Hoho Liu Named Executive Creative Director at BBDO Taiwan

Hoho Liu Named Executive Creative Director at BBDO Taiwan

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BBDO Greater China has appointed Hoho Liu as BBDO Taiwan Executive Creative Director. Previously he served as General Manager of TOPLAN, Vice President and Executive Creative Director of Havas, and Co- Executive Creative Director of I am David.

He has served hundreds of brands across a multitude of categories and brands such as 7-11, Weidan, Weili Fried Noodles, Starlux, Hyundai, Volvo, Zespri and more. He led the team to win the Effies Greater China, 4A Taiwan, Times Asia-Pacific Awards, and Grand Pix of Long Xi Awards.

“I am very glad to join BBDO. I have always felt the passion and persistence of BBDO to great creativity. Finding the most efficient solution to help clients accumulate brand value and achieve sales goals is the core of creative work. I hope that in the future, we can work with the team to create more great work for our clients,” said Liu.

“Among the Taiwanese creatives that I know, Hoho can be regarded as the representative of ‘a low-profile person, with high-profile works’. I am very glad and honored to invite him to join the creative leadership team of BBDO Greater China,” added Leong Wai Foong, BBDO Greater China Chairman and CCO.

Deals of the Week: Guru, Sinking Ship, Xilam

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Guru Studio

The Toronto-based studio has inked 10 new broadcast deals for animated preschool series Pikwik Pack, which will join the lineups of Tiny Pop (UK), Rai (Italy), YLE (Finland), Gloob (Brazil), Televisa (Mexico), TG4 (Ireland), Canal Panda (Spain), Mediacorp Okto (Singapore), EBC YOYO (Taiwan) and OSN (Middle East and Baltics).

Tiny Pop started airing the 52 x 11-minute series on September 1, and the rest of the new broadcasters will roll it out late 2021 and early 2022, according to a Guru spokesperson.

Pikwik Pack premiered on Disney Junior (US) in November 2020, and is now airing on Hulu (US) and Treehouse (Canada). It focuses on a team of animals who deliver packages to the residents of a small town. International broadcasters already signed up to air the series include Super RTL (Germany), Canal Panda (Portugal), HOP! (Israel) and Minimini+ (Poland).

Xilam Animation

The French studio’s non-dialogue comedy short series Where’s Chicky? (pictured) is hopping onto a number of new channels and platforms. France Télévisions, YLE (Finland), NRK (Norway), VRT (Flemish-speaking Belgium) and VOD service MBC (MENA) have acquired seasons one and two (104 x one minutes), as well as a third season (52 x one minutes) that Xilam is producing now for a December 2021 delivery. SRC (Canada), Choirock (South Korea) and Astro (Malaysia) have also bought seasons two and three.

The CG-animated comedy is about a small chicken who discovers different places and objects in every episode.

Hoho Entertainment

The prodco is expanding into publishing for the first time with a new book title in partnership with Cardiff-based Candy Jar Books due out on September 30. Cameron Tiberius McPherson and his Magic Chair tells the story of a young boy who uses a magical wheelchair to go on adventures like climbing tall buildings and finding jewels at the bottom of a lake.

Children’s author Tug Wilson wrote the book, with Chiara Manship illustrating the paperback edition. Hoho wrote the original manuscript, edited the final draft, and plans on adapting the IP for TV and film.

GoldieBlox

The STEM-focused company has partnered with United Talent Agency (UTA) to support a new expansion plan into film, TV and live-event content.

UTA will advise GoldieBlox on how to grow beyond its consumer product roots and turn its IPs and characters into full-fledged brands. The California-based company has been moving into content production gradually over the last few years, launching a video production division in 2018 and teaming up with India’s Toonz Media Group to create new family-friendly content in 2020. This February, YouTube Originals picked up its animated preschool series The Eggventurers.

Sinking Ship Entertainment

The Toronto-based studio has signed new licensing agents to represent its mixed-media kids shows Odd Squad and Dino Dana.

