquisition Campaign Agencies: dentsu Hong Kong, Teads

BRONZE Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong)

Campaign: “Interest-ing Moments” Digital Deposits Agencies: Hungry Digital, dentsu Hong Kong

Best Omnichannel Strategies

GOLD

Maxim's Caterers

Brand: Eatizen

Campaign: Maxim's: Making Delicious Food More Accessible with WhatsApp and AI Agency: Omnichat

SILVER Citibank (Hong Kong), Mastercard Asia/Pacific

Brand: Citi Mastercard

Campaign: Citi Mastercard card usage campaign with Hong Kong Mega Malls –MTR Malls, Hang Lung Malls and ifc mall Agency: Carat Media Services Hong Kong

BRONZE Hang Seng Bank

Brand: Preferred Banking Campaign: Plan Smart for Every Dollar Campaign Agency: EssenceMediacom Hong Kong

GOLD

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Campaign: Classic 3-in-1 app

SILVER FWD Life Insurance Company (Bermuda) Campaign: FWD MAX: Elevating Customer Acquisition & Retention Through Exceptional UI/UX Design

BRONZE The Hong Kong Jockey Club Campaign: 3D Digital Parade Ring & Interactive AI Horse Selection Station Agency: IBM China/Hong Kong

Best Programmatic

Strategies

GOLD

DBS Bank (Hong Kong)

Brand: DBS SME Banking Campaign: DBS Online

Business Account Opening Upgrade Lead Generation Campaign Agency: FABCOM

SILVER Haleon

Brand: Panadol Campaign: Release Starts Here Agencies: Zenith HK, The Trade Desk Hong Kong

BRONZE Asahi Beer Asia Brand: Asahi Campaign: We Brew Data – Asahi Dry Crystal Launch Campaign Agencies: dentsu Hong Kong, The Trade Desk

BRONZE PUMA Southeast Asia Campaign: PUMA Deviate Nitro 3 Agency: Quantcast

Best Use of AI

GOLD

DBS Bank - Institutional Banking Group Campaign: Turning Timely Insights into Action: DBS’s End-to-End AI Marketing Transformation

SILVER L'ORÉAL TRAVEL RETAIL ASIA PACIFIC

Brand: Lancôme Travel Retail Asia Pacific Campaign: GÉNIFIQUE AI Agency: AIR Concepts

BRONZE Maxim's Caterers

Brand: Eatizen Campaign: Transforming Data into Decisions Our AI-Powered Analytic Agent

Best Use of Immersive Technology

GOLD

Swire Properties

Brand: Citygate Outlets

Campaign: “Catch the Luck” CNY Campaign Agency: Cymballe

SILVER Hong Kong Disneyland

Campaign: World of Frozen Grand Launch Agency: AIR Concepts

BRONZE Diana Unicharm

Brand: Diana SuperNight Campaign: Diana SuperNight 3mm –“Không gì bằng Ԑmm” (“Nothing as Wonderful as You, Girl”) Agency: TMRW Vietnam

Best Use of Social Media

GOLD

Promise Hong Kong

Brand: Promise Campaign: myPromise Cheering Party Agencies: EssenceMediacom Hong Kong, Cheil PengTai Hong Kong

SILVER Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Campaign: More Than A Payroll Account Agencies: Leo Burnett Hong Kong, dentsu Hong Kong

BRONZE American Express

Brand: AMEX Platinum Campaign: Platinum Legends, Confirmed Agencies: Ogilvy PR, UM

BRONZE Swire Properties

Brand: Pacific Place Campaign: ChristmasVille Agency: Voltage X

Best Use of Personalisation Strategies

GOLD

DBS Bank (Hong Kong)

Brand: DBS Treasures Campaign: 2024 DBS Treasures Campaign Agencies: Potassium, Wavemaker Hong Kong

SILVER Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong)

Campaign: Standard Chartered In Times of Need Campaign Agencies: dentsu Hong Kong, Hungry Digital

BRONZE Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Campaign: “Interest-ing Moments” Digital Deposits Agencies: Hungry Digital, dentsu Hong Kong

Best Use of Real-Time

Marketing

GOLD

Haleon

Brand: Panadol Campaign: Release Starts Here Agencies: Zenith HK, The Trade Desk Hong Kong

SILVER Hong Kong Football Club Soccer 7s Campaign: HKFC Standard Chartered Soccer 7s Agency: Havas Hong Kong

BRONZE sim Credit Card Campaign: It’s SiMPLE to attend USCA Agency: WPP Media (formerly GroupM)

Diana Unicharm

Brand: Diana SuperNight

Campaign: Diana SuperNight 3mm – “Không gì bằng Ԑmm” (“Nothing as Wonderful as You, Girl”) Agency: TMRW Vietnam

SILVER American Express

Brand: AMEX Platinum Campaign: Platinum Legends, Confirmed Agencies: Ogilvy PR, UM

BRONZE Cathay Pacific

Campaign: Aria Suite Where Artistry Takes Flight Agencies: Leo Burnett Hong Kong, MSL

VER

Chartered Bank (Hong Kong)

Best of Show – Brand Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong)

Standing out from the crowd and impressing the judges with innovative solutions and teamwork, Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) took home a total of 15 trophies – five golds, eight silvers, and two bronzes.

