TBWA\ Media Arts Lab Shanghai’s Transformative Year
One of the TBWA\ Media Arts Lab network’s most awarded offices, Shanghai has had a transformative year. It won Gold Campaign of the Year for its ‘Shot on iPhone’ campaign, ‘Little Garlic’, at Campaign Agency of the Year Awards – Greater China, Bronze for Specialist Agency of the Year, and a special commendation for managing director Kara Yang in the Agency Growth Leader of the Year category.
Under Kara’s leadership, TBWA\ Media Arts Lab Shanghai has grown from a localisation hub into an awarded powerhouse creating original campaigns with both local resonance and global impact.
Kara works closely with executive creative director Kien Hoe Ong, who has worked with an impressive roster of global brands including Toyota, Guinness, Baidu, Mizone, Dove, Burger King, Puma, adidas, Intel, and McDonald's throughout his career. His creative excellence has earned significant recognition, including being named China's Most Awarded Executive Creative Director (2015/16), and his work has been celebrated at prestigious international awards including Cannes Lions and One Show.
At Media Arts Lab Shanghai, Kien continues to strengthen the agency's position as a creative force for Apple in China, leveraging his extensive experience and deep understanding of the Chinese market.
In this interview Kara and Kien join LBB’s Sunna Coleman to discuss the reasons behind their major success, the highlights of the past year and what advice they have for brands in 2025.
LBB> Looking back over 2024, what have been some of the key marketing/ consumer themes and trends you have noticed across China?
Kara> China’s unstable economy has led to a trend of conscious spending, which, while slowly gaining momentum, remains cautious. Gen z no longer shops impulsively, they now give much more careful consideration not only to the necessity of a purchase but also to the value of their hard-earned money. They are increasingly interested in understanding the values and mission behind a brand’s authenticity and integrity. They prioritise quality and innovation over fleeting trends.
Additionally, there is an apparent shift toward local brands, fuelled by a sense of patriotism. Foreign brands need to work extra hard to prove both their product and brand values to win over this sense of patriotism. Many campaigns have received negative criticism that has damaged brands and businesses. As a result, brands must be extra careful in telling authentic stories that truly show an understanding and respect for China, Chinese culture, and what gen z is going through.
LBB> What were your highlights at TBWA\ Media Arts Lab?
Kien> The year 2024 proved to be transformative as we successfully launched three major China-tailored campaigns to address specific market challenges. Our commitment to creative excellence was recently recognised at the Campaign Agency of the Year Awards – Greater China, where we secured Gold for Campaign of the Year with our CNY ‘Shot on iPhone’ campaign, ‘Little Garlic’, Bronze for Specialist Agency of the Year, and a special commendation for our MD Kara Yang as Agency Growth Leader of the Year.
‘Little Garlic’ achieved remarkable success by capturing hearts with an empowering message of self-love. The story of a young girl battling her insecurities and overcoming them with the help of her grandfather created an emotional impact among gen z, with one viewer sharing that “amidst all the insecurities brought on by social media, this iPhone CNY ad reminds us ‘You are enough’,” while many others resonated with our protagonist, claiming “I am Little Garlic too.”
This campaign not only sparked significant buzz but also proudly earned recognition during awards season. The success continued with our eighth and most recent CNY SOiP campaign, featuring a musical by acclaimed director Michael Gracey. In a world where love exists primarily in the digital realm, forming genuine connections can be challenging. This film addresses the complexities of Chinese gen z dating culture and the burden of traditional expectations. It reminds us that, no matter how the world changes, love remains a timeless force worth believing in.
We also successfully launched our third privacy campaign in collaboration with Chinese Crosstalk comedian Yue Yupeng, generating unprecedented social engagement. The campaign employed local humour to discuss the importance of privacy protection in a light-hearted way, making the topic more approachable and easier to understand.
Additionally, our partnership with He Tong Xue for China’s first Mac origination campaign, ‘MAC & Pao mian’, showcased a social-first entertainment strategy that recognises gen z's unique content consumption patterns.
This campaign encouraged Chinese youth to continue exploring despite challenges. ‘Pao mian’ (instant noodles) is a staple for Chinese students, fueling countless nights of studying and exploration. Just as pao mian sustains them, Mac powers their journey. The campaign struck a meaningful chord, reinforcing our commitment to understanding and connecting with our younger audience.
LBB> Under your strategic and creative leadership, you have helped put China on the map when it comes to both locally resonant and globally impactful campaigns. What three things would you say have been key in this achievement?
Kien> Human truth - a universal undeniable truth about our target audience, showing how the brand truly understands their tension and how they and their product can resolve it.
Smart ideas - what captures people’s attention and keeps them wanting to stay engaged. This is especially important in a market like China where attention span is getting shorter and shorter with the massive sea of content from various platforms.
Craft - Taking the time and diligence in crafting the execution. This is a very strong value at Media Arts Lab. No other agency in the world does what we do in order to deliver flawless executions and the impact and impression it creates for the brand. This determination drives us to redefine possibilities and challenge expectations, with creativity guiding every aspect of our work.
Every team member, regardless of their role, embodies a creative mindset, using their inherent abilities to solve problems and influence culture. We strive for excellence, believing that ‘good enough is never good enough’. By continually questioning how to raise the bar and improve, we ensure greater impact.
LBB> Not only have you increased the agency’s creative success but you have also had a positive impact on business and staff retention rate. What skills and personality traits do you believe make for a successful leader?
Kara> Vision - At the start of every year we host an Agency Day when we launch a vision for the year. The objective is to rally the whole agency in believing in a common goal and finding ways to achieve it together. 2024 was the year of ‘Make It Happen’.
Accountability - We believe everyone at MAL is accountable, and that everyone has to pull their weight to make things happen. This makes us respect each other's roles, everyone is invested and passionate about contributing their best and making us strong together in all the projects we do.
Communication - This to us comes in many forms and on many different levels. As leaders, we value sitting down and getting our hands in the work with the team, in providing feedback as well as receiving the team’s opinions.
We foster close communication between everyone even if it means tough conversations that require confrontation. We call this constructive candour, as it is the only way we can work out kinks and barriers together.
We also strongly believe in immediate and continuous feedback despite having yearly reviews. This helps staff stay motivated and keep improving in their job, thus helping us achieve our goal.
LBB> You are Apple’s dedicated creative agency in China. Tell us about the relationship you have with the brand and what is most exciting about the work you do with it?
Kara> Our relationship with Apple is tight and strong, built on trust and mutual understanding. They respect the perspectives we bring into our discussion. One especially valuable aspect is how both MAL and Apple strongly believe in good creative ideas, so when one strikes our hearts, we both will dive in with all our might to make it happen. We believe this is very rare in a client/agency relationship, especially in China.
What excites us most is the opportunity to explore unique storytelling that resonates deeply with our target audience while pushing creative boundaries that are uniquely Chinese.
LBB> How are you working with Apple to evolve the brand and keep it fresh and relevant for 2025?
Kara> We stay close to culture, the market and the people to ensure that Apple continues to make an impact in China. This year, we're particularly focused on bringing more local cultural elements into how we communicate and connect with our audience — it’s about making sure Apple feels both global and distinctly meaningful to Chinese consumers.
LBB> What advice do you have for brands this year?
Kien> Lean into authenticity. As consumer expectations heighten, brands that connect genuinely with their audience will resonate more. With culturally insightful storytelling respectful to China, and a brand’s integrity—not gimmicks—this can strengthen relationships, fostering loyalty and trust.
Kara> Brands should be mindful of the shift towards ethical consumption. Understanding this trend allows brands to create messaging that aligns with consumers’ values.
