Vietnamese Advertising: “The Awakening of a Sleeping Dragon”

As managing director of Happiness Saigon, I’ve watched Vietnam’s creative landscape evolve into a vibrant hub, full of energy and endless possibilities. Vietnam is not just creatively awakening, it’s commercially accelerating.

With a projected 2.94 billion USD ad market in 2025 and a 12.1% annual growth rate through 2030, we’re not just seeing more campaigns, we’re seeing higher stakes. At Happiness Saigon, we call it ‘the awakening of a sleeping dragon’.

Vietnam’s creative scene is like a bustling morning market: vibrant, full of fresh energy, and driven by a tech-loving generation hungry for meaning. AI is transforming marketing, with brands experimenting with personalised campaigns. But what sets us apart from machines is intent: we outmaneuver AI with emotional resonance and context that only humans can decode.

Yet challenges remain. Regulations still limit creative expression, and the pressure for instant metrics often undermines long-term brand value.

In Vietnam, the race for short-term wins such as likes, clicks and quick revenue often overshadow the slower, harder work of brand building. Many clients still treat creativity as a luxury, not a necessity. Agencies are left pitching bold ideas into a mindset tuned to immediacy. And while regulations offer some flexibility, they can force compromise, toning down the kind of storytelling that makes brands memorable.

Short-termism overlooks brand salience including the kind that makes people remember, prefer, and pay more. In Vietnam, brands often default to digital-only, ignoring on-ground creativity that drives experience and connection. That’s a missed opportunity, especially with tourism rebounding and retail evolving. And soon, promising US-Vietnam trade negotiations could open the floodgates to foreign investment, and creative distinction will be key to standing out.

According to System1 and Effie, uninspired ideas can shrink growth by 1.6x but brave creativity builds brand value that compounds. Our Creative Short Cut event survey showed that 25% of marketers see short-term pressure as a creativity blocker, yet creativity ranks #2 for success. Creativity isn’t what gets remembered, it’s what gets returned on.

At Happiness, we believe creativity is not a feel-good add-on; it’s a strategic multiplier. Long-term brand equity isn’t a luxury, it’s a compound asset that outperforms over time.

Creative ideas need to speak the language of ROI. Frameworks like The Creativity Stack demonstrate that layered creativity can drive 12x more profit. Fun increases growth by 1.5x, and emotional resonance delivers 2.4x uplift.

Real campaigns prove this. Our Lay’s ‘Crispy Subtitles’ turned the crunch of chips into cinematic subtitles, won awards including a Grand Prix in Cannes and boosted sales. And our Dat Bike ‘Re:Charge’ campaign, where e-bike batteries powered small local shops, earned international attention and lifted both sales and brand love.

We don’t say creativity is nice to have. We prove it’s business-critical by showing the link between emotional connection and commercial return.

Creativity isn’t a detour from performance, it’s how you outperform. Early signals like engagement and sharing are critical, and we bring clients into that process. We don’t separate strategy, creativity, and technology. We triangulate them to make ideas smarter, faster, and more impactful. Our event revealed that strategy ranked #3 in importance, just behind talent and creativity. That’s proof that bold ideas backed by insight turn doubt into growth.

Luckily, there seems to be a growing appetite for bolder ideas delivering both emotional impact and business results. This shift is driven by a unique Vietnamese spirit: one that’s clever, united, and naturally resourceful. It’s like crafting harmony out of a chaotic noodle bowl, there’s beauty in the mess when done right.

Young consumers crave authenticity, and AI enables more personalised, localised storytelling. We’ve seen this in fresh takes on Tết campaigns that mix heritage with modernity. Global influence helps too. Events like Creative Short Cut are showing local marketers that creativity is not a gamble, it’s a growth strategy. This isn’t a passing trend. It’s the new default: emotion plus outcome equals relevance and revenue.

Vietnam is moving from ‘Made in Vietnam’ to ‘Dreamed up in Vietnam’. Local brands are getting braver in product, in voice, in ambition. Our fashion, tech, and lifestyle brands are earning global attention, not just market share.

AI will enable hyper-personalisation, but what will truly differentiate is local flavour delivered with universal clarity. And with a potential digital ad spend of $2.88B by 2030 (Tech Sci Research), the creative battleground will only intensify.

I believe creativity will be the lever that moves us from local relevance to global resonance. Creative means business, and Vietnamese creativity is just getting started.