CB Asia Q&A with Leo Burnett Malaysia’s David HK Tan and Vickknesh Raj – “We did it!”

Leo Burnett and Heineken emerged as Malaysia’s sole winner at the 2024 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity when they won a Bronze Lion in the Outdoor Lions category for their “Heidden in Plain Sight” campaign. Campaign Brief Asia spoke with the winning duo behind the work, David HK Tan, Associate Creative Director, and Vickknesh Raj, Creative Group Head.

Congratulations on your Lions win! How did you celebrate?
Tan: This is Vick’s and my first Cannes Lions entry and also our first win. On the night they announced the winners, I was sitting on my couch with my family. I was so nervous, I didn’t even want to check the results. Then, my phone chimed. It was Vick saying, “We did it!” I was literally tearing up as I hugged my wife and kissed my little boy.

Raj: Sure, steak dinners and drinks with the whole team was nice. But I won’t lie – it was really satisfying to finally update my portfolio site with the words “Cannes Lions Winner”.

What inspired “Heidden in Plain Sight”, and how did you convince Heineken Malaysia to support it?
Tan: We were briefed by Heineken to develop a social idea for Chinese New Year. As we were trading stories about Chinese New Year rituals as part of our process of understanding the audience better, I had a lightbulb moment. I wrote the “Gong Hei Fatt Choi” greeting on the whiteboard and drew a Heineken can over the “Hei”: three letters you’ll find on every Heineken can – as well as in many Chinese New Year greetings as it means happiness in Cantonese.

Raj: Of course, having clients that get just as excited as we do for great ideas helps. Agencies love asking clients to “be brave” but honestly, we didn’t have to do any of that with Jen (Lyn Sin, Brand Manager, Heineken) and Joyce (Lim Yue Yun, Marketing Manager – Premium, Heineken Malaysia Berhad). They loved what we presented and went above and beyond to get us necessary budgets and approvals. So, a huge shout-out to them!

Were there any challenges you had to overcome when bringing this idea to life?
Tan: Too many to mention. One of the key challenges was design. For the layout to work on the trucks, we needed to handpick Chinese New Year greetings that have “Hei” as the 2nd or 4th character.

Thankfully, we had clients who believed in the idea and worked alongside with us to bring it to life. They made sure every detail wasn’t missed, even going the extra mile to convince the logistics team to wrap more of their trucks with our greetings during the Chinese New Year season.

Tell us about your creative partnership. How do you complement each other?
Raj: The best work happens when teams know when to agree and just as importantly, when to disagree. That’s what is so great about working with David. There’s always a passionate back and forth between us as we challenge each other. He eviscerates my copywriting. I skewer his art direction. No bruised egos – just respect for each other and a hunger to do something special.

Tan: Vickknesh is very humble and well-spoken. When Vick speaks, everyone is drawn in. He’s also very aware of things going on in the world around him, which led me to call him “Vickipedia”. We have been partners for around six years now, and Vick is my partner on 70-80% of my jobs. Over time, we’ve developed a good rapport where we’re not afraid to be brutally honest and challenge each other.

You’ve both been with Leo Burnett Malaysia for several years. What do you enjoy most about the agency’s culture?
Tan: There are a few things. First, the people, like Firzan Mulafer, our MD, who always encourages us. And Neil Hudspeth, our CEO, who is a straight-talker but truly believes in people. I’ve learned from all sorts of different people in the agency. A special mention goes out to my mentor, Iska Hashim, ECD, Leo Burnett Malaysia, who is one of the key people contributing to my success today. From winning my first Gold Young Spikes and now being a Cannes Lions winner.

Raj: It’s constantly been a space to learn and grow. With guidance from my mentor Iska and support from leaders like Emir (Shafri, CCO, Publicis Groupe Malaysia) and Neil, I’ve been recognised externally as well at the 2019 MAD STARS’ Young Stars competition and 2021 Young Spikes Malaysia. Just last year, David and I were ranked as the 8th Most Awarded Creatives in Malaysia by Campaign Brief. It’s been a truly rewarding journey. And I could not be more grateful.

Malaysia has a rich culture. What do you enjoy most about living there as a creative?
Tan: Malaysia is a melting pot filled with a beautiful mix of people, cultures, and even languages. In fact, when we speak, it’s not odd to hear 3 languages mixed together in a single sentence.

I love work that taps into our rich cultural context. One of the classic works I love from Malaysia is the late Yasmin Ahmad’s “One Little Indian Boy”.

Malaysia’s creative scene is also growing. You have all sorts of different practices, such as independent publications that cover subcultures in Malaysia, local design houses, product innovation, and indie filmmaking. I’m happy to see fellow Malaysians succeeding in the art scene both at home and abroad.

Raj: Malaysians are incredibly chill and humble. You’ll find that even the most accomplished artists and directors are easy to talk to and very forthcoming with their processes and craft, which makes it a lot less intimidating to ask questions and fail – crucial to being a creative.

What’s another piece of work you’ve done that you’re proud of?
Raj: I’ll never not take the opportunity to plug our work for Twisties. It was wild, weird, irreverent and a great deal of fun to work on.

Outside of work, what inspires you?
Raj: Horror movies! Of all the genres, it plays by the rules the least. And that’s always refreshing.

Tan: I would say that people are my inspiration. Building a strong community of people around me is important. I am also part of a fellowship that helps me mentally and spiritually.

Travelling is another way I seek inspiration. I’m not talking about big trips every other week. Even just being outside, away from the work desk, and observing what is happening on the other side of town is good enough.