A number of its campaigns won the judges’ hearts, including the “Interest-ing moments” digital deposits campaign and the “Standard Chartered in times of need” campaign done with Hungry Digital and dentsu Hong Kong; the “Standard Chartered credit card acquisition” campaign with dentsu Hong Kong and Teads; and the “More than a payroll account” campaign with Leo Burnett Hong Kong and dentsu Hong Kong.

Among these, the “Standard Chartered in times of need” campaign stands out for its innovative approach and impact. Launched on 15 June 2024, the ongoing campaign targets young adults aged between 18 and 35, debt-conscious individuals, and tech-savvy credit card users.

The campaign conveys that, in times of need, Standard Chartered is the bank customers will want by offering a unified, tech-powered ecosystem, that seamlessly integrates personal loans and credit card loans into one futuristic financial suite.

The campaign includes tailored videos for different sales funnel stages, featuring engaging hooks and messages to

combat loan misconceptions. By providing long, medium, and short versions, the campaign ensures its message resonates, regardless of viewers’ time constraints.

To elevate personalisation to prediction, the campaign has adopted 1PD data pool analytics to analyse customer data with a real-time interaction management decision engine to predict the “next best action”.

It has also leveraged Adobe martech stacks for channel prediction, delivering personalised messages across various platforms. The output includes an AI plug-in and conversion API, connecting first-party data for enhanced targeting and optimisation.

Furthermore, the campaign has implemented resultsdriven personalisation, where tailored ads resonate emotionally and practically with individual needs, driving higher engagement. Accurate targeting and personalised retargeting are boosting lead quality, enhancing conversions, and maximising returns.

By merging cutting-edge AI, deep data insights, and seamless martech integration, the campaign is transforming the personal loan journey into a futuristic, empowering, and customer-centric experience. With its collaboration and effective strategies, Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) also took home the gold award for Best MarTech Team.

Best of Show – Agency dentsu Hong Kong

Dentsu Hong Kong won the prestigious Best of Show –Agency award. The agency took home 17 trophies, five golds, eight silvers, and four bronzes for its campaigns for Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) and the “We brew data – Asahi Dry Crystal launch campaign” for Asahi.

Done in collaboration with The Trade Desk, the campaign targeted young drinkers with active lifestyles who were seeking a healthier beer choice. It aimed to build meaningful awareness for its new product “Asahi Dry Crystal” by increasing brand visibility.

To raise awareness, the campaign launched programmatic digital out-of-home (pDOOH) advertising in prominent locations and utilised network buys to achieve a high reach. Digital displays and video banners featuring Japanese celebrity Kanna Hashimoto helped build mass awareness.

In the acceleration stage, the campaign used digital video banners to appeal to users with active lifestyles

by showcasing occasions to enjoy a Dry Crystal. These banners also facilitated offline-to-online attention, enabling the retargeting of pDOOH viewers with interactive banners to drive engagement.

Additionally, the campaign leveraged Olympic inventory on over-the-top and music platforms to enhance brand exposure.

The campaign then implemented a retargeting strategy that targeted audiences who showed interest in the product through banner clicks, video views, and audio listens, directing them to landing pages on eCommerce platforms, including HKTVmall and Pandamart.

Additionally, the campaign deployed two distinct TV commercials on social media: a celebrity-endorsed ad at the launch, and an occasion-focused ad for retargeting audiences engaged via YouTube and Meta platforms.

Instagram content from public businesses and creator accounts is now appearing in Google Search – marking a major shift in how social content is valued, discovered and used to drive organic traffic.

For marketers, this evolution transforms the role of Instagram from a brand-building and engagement platform into a search-enabled ecosystem, where every post could act as a digital storefront.

Matthew Eaton explores this new trend.

Instagram is now searchable: What it means for brands and content creators

“This is a truly transformative moment for brands and influencers,” said Bryce Coombe, managing director at influencer marketing and content agency Hypetap.

