Dentsu to rebuild Hug unit to serve regional clients

Media Asia 18-Nov-05, 09:59

Dentsu is rebuilding its integrated marketing unit, currently known as Hug, and plans to take the offer across Southeast Asia to service key clients Canon and Toyota.

The agency's president, Anthony Kang, said a new brand name was being looked at for the unit, which had been previously scaled back. "We didn't have the right people. We were working with outside partners. Now it's more an inhouse capability," he said, noting that the rebuild follows the hire of ex-FCB GM Kelvin Ee as group account director.

Hug has since won project-based business from ABN-Amro, due to break in early December, as well as a branding campaign for health food chain GNC, launching next year. Kang said there are plans to expand Hug across key Southeast Asian markets for Canon and Toyota, where Dentsu currently works with outside partners.