Moonfolks opens Vietnam office: Appoints Livio Grossi as CCO and Managing Partner

Independent advertising agency Moonfolks has launched operations in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Moonfolks Vietnam will be led by former Dentsu Redder Group ECD Livio Grossi, who joins the agency as Chief Creative Officer and Managing Partner.

Anish Daryani, Founder and CEO of Moonfolks, said: “Having lived and worked in Vietnam before, the intention to launch Moonfolks here was always there. But when Livio (a former colleague a very dear friend) agreed to spearhead our business, the intention translated into action.

“I believe our approach of creating audacious commerce for our clients, combining Content, Creators, Communities and Culture, will have ready acceptance in Vietnam’s fast growing economy. Coupled with our strong creative reputation, we are confident of disrupting Vietnam’s creative industry and establish our relevance for ambitious brands.”

Livio Grossi, Chief Creative Officer and Managing Partner, Moonfolks Vietnam, added: “After more than a decade in Vietnam, I still believe the most interesting creative chapter is ahead. Moonfolks Vietnam is a chance to build something sharper and more intentional about the kind of work we put into the world.

“Not just another agency, but a studio built on strong taste, real craft, and real care for the people behind it. Driven by an entrepreneurial spirit: curious, ambitious and willing to take risks in pursuit of better.”

Grossi has spent 10 years in Vietnam, having led the creative in agencies such as MullenLowe and Phibious. His last role was at Dentsu Redder as ECD for the last six years, where he led the Campaign Brief Asia Creative Rankings in Vietnam throughout his stint. Grossi has to his credit regional and global recognitions at One Show, One Asia, New York Festival, ADC Awards, The ANDYs APAC, Cresta, Spikes, Adfest and MADstars.

Moonfolks will offer its “Audacious Growth” model to clients in Vietnam, that combines Branding & Advertising, Social & Digital, Influencer Marketing & PR as well as Shopper & Brand Activations to drive consumers to commerce.

Moonfolks, having its holding company in Singapore, and headquartered in Jakarta, launched in Brunei, earlier this year, becoming the first international agency to enter the country.

Now, with its launch in Vietnam, it establishes a formidable regional footprint. According to Daryani, Founder & CEO, Moonfolks, “More regional expansion is on the cards, and the group also has ambitions to look beyond Asia”.

For Daryani, the launch of Moonfolks Vietnam is a homecoming. Daryani worked in Ho Chi Minh City from 2012 to 2016. The hallmark of his stint in Vietnam was bringing home Vietnam’s first every Cannes Lion, for Omo (Unilever) Vietnam while at Mullen Lowe.

While in Vietnam, Daryani led businesses such as Unilever, Bel Group (Con Bò Cười/The Laughing Cow), Chotot.vn, SABECO, Masan Beverages (including the launch of Wake Up 24×7 and Vinh Hao), Mastery/Masterise Homes, Techcombank, Castrol, among others. He was inducted to the Campaign Asia “40 Under 40” List in 2016.

Grossi has been ranked as Vietnam’s best ranked Creative Directors at the Campaign Brief Asia Rankings, 2021 – 2024. He has been invited to judge many award shows, including Adfest, OneShow Asia, Caples, MadStars, MadStars Young Stars, Vietnam Young Lions, Latvia ADC, AdForum PHX, RedApple and Meta Reels One Club.

Daryani, on the other hand, was instrumental at bringing home Vietnam’s first ever Cannes Lions (Gold, for Omo).

THE BIG OPPORTUNITY: THE BRIDGE FOR VIETNAMESE BRANDS FOR REGIONAL EXPANSION
Moonfolks comes into Indonesia to play a very important role: It wants to leverage its regional footprint to help Vietnamese brands grow across ASEAN. Vietnam already has its “Go Global” Program 2026-2030. The vision is to develop 1,000 globally capable enterprises, including 20 large corporations and 30 medium-sized firms to dominate niche markets.

According to a recent 2026 UOB enterprise study, over 80% of Vietnamese businesses plan to expand internationally over the next two years, with ASEAN—particularly Indonesia—ranking as their primary target destination. Outbound FDI from Vietnam surged 2.5x in early 2026 alone!

Moonfolks wants to play the role of a catalyst in this transformation.

WHAT MOONFOLKS BRINGS TO THE TABLE
Moonfolks believes that every brand deserves a “Moonshot”, its approach to defining a brand’s purpose, combining the Brand Truth and Human Truth which are derived by mapping consumers, culture, the brand and its competition

The agency brings the Moonshot to life by using an integrated approach where technology, data and consumer journeys are leveraged to connect with consumers using content, creators, communities and culture. This, coupled with its “Audacious Commerce” blueprint, creates omnichannel commerce opportunities for brands.

TRUSTED BY THE BIGGEST BRANDS IN ASIA
Moonfolks enjoys the trust of some of the biggest companies in Asia – Danone, Philip Morris, Puma, Unilever, Asian Paints, AIA Insurance, VIVO Mobiles, TikTok, Wipro Unza, among others.

Daryani also added: “Drawing from our experience of working with KEMENPAR (Ministry of Tourism), Indonesia, we want to work closely with the Viet Nam National Authority of Tourism to make the country a more desirable destination for global travellers looking for new experiences. With the launch of new airports and improved infrastructure, Ho Chi Minh City will emerge as a major hub for tourism. We want to work with them to make Vietnam the preferred choice for travellers.

“We also want to leverage our regional footprint to help Vietnamese brands branch out to ASEAN.”

A COLLABORATIVE SPIRIT
Moonfolks believes it’s not here to compete, but collaborate. The objective is to raise the bar for creativity in Vietnam, and contribute to the country’s creative economy, which in turn will create more jobs and opportunities for several industries. We have already established a strong network of communities, creators and industry partners like Rice Content, IDM, Pmax, among others.

Pre-Launch Activation: The agency has created a lot of buzz in Ho Chi Minh City through an immersive pre-launch activation. Three “Moonfolks”… aka distinct Pink Astronauts, roamed the streets of Ho Chi Minh City, about a week prior to the launch. The took their audience through a journey of discovery – from being “aliens”, to understanding the local culture, habits, food, which they embraced. Their role transformed from being foreign agents to familiar personalities, who went around the city helping city folks with the daily chores. Ultimately, spreading smiles with giving away freebies to kids – Balloons, candies, toys, attracting huge crowds, to ultimately claim the title of “New Locals”.

The entire journey of the launch teaser was captured by 20 content creators, whose stories created intrigue across Instagram and TikTok, with the hashtag #NewLocals.

Reveal and Launch: The three “Moonfolks” landed up at the launch venue – the iconic Ho Chi Minh Fine Arts Museum, still followed by content creators, who revealed that the entire activation was to announce the launch of Moonfolks.

The “New Locals” campaign was revealed at the launch.

The venue, tastefully branded, had a Massive “Moonfolks” rocket ship at the entrance.

The launch was presided by the Chief Guest, Dr. Vipra Pandey, Consul General of India in Ho Chi Minh City. In attendance were leaders of the business community, Ms, Cindy Quyen Vuu, CEO of Biti’s, Ms. Venus Yeoh Kim Wei, EVP of Marketing, Suntory Pepsico Beverages Vietnam, Mr. Sunardi T, Managing Director, Mayora Vietnam, among other notable figures.

The event was attended by the marketing fraternity of Vietnam, industry partners of Moonfolks, content creators and journalists, about hundred in number.

The agency showcased its showreel, and revealed a video capturing its launch campaign.