“Content will no longer be just about what happens in a feed, but will take immediacy and relevancy that introduces it to the wider world via search. It means influencer content is more powerful than ever and has a bigger role in marketing plans, demanding a more integrative and robust strategy than ever before.”

From 10 July, Google began indexing eligible Instagram content, including Reels, carousels, captions, bios and alt text, from public professional and creator accounts. The change applies retroactively to posts dating back to 2020 and positions Instagram grids as discoverable assets that now compete for visibility in organic search. For digital marketers, the implications are wide-ranging.

“Instagram becomes not just a brandbuilding tool, but an SEO asset,” said Charlie Ransom, national trading and operations lead at performance marketing agency Kinesso.

“Brands now have an opportunity to optimise visual and short-form content for discoverability beyond the app, reaching high-

intent audiences searching on Google.”

Ransom added that the shift will influence how advertisers approach content creation – placing greater importance on keyword-rich captions, alt text, geotags, and brand consistency across platforms.

“Smart brands will view this as an opportunity to align SEO and social strategies, with cross-functional collaboration towards content,” he said.

Jack Reid, SEO director at consulting firm Orange Line, sees it as a structural change in how brands are discovered online.

Creators gain long-tail power

“Instagram is no longer just a brandbuilding or engagement channel – it’s now a potential driver of organic traffic via Google,” he said.

“We can expect to see more Instagram posts optimised like traditional landing pages: clear keyword targeting, relevant hashtags, and links to owned channels.”

The update is also set to raise the strategic bar for influencer content, which now lives beyond the feed and can act as long-tail discoverability assets.

“We are watching a major behavioural shift unfold,” said Nathan Powell, chief strategy and product officer at influencer marketing platform Fabulate.

“Traditional search dominance is under attack. From social platforms to ChatGPT and

even YouTube, Google’s status as the default search engine is steadily being eroded.”

Powell said this change provides longevity to content that was once fleeting. A product review, tutorial or campaign post could continue delivering value weeks or months after it has been published.

“Instagram posts from professional accounts now showing up in Google Search means social content is no longer ephemeral. It becomes part of your permanent digital footprint,” he said.

“For businesses, that means greater discoverability, especially for those without a deep SEO infrastructure or a website. It makes creator content more valuable, more evergreen and more measurable.”

From brand to community to search

For Mary Proulx, co-founder of social media agency Bread, this blurring of the

lines between brand, community and discoverability is the latest step in a trend already underway.

“Social for search isn’t new,” she said. “More and more we know that audiences are skipping search engines and heading straight to social platforms to find their inspo, answers and product recommendations.

“Jumping on a trend with a catchy caption here and there has its place, but it has never been a long-term strategy. That is even more apparent now.

“Making sure your social content strategy is built and based on real audience needs and behaviours is how brands will win. In the new social search era, that means crafting stories that are optimised for search and will show up when and where the audience is looking for them.”

She urged brands to understand the search behaviours of their audiences and use long

and short-tail keywords as the basis for social content planning.

“It’s not just your own content – the real power of social search also falls to community content. Reshape your UGC and influencer briefs to include keywords and tagging strategies that help drive visibility in search.”

From social to SEO

Lina Esa, chief marketing officer at creator marketing platform Cult Creative, agreed that social teams will need to treat themselves more like SEO teams.

“What used to take a back seat – the caption – might become the most important part,” Esa said.

“This is maybe where you might want to play the volume game in the race to rank. For your brand’s name to rank, don’t get bottlenecked and try to do all the content yourself. Engage with micro or nano creators

at scale. Encourage them to post on their creator profiles using your branded keywords, names, taglines and hashtags.

“The more consistently this comes out the more likely it’ll get searched and viewed by potential customers.”

Strategic caution, not just reach While the shift brings new opportunities, it also demands a more strategic and cautious approach to publishing.

“Captions function such as meta descriptions, tags improve visibility, and content lasts longer than before,” said Ru Perera, performance media manager at full-service independent agency Enigma.

“This isn’t about sacrificing creativity – it’s about improving their digital presence with a smarter structure. Instagram content offers a new strategic touch-point and this gives a competitive advantage for brands.”

Esa also flagged caution in this new fastmoving landscape, particularly with posts that may lack wider context.

“Social content that’s fun or sarcastic might show up in a different context and then be interpreted in the wrong way,” she said.

“What used to be fun or a place where we could post for the sake of posting might not necessarily be that anymore. Audit your past posts for potential reputation risks.”

According to Meetsocial’s managing director for Southeast Asia, Lee Kai Xin, caution will ensue as posts can now surface in broader search contexts, tone, clarity, and relevance, making brand safety paramount.

