Oh Baby!

We won Johnson Baby business in Shanghai and my life in the past 2 weeks has been revolving around just that. We already have a solid reputation in J&J but like any new business, we still had to pitch to take the business away from their current agency. I was not too terribly excited due to the category (mom, baby) but once we developed the program concept, we all got fired up. It’s a 3.5 mths program, the first significant effort in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics ‘08. In essence, it’s just a storytelling competition for moms to submit their touching baby-raising tales, with the communication plans being supported by an ex-Olympic badminton gold champion, Ge Fei, as a spokesperson. We pushed it forward and developed a full plan that ropes in the celebrity storyline together with all other advertising channels... to touch the consumers in a truly powerful way. The fun will come from working with social media. The fact about a Chinese urban mom is: she will not buy, apply or recommend a purchase unless she gets her ‘facts’ from a forum or a blog.

Lots of planning, brainstorming, late hours, communication challenges, resource challenges. We presented last Friday and got the job on the spot. We were too puffed out to even celebrate. Instead, got on the phone to make endless arrangements for a project kick-off with all agencies. My colleague Eric (owns the J&J relationship) and I have finally found a way to work together and it's been awesome ever since. J&J has some good brains working on client and agency side, so it’s been a great ride.

Price to pay? Hardly slept in my own bed for past 3 weeks, started smoking again, missing salsa, yoga, friends in HK. Been having my Mandarin classes conducted via a virtual classroom with my teacher in HK, which is great. Shanghai is beginning to feel like my second home, with an increasing circle of friends and favourite hang-outs, just the way it is when it starts to feel like home..

I got a call from Monika on Wed nite (Sept 8th) telling me she's going to deliver her baby in the next 10 min. I was totally blown away; she was so calm, jovial, chilled out given the circumstances! I could feel my hair rising, just imagining her lying down there... This is the girl I used to party with on Sat nites at Hard Rock, downing tequilla and dancing on the tables. We may live different lives now, the bond remains. Olivia Emby is well and kicking, just like her gorgeous mom.

Feeling rather compromised in the way I looked and felt, I went to check out the much-talked-about uber-spa, the Evian Spa, for a facial and a massage. What an experience.. Parked at "3 on the Bund" (Armani Bld), the contemporary design of white and translucent materials and fab lighting effects, transports you into a world of its own. There are many small surprises hidden around, making the experience just so much more complete. Feeling in tune with the Full Moon last night and totally chilled-out, I'm ready to wrap up this week with a big 'wow, what a week, oh baby'.


It’s Friday today, and I’m due to come back to Shanghai on Monday to speak at another client’s regional marketing conference. Everybody wants to get into interactive, not knowing how to really do it. Other J&J businesses are asking us to run interactive workshops for them to help them get into the game.

There has been a talk about me getting transferred to Shanghai, but I’m resisting this option, reasons being many. I still have some pretty good reasons to go back to HK..