Women to Watch 2023: Lock Sin Chong, BBDO

Lock Sin Chong

Executive creative director
BBDO Beijing
China

As executive creative director at BBDO Beijing, Lock Sin Chong heads a team of more than 20 creatives in the office. Her role includes collaborating with BBDO’s key clients, including Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, BMW, Mini, Adidas, Nike, WMF, and Meituan.

In a competitive market such as Mainland China, automotive is one of the most lucrative businesses for agencies. With her creative vision and strategic insights, Mercedes-Benz campaigns have achieved remarkable success, which has prompted the client to substantially expand BBDO's role in their business until 2029.

As one of the three global ECDs of ‘Team X’, Chong has excelled at bridging cultural and creative differences, She’s co-worked with the global team, from the US to Germany, to create campaigns consistent with the brand's global identity and tailored them to the local Chinese market. She’s also built the team at BBDO Beijing as a trusted and valued partner within Team X on a global scale, while fostering a strong client relationship with local clients. She led the pitch team to win Volkswagen Group China's account, which not only contributed to the agency’s growth, but also led to the highest employment numbers BBDO Beijing has ever had. 

Chong has produced outstanding work for award-winning campaigns from The International One Show, LIA International and Spikes Asia to AdFest, D&AD and Clio. More importantly, as a female cross-cultural creative leader, Chong has become an inspirational figure who defies gender stereotypes and encourages diversity in leadership roles. She is passionate about nurturing young talents, passing on her expertise and inspiring the next generation.

Her award-winning campaign ‘Seek Your Way’ to promote the One Show Portfolio Night involved 400 schools, sales of more than 200 tickets, and outreach to 7,000 individuals through One Show's social media channels in a single night. It received over 100,000 online impressions within two months, which significantly broadened opportunities for young talent in China.

Chong is dedicated to mentoring and education programmes at Michigan State University, and participates in the Youth Creative Festival as a mentor. She’s also joined lectures, presentations, discussions, and an advertising competition for students from China and the US. Chong also participated in the Global Young Guns Jury and One Show China Mentorship programme to foster diversity and inclusion by recognising and promoting talent from diverse backgrounds.  

A Malaysian-Chinese creative leader, Chong has close to 16 years of working experience across agencies in Malaysia, Shanghai, and Beijing, from Ogilvy to Interone and Cheil, to name a few. She has spent most of her spare time on art-related projects, such as her design studio, personal illustrations, and space design, and has been featured in design books, industry websites, and various online platforms.