“Thoughtful tagging and writing are no longer just best practice – they’re now essential in ensuring that a brand is represented accurately and positively to search audiences,” Lee said.

A clear win for creators

What is clear amid this new playing field is that the strategic value of creators in the content mix will gain traction. Quickly. Fabulate’s Powell said:

“They are no longer just storytellers. They are discoverability engines.”

“That fundamentally changes how we think about influencer partnerships. They are no longer just a social play. They are part of your organic acquisition strategy. Smart brands will move towards always-on creator relationships that deliver both cultural relevance and search visibility.”

For Perera, the path forward is clear. “My advice is to change your mindset. Treat each post like a small landing page. Write clear,

keyword-rich captions, use alt text and tags thoughtfully, and ensure key messages are visible on-screen, not just in audio. Work closely with SEO and content teams to co-ordinate your strategy.”

And, like Esa, he urged brands to revisit their archives. “Take another look at older posts. What once seemed temporary may now be permanent.”

Aligning creative and search

Lee said one of the most significant outcomes of Instagram’s shift to search is that creative and SEO teams will need to work more closely together – particularly around product launches, brand storytelling and campaigns with long-tail potential.

“Previously, one of the cheat codes of content planning was to revive and update older top-performing posts to repeat the previous good results. This is no longer necessary. Instead, we should focus on making sure older, popular content is always up to date on information,” she said.

Lee suggested that brands and creators should begin auditing past posts – especially high-performing ones – and update captions or tags to better align with search intent. That includes conducting keyword research, building content clusters around key topics, and developing educational assets such as how-to guides, which naturally lend themselves to keyword use.

What is clear, however, is that this shift calls for a more deliberate approach to content – one where discoverability is baked in from the start, not bolted on later.

sorting through all the entries. Congratulations to all our winners for an excellent night! See you again next year!

JUDGES

WALIUR RAHMAN Head of MarketingGlobal Travel Retail & China BAT

CARMEN WONG Marketing Director foodpanda

MIRANDA YUNG Head of Retail Products Marketing, Hong Kong HSBC

ERIC LAM Head of PR & Marketing LH Group

JANIE LEE Head of Marketing and Public Relations Director Kitchen Infinity Holdings

SHERMAN LAU Head of Brand and Marketing Livi Bank

SERENE TAN Director, Public Affairs, Asia Pacific Starbucks Coffee Asia Pacific

LYDIA YAU Head of Group Marketing Strategy and Communications Vitasoy

MAVIS KO Director of Marketing Communications

The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong & W Hong Kong

KENNETH NG Director, External Affairs West Kowloon Cultural District Authority

TERRY TONG Director, Global Digital Marketing GP Batteries

LESLIE FOK Marketing Director LAWSGROUP

JASON KWOK Head of Marketing Communication and CRM Sony Corporation of Hong Kong

CATHERINE TSE Director, Brand & Marketing Transamerica Life Bermuda

CHARISSA CHAU Head of Marketing, APAC NET-A-PORTER, MR PORTER

ANNA TANG Assistant General Manager, Marketing & Communications Hongkong Land

GRACE AU

Regional Marketing Vice President, APAC

Regional Marketing Lee Kum Kee International

LILIAN GOH Director, Corporate & Business Communications Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong)

WENDY WONG Head of Advertising & Branding, APAC UBS AG

SHIRLEY LO Head of Brand, Social & Communications Yuu Rewards, DFI Retail Group

BEST USE OF USER GENERATED CONTENT

GOLD

Yahoo Campaign:

Yahoo’s UGC-driven Editorial Amplification

BEST MEDIA EVENT

GOLD

Cody Outdoor International (Hong Kong) Campaign: Motion Academy-Craft Beer Edition

SILVER

PHD Hong Kong, VML Hong Kong

Client:

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Campaign:

140th Anniversary of The Hong Kong Jockey Club

BRONZE Asiaray Media Group

Client: Ho Chai Kung Medicine Manufactory, Li Chung Shing Tong (Holdings) Campaign: Ho Chai Kung – Po Chai Pills

AI Photobooth

SILVER Yahoo Campaign: Yahoo Good Stuff Campaign

BRONZE ELLE Hong Kong

Client: SJM Resorts Campaign: ELLE Style Awards Asia 2024

BEST LOCALISED CAMPAIGN

GOLD

Hong Kong Tourism Board Campaign: “100% DORAEMON & FRIENDS”

Anywhere Door in Hong Kong

SILVER

MTR* advertising, JCDecaux Transport

Client: Taobao Campaign: MTR* advertising – Taobao Double 11 Shopping Festival

BRONZE Wavemaker Hong Kong, Publicis Hong Kong

Client: AXA Hong Kong & Macau Campaign: AXA 2024 Global Branding Campaign – Being self-employed shouldn’t be a risk

