Guan Hin Tay

Guan Hin Tay

Creative Chairman at BBDO Singapore
Singapore, Singapore

About me

Tay Guan Hin is the Creative Chairman of BBDO Singapore and has significantly contributed to the growth and success of global brands such as Visa, Exxon, Shell, Johnson & Johnson, Abbott, P&G, HSBC, Unilever, and more. He creates effective solutions for business challenges while ensuring creative and inspiring ideas align with the brand's core values. As a team player and innovative problem solver, Guan has worked with some of the world's most renowned creative agencies, such as JWT, Saatchi & Saatchi, and Leo Burnett.
With a focus on digital and innovative engagement, Guan continues to push the boundaries of creativity and increase brand preference. He has received numerous awards and recognition for his work, including being a Jury President at Cannes Lions, D&AD Foreman, One Show Judge, Head of Jury for the Asia Pacific Effies, and even a tank mechanic. He is a highly sought-after keynote speaker and has spoken at various global and regional events, such as Digital CMO Summit, The Martech Summit, CMO Innovation Summit, Spikes Asia, One Show China, Brand Fest, Adfest, Brand Forum, AdStar, and Cannes Lions.
In addition to his professional achievements, Guan also dedicates time to mentoring young talents and promoting creativity in the industry. He established the first student awards in Singapore and has trained students in One Show China and Spikes Asia Young Academy.

Positions

Founder/ Global Chief Creative Officer
TGH COLLECTIVE
Singapore
August 2018 - Present (5 years 7 months)
Executive Creative Director, KIT KAT, MILO & NESTLE OMEGA PLUS
Nestlé
Malaysia
2017 - Present (7 years 2 months)
Kit Kat, Milo and Nestle Omega Plus
Regional Executive Creative Director of South East Asia
Singapore, Singapore
2005 - 2018 (13 years)
•Headhunted by Craig Davis, former JWT Chief Creative Office Worldwide in 2005 to re-engineered JWT's creative agenda, by attracting top creative talent to improve the overall quality of JWT's creative product.

•Upon joining in 2005, JWT Singapore was awarded the Best of Show in Singapore's Creative Circle Awards for a Listerine campaign.

•Assembled an exceptionally talented creative leadership team in Manila, Singapore, Bangkok, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Jakarta and led JWT Asia to the biggest upwards leap in the history of The Gunn Report; its award tally at Cannes increased by 30% in 2009

•Inducted into the JWT Worldwide Creative Council for his outstanding achievements, the first South-East Asian creative.

•Played a pivoting role in "Passion," JWT Asian Creative Council, to select, improve and champion the best work each quarter.

•Steered JWT Asia to achieve both Adfest's Network of the Year and Spikes Asia Network of the Year in 2008-2009.

•Awards won include Golds at Cannes, D&AD, The One Show, Clio, AdFest, AWARD, and Spikes. Three of his campaigns are included in The Gunn Report's Top 10. Under Guan's leadership, the Philippines won their first Gold Cannes Lion and Indonesia's first Cannes Lion.

•Awarded Grand Prix Spikes Asia Radio for Unilever Lux Soap.
The only Singapore agency in 2012 to receive a Grand Prix.
Regional Executive Creative Director
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2004 - 2005 (1 year)
• Managed Grey Global Group’s creative departments across three operating companies

• Integrated and transformed Grey Worldwide, Grey Direct Interactive and G2 for the Southeast Asia region.

• Played an instrumental role in winning the highly lucrative account: Maybank, Malaysia’s national and largest bank, Hotly contested Resorts World Genting, ValueAir, Tiger Beer Football promotions and Guinness BTL work.

• An increased local business ratio from 20% to 50%

• Relaunched Grey office in Singapore.

Clients:
GSK-Aquafresh, Horlicks, Ribena, Sensodyne
SaraLee
MayBank
Resorts World Genting
ING insurance
Alliance Bank
Carrefour
Perodua- Cars and Corporate
F&N
KL Aquaria- launch of an aquarium under the KLCC
Nokia Regional/Worldwide
Heely’s shoes-wheels in the heel
P&G- Pantene
Valueair
Creative Director
Singapore, Singapore
1999 - 2004 (5 years)
• Promoted from Head of Art to Creative Director for outstanding creative achievements for clients such as SingTel, Asia Pacific Breweries, McDonald’s, Raffles International, Standard Chartered Bank and Nippon Paint.

• Propelled Leo Burnett Singapore to the 5th most creative agency for two consecutive years in Campaign Brief Asia’s rankings

• Held 8th position in the magazine’s publication The Work: 2003

• Ranked amongst the top ten creative for the past four years from 2000

• Invited as a keynote speaker in the first ever One Show China Festival in Xiamen, in 2001. His topic “Ambient Advertising” proved so popular that the organizers invited him to speak for the second time in New York in 2005.

• Elected Chairman of Singapore’s 2003 Creative Circle Awards, the second Singaporean to receive this honor since the 1960s.

• Served as Chief Head of Jury for Malaysia's prestigious Kancil Awards in 2004

• Inaugurated and served as co-chairman of the First Singapore Student Creative Crowbar Awards from 2001 to 2002.

• Lectured for the IAS portfolio school annually, committing his weekends to creating and delivering a course on ‘Conceptual Thinking” at the Raffles LaSalle Institute of Singapore and Malaysia’s Lim Kok Weng University of Creative Technology.

• One of the four main speakers at the first Creative-Asia Design Symposium held by Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in the Singapore Art Museum.

Education

Creative Leadership: Designing the Future Agency Model

2015 (1 year)

Digital Masterclass

2013 (1 year)

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Advertising

1987 - 1990 (3 years)
GradeHonours Other activities : Best of Show Los Angeles Creative Club Student Competition 1990

Night Class in Graphic Design

1985 - 1987 (2 years)

PSLEGradePrimary 1-6

1971 - 1976 (5 years)

Secondary School - O LevelGradeSec 1-4

Other professional activities

PHNX Tribute 2020

Awards Jury Member

PHNX 2021

Awards Jury Member

PHNX 2022

Awards Jury Member

PHNX 2023

Awards Jury Member

PHNX 2024

Awards Jury Member

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