Saatchi & Saatchi Greater China CEO Michael Lee part of JMEN’s “Men of the Year 2015”

Saatchi & Saatchi Greater China CEO Michael Lee stands out among popular Hong Kong lifestyle and fashion magazine JMEN’s “Men of the Year 2015” awardees as the first recipient to hail from the advertising world. Lee (pictured seated second from right) joins celebrities and other successful men in town such as Donnie Yen, Gregory Wong, Steve Leung and Alex Lam as archetypes for exemplary men this year.

Since 2010, JMEN has designed annual themes around which to select and celebrate the most outstanding men with its “Men of the Year” awards. This is first year for an adman’s name to appear among the usual celebrities, which have previously included the likes of Kenneth Fok, Li Yundi, Julian Cheung and Andy Hui Chi-On. Although the quintessential Mad Men image still has a place in people’s hearts, the overall image of modern-day admen has been somewhat tarnished in the public eye by the industry’s flagging creativity and charm. The choice of Michael for the award, however, signals a renewal of public interest in advertising.

“I am honored to be distinguished with this ‘Men of the Year 2015’ award,” said Lee (pictured left). “I feel it signifies recognition of more than just myself: it represents recognition of the whole ad industry. I hope this award helps to spark more young people’s interest in advertising and inspires them to join us in changing the world with creativity.”

Lee has 25 years of experience in advertising and is known throughout the industry not only as an icon of style and fashion, but also as a radical agent of innovation and change. Facing threats to the ad industry from new media and a restructuring of the market, Lee launched a campaign in 2014 called “Monsters Attack” that tore through the industry in Greater China like a whirlwind. The campaign called for traditional advertisers to break with old conventions, to dare to explore the new, to embrace change and to realize breakthroughs.

Since 2014, Lee has placed special focus on the Hong Kong market, designing a unique market strategy that has repositioned Hong Kong as a critical bridge for the rest of the world to access mainland China’s massive market. He also rebooted and buffed up the agency’s creative efforts, which helped to revitalize the reputation of 4A agencies for creative work in Hong Kong. Under his leadership, the Hong Kong office won acclaim and widespread publicity with a series of ad campaigns including the “LIVE HAPPY” campaign for Swire’s Cityplaza, “Dare to Ignore” for Head & Shoulders, “Jaguar XE Launch Campaign,” “Bark You Up at 6.45” and the “Instant Newspaper Recycler,” as well as other campaigns which have enjoyed fame throughout Hong Kong – and even the Asian continent. The size of the Hong Kong office has doubled over the past three years, as have its sales, and a new branch has been opened in Macau. The Hong Kong office won “Creative Agency of the Year” awards in both 2014 and 2015.