BEST VIRAL CAMPAIGN

GOLD

FevaWorks Solutions (HK)

Client: Wellcome Campaign:

Wellcome’s 80th anniversary –“Always here for you” campaign

BEST MEDIA CAMPAIGN – CREATIVE

GOLD

TVB, OMG

Client: HSBC Campaign: NRC Campaign

BEST MEDIA CAMPAIGN – DIGITAL

GOLD

Leo Burnett, Digitas Hong Kong

Client:

Asia Miles by Cathay Campaign: Asia Miles 25th Anniversary –Unlocking Possibilities

SILVER

UM, Ogilvy PR

Client:

American Express Campaign:

Platinum Legends, Confirmed

BRONZE JCDecaux Cityscape, OMD Hong Kong

Client: McDonald's Hong Kong Campaign: McDonald’s Hong Kong 50 Years of Love Tram Shelter and Bus Shelter

SILVER

Digitas Hong Kong

Client: CATHAY GROUP Campaign:

Nothing beats being there –Rugby Sevens

BRONZE Hong Kong Tourism Board Campaign: “100% DORAEMON & FRIENDS” Anywhere Door in Hong Kong

SILVER

PHD Hong Kong, VML Hong Kong

Client: The Hong Kong Jockey Club Campaign:

140th Anniversary of The Hong Kong Jockey Club

BRONZE Cody Outdoor International (Hong Kong) Campaign: Motion Academy-Craft Beer Edition

BEST MEDIA CAMPAIGN – TARGETED AUDIENCE

GOLD

TVB, dentsu Hong Kong

Client:

Standard Chartered Bank Campaign:

Le Grand Tour de Osaka

SILVER TVB, OMG

Client:

HSBC Campaign: NRC Campaign

BEST AUDIENCE ACQUISITION & RETENTION STRATEGY

GOLD

TVB, OMG

Client: HSBC Campaign: PayMe CNY

BRONZE Leo Burnett, Digitas Hong Kong

Client:

Asia Miles by Cathay Campaign: Asia Miles 25th Anniversary –Unlocking Possibilities

SILVER MTR* advertising, JCDecaux Transport Client: Taobao Campaign: MTR* advertising – Taobao Double 11 Shopping Festival

BEST MEDIA CAMPAIGN – INTEGRATED MEDIA

GOLD

Digitas Hong Kong

Client: CATHAY GROUP Campaign: Nothing beats being there –Rugby Sevens

SILVER

Leo Burnett, Digitas Hong Kong

Client:

Asia Miles by Cathay Campaign: Asia Miles 25th Anniversary –Unlocking Possibilities

BRONZE UM, Ogilvy PR

Client: American Express Campaign: Platinum Legends, Confirmed

SILVER Omnicom Media Group, Sunny Idea

Client: Mentholatum Campaign: 135th Anniversary – “The Little Nurse in All of Us”

BRONZE Cody Outdoor International (Hong Kong) Campaign: Motion Academy-Craft Beer Edition

BEST MEDIA CAMPAIGN – OMNICHANNEL

GOLD

MTR* advertising, JCDecaux Transport

Client:

Taobao Campaign:

MTR* advertising – Taobao Double 11

Shopping Festival

BEST MEDIA CAMPAIGN – OUT-OF-HOME

GOLD

Bravo Media

Client: Ctrl Media Campaign: Citybus and MTR^ advertising –“Saint Seiya EX” Campaign

SILVER MTR Corporation, JCDecaux Transport, Bravo Media, Asiaray Media Group

Clients:

Alipay, Lukfook Jewellery, Ingrid Millet, Wing Ming Medical, Wright Life Campaign: A Wish For Christmas

SILVER MTR* advertising, JCDecaux Transport

Client: Taobao Campaign:

MTR* advertising – Taobao Double 11

Shopping Festival

BEST MEDIA CAMPAIGN – PUBLIC AWARENESS

GOLD Ohpama.com (Rayma, Sing Tao Group)

Client:

Leisure and Cultural Services Department Campaign: Little Museum KOL

BRONZE

MTR* advertising, JCDecaux Transport, Think Inc.

