Natalie Lam describes herself as ‘a hopeless romantic who still believes in universal beauty and human truth’. These are among the qualities she has brought to the massive role of CCO Publicis Group Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa for the past two years.
L[A] Please tell us how you manage a leadership responsibility that sits across much of what you describe as ‘the non-Western world’.
NL I’ve always liked plunging into roles that have a big unknown piece involved. When there's no precedent, there is a lot of freedom. It sounds complicated with all the different regions and cultures but it is also simple in that we all share something magical. The uniting factor here is that our people are passionate to do great work. This connects everybody.
As soon as I took on this role, I began pushing for creative excellence, world-class craft, modern thinking and creatively-led digital work – that’s been my mantra from day one. I’m also passionate about showcasing work that celebrates local culture in a more playful, progressive, optimistic light because there is so much happening in a lot of the markets here that never gets conveyed to the rest of the world.
L[A] How do you implement your approach to leadership?
NL I assembled a very small team based on three areas: people, story, and work.
People are of course already there within our creative community, but we have created a close-knit community of 3,000+ creatives who are now connected across borders and agency brands. This has had a galvanizing effect, giving everyone a sense of collective belonging and the support they need to think bigger and aim higher.
Story is the importance of PR, ensuring our best stories show up in the world. Whether it's internally or externally, we are now celebrating great work, celebrating our people, and building strong momentum with great work for our clients.
Work is the third element. We are constantly asking: ‘Are we doing work that is modern, relevant, progressive with great craft?’
These three fundamental layers are so important, and they’re working – we had a very strong year creatively in 2022.
One of our challenges, which I think a lot of agency networks face, is that solutions are often quite traditional, so I brought in Laurent Thevenet as our Head of Creative Technology to push for more creative-led digital work. Laurent has assembled a creative tech collective of around 25 specialists who now act as an APAC & MEA-wide creative resource. Last August, Jason Williams came in as Head of Creative Excellence, joining Anna Tomasetti (Creative Community Manager) and Barbara Messer (Creative PR Lead). We have a lot of initiatives that focus on growing our people, making them feel prouder of their work, supporting their career path, their creative development. We’re very honest when it comes to craft, and identifying the bravest clients that are willing to do things differently, and then hands-on working with them to continually elevate our benchmark for creativity.
L[A] How do you work across the vast geography that your remit covers? Do you spend a lot of time traveling or has COVID changed all that?
NL We are careful and question ourselves more now: is this worth traveling for? I live in Hong Kong and for much of last year had to go through 21 days of hotel quarantine if I left the country. I did it three times, which was not fun.
L[A] That was tough.
NL You have to ask yourself: "Could I do this over a Teams call rather than an in-person meeting?" Of course, meeting someone face-to-face makes them more tangible, real, and you cannot replace that easily. Especially in some of our markets, the human connection is more important than anything else when we’re asking, hey, what is the cultural relevancy? What is the insight? The why? Each exchange is an eye-opening experience, and the chemistry is so much better when we meet in person.
L[A] Does the creative output involve teams working across multiple territories?
NL For global pitches, regional accounts, regional campaigns, yes, we often work across multiple offices. In 2020, we began facilitating interaction across markets and agency brands so that creatives understand they are part of a bigger connected community around them, beyond their office. If someone needs a break outside their bubble in Dubai there may be an opportunity in Japan, a really interesting project that they could help with.
We can mix people together to work on things so that they're connected to colleagues from a completely different culture. To consider different ways of working elevates how we approach work. And globally we have several programs that help this.
L[A] How does that work?
NL With our Work Your World program, for six weeks in a year, people can choose to work in a different place around the world where there is a Publicis Groupe agency. Obviously visas, and time zone differences, can be challenging but a lot of people take up the chance.
I already mentioned our creative-tech collective, but it means people now understand that there's an expert, for example, in Web3 or gaming or AI, somewhere within the Groupe that they can work with or pick their brains, even if they are far away. Some of these creative tech minds are just starting in their careers, but they have passion … that’s a very progressive force within us.
