SINGAPORE — Following a multi-agency pitch, leading coffee and tea company Jacobs Douwe Egberts has picked BLKJ Havas as its agency partner to build market leadership for a range of its brands regionally.
These include the company’s flagship brands in the region – OldTown, Moccona, and Super.
BLKJ Havas will act as the regional hub, handling brand stewardship, strategy, and creative communications in APAC, across markets including Singapore, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Thailand.
The agency was also entrusted with prestigious projects from Amazon Singapore, Ninja Van, and Endowus. Commenting on the new business wins, BLKJ Havas’s CEO, Rowena Bhagchandani, said: “To say that we are delighted to be working with JDE is an understatement. We won the respect and trust of the JDE team with a brand strategy and creative work that was reflective of each market’s unique realities. Now, we look forward to bringing the work alive in the different markets. This is one of our early efforts to bring together BLKJ’s creative firepower and Vivendi Group’s regional and global reach. We can’t wait to get started.
And we are chuffed to be working with Amazon Singapore, Ninja Van, and Endowus. These are modern, progressive brands that will enable our teams to flex their strategic and creative muscles.
Finally, as we grow, so must our talents. We are committed to investing in our talents – because ultimately, they form the bedrock of the collective and the foundation to all that we do. Everyone at BLKJ Havas are creators, makers, builders in their own right, empowered to make a difference, all in service of the work for our client partners.
We welcome seven great individuals to the agency. Fiona Huang returns to us as General Manager, Guilherme Machado and Trong Ronakiat (Associate Creative Directors) are a highly awarded team with 24 Cannes Lions to their credit. Sha Omar joins us as Senior Account Director; Joanna Ortega and Marilyn Poh as Senior Writers, and Ginger Chia starts with us as Senior Account Manager.
Alongside the new hires, we also recognise the unique contributions of the existing members of our family with promotions and enhanced responsibilities. Skanda Lokeshwaran has been promoted to Senior Strategist; Pamela Ho to Senior Writer, Shumin Leow to Senior Art Director, Melissa Law, and Brenda Yew to Account Directors, and K Cheng has been elevated to Operations Director.”
About BLKJ Havas
BLKJ Havas is a creative company that engineers marketing moments for brands in culture, entertainment, and media. Powered by the global network of Vivendi including Universal Music Group, Gameloft, and Havas Media, it prides itself as the un-advertising agency that is made in Singapore, crafted for the world.
Now more than four years in business, the agency is amongst the most awarded and successful in the region. Its strong client roster includes Scoot Airlines, Great Eastern, Republic of Singapore Air Force, Singapore Tourism Board, and the Economic Development Board of Singapore. For more, check out: blkj.agency
About Havas Group
Havas is one of the world’s largest global communications groups. Founded in 1835 in Paris, the Group employs 20,000 people in more than 100 countries and operates through its three business units covering all communication activities. Havas Group’s mission is to make a meaningful difference to brands, businesses, and people. To better anticipate client needs, Havas has adopted a fully integrated model through its 60+ Havas Villages around the world. In these Villages, creative, media, and healthcare & wellness teams work together, ensuring agility and a seamless experience for clients. We are committed to building a diverse culture where everybody feels they belong, can be themselves, thrive, and grow. Havas Group integrated Vivendi in December 2017. Further information about Havas Group is available on the company’s website: havasgroup.com.