Client:

Bank of China (Hong Kong) Campaign:

MTR* advertising – “BOCHK –Connect Every Excitement” Campaign

BRONZE

Cody Outdoor International (Hong Kong) Campaign: Motion Academy-Craft Beer Edition

SILVER Cody Outdoor International (Hong Kong) Campaign: Motion Academy-Craft Beer Edition

SILVER

MTR* & Airport Express advertising, JCDecaux Transport, dentsu Hong Kong

Client: Hong Kong Tourism Board Campaign: MTR* & Airport Express advertising – The Pandastic Hong Kong Campaign

BRONZE Yahoo Client: Bayer HealthCare Campaign: Bayer – Awareness campaign for Endometriosis

GOLD

Dentsu X Hong Kong, MTR* advertising, JCDecaux Transport

Client:

Water World Ocean Park Hong Kong Campaign:

Water World “Summer Party Time” pDOOH Campaign

BEST MEDIA CAMPAIGN – SOCIAL

GOLD

Wavemaker Hong Kong, Publicis Hong Kong

Client:

AXA Hong Kong & Macau Campaign:

Client: Bayer HealthCare Campaign: Bayer – Awareness campaign for Endometriosis BEST MEDIA CAMPAIGN – REAL TIME RESPONSE

AXA 2024 Global Branding Campaign –Being self-employed shouldn’t be a risk

Dentsu X Hong Kong, MTR* advertising, JCDecaux Transport

Client:

Water World Ocean Park Hong Kong Campaign:

Water World “Summer Party Time” pDOOH Campaign

SILVER

WPP Media (formerly GroupM)

Client: sim Credit Card Campaign: It’s SiMPLE to attend USCA

BRONZE CTgoodjobs

Client: The Hong Kong Jockey Club Campaign: HKJC 2024 PTgoodjobs Recruitment Campaign

SILVER PressLogic, GirlStyle

Client: Ego Pharmaceuticals Hong Kong Campaign: QV Ceramides – Embrace the Transformed You

BRONZE

Yahoo

SILVER

Asiaray Media Group, Havas Worldwide Hong Kong

Client:

Sun Life Hong Kong Campaign: Sun Life Day-and-Night Full OOH+ Domination at Victoria Harbour

BRONZE

Bravo Media

Client: UnionPay x PayMe by HSBC Campaign:

MTR^ advertising – PayMe by HSBC x UnionPay “PayMe Pay World” Campaign

BEST PERFORMANCE MEDIA CAMPAIGN

GOLD

Digitas Hong Kong

Client: Cathay Campaign:

Cathay Shop: Data-driven excellence through strategic segmentation

BEST SPONSORSHIP CAMPAIGN

GOLD

Digitas Hong Kong

Client: CATHAY GROUP Campaign: Nothing beats being there – Rugby Sevens

SILVER

JCDecaux Cityscape, Carat Hong Kong, Vpon AI Big Data Group

Client:

Ocean Park Corporation Campaign: Ocean Park Corporation –Annual Membership Promotion

SILVER Vogue Hong Kong

Client: Hong Kong Fashion Council Campaign: Vogue Loves Hong Kong

BRONZE MTR* advertising, JCDecaux Transport

Client: Taobao Campaign: MTR* advertising – Taobao Double 11

Shopping Festival

BEST STORYTELLING CAMPAIGN

GOLD

Leo Burnett, Digitas Hong Kong

Client:

Asia Miles by Cathay Campaign:

Asia Miles 25th Anniversary –Unlocking Possibilities

SILVER

Plaza Premium Group, Chance Communications Campaign: The Art of Travel

BRONZE TVB, dentsu Hong Kong

Client: Standard Chartered Bank Campaign: Le Grand Tour de Osaka

SILVER TVB, OMG Client: HSBC Campaign: HSBC 160th Anniversary

BRONZE JCDecaux Cityscape, OMD Hong Kong

Client: McDonald's Hong Kong Campaign: McDonald’s Hong Kong

50 Years of Love Tram Shelter and Bus Shelter

BEST MEDIA CAMPAIGN – CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

GOLD

MTR* advertising, JCDecaux Transport

Client:

The Nature Conservancy (Hong Kong) Campaign:

MTR* advertising The Nature Conservancy Art for the Earth

SILVER Cody Outdoor International (Hong Kong) Campaign: Motion Academy-Craft Beer Edition

BEST MEDIA CAMPAIGN – EXPERIENTIAL

GOLD

MTR Corporation, JCDecaux Transport, Bravo Media, Asiaray Media Group

Clients:

Alipay, Lukfook Jewellery, Ingrid Millet, Wing Ming Medical, Wright Life Campaign: A Wish For Christmas

BEST ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY

GOLD

TVB, dentsu Hong Kong

Client:

Standard Chartered Bank Campaign:

Le Grand Tour de Osaka

SILVER PHD Hong Kong, VML Hong Kong

Client: The Hong Kong Jockey Club Campaign: 140th Anniversary of The Hong Kong Jockey Club