Last year, we launched L’avenir, a leadership and creative development program for our high-potential female creatives. We are now connecting our first cohort with mentors from around the world, and exposing them to some of our biggest clients and briefs. It’s intentional to go against the grain by improving from within, to solve the gender equality challenge in our industries, because true diversity makes the work better.
L[A] How do you identify what is very international, very across the group, and what is actually to be protected and developed locally?
NL We spend a lot of time identifying our strongest local, regional and global work.
Sometimes certain local campaigns are great but are not going to get universal recognition or understanding. But once in a while, we have work that hits a universal human truth or relevancy.
It is like a pyramid. The top layer is the universally relatable work. It’s rare, but when it works, it works across cultural and geographical divides.
Most of the time, you learn to respect cultural nuances and appreciate why it works for its market even though you can’t quite understand it when you first saw it.
For example, can you have a universal Ramadan idea that works for the Middle East and Southeast Asia? No, not really. Each of them has to treat it in their own ways. Chinese or Lunar New Year, same thing – what works for Vietnam does not work for China. There’s absolutely a local or regional layer that we must respect, while always looking for that universal layer.
L[A] It’s interesting, that universal layer.
NL It is that magical element, which everybody can relate to. Hyper-local ideas don’t always travel across all markets unless they contain something universal and relatable.
L[A] How do you lead the teams to respond to this?
NL I meet creative leaders every month and during these meetings, I ask a lot of questions. Each market’s creative culture influences how creatives think and act … what they are sensitive to or care about. There’s a lot that I’m discovering. I spent a long time in New York, and New York is a place where being tough on the work is a given. However, I realized that in some markets here, being tough on the work is not always the first thing you do. Sometimes you have to build a strong bond, a human connection, before you can really push ideas to be the best they can be.
L[A] How do you show that respect and customized treatment when you’re trying to bring them together?
NL Find the opportunities that have really interesting potential, where you can bring it from good to great – it’s a matter of prioritizing energy and effort.
Every market comes with its own challenges, some are easy to overcome and some are just impossible. I’ve spent time learning what that looks like in each market, and took time to have everybody understand what’s our goal, and be flexible working towards it, without trying to change the impossible.
L[A] Are you working across offices to use one to help another?
NL Oh, yes. We definitely match talent that one office has that the other doesn’t and needs. There’s a pretty good network effect. We understand: “You help me, I help you, and everybody wins at the end.”
L[A] How does that work in management, so that a junior art director in one outpost of the organization knows that they can get wider support?
NL We trust the CCOs and ECDs of each agency. We have constant work reviews with them, so we get to know what’s happening, see work that has great potential and ask, ‘How can we help them make the idea bigger?’ Then we bring in the right people.
A big idea is one thing but perfect execution is another. If they don’t have all that they need on their team, then we try to connect them to the right people, whether internally or externally.
L[A] I guess sometimes it comes down to just that one or two conversations that somebody can have and it opens up possibilities.
NL Yes. We want to be open – every single agency, every office, we see as a potential source for the next big idea. Some networks create centers of excellence. For us, we are all connected, we treat every agency very equally and are very democratic in our support, because it’s important that everybody knows they’re supported. It doesn’t matter whether they’ve won 10 Grand Prix in the past from Cannes or are yet to be awarded – we make sure that all agencies can benefit from the opportunity to be great. Access to award shows, to creative press, to specialist talent from other markets, all of that, we’re making it very, very democratic and equal.
L[A] How does your home environment influence your thinking, now that you are living back in Hong Kong after a long time away?
NL In this part of the world, there are so many standard features of life that would be considered scifi elsewhere. I see things here and then compare them with my experience living in New York for almost three decades. When I saw the sanitization robots at K11 Musea, I’m like ‘this would not be able to happen in New York in a million years!’. It reminds me that daily life can be so inspiring. Once you’re here, living and working in such culturally diverse markets, the reality is often completely different and far more nuanced compared to the headlines you might read. There is an energy and optimism that doesn’t always get seen from the outside – and that’s what we’re trying to change. We want to paint a picture of what modern-day creativity looks like across very diverse markets in APAC & MEA.
