HTC hands South Asia business to Saatchis

HTC's South Asia region encompasses Australia, New Zealand, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines.

The agency will develop and roll out integrated multimedia campaigns for major new smartphones in the region, including the new HTC Sensation XE with Beats Audio, and the Sensation XL multimedia superphone.

Commenting on the appointment, Lennard Hoornik, president of HTC South Asia, said, “Saatchi & Saatchi have proven themselves to understand our organisation and our business, and are continually bringing new, interesting and fresh ideas to the table. We look forward to working with them in one of our fastest growing regions.”

Appointed president of HTC South Asia in May this year, Hoornik is based in Singapore with responsibility for Singapore, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand.

Paul Roebuck, chief executive at Saatchi & Saatchi, said, “We are enormously proud to have been given this opportunity to partner with HTC. We look forward to playing a key role in helping to continue drive that growth.”

Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore has strengthened its team by making several appointments this year. These include Chris Foster, former Saatchi & Saatchi CEO for Japan, Korea and Hong Kong, who was named chairman and regional CEO for Saatchi & Saatchi Asia-Pacific in May, returning from a stint in the US.

Jeannie Morris and Amy Pak also joined the agency as creative director and engagement planner in June and August, respectively. Earlier in March, Melanie Cook was named planning director for the network.