SILVER Digitas Hong Kong

Client: CATHAY GROUP Campaign: Nothing beats being there –Rugby Sevens

BRONZE Sing Tao News Corporation

Client: Po Lin Monastery Campaign: “2024 Hong Kong Lotus Festival cum GBA/JS & HK Lotus Festival”

BRONZE Spark Foundry

Client: Citibank Hong Kong Campaign: 1st ever Citi Christmas Tree at the Hong Kong International Airport

SILVER FevaWorks Solutions (HK)

Client: Wellcome Campaign: Wellcome’s 80th anniversary – “Always here for you” campaign

SILVER Vogue Hong Kong

Client: Hong Kong Fashion Council Campaign: Vogue Loves Hong Kong

BRONZE Blis Media (HK)

Client: UBS Campaign: OFFLINE to ONLINE Amplification –UBS Manage

GOLD

Omnicom Media Group, Sunny Idea

Client: Mentholatum Campaign: 135th Anniversary – “The Little Nurse in All of Us”

GOLD

Vogue Hong Kong

Client: Hong Kong Fashion Council Campaign: Vogue Loves Hong Kong

BEST PROMOTION STRATEGY

GOLD

MTR* advertising, JCDecaux Transport

Client: Taobao Campaign: MTR* advertising – Taobao Double 11 Shopping Festival

SILVER FevaWorks Solutions (HK)

Client: Wellcome Campaign: Wellcome’s 80th anniversary –“Always here for you” campaign

BRONZE Ohpama.com (Rayma, Sing Tao Group)

Client: Investor and Financial Education Council Campaign: “The Chin Family Smart About Money” Animation Series

SILVER TVB, OMG

Client: HSBC Campaign: HSBC 160th Anniversary

BRONZE Esquire Hong Kong

Client: Vacheron Constantin Campaign: Man At His Best Campaign

SILVER TVB, OMG

Client: HSBC Campaign: NRC Campaign

BRONZE WPP Media (formerly GroupM)

Client: sim Credit Card Campaign: It’s SiMPLE to attend USCA

BEST USE OF AI

GOLD

Yahoo

Client:

Bao Dim Sin Seng Campaign:

Bao Dim Sin Seng x Yahoo Generative AI campaign

BEST USE OF BRANDED CONTENT

GOLD

Hardchi Creative, The Bridge Agency

Client:

Uni-China Group – Hong Kong Market Campaign: Hong Kong Market Eshop Launch Campaign

SILVER ThinkCol Transform Client: sim Credit Card Campaign: sim Credit Card Chatbot

BEST USE OF INFLUENCER

GOLD

Vogue Hong Kong

Client: Hong Kong Fashion Council Campaign:

Vogue Loves Hong Kong

SILVER TVB, OMG Client: HSBC Campaign: HSBC 160th Anniversary

BRONZE TVB, dentsu Hong Kong

Client: Standard Chartered Bank Campaign: Le Grand Tour de Osaka

SILVER Hardchi Creative, The Bridge Agency

Client:

Uni-China Group –Hong Kong Market Campaign: Hong Kong Market Eshop Launch Campaign

BRONZE Havas HK Client: Lee Kum Kee Campaign: Lee Kum Kee: Flavours that Bind

BRONZE Yahoo Client: American Express International Inc. Campaign: AMEX x BetterMe Boundless Explorer Campaign

GOLD

ThinkCol Transform

Client:

sim Credit Card Campaign:

sim Credit Card Chatbot

BEST USE OF VIDEO CONTENT

GOLD

Hardchi Creative, The Bridge Agency

Client:

Uni-China Group – Hong Kong Market Campaign: Hong Kong Market Eshop Launch Campaign

SILVER MTR Corporation, JCDecaux Transport, Bravo Media, Asiaray Media Group

Clients:

Alipay, Lukfook Jewellery, Ingrid Millet, Wing Ming Medical, Wright Life Campaign: A Wish For Christmas

SILVER UM, Ogilvy PR

Client: American Express Campaign:

Platinum Legends, Confirmed

BRONZE MTR* advertising, JCDecaux Transport, Dentsu X Hong Kong

Client:

Water World Ocean Park Hong Kong Campaign: MTR* advertising – Water World Ocean Park Summer Campaign

BRONZE CTgoodjobs

Client: Citybus Campaign:

Citybus Employer Branding Video Campaign 2024

BEST LAUNCH/REBRANDING CAMPAIGN

GOLD

PHD Hong Kong, VML Hong Kong

Client: The Hong Kong Jockey Club Campaign:

140th Anniversary of The Hong Kong Jockey Club

SILVER Omnicom Media Group, Sunny Idea

Client: Mentholatum Campaign: 135th Anniversary – “The Little Nurse in All of Us”

BRONZE Langham Hospitality Group, Delgado Group Campaign: Your Story. Our Legacy.