CROSSING CULTURES
Lürzer's Archive asked Natalie and her wide-ranging teams to suggest the creativity, outside of their own, that excite them around their markets. Here’s what they told us...
Japan
Sia Nan Art Director at Publicis Groupe Japan
“We live in a world where artificial intelligence is a reality, and experiential is a brand currency everyone wants a piece of. But is this immersive or just plain intrusive? UNLABELED is more than just a fashion brand, it is a social experiment that reminds us about responsible digitization. I think it’s particularly relevant in Japan, where AI-enabled surveillance is almost always under cover. This idea creates awareness around the impersonal side of personal data, where humans are often reduced to codes and numbers. It is a collaboration between Dentsu Lab Tokyo x Keio University.”
Singapore
Janath Gamage Senior Art Director, Leo Burnett
“When we think about specific moments in our lives, when we look back at these visual memories - how much has been manipulated/romanticized to fit our desired version of the truth in our minds? This very question is something that I ask myself every time I reminisce about a positive period in my life. How these two artists have questioned it, captured, depicted and crafted it, is why I love this project quite a bit – it instantly resonated with me.”
“For this project, two adolescent friends, Shavonne Wong, an award-winning Singaporean photographer turned 3D virtual model creator, collaborated with Lenne Chai, an acclaimed US-based Singaporean fashion photographer. Together, they created a series of images depicting an imaginary young girl's transition from girlhood to adolescence, sculpted digitally, echoing a larger trend about authenticity in the way we represent ourselves as well as the subjectivity of memory. By Proxy dropped at Quantum Art as a 60-piece collaborative 3D/photography art project on 13th April 2022. It sold out in a minute. Some of Shavonne’s recent work has sold at Sotheby’s and to notable collectors including Idris Elba.”
Malaysia
Iska Hashim Executive Creative Director at Leo Burnett Malaysia
“VOTEORDIE is a satirical e-commerce site that puts exorbitant price tags on the luxury goods often worn by local politicians. While this may seem a little dated now, it went viral and made an impact during the run-up to Malaysia’s general election in November 2022. A great way to remind and educate young, first-time voters of the wealth disparity between the elite rulers and average Malaysians.”
Korea
Marcin Brzezinski Head of Design at Publicis Communications, Hong Kong
“For the past few years, Seoul has been my go-to destination for recharging, making new friends, and finding inspiration. I'm captivated by the freshness, creativity, and progressiveness of the young Korean generation. They possess a keen eye and taste, taking inspiration from around the world and transforming it into something uniquely Korean. The Feel the Rhythm of Korea campaign is a prime example of how to target young people with a blend of modernity and tradition. It combines inspiring visuals and K-Pop with a local flavor to showcase the vibrancy and diversity of Korean culture. The campaign highlights how the country is evolving while preserving its traditional roots, showcasing the modern spirit of young Korean Gen Z. This deep understanding of the importance of branding, design, craft, and music reflects the modern spirit of the young Korean generation. That commitment to progress is very inspiring.”
HORIM SEONG Creative Director at Publicis Groupe Korea
“The K-pop YouTube channel Banheesoo is a big deal in Korea, and it is also a very new way of K-pop fandom marketing. A person named Ban Hee Soo appears as the sixth member of K-pop group NewJeans in their Ditto music video, sparking fans' curiosity instantly and spawning numerous interpretations of who she is. In response, NewJeans created a channel called Banheesoo, making it possible for fans to continue their interest and interpretation. The reason I love this idea is because most branded content is one-sided, but it was really refreshing how they've grown their fandom by using a platform tailored to their users' needs.”
