WORKS
I
The campaign drew over 300 attendees—when we were aiming for just 200.
I
It sparked USD 355,000 in earned PR, without a cent of paid media.
I The campaign drew over 300 attendees—when we were aiming for just 200. I It sparked USD 355,000 in earned PR, without a cent of paid media.
Business Drive & Tech Leadership Campaign
When Those Who Should Have Fought Didn’t Show Up
In 2008, Longxi — one of the most recognised Chinese-language creative awards — came to Malaysia.
It should have been a milestone moment for the local Chinese creative industry.
A chance to rise, be seen, and define what Chinese creativity could look like outside of China.
At the time, only eight Chinese copywriters were working in advertising agencies.
Two of them were considered strong.
The rest were scattered across magazines or media roles.
The language was alive, but the craft hadn’t been given a place to sharpen.
We were tasked with promoting Longxi’s arrival through an integrated campaign.
I was the project lead, but the core concept — a headline that read “Those Bloody Creative China People” — came from an English writer.
He thought it was clever. Provocative. A wink of sarcasm that would rile attention.
The Chinese writer approved it. I stayed silent, and it happened.
It filled the room. Two hundred seats became 300.
We gained USD 355,000 worth of free PR mileage.
On paper, the campaign worked.
But in truth, the headline betrayed what it claimed to champion.
It didn’t elevate Chinese creativity.
It mocked it — in English, with no pride or craft in the language it supposedly fought for.
And the ones who should’ve fought for it — didn’t.
Not the writer. Not me. Not the client.
This campaign taught me three things:
That provocation without purpose is just noise.
That silence, when you know better, is complicity.
And that not all results are worth your name.
The event faded. The headline was forgotten.
Longxi never returned to invest in creative growth here, but the lesson stayed with me.
If I could rewrite that campaign, I’d start not with a jab but with a brush stroke.
I’d bring in the pulse of Chinese calligraphy — where creativity begins not with sarcasm but with presence. The way you hold the brush. The way you move through space. That is the soul of the craft.
And I’d ask the next generation to show up and speak up.
Because no one will fight for your culture, voice, or craft if you don’t.
Leadership isn’t a title. It’s a moment.
And when that moment comes again,
I’ll show up.
And I kept showing up for what I could control.
Even when the message wasn’t mine to change, I gave everything I had to ensure that the values, standards, and craft still shone through.
We built a 360 campaign from the ground up —from print and posters to radio, and PR.
The microsite experience that, for 2008, was daringly ahead of its time.
Interactive tension. Motion. Narrative flow.
We turned a provocative concept into a seamless user journey —
at a time when hybrid leadership and multimedia UX didn’t even have names yet.
And the work delivered.
It won Silver at Spikes Asia.
Bronze at the Kancils.
Merits across Interactive, Integrated, Dimensional Direct, and Web Design at DMA.
Not all outcomes feel clean.
Not every win feels proud.
But this one taught me that leadership means showing up, even when the situation is complicated.
And when you still have a team depending on you,
you make sure what gets delivered still carries the weight it deserves.
I’m glad I returned what they earned:
Industry recognition for their craft.
Even if the headline missed the mark—
the work still left its mark.
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Integrated Campaign, Silver Spike 2008
Web Design, Bronze Kancil Awards 2008
Interactive Campaign, Merit DMA Awards Malaysia 2008
Integrated Campaign, Merit DMA Awards Malaysia 2008
Web Design, Merit DMA Awards Malaysia 2008
Dimensional Direct Mail, Merit DMA Awards Malaysia 2008