John Koay exits Ogilvy Hong Kong to join Edelman as Regional Executive Creative Director

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John Koay exits Ogilvy Hong Kong to join Edelman as Regional Executive Creative Director

John Koay has joined Edelman from Ogilvy Hong Kong to take on the role as the firm’s new Regional Executive Creative Director, working across Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand. Koay brings over 17 years of experience to the firm, having worked at several of the large creative networks and produced award-winning campaigns that have resulted in business growth for brands such as KFC, Pizza Hut, Nike, Toyota, Panasonic, Air New Zealand, Qantas, Nestle, Kellogg’s, Johnson & Johnson and Heineken.

 

Continuing to attract top creative talent in the region, Edelman will leverage Koay’s integrated thinking and channel-agnostic creativity to further enhance the firm’s ability to deliver work that is rooted in culture. The firm’s track-record in this space includes its recent award-winning integrated work for Sunkist’s Animal Crossing integration and Oatly’s ‘New Word’ campaign. Koay will be tasked with leading the firm’s creative team, as they develop earned creative for the firm’s clients across its offerings.

“As a highly integrated thinker, John is an industry renowned creative maverick with an impeccable track record of delivering disruptive work,” says Tim Green, Edelman’s Chief Creative Officer for Asia-Pacific. “He joins us at a time when more and more clients are turning to us for creative solutions that swiftly respond to their business challenges and resonate with their consumers or audiences in a digital age. John is the epitome of multiculturalism and global thinking, while being fluent in the language of CMOs.”

Koay’s awards repertoire includes accolades from several of the most prestigious global, regional and local shows, including the Cannes Lions, D&AD, The One Show, Clio Awards, ADC, Asia Spikes, Adfest, AWARD, Effies, New York Festivals, London International Award, Axis Awards, The Webby Awards, Kam Fan and AMES. In 2021, he was named The One Show’s second-most awarded Executive Creative Director across Asia Pacific, and in 2018, he was ranked fourth most-awarded Creative Director in the world at The Big Won rankings.

Koay said: “At the heart of Edelman’s work is a deep connection with culture – earning attention for the firm’s clients and their brands. By embedding creativity and other integrated solutions into the core of its offerings, the agency’s work truly stands out in resonating with local audiences. I am looking forward to partnering with the talented team to continue pushing the envelope for what clients can achieve with the power of creativity.”

Koay’s appointment is effective immediately and he will report into Green.