BBDO Brings APAC Creative Council Back to Bangkok, Putting Business Impact at the Heart of “Do Big Things”
After the success of the 2020 edition which took place in Phuket, BBDO APAC Creative Council returns to Bangkok, Thailand this year. It offers a space for leaders from various markets across the region to come together to review work, exchange perspectives, and collaborate on strengthening ideas that are currently in development.
BBDO APAC Creative Council does not just serve as a mere platform to showcase creative works. It also serves as a real workspace where each market can bring in work in development, work-in-progress tasks, pitches, or even current business challenges to exchange with one another.
One of this year’s highlights is an opportunity to put together Creative Leaders and Business Leaders into one workspace, provided that BBDO views creativity as something that should not be separated from business challenges.
Sharing BBDO’s business directions at this year’s Creative Council are Nancy Reyes, Global President & CEO of BBDO Worldwide; and Chris Beresford-Hill, Worldwide Chief Creative Officer of BBDO Worldwide, highlighted BBDO’s ambition to move upstream, engaging with clients earlier to help clients define and solve their most important challenges.
“In recent years, the agency's role may have been drawn further downstream — meaning we enter the picture only after the client's brief was already established. The agency is tasked solely with deciding how to communicate it. This is simply an output-driven approach. However, today's opportunity lies in re-entering at the very beginning to first ask: What is the real problem we are trying to solve, and where creativity can generate the greatest value. This, on the other hand, is an impact-driven work mode,” said Nancy Reyes.
For BBDO, the role of creativity does not end at advertising or communications, but could potentially start with untapped opportunity, unresolved customer experience or business growth challenge which can further be developed to reach an anticipated outcome.
“Do Big Things” is not just a slogan. It’s how BBDO thinks and executes.
People might associate “Do Big Things” with creating larger, more ambitious works, but in reality, it is a mindset aimed at creating “Big Impact” rather than just scale.
“‘Big’ is not measured solely by budget or project scope, but by the power of an idea to drive change. An idea that seems small today can become a massive one if it shifts human behavior, changes perspectives toward a brand, opens new business opportunities, or delivers meaningful and sustainable results,” said Chris Beresford-Hill.
While underlining the Creative Soul as one of its work mantras, BBDO also treats
“Do Big Things” as the core of how people work every day — driving the company to always look for opportunities to make an impact far greater than the size of the work itself.
From a network of offices to communities of people and capabilities
BBDO will transform itself from an office full of talents and expertise to a community where people, expertise and perspectives from diverse markets connect. This results in an expansion of boundary-free communities, enabling knowledge and capabilities to flow freely and allowing Global Thinking to empower Local Markets while opening doors for Local Talent and Local Ideas to impact BBDO worldwide.
By bringing the BBDO APAC Creative Council back to Thailand, business leaders, BBDO regional creative minds and leaders in various markets can get together to explore wider markets, culture, consumers and Thailand’s creative energy.
“Thai creativity possesses fun, rich emotional depth, cultural diversity, and the ability to entertain without ever sacrificing effectiveness. These qualities allow work rooted in local culture to travel beyond borders and resonate with audiences in other markets as well,” Chris Beresford-Hill added.
The next opportunity for Thai talent is to develop these strengths further — especially in experience-based formats — expanding creativity from what a brand says to what a brand can actually make happen.
AI is not a differentiator. Human is.
The more people could access AI, the less it could create difference for businesses. Therefore, “thinking behind the tools” has become increasingly vital in enabling businesses to stand out.
“More content does not mean more value. What matters more is using technology to elevate stronger thinking, deeper understanding, and make way for better ideas. Ultimately, the differentiation still comes from humans — from imagination, judgment, and the courage to choose paths that others do not see,” Chris Beresford-Hill said.
Today, technology, agencies’ models, and ways of working will continue to evolve, with the industry constantly cycling through consolidation to achieve scale and fragmentation to discover specialization and new innovation.
“For BBDO, the priority is not predicting which business model will ultimately prevail, but having a clear vision of where we want to be in five or ten years. We have a strong roadmap built around the talent, capabilities, and partnerships that will help us create the future we believe in,” Nancy Reyes added.
In the ever-evolving world, one core principle remains the same: Great creativity must start with people, drive value for business, and help move brands forward.
And that is what “Do Big Things” means for BBDO today.
