Cheil Hong Kong lures Paul Chan and SP Ong out of DDB to head up creative department

Cheil Worldwide has hired Paul Chan (right) and SP Ong (left) as Group Creative Directors to head up a new creative department in Hong Kong. The pair joins Cheil Hong Kong from DDB, where they worked on the agency’s largest account, McDonald’s. Taking on an additional regional role, they also led the creative for Unilever’s Lipton brand across 7 countries in Asia Pacific.

During their time at the agency, they bagged 3 Cannes Lions in 2011 (including the first-ever Silver Lion for the agency), In-Book Pencils at D&AD, Gold at AdFest, Best of Show and multiple Golds at Kam Fan, Gold at the Effies and multiple wins at One Show, Clio, Spikes Asia and Longxi. Their work was also instrumental in making DDB one of the most awarded Hong Kong agencies at Cannes 2011, Kam Fan 2011 and AdFest 2012.

Commenting on the appointment, Michael Kim, Global Chief Operating Officer at Cheil Worldwide, said: “Having them on board demonstrates our resolution to transform Cheil Hong Kong from a Korean company to one working to the best of global standards; a truly global company which remains true to, and proud of, its Korean heritage. Paul and SP are not only inspiring creative leaders but also two of the most inventive and yet humble people I know, which are important components to building a beautiful creative machine.”