Publicis Groupe Hong Kong Promotes Halo Cheng and Stratos Efstathiou

From left to right: Halo Cheng, Stratos Efstathiou Soenar Santoso, Kawa Wong, Ethan Chu and Bernice Chin

​Publicis Groupe Hong Kong is ramping up its creative firepower with Halo Cheng and Stratos Efstathiou stepping into bigger roles as executive creative director and head of art respectively, alongside four key creative hires.

Halo began her career as a copywriter at Leo Burnett Hong Kong in 2004 and soon won Gold at the prestigious Kam Fan Awards – her first taste of glory. As a creative leader, she’s been crafting captivating campaigns for world-leading brands ever since, and represented Hong Kong on the Cannes Lions jury in 2024.

Raised in Cape Town and living in Hong Kong for the past 10 years, Stratos is an award-winning art director with international experience working for some of the world’s biggest brands. His work has been awarded everywhere from Cannes Lions to D&AD, Spikes Asia and Clios.

“It’s an exciting time for Publicis Groupe in Hong Kong with Halo and Stratos stepping into broader leadership roles, and the arrival of four incredible talents who not only add to our creative calibre – they’re an amazing booster to an already thriving creative playground,” says Christopher Lee, chief creative officer at Publicis Groupe Hong Kong.

Publicis Groupe Hong Kong is also welcoming Soenar Santoso, Kawa Wong, Ethan Chu and Bernice Chin to its creative department, building on the Groupe’s phenomenal growth and momentum.

Soenar, who is originally from Indonesia, brings 12 years’ experience to her role as creative director. As a visual storyteller, she loves teaming up with everyone from artists to creative coders to mad scientists to create work that blends skills and perspectives for start-ups and global brands alike.

Kawa entered the advertising industry in 2020, and brings diverse experience across tourism, finance, FMCG, retail and more. He represented Hong Kong at Cannes Young Lions in 2023 and joins as associate creative director.

Ethan Chu, senior copywriter, has a proven track record crafting campaigns for global brands. With a background in film and philosophy, he delivers meaningful work that not only turns heads, but changes minds.

Bernice is also joining the team as copywriter, having recently returned to Hong Kong from Chicago. She brings a passion for social media strategy, trend analysis and content creation to the role, along with a flair for digital marketing, product collaborations and contagious ideas.

​João Braga, global executive creative director at Publicis Groupe Hong Kong, says, “Soenar, Kawa, Bernice and Ethan are the nicest, most talented humans, and we’re thrilled to have them on board. With Halo and Stratos’ expanded new roles, we’re now more than ready to elevate our craft and push the boundaries of our creative offering.”
Both promotions and all four hires are effective immediately.