Weekly roundup: Lazada's head-turning activation, Heineken destigmatises being alcohol free and more

share on

twitter /
facebook /
linkedin /
- email
- telegram
- whatsapp
- wechat
- pinterest
- line
- snapchat
- reddit

Happy Friday and happy new year MARKETING-INTERACTIVE readers, and welcome back to the weekly roundup. 2024 might have ended off with a PR frenzy surrounding a blackface incident, an unfortunate branded Christmas tree catching fire at the start of the festive season and a battle between an artist and a beloved local brand.

With the dust of 2024 settling behind, 2025 is looking a little bit better with exciting new campaigns to start off the new year and people movements that have since shaken the industry, and our newsroom alike. If you need a quick summary, welcome to MARKETING-INTERACTIVE's weekly roundup, a podcast and article feature in which we take you through the biggest stories of the week and take a deep dive into trending topics we've seen in the industry.

Don't miss: Weekly roundup: Top stories of 2024

1. The mysterious sponge man along Orchard Road is actually a Lazada campaign

Lazada has managed to turn the attention of Singaporeans once again, this time, turning Orchard Road into a fashion show with "Sponge Man".

In a recent video by Instagram user @OrchardRoadFashion, a man is seen wearing a gown made out of sponges standing and posing along Orchard Road. Shoppers were also spotted stopping to take photos with and of him. The stunt has been revealed to be part of Lazada's new campaign in collaboration with BLKJ Havas to transform everyday items into fashionable statements.

At the same time, the campaign aims to highlight Lazada's mission to provide the most competitive prices on everything from daily necessities such as diapers and sponges to trending must-have fashion items.

Read more here.

2, GroupM SEA CEO Himanshu Shekhar steps down after 2 decades with firm

Himanshu Shekhar has parted ways with GroupM after holding the role of CEO of Southeast Asia since May 2023. In a statement to MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, a spokesperson at GroupM said: “After two and a half decades with GroupM, Himanshu Shekhar has decided to step down from his role managing our business in Southeast Asia this month. Shekhar has been a strong leader for us over the years. We’re grateful for his many contributions to our success in the region and wish him the best for the future.”

Based in Indonesia, Shekhar has been a driving force of growth for GroupM in Indonesia, holding titles such as CEO of GroupM Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.

In 2018, GroupM announced that Shekhar will be taking over from Ed Thesiger as CEO GroupM Indonesia effective 1st January 2019. During his appointment, GroupM said in a statement that Indonesia continues to be a key growth market for the network, and shared that Shekhar has a proven track record with a depth of experience and industry relationships that is second to none in that market.

Read more here.

3. Heineken 0.0 destigmatises being alcohol-free in new global campaign

Dutch brewing company Heineken has launched a global campaign designed to tackle the stigmas around social acceptance of choosing non-alcoholic beverages. Titled "0.0 reasons needed", the campaign also aims to support people's rights to be reason-free and refresh consumers' perspectives on non-alcoholic drinks by showcasing the company's Heineken 0.0 non-alcoholic beer that was launched in 2017.

The company released three Youtube videos ahead of the well-known alcohol-free month 'Dry January'. "We're proud of our great tasting Heineken 0.0 and its role in helping to remove the stigmas in this space, so people can enjoy it without being judged. Perhaps someone is the designated driver, or maybe they just really fancy a refreshing Heineken 0.0 – our latest campaign shows the bottom line is, you don't need a special reason to go alcohol-free," said Nabil Nasser, global head of Heineken.