Media Campaign of the Year

MTR* advertising – Taobao Double 11 Shopping Festival

MTR* advertising, JCDecaux Transport’s “MTR* advertising – Taobao Double 11 Shopping Festival” campaign won the Media Campaign of the Year, taking home two golds, three silvers, and one bronze.

Running from October to December 2024, the campaign launched for Taobao aimed to connect with Hong Kong customers and enhance their shopping experience by promoting a limited-time offer of free shipping to Hong Kong for orders over RMB$99.

Strategically making use of MTR* advertising, JCDecaux Transport’s ecosystem, Taobao rolled out a mega-scale online-to-offline (O2O) advertising campaign, seamlessly integrating offline and online promotions to promote the “Hong Kong Free Shipping Campaign”, which embraced Hong Kong customers with a holistic O2O journey.

To reach a wide audience, MTR was selected as the platform to promote Taobao’s offer of free shipping to Hong Kong, as it serves an average of 5.2 million passengers daily. Spanning up to 59 MTR stations, the campaign strategically combined zone dominations with digital advertising networks to spotlight this limited-time offer. Exclusive discount codes were available at 20 designated MTR stations.

Additionally, MTR is the first metro system in Asia to offer programmatic digital out-of-home (pDOOH) advertising. By leveraging this pDOOH solution, Taobao effectively delivered relevant messages to the right target audience at the right place and time.

To capture passengers’ eyeballs and cultivate their interest, Taobao partnered with MTR* advertising, JCDecaux Transport to roll out an O2O campaign with eye-catching Taobao characters and playful slogans that incorporated distinctive aspects or landmark elements of Hong Kong.

The advertising slogans evoked the lively shopping mood of “Double 11 Shopping Festival” with examples such as 「夾單不求人，黃大仙包郵」 at Wong Tai Sin Station, and「落坊定落老蘭，包郵直落一齊玩」at Central Station.

Taobao also placed various promotional code stickers at 20 designated MTR stations. Passengers could scan the QR codes on these stickers to connect to or download the Taobao app. By entering the promotional code, users could enjoy exclusive offers.

MTR* advertising, JCDecaux Transport also recruited influencers to snap photos at the MTR stations which were promoted through Facebook, Instagram and Xiaohongshu. The campaign also launched a best photo-taking competition on social media to further engage with citizens. The campaign was followed with 360-degree marketing promotions, including press releases, EDMs, viral videos and various social media promotions.

MTR* advertising refers to the exclusive advertising business managed by JCDecaux Transport, which includes the Island Line, South Island Line, Tsuen Wan Line, Kwun Tong Line, Tung Chung Line, TseungKwanOLine,DisneylandResortLine,andtheAirportExpress.

Media of the Year TVB

Standing out from the crowd and impressing the jury with innovative solutions and team results was TVB, which took home a total of 11 trophies: four golds, five silvers, and two bronzes.

Its thought-provoking campaigns included the “NRC Campaign”, “HSBC 160th Anniversary”, and “PayMe CNY”, created in partnership with OMG for HSBC, as well as “Le Grand Tour de Osaka”, in partnership with dentsu Hong Kong, for Standard Chartered Bank.

The “Le Grand Tour de Osaka” campaign created for Standard Chartered Bank impressed the judges the most among the campaigns produced by TVB. Running from December 2023 to November 2024, it aimed to establish the bank as the ultimate travel companion and to inspire affluent and high-net-worth travellers to embrace its offerings.

The campaign was backed by Standard Chartered’s “Hong Kong affluent travel study 2024”, which revealed that these audiences plan an average of eight trips annually and are willing to invest HK$150,000 per

long-haul journey, prioritising premium experiences such as airport lounge access and priority check-in.

To effectively reach the target audience, the campaign collaborated with Cathay Pacific to offer two exclusive chartered flights for over 400 affluent customers of Standard Chartered, providing unforgettable and personalised journeys to Taipei and Osaka.

The campaign also partnered with TVB to create an exclusive TV programme titled “Grand 住去台北／大阪” (Le Grand Tour de Taipei/Osaka), featuring celebrities such as Priscilla Wong and Samantha Ko.

Going beyond digital banners and 30-second TV commercials, the collaboration resulted in a 120-minute travel documentary that offered an immersive, firsthand experience, transcending traditional storytelling. This documentary also successfully reached audiences in the Greater Bay Area. Additionally, a multidimensional media event was launched to resonate across various media channels and generations.