Joji Jacob moves up to Group ECD as DDB Singapore ramps up creative and tech integration

DDB Group Singapore has unveiled its new creative department structure where digital, technology and social media specialists are embedded within each of its creative teams, in a move that signpost how it works as a modern creative agency. The agency group currently houses a 130-strong creative department, which includes nine integrated creative groups, and over fifty technologists and digital creatives.

This structure has already been in place at DDB Group Singapore for some time, where the agency has built several high profile, innovative and award-winning campaigns like the Cannes Gold-winning ‘Musical Fitting Rooms’ and ‘Hub It’ for StarHub, ‘Flip Your Profile’ campaign for Cisco, and ‘Ah Kong’ and ‘Raj and Ong’ films for the Health Promotion Board over the last eighteen months.

The new structure sees Joji Jacob (pictured above on left with David Tang, Jeff Cheong and Neil Johnson) assigned as Group Executive Creative Director, overseeing the new integrated creative teams. Jeff Cheong is also made Group Chief Digital Officer, to lead its digital technology practice, whilst continuing to drive the growth of Tribal DDB.

David Tang, President and Chief Executive Officer of DDB Group Singapore said, “Effie or Cannes, mainstream or digital, we want to do the best work for our clients. In the last three years, we’ve been working hard at combining the best of digital, technology, social media, activation and above-the-line creative work – so this is a natural step forward. Beyond the skillset, it’s about the culture: Make it easier and cohesive for our clients and our teams to get great work out, whatever the line of creativity.”

“Over the last three years, the teams have been pushing the boundaries of work so that ideas travel across media with impact. And we’ve been filling our floors with bright young ‘T-shaped’ people – people with versatility across all media, yet in-depth mastery of a particular medium. It was just a matter of time before we gave this way of working a name,” said Jacob.

Jeff Cheong, who has been instrumental in creating a digital technology practice for the group, commented, “We’ve taken integration to a new high, where I’m particularly thrilled to see digital technology creating a new level of creativity. There’s still a lot more to be done, and we certainly want to be creating more new winners for our clients.”