Virtual Exchange Centre hosts inspiring seminar with Ogilvy HK: Unlocking creative success with CIE students and overseas online participants

The Virtual Exchange Centre (VEC) organised an interactive hybrid seminar entitled “Creativity 101: Turning Passion into Action” in November. Mr. Nikhil Panjwani, Regional Executive Creative Director of Ogilvy Asia, and Ms. Chevy Ho, Associate Creative Director of Ogilvy HK, were invited to share their insights and invaluable experiences with the students. The seminar attracted 265 participants, including 125 CIE students and 140 overseas online participants from various countries, including Austria, China, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, and the U.K., who were interested in developing career in the creative industry.

Ogilvy was recently ranked the top agency in Asia for its creative excellence in the 2024 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. During the seminar, Chevy showcased Ogilvy’s iconic Coca-Cola campaign in Hong Kong, emphasizing the importance of relatability in advertising. Nikhil shared his insights on creativity, “It is always about mixing two unrelated things to create something completely new”.  He shared the key elements that successful advertisements must integrate with. Additionally, he quoted David Ogilvy, “If it doesn’t sell, it isn’t creative,” reinforcing the link between creativity and commercial success.

After the seminar, CIE students formed multiple groups with the overseas online participants to develop creative solutions addressing the challenges in localising international campaigns, and visualising creative ideas across different cultures. The winning team members would earn internship opportunities at Ogilvy Hong Kong or Singapore.

Ms. Anna Yuen, Academic Co-ordinator of Creative Communication and Person-in-Charge of VEC, expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the speakers for their inspiring presentations and to all participants for their enthusiastic involvement. She expressed that the seminar enriched participants’ understanding of creative advertising and provided them with invaluable insights and guidance for their future careers development. The VEC looked forward to the contributions that participants would make in the creative industry in the future.

The hybrid seminar was supported by the Virtual Exchange Centre (VEC) and funded by the Quality Enhancement Support Scheme (QESS) from the Education Bureau. The VEC was established in 2022, aiming to enhance students' international exposure by fostering connections with overseas educational institutions. Through virtual exchange opportunities, the VEC promotes the internationalisation of higher education, helping students develop global competence and a deeper understanding of cultural differences, enabling effective communication with diverse backgrounds.