MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Award-winning multinational agency Dentsu Jayme Syfu promotes Louie Sotto to Chief Creative Officer. This key appointment for 2020 is aligned with its mission of strengthening core capabilities and further bolstering business confidence through solid, competent leadership.
This strategic advancement also ensures that the agency will be well-equipped to handle the emerging requirements of its clients, amid challenges that currently beset the industry environment during this volatile COVID-19 period.
Sotto’s career started in Ace Saatchi & Saatchi as a copywriter, after which he moved to BBDO Guerrero for a year. He then joined DM9 Jayme Syfu as one of the 9 founding members of the company back in 2005. In his 19 years of experience, he has created business-building and globally awarded campaigns for Smart Communications, P&G, Unilever, Coke, Pepsi, McDonald’s, Cignal, and Jollibee.
His works for the Gabriela International Women’s Group, Mini Cooper, Smart, Department of Tourism, The Pro-Life Foundation, Pharex Pharmaceuticals, and Love Yourself Foundation have been recognized with major distinctions from The Cannes Festivals, D&AD, The One Show, The London International Advertising Awards, Spikes Asia, Adfest, AWARD, New York Festivals and numerous local shows.
Sotto’s work has also been globally acclaimed and recognized at award shows spanning a wide range of disciplines. His Smart “Accepted” film showed how a father asked his son to add him in Facebook, and in the process “accepting” the latter’s sexuality was hailed as one of the bravest pieces in 2017.
He takes over the role of Merlee Jayme, who has been at the helm since the agency was acquired in 2016 by international advertising and public relations company Dentsu, currently the largest advertising agency and fifth largest advertising network in the world in terms of worldwide revenues.
Jayme retains her post—dubbed “Chairmom” of Dentsu Jayme Syfu, as well as ASPAC/DOJO, where she will continue to oversee work and manage the group’s total creative line of business. Together, Sotto and Jayme will steer the agency to further improve and maintain its winning culture.
“Louie Sotto’s creative expertise, supported by his passionate and experienced teams, will definitely deliver the best results for our clients’ businesses, even in an unpredictable period brought about by the global pandemic,” says Merlee Jayme. “His insightful thinking and brave ideas will surely continue to shape great results.”
Supporting Sotto in his new role are Managing Partners Alex Syfu and Ronald Barreiro, who continue to drive the deepening of business growth, client trust, and creative excellence.
Alex Syfu, Managing Partner and Sotto’s team lead, attests “With more than a decade working together with him, I am confident that he will help sustain the agency’s excellent reputation. He is one of the few leaders I have worked with who puts the same weight on strategy and creativity.”
Managing Partner Ronald Barreiro adds, “Time and again, Louie Sotto has proven himself to be a beacon for the agency. Though he is filling-in big shoes, I am confident he will do justice to the legacy he helped build over the years.”
Dentsu Jayme Syfu is behind some of the Philippines’ best advertising works, and was previously recognized in the world’s top award shows including the Cannes Lions Grand Prix for Smart TXTbks in 2013—a project which enabled access to content by converting old SIM cards into ‘textbooks’ which students can access, even offline, using even feature phones.
