Saatchi’s Asia confirms Matchett appointment

Following on from our exclusive story on Fridayannouncing the appointment of Bruce Matchett to replace Adrian Millerin the creative leadership role of Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore andMalaysia, here is the official word from Saatchi’s.

Matchett will move to Asia at the beginning of June and be based in Singapore. Miller resigned from the position mid-March.

“It’sa wonderful hire for us,” says Andy Greenaway, Saatchi’s regionalcreative director. “Bruce has all the attributes we need for the job:talent, hunger, a passion for innovation, tremendous mentoring skillsand vast experience. These two markets have made huge stridescreatively over the last couple of years. I believe Bruce will take usto the next level.”

Matchett has been the architect behind some memorable campaigns. In New Zealand, he caused a public outcry with his RSPCA campaign, which involved the use of live dogs. In India, he went one step further and created an ambient campaign for a potato chip brand which involved pyrotechnic stunts. He’s also produced some more traditional forms of advertising, too: from beer, soft drinks and chocolate, to cars, airlines and financial services.

Dean Taylor, the CEO for Saatchi & Saatchi across both markets, was instrumental in Matchett’s appointment. “We struck a chord the moment we met. I’m really excited about our partnership. We will do great things together.”

“Dean’s got tremendous energy, which I love,” said Matchett. “He’s also got a passion for the new world. Digital is like the air we breathe to him. It’s going to be a great journey.”