JWT to infuse innovation and creativity in Sri Lanka

By Cassandra Mascarenhas

The fourth largest advertising company in the world JWT has now brought its regional initiative to stimulate creativity within the countries it operates in named ‘Passion Patrol’ to Sri Lanka.

The top executive creative directors of JWT Asia Pacific are currently in the country for the region’s creative gathering which takes place four times a year, every quarter to evaluate the creative work executed by the 18 Asia Pacific offices.

From left: JWT Asia Pacific and Middle East President Michael Maedel (third from left) addresses the media gathering as (from left) JWT Colombo Vice President and Executive Creative Director Chandini Rajaratnam, JWT China Chairman and JWT North East Asia Executive Creative Director Sheung Yan LO, South East Asia Regional Executive Creative Director Tay Guan Hin, JWT Singapore Chief Creative Officer Jun Fukawa and JWT Pakistan Executive Creative Director Farahnaz Shaikh look on – Pic by Upul Abeyasekara

This quarter, ‘Passion Patrol’ has come to Colombo as a means of exhibiting the creative potential and confidence the network has towards the local office, both traditionally and contemporarily on a global platform.

JWT Asia Pacific has had a phenomenal streak in picking up awards on various international platforms this year, as witnessed at Cannes where JWT China won its first ever Lion in the print category and at Spikes, winning three Grand Prix awards, two gold, one silver and a bronze.

In all, the JWT regional network swept up 27 Spikes across Beijing, Jakarta, Manila, Melbourne, India, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney and Vietnam, all contributing to JWT clinching the number three position as ‘Agency Network of the Year.’

“JWT is truly committed to our operations in Colombo. We feel that Sri Lanka is now ready to make its own unique contribution to the advertising hall of fame and have been making nothing but progression towards it,” stated JWT Asia Pacific and Middle East President Michael Maedel.

“The purpose of ‘Passion Patrol’ is to push the quality of our creative departments and to generate ideas. The initiative has produced very satisfactory results at major award shows and it shows that our work gets recognition from our peers as well which is an important sign in such a competitive business.”

It was shared that with Sri Lanka on the threshold of economic boom with expected growth across industries, every brand irrespective of their past performances is optimistic about the future and will now depend heavily on expert communication partners to driver them closer to their objectives.

“What is crucial about ‘Passion Patrol’ is its consistency when it comes to meeting regularly. It is how we build ourselves up, by developing an international brand while studying and uplifting local cultures and building up a stronger creative culture,” explained South East Asia Regional Executive Creative Director Tay Guan Hin.

He went on to say that emerging countries have been growing stronger over the past couple of years and expressed his enthusiasm over the capabilities that Sri Lanka has to be a global player. “It is just a matter of time for Sri Lanka and we are really excited to be here to share our expertise and learn about the local culture.”

Hin added that many emerging markets had good ideas but often went wrong by trying to copy their larger Western counterparts. He asserted that it was simply a matter of catering to an international market while retaining the unique culture of each country in order to differentiate itself from other products.

The gathering of the region’s top creative executives brings with it for the local JWT offices the privilege of meeting and talking to those who have ideated some iconic creative pieces, that went on to revolutionise creative industries in their respective countries; an opportunity which generally requires a visit to international advertising festivals such as Cannes, AdFest or Spikes.

“This is a great opportunity for the team to be inspired on a one-to-one basis by names only previously seen in books. Apart from the training sessions that are already on the cards, there’s nothing like having lunch and a chat with people who have not only won at the big fests but have headed them and been on juries,” enthused JWT Colombo Vice President and Executive Creative Director Chandini Rajaratnam.