An Afternoon of New Voices: Advolution 2024 makes its sparkling debut

On the cusp of the new year, Advolution 2024 held its inaugural half-day event at the Royal Selangor Club last Friday.

Aptly located next to Dataran Merdeka where Malaysia achieved its independence 67 years ago, the event served to liberate our minds and introduce new perspectives as we head into 2025.

The event featured conversations with six speakers across the marketing ecosystem, moderated by Prof. Harmandar Singh from MARKETING Magazine.

Passion drives purpose

The first speaker Erika Seow, CEO and Co-Founder of JUNO, shared a shocking insight about the youth of today: that some of them aren’t able to imagine a future beyond 25 years old.

Her new venture aims to reignite that spark of purpose. HOODLE is a Southeast Asia based student and youth-focused platform that rewards its users for pursuing their passions.

As we get swept up into the day-to-day marketing grind, Erika reminds us that there’s always room for us to contribute towards a greater good.

Prof. Harmandar Singh with Erika Seow, CEO and Co-Founder of JUNO

Say “Hei” to thinking out-of-the-box

Emir Shafri, Chief Creative Officer of Publicis Groupe, shared the story behind Leo Burnett KL’s Bronze win at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2024.

It all began when a junior member of their team decided to question the status quo, transforming their run-of-the-mill festive advert into an extraordinary idea.

Emir credited the support of Heineken Malaysia in bringing the idea to life, proving that award-winning campaigns are a team effort between agency and client.

Emir Shafri, Chief Creative Officer of Publicis Groupe during his session

A training ground for B2B marketers

Next, Yong Siew Mee gave us a peek behind the curtains as the Country Manager of 2X, the world’s largest B2B marketing-as-a-service (MaaS) firm.

She shared that the outsourcing model perfectly fit the demands of her international client base, who seek out quality and consistency amidst shrinking budgets.

Unintentionally, this has transformed 2X into the biggest training ground for B2B marketing talent in Malaysia. This year alone, the company has transformed hundreds of B2C marketers into rising B2B talents.

Yong Siew Mee, Country Manager of 2X, sharing insights during her session

Create impact instead of viral moments

Reuben Kang has worn many hats over the years, but he is currently the writer, producer, and director at Imagineers Film.

The former YouTuber revealed the fleeting nature of manufactured virality, stating that meaningful work will always have a longer lasting impact.

He credited clients like Taylor’s University for their willingness to take risks, resulting in their series of festive ads commenting on important social issues.

Prof. Harmandar Singh with Reuben Kang – Writer, Producer, and Director at Imagineers Film

Great ideas happen outside the office

Wang Ie Tjer, Executive Creative Director of FCB SHOUT, doesn’t do his best work in the office. Instead, his best ideas come to him the moment he’s off the clock.

He believes there is a limit to researching references online, and he encourages all his creatives to go outside to find their next stroke of inspiration.

With FCB SHOUT’s excellent track record of consistently winning top awards at local and regional shows, perhaps this is the secret recipe.