‘We’ve planted a jungle on the grave of the agency model’: Vice creative agency opens in Singapore
Vice creative agency, Virtue, has formally launched in Asia Pacific region with the opening of offices in Singapore and Seoul.
It will be led by Aaron Pearce, former client services director at Octagon in Singapore.
Together with a new office in Sydney, the Virtue operations in Singapore and Seoul will operate across Asia Pacific.
On his LinkedIn profile, Pearce says: “Rather than try and fix the agency model, we’ve planted a jungle on its grave. Our DIY punk roots, empathy, and irreverent sense of style breeds work that’s as important as it is attractive.”
In a statement announcing the launch, Pearce, in his new role as managing director for Virtue, Asia Pacific, said: “The first things we ask our clients is who they want to reach, and what they want to stand for and everything after that point is crafting.
“We know that the division between brandland and culture is no more, people expect the same feeling from brand content as they do from their favorite film, or track — it has to be authentic, multi-dimensional, and entertaining — that’s the best way to introduce value exchange.”
Virtue has named former Y&R NY and Havas New York creative Alex Koo as creative director in Seoul, with the office led by managing director Daniel Kang. Rich Lim has also joined as creative strategist.
Meanwhile, Sacha Bury has been appointed senior regional strategist in Singapore.
“There is a violent collision happening between entertainment and advertising, and there is no place where that is happening at a faster pace and more unique way than in Asia,” Koo said.
“This is the moment where brands have to make their mark, to define what their style is, and own it. I’m excited to be joining Virtue’s expansion in Asia, as we take on this next chapter and push what it means to be a brand.”
Vice said its creative operation has already made inroads in several Asia markets including Japan, China, India, Indonesia, Philippines and Korea. It listed Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI), multiple Unilever brands, Pernod Ricard, lululemon, Coach, Asics and GSK as among its clients.
Vice Asia Pacific chief executive Hosi Simon said: “Expanding Virtue in Asia has been a key focus for Vice’s plan for 2018, and after simply getting on with actual work, we’re excited to formally launch Virtue across Asia.
“We’re leveraging Vice’s years of experience in the region – our unique content and insights and unwavering dedication to deeply locally and globally relevant stories, helps our partners break through in this rapidly shapeshifting part of the world.”
Where do people get all their fancy “saying a lot but meaning nothing” statements? Seriously…….
ReplyOh really, “DIY punk roots, empathy, and irreverent sense of style breeds work that’s as important as it is attractive”
ReplyIs that the best they can create to promote themselves?
Press release with magnetic poetry pieces
Reply*cough* [Edited under Mumbrella’s community guidelines]
Replyone does not simply plant a jungle
Replyyou’re an agency planting a “jungle” on the agency’s grave?
ReplyPunk was real in London in the late 70s. Not anymore.
ReplyGet ready for a lot of leftist virtue signalling #moronials
Reply“Moronials” – LOVE it!
ReplyHere we go again. The moment someone says something progressive, a posse comes out of the woodwork to whine about them and pine for the good old ways.
ReplyPray tell, what specifically progressive was it about what Aaron said, Lion City? Give us your insight, because what [Edited under Mumbrella’s community guidelines]. What are we missing that you picked up? In an attempt to educate myself, I just checked Vice’s site for some the insightful new-age wisdom and I was immediately confronted by the video, “How to Smoke Weed Out of an Oil Lantern”. There are a lot of very [Edited under Mumbrella’s community guidelines]. Maybe Coke Company could do a “viral” ad on how to smoke hashish through a Fanta can? Are you aware of Vice’s history[Edited under Mumbrella’s community guidelines]? Let’s score some goals before claiming to be champions, hey? Tsk tsk.
ReplyAlright, I’ll give you my insight. The progressiveness lies in identifying that the division between brand work and culture is no more. Examples being Fearless Girl and the Nike Colin Kaepernick work just to name a couple. This is the realization that will lead to a lot of groundbreaking work. And yes, I’m aware of Vice’s history, but I’m also aware of their efforts to diversify. Also the fact that the agency in question here is not Vice, but Virtue, an agency from the Vice stable but a different name. Why does it have a different name? Because they want to diversify from their old reputation.
ReplyI read the article twice. Twice I failed to find anything progressive or how they will disrupt the agency model. The “death” of agencies argument is well trodden and nothing new. Agencies aren’t doing well, but they certainly aren’t dead yet and there’s certainly no “grave”. Lots of jargon here with little substantiation or examples of what they can or will do.
Disagreeing with a piece doesn’t mean whining.
ReplyWell said
ReplyIf you think this is progressive …….. good luck to ya!
Reply“The first things we ask our clients is who they want to reach, and what they want to stand for and everything after that point is crafting.”
I really am going to have to try this….sounds super fresh and new thinking.
LOL.
ReplyThis is exactly what we need.
Australian adland needs a slap in the face
Beige work, dull creative, formulaic and self-congratulatory ideas.
Full to the brim of 26-year-old privileged kids with taste by numbers.
There is a grave. And a jungle on top of it is a good thing. Bring it on.
ReplyWhat network did you crawl out from under?
ReplyRumble in the jungle!
ReplyAaron Pearce.
So punk
Ha ha
ReplyPlease deliver some semblance of reality to these delusional clients and social agency click-bait-warriors.
Marketing managers and panicked agency money men are so deeply steeped in a ‘Lah Lah Land’ of bought likes and shares, they cant tell the difference between reality and virtual worlds.
Everyday they scatter peoples screens with vulgar visual pollution, without a care for the world, as they can show on a spreadhseet that FB or YT says people watched it.
By virtue of being even a tiny bit authentic, you will win in this market.
ReplyHave your say