Asia Work of the Month: August

“The best work in Asia proves that advertising doesn’t need to look like advertising. It is culture-first, built to spread through communities rather than forced through paid attention. In this era of hyper-Asia, the East is shaping what global culture looks like next, giving agencies and brands here the opportunity to lead culture rather than borrow from it. Culture is the most powerful counter to today’s media landscape: it gives brands the relevance and reach that can resonate on a human level and cut through in an environment where paid media no longer guarantees impact.” – Chloe Fair, client services director, VIRTUE Asia

Knorr - Knorr Cube Emoji

I’ll admit it: I probably use the 😂, 👍and 💪emojis more than any other, leaving hundreds, even thousands of other emojis untouched. This is exactly why Knorr Philippines’ use of the 🟨 cube emoji is a little stroke of genius, showing how a simple cultural asset can be reimagined for the digital age. By turning an overlooked but readily accessible emoji into a symbol of flavour, the brand gave Filipinos a playful, intuitive way to cook and share classic dishes, resulting in an act of utility, not just another product ad.

The campaign tapped into a cultural truth about the joy and communal nature of home cooking in the Philippines, engaged communities of food creators to co-create content and allowed organic spread through digital conversations rather than relying on paid media. It’s a clear example of how Asian creativity is redefining heritage brands in culturally relevant ways for modern audiences.

BBH Singapore - Unthinkables

BBH Singapore’s ‘Unthinkables’ turns a legal constraint into a real-world product, showing the lengths an idea can go to become a cultural act. The campaign makes an impossible concept tangible and shareable, while connecting it back to the agency’s portfolio of bold work. It demonstrates how Asian creativity often emerges from navigating local rules and limitations, producing ideas that are both culturally relevant and provocatively engaging. Timing it to coincide with the country’s 60th birthday adds another layer of wit, playfully challenging the country’s reputation for rigid rules while giving people something new to chew on.

In today’s climate, I particularly admire agencies and brands that go the extra mile to make ideas and products physically tangible, rather than defaulting to CGI or social-first executions. There’s also an opportunity to take this concept further, be it through legalising the product for actual distribution or by using it to build a community of chronic chewing-gum-withdrawal enthusiasts, transforming it from a single moment into an ongoing cultural platform.

Whoscall - The Unlucky Numbers Shop

Dentsu Thailand’s ‘The Unlucky Numbers Shop’ transforms a deeply rooted cultural belief into a powerful tool for social impact. Rather than delivering another conventional PSA about phone scams, the campaign leverages Thai superstition and optimism as the hook, turning curiosity and ritualised behaviour into moments of learning and action. By manifesting a multitude of real scam numbers in an authentic, immersive, retail-style environment, it makes the invisible dangers tangible, creating urgency and emotional resonance that a standard educational ad would not achieve.

The work demonstrates how Asian creativity thrives at the intersection of cultural insight and behavioural change. While O2’s 'Granny Daisy' remains my benchmark in the “death to scam calls” category, ‘The Unlucky Numbers Shop’ stands out for how it integrates seamlessly into Thailand’s local behaviour and context, making the message feel native and unavoidable.

Brands can turn cultural touchpoints into platforms for action, proving that the most effective campaigns aren’t just seen or remembered, they’re used by people to navigate real-world challenges.