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Nafe graduated from LaSalle-SIA College of the Arts with high distinction, which ranked him among the top performers in his cohort. He also earned a Finalist award (Radio) in a student competition after trying his hand at copywriting.

Diving straight into the advertising world, Nafe joined Ad.WRIGHT as a Graphic Designer. Cutting his teeth, Nafe learnt the fundamentals of branding and the entire press production process – from conceptualisation to finished product.

He ventured on to one of Singapore’s top 10 shops, in a bid to gain more exposure as a Junior Art Director. During his stint, he was involved in almost everything from campaign projects and new business pitches to guidance of juniors. One of his works also hit a Finalist award at the Singapore Outdoor Advertising Awards.

Within that year, a campaign he produced for PETA (one of those he does for social issues close to his heart) was recognised, garnering positive comments from the public. This would encourage him to use his skill and do more for movements he believes in.

Taking a one and a half year break, Nafe went vertical and worked in a Marcom department within the beauty industry. He successfully produced a TVC and uplifted the company’s image. It was then he grasped the knowledge of scientific advertising; that any form of advertising should garner a certain result.

With over 15 years of experience in the advertising industry, Nafe’s knack for advertising has been attested by clients and industry experts alike. Several notable projects led by him were nominated as finalists at the Singapore Outdoor Advertising Awards, Marketing Excellence Awards, and MARKies Awards.

After leading creative teams at an array of agencies in advertising projects for Fortune Global 500 companies such as ICBC, UnionPay International, Merz Aesthetics and Unilever, Nafe was recognised for his leadership capabilities in advancing the agency during his tenure as a Creative Partner at Adwright.

He was a finalist for the Creative and Independent Agency Head of the Year categories during the Marketing Talent 2019 Awards.

Recently, he led the team to clinch a Silver for Excellence in Response to COVID-19 for JUMBO Group at the Marketing Excellence Awards 2021.

Having worked with clients from MNCs and SMEs across various industries, Nafe is a Practising Management Consultant that dedicates his time in guiding and partnering clients along their respective brand journeys, giving them recommendations that will elevate their brand equity.

He is a co-founder of ABrandADay – integrated strategy, creative and digital solutions agency that specialises in go-to-market activation.

He remains a committed and passionate brand advocate who finds joy in connecting people and sharing his experiences.

We go again.

Good to be a #MARKies Finalist for the Best Use of OOH (again). Did not manage to bag one “M” home. Still a night to catch up and we had fun. Once again, thank you, my Adwright Team for the hard work, and thank you my lovely clients for the unwavering support. We go again.

#MARKies #Adwright #branding #marketing #advertising

All the glam but no glitter (yet).

It’s okay we did not win. More importantly, we had fun and it was a good experience for the team. Well, Finalist ain’t too bad for the first attempt. Next year, we go again!

#MEASG #adwright #branding #marketing #advertising

Lubritrade Trading Pte Ltd

Some speculative ideas we attempted in hope to land our first beer account.

Almost.

Idea was not to target established alcoholics like myself. At our age, we’ve already got our acquired taste and preference. We can’t be swayed.

These, were to target budding drinkers, fresh in or out of their National Service, for instance. Affordable, buddies-driven, and getting the objective done.

They opted to go for Jack Neo’s ABTM “endorsement (blatant product placement)” instead.

#adwright #advertising

Power Bar

Because we are stronger than we think.

Creative & Art Direction: Nafe Tong, Kinsei Tan

Copywriter: Peter Tam

#adwright #advertising

Please Let The Dolphins Go 2 - ACRES

Now it has become four.

URL to the previous one when only two died.

Creative & Art Direction: Nafe Tong, Kinsei Tan

Copywriter: Anson Ong

#adwright #social cause #advertising

Mid-Autumn Festival

The story goes like this... I was insistent about bringing the boy down to the playground the other day to play with some fire (safely). Of course it had to be paper lanterns with REAL candles. That was the whole point.

And so we had fun.

While walking back home, the wife asked, “where are the rest of the kids?”

"At home playing their iPads, I guess."

Creative: Nafe Tong, Tan Gim Seng, Zheng Huiyuan

#Adwright #design #initiative

Hank Blank - Why Small Smart is the New Agency Model Resonates well with me. Make a lot of sense.

Getting the brand basics right — first.

