Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific has appointed Pete Smith as innovation and creative director for its healthcare division.
Smith joins the agency from the BBDO network in Australia where, as creative director, he was involved in numerous local and global healthcare campaigns, including the growth of AstraZeneca’s brand portfolio in Australia.
Relocating from Sydney to Shanghai, Smith will become part of the agency’s APAC health team, which includes regional director Asia Pacific Rohit Sahgal and regional director insight and strategy Sebastien Boisseau.
“Pete has been a leading advocate for digital, new technology, experiential and social marketing in a health context, but has always followed the simple principle that every great campaign needs a great idea brilliantly executed,” Sahgal said.
“He has embraced and driven serious innovation of new media platforms into the healthcare sphere – in particular the ‘digitalisation’ of healthcare creativity. I couldn’t have asked for a more inspiring and ground breaking creative leader to work with.”
Ogilvy APAC has regional hubs in China, South Korea, Japan, India, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia, and with the appointment of Smith, the agency aims to develop a specialist model to serve global, regional and local clients across Rx, OTC and nutrition and wellness.
Commenting on his appointment, Smith said: “The Asia Pacific region is where the most exciting work in the world is being done.
“I genuinely feel privileged to be part of this team and excited by the prospects of working with this team. Ogilvy has always been the place where advertising people want to work, and nothing much has changed. Under my guardianship, I have strong ambitions to take that spirit further and faster.”