Fryday Brands (UK) and WP Brands (Australia) are charged with finding new consumer products opportunities for Odd Squad (114 x 22 minutes) in their respective regions. The adventure series for five- to eight-year-olds, which Sinking Ship co-produces with Fred Rogers Productions for PBS KIDS, follows a team of kid agents who solve weird problems with math and science.

The prodco also tapped Exim Licensing and Mon Entertainment to represent Dino Dana across Central America, the Caribbean, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru. The 52 x 22-minute series for five to nines is about a young girl who can see and interact with dinosaurs.

People on the Move, including Channel 4, GroupM and David Miami

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Another week, another wave of senior appointments and departures at brands, agencies and media owners. Check out our global round-up of who is moving where (and why it matters) below, then head over to our People on the Move hub to see who else has been moving up the career ladder.

Over the past seven days we’ve seen changes at Channel 4, GroupM and David Miami.

If you’re looking to make your next move, remember to subscribe to our bi-monthly newsletter, Working it Out, which gathers up the best new marketing vacancies and helps you get interview-sharp.

Got a People on the Move story or tip-off for us? Send it to peopleonthemove@thedrum.com for consideration before next Tuesday.

Brands

Nick Brown has been appointed director of ESG at Premier Foods, one of Britain’s biggest ambient food producers and home to some of the nation’s best-loved brands including Bisto, Oxo and Mr Kipling. Reporting to Hannah Collyer, corporate affairs and ESG director, Brown will oversee the company’s growing environmental, social and governance agenda and will be responsible for delivering the company’s ambitious sustainability targets. This includes reaching 100% recyclable, reusable or compostable plastic packaging by 2025.

Channel 4 today announced that Grace Boswood has been appointed as its new technology director. Reporting to Jonathan Allan, chief operating officer, Grace will play a vital role in aligning Channel 4’s technology investment with its Future4 strategy. She will lead on the delivery of new systems and partnerships and the integration of technology into all areas of the business, and focus on Channel 4’s ongoing digital transformation and future growth agenda.

Agencies

GroupM, WPP’s media investment group, has expanded Arshan Saha’s role to APAC chief executive officer of Xaxis & specialty businesses, APAC. Saha’s previous title was chief executive of Xaxis APAC, and in his new role will lead GroupM’s data-driven specialty businesses including Xaxis (programmatic), INCA (influencer marketing), Finecast (addressable TV), Sightline (addressable out-of-home) and Acceleration (data and tech consultancy practice).

Award-winning digital content agency and media network Little Dot Studios has announced the appointment of Jen Leeming to the role of senior vertical video producer. Leeming’s responsibilities include working closely with the Little Dot Studios partnerships team in the entertainment division to help provide best-in-class service across social video services; and setting the creative and editorial tone on various vertical platforms, including IGTV, TikTok and Snapchat.

David Miami has revealed that Brenda Fell has been promoted to head of production. Fell will now lead all departments, overseeing all production work for global clients such as Burger King and Budweiser. Having served as executive producer for David Miami for one year, Fell has proven her knack for creative storytelling. Her new post elevates the agency’s line-up of talented executive women, including head of account Luiza Prata Carvalho and global chief strategy officer Paula Vampré.

180 NY has announced the appointment of Adam Lock as the creative agency’s new executive creative director. Lock comes to the agency after serving as senior vice-president, group creative director, VaynerMedia. He will report to 180 NY president Evan Weissbrot and be charged with building out the agency’s creative capabilities for a growing roster of clients.

BBDO Greater China has appointed Hoho Liu as BBDO Taiwan executive creative director. Until now, Hoho Liu has served hundreds of brands across a multitude of categories and brands such as 7-Eleven, Weidan, Weili Fried Noodles, Starlux, Hyundai, Volvo and Zespri.

Social media agency, Born Social, has appointed creative strategist Joe Jordan. Jordan joins Born Social from Amsterdam-based media company Dept Agency, where he held the role of senior creative, leading creative work for global brands including Netflix, JBL, Accell Group and Uber/Uber Eats. In 2020 he received two Lovie Awards for his work on the ‘Raise The Bar’ social-first campaign for American audio manufacturer JBL’s new soundbar range. While at Dept Agency Jordan helped launch a new line of eco-friendly streetwear, Dept Apparel.