Middle East
Hessa Al Sudairy Senior Creative Director at Leo Burnett Middle East
“This piece from Ali Chaaban is a reminder that reflecting your culture and environment within your own work will always give you an edge. Daring to be different is what makes you different. Not by elevating something that already exists somewhere else.”
Australia
“Parcs (hint: spell it backwards) is a relatively new restaurant in Melbourne CBD that’s all about minimizing food waste. Using culinary skills to combat the social issue of food wastage through a different lens is powerful because it challenges our preconceived ideas of what fine dining should be. Our job is to make people look at things differently so when two unexpected things come together it inspires me. Parcs has positioned itself as a fine dining restaurant that serves untraditional ingredients and has ultimately succeeded in changing my perspective toward cooking with scraps. In advertising, I think it’s important to look everywhere – to always be open to cross-pollinating ideas from different fields – because this is where I think we have the best shot at originality.”
Dinah Pollard Conceptual Designer at Leo Burnett Australia
“Pitch Studios’ film Virtual Gap Year is an abstract exploration of the internet and its post-technological future(s). It screened at Semi Permanent (Sydney), IAM Weekend 19 (Barcelona) and Google Arts + Culture (London). I love how each scene/island is a visualization contributed by different artists who draw you into their idea of the metaverse or a virtual world. I met Christie and Chris of Pitch Studios when I shared a studio space with them in Melbourne. They are a small creative practice specializing in 3D art, animation, interactive design and web3/metaverse related experiences. Their work is experimental, cutting edge and enmeshed in internet culture. I am constantly inspired by them as a collective and individually.”
Hong Kong
Natalie Lam Chief Creative Officer at Publicis Groupe APAC & MEA
“I moved from NYC to Hong Kong during the peak of the pandemic in early 2021. After living through a year of sanitizer and PPE shortages in NYC, I was surprised to see this lovely and positive attitude towards fighting Covid in Hong Kong. It's a stark contrast. This little video was made for the latest glitzy art-themed shopping mall K-11, as a public apology after some customers contracted Covid in one of their restaurants, to promise they'd be more diligent in keeping the customers safe. The little robots were, and still are, a common fixture in the mall considered a functional fixture, and not a special attraction. We often try to inject creativity into our clients' businesses and sometimes it's an uphill battle–here's an example of creativity being part of the DNA of business, and Hong Kong has plenty of these.”
“M+ is the newly launched contemporary museum in Hong Kong, considered one of the top five globally alongside MOMA and Pompidou, focusing on Asian contemporary art. I recently spent a whole afternoon trying to browse through all the exhibitions but it was impossible. I came back and spent another afternoon to see the Yayoi Kusama exhibition. Having this monolithic institution in Hong Kong, which three decades ago was called a "shopping paradise, cultural desert" is a very promising sign of the city's new focus on arts and culture. It's definitely a must-go place for anyone visiting Hong Kong.”
Christopher Lee Executive Creative Director at Publicis Groupe Hong Kong
“I remember when this first launched early last year, it was during the height of NFTs and people exploring blockchain. What was interesting about this was it helped people create their own NFTs, but also did it in an immersive way with music and the real-time data of the crypto market, allowing you to trade crypto with a piano.”
South Africa
Jonathan Beggs Chief Creative Officer at Saatchi & Saatchi South Africa
“Mami Wata is an African Surf brand that is disrupting the surf apparel category. Like a lot of South African creativity, it’s an eclectic hybrid that is peculiar to our pick ’n mix culture. It’s inspired by surf and adventure, and packaged with all the bold quirks of African design.
“What I love about Mami Wata is how it offers a distinctly African counter-narrative to the California version of surf culture. Aside from their stunning garments, they have created a mystique through beautifully crafted pieces of design and communication.
Highlights include a ubiquitous banana, incredible (and awarded) brand films, collaborations with Vans and Moncler, a Neo-Animism Fragrance, as well as Afrosurf, a weighty book that tells the story of African surf, a story that is being adapted for a global documentary series.”
Natalie Lam is Chief Creative Officer, Publicis Groupe Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa
