MullenLowe deepens Unilever partnership with regional creative hire

MullenLowe Singapore has appointed veteran creative Terence Leong as regional Unilever creative lead. The appointment comes as the agency deepens its integrated partnership with the FMCG giant across Asia Pacific.

Based in Singapore, Leong will spearhead the creative vision for Unilever brands in the region, with a focus on the oral care category. He will work closely with beauty creative director Meryke Naude and the wider creative leadership team to push the agency’s human-first approach to brand strategy and innovation.

Leong brings more than 25 years of experience to the role, having held senior creative positions at TBWA\Media Arts Lab Southeast Asia, AKQA Tokyo, RGA Shanghai and Wieden + Kennedy Shanghai, where he led Nike Greater China. 

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Leong’s appointment is part of MullenLowe Singapore and IPG’s move to deliver a fully integrated, end-to-end offering for Unilever, combining creativity, strategy and media under one structure.

The integrated team also includes head of audience data and insights Jasmine Wong and media strategists from IPG Mediabrands, who lead media planning and communications for Unilever’s personal care portfolio. The team is supported by Elizabeth Tan, behavioural sciences and insights manager, and a team of researchers focused on cultural listening and real-time insights.

“We welcome Terence as a key partner and seasoned creative leader whose instinct for bold, human-centric ideas will be invaluable to making our brands unmissable in culture and in people’s lives," said Gaurav Datta, Unilever global vice president. 

In tandem, Federico Duberti, IPG Unilever global business leader, personal care, said, “We are thrilled to welcome Terence to the team in Singapore, as his relentless pursuit of creative excellence will be a powerful addition to our larger, integrated model for Unilever."

"Backed by world-class capabilities, deep category knowledge and a unified vision across creativity, strategy and media, we believe our structure will set a new benchmark for partnership with Unilever, during a time where brands must fight harder than ever to earn their relevance," added Duberti. 

Commenting on his new role, Leong said, “This is probably the most intimidating assignment I’ve ever taken in my career. Unilever brands have a long heritage, and some are over a hundred years old. It’s an absolute honour to work with extremely devoted clients and a team of talented, passionate people to keep these brands provocative and relevant for the next hundred years. It’s going to take a lot of tears, sweat, AI, and every ounce of grit to see that mission through. It’s a dream assignment.”

Leong’s appointment comes as MullenLowe strengthens its leadership across the region.

In Indonesia, the agency recently introduced a refreshed C-level team to drive growth and agility, with chief growth officer Amelia Pryana supported by chief strategy officer Fajar “Arya” Kumbara and chief creative officer Hadiansyah “Anca” Sangadji in what the company describes as a triangular leadership structure.

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