J. Walter Thompson China’s Lo Sheung Yan named AdFest 2016 Lotus Legend

Lo Sheung Yan, more affectionately known as Ma Yan, APAC Creative Council Chairman of J. Walter Thompson has been awarded the Lotus Legend at ADFEST: Creative Intelligence 2016.  A well deserved honour and fitting to this year’s theme as he has repeatedly demonstrated intelligent creativity throughout his career.

Ma Yan has come a long way, joining China’s advertising industry in 1996 with JWT, eventually becoming its Chairman of Asia Pacific Creative Council in 2013. Along the way he helped JWT garner many prestigious regional and global advertising awards. JWT Asia Pacific was named “Network Agency of the Year” by ADFEST in 2008. JWT Asia Pacific repeated this feat when it was named “Network Agency of the Year” by both Media Spikes and ADFEST in 2009. JWT Shanghai, meanwhile, was named “Agency of the Year” in 2009 by ADFEST, and “Agency of the Year” by Campaign Asia in 2011.

Ma Yan made history time and again, producing many firsts in China’s advertising industry, from winning China’s first gold Clio, to helping lead China to its very first Grand Prix at Cannes in 2011.      

In 2012, he made history once again, becoming the first Chinese jury head of Cannes’ Outdoor Advertising Awards 2012.  Ma Yan continues to support the industry by serving as a juror at regional awards like Longxi Chinese Advertising Awards, Spikes Asia and ADFEST, and international shows like Clio, Cannes and ADC.

Lotus Legend is nominated by all 57 Juries of this year’s Lotus Awards, where they were asked to put forward one creative contender, either previously or currently active in the advertising and communication industry of Asia Pacific or Middle East region. He or she much have achieved creative excellence whilst working in those regions, as well as being a role model to new creative generations.

“I am proud that Ma Yan has been my partner for 18 years,” said Tom Doctoroff, CEO of J. Walter Thompson APAC.  “He has always been inspiration, not only to me but thousands of creatives who strive to fuse their culture’s voice with international standards of breakthrough.  His wisdom, generosity and leadership have made JWT in China, and Asia, what it is today.”

J. Walter Thompson’s North Asia Chief Creative Officer and China Chairman, Norman Tan, who has known Lo for 20 years, said of his friend: “Leadership, training and growing of local talent is always on his agenda. I am so glad that our industry recognized his contribution with this very well deserved award.”

Ma Yan has also written, directed, and acted in stage plays for over 15 years while in Hong Kong. He also wrote lyrics for Asian pop songs and musicals and is a member of the Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong. In 2009 the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce also honoured him as one of the Outstanding Hong Kong People in Shanghai.