Very often, I get marketing executives asking my opinion on their current brand state, and whether do they require a rebranding. And if they do, should it be a major overhaul, or a minor revision. I usually answer their questions by asking a few other questions. To name a few: • What was the intention of looking up for a brand agency. • Are they convinced that their current brand image corresponds well with its belief(s). • How do they want the brand to move forward and be remembered within the next five years. Sometimes, they already have their answers. They merely needed someone to guide and provide them assurance. Most of them, do want to stand out and be the best amongst the rest. Naturally, there will almost always be monetary concerns. The more conservative minds still and will not believe in investing in any form of branding exercise. Fortunately, there are the more liberal minds that appreciate the value of branding, and will consider it a factor from the get-go. Big campaigns and executions can be proposed. I could suggest heaven and earth for your brand. But we have to ask ourselves, is it the right time yet? Are we carrying on mistakes? Or denials from the past, the brand has failed to address? In such cases, we would only be wasting more resources. I suggest we take a step back, and do an audit on the current brand state. I cannot emphasize enough, on how important the foundation of the brand is; that with its first impression, it must portray the right message. Therefore, you must at least get it right and established first. We will then proceed to move forward, one step at a time. I shall right now, clarify the differences between a Brand Logo, the Brand Identity and Brand Image. These are the basics. What is a Logo? A logo identifies your business through an icon or word-mark in its purest form. At first glance, it should almost scream about on the nature of your business. What is Brand Identity? The overall visual appeal that sets the tone of your brand. From the signage, to the website and throughout all communication touch-points. Ranging from your business cards, packagings and to your powerpoint slides. What is Brand Image? This is where it clicks more on an emotional level. Like how you dress, walk and talk, everything is a representation of yourself, a brand’s image is therefore a reflection of how consumers perceive your brand emotionally. The Logo is an identifier. This is the first and very crucial step in any branding journey. Whether is it developing a logo from scratch, or to revitalize on an existing design. It depends entirely on the company’s belief and how you would want the brand to move forward. A Logo is a form of identifier that translates the nature of your business visually. You can either have it portrayed using an icon or a word-mark. You can have the business name spelt out and have it designed with a good font choice. This is the more straightforward approach. Alternatively, engage the usage of an icon or symbol. Think ”Apple” and the “Nike Swoosh”. These are successful brands which manage to have its icon identified without having any explanation nor description. However, to get recognised simply with a symbol requires years of brand discipline and effort. For starters, I always recommend the company to adopt a tagline, to further elaborate on the nature of your business. The physical appeal. You seldom get the second chance to make the first impression, therefore, every single communication touch-point counts. Make it work and make it impressive. This is the stage when the created Logo starts to implement itself across all the touch-points. - Business Cards - Letterhead and Envelopes - Packagings - Marketing Collaterals (Presentation Folders, Brochures, Powerpoint slides) - Environment (Stores or Office decor) - Website and Social Media presence The fine details of the Logo, along with its colour guidelines and design templates will be well-documented in an Identity Guide in which I recommend for all businesses to have at least one. This allows future designers / agencies and any marketing executives a clear insight to the creation of the brand logo and its identity. It also provides visual consistency to any future adapation or development of future marketing materials. Represent yourself well, and uphold the reputation. A good and reliable brand image builds itself from within. It is only when you are confident of what you really are, in turn, you will then exude that same amount of confidence externally. The same goes for your brand. You cannot control how the consumers perceive your brand, this is entirely up to them. You can only convince them by having a good reputation. Connect with them emotionally and make them believe in you. Develop a strong brand belief that you want the consumers to know. Communicate on this belief strongly. Breathe it, live by it and promise to uphold it. With time, this contributes to the overall brand perception. Consumers will be kept happy and with satisfaction, they will in turn become your promoters. This, is brand confidence. What this means. Think of it like your name. We work hard to protect the integrity of our names. The brand is our reputation. It is entirely up to us to uphold and keep our reputation intact such a way that people will always have faith in us. Convey it the wrong way by developing a wrong approach, wrong messages will in turn, be delivered. It will become harder and harder to make the U-turn and more effort will be required to swing the favour back into your game again. Start early. Recognise the need to establish a proper brand image early. Then build on it from there, taking a step at a time.

100 posts!

#100 posts #tumblr milestone

Good art. Or bad art?

I know, this is a thing of history. But I just came across this today.

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=457935512938

The comments (go read) had me laughing. Some people actually commented I was mental. That I killed the chick. And then, most people defended me. Some called me artist.

No gain at all for me, this. Just proved that they worked. If only I could have a way to get those Bus Ads I did out there. Especially now that I am taking the bus again.

I guess, good “art”, should get people talking. Well.

PS: The chick was freed back into the farm I picked him from. Cute.

DAS Certification Singapore - Booth

Overseen the recent exhibition DAS held at Suntec Convention Hall.

#adwright #design #branding

And so I took this test... Sort of.

These are my results.

The Thinking Relator

I am the most inward acting of all the behavioral styles. I like to work independently on familiar tasks that I can direct and control.

I am restrained, diplomatic and accommodating. I think of myself as a true perfectionist when dealing with tasks and people. If I fully understand the situation, I can give it my best effort.

I generally see a better way and a worse way to do things, and I know which one I would like to avoid. I do not like conflict and often find myself as not only an administrator who goes by the book, but also as someone people will come to for a balanced and thoughtful response.

My tendencies include:

I follow established expectations and rules

I attend precisely to details and ensure follow-through

I dislike opposition, hostility, confrontation and adversity

I must have stability and clarity in what people expect from me

I am generally restrained, face saving and reluctant to get involved

I tend to become more reserved, indirect, even secretive under pressure

I do not like public recognition or making presentations

My Potential Limiters:

With tasks: Because I am continually on the lookout for ideal solutions, I may miss the less than perfect opportunities. I could benefit from developing more realistic expectations, adjusting to less than perfect alternatives, in my pursuit of success.

With people: I am uncomfortable with in depth involvement with people, so I could benefit by improving my social skills, getting to know and appreciate different types of people.

I should be more open and forthright in expressing my thoughts

I need to be more genuinely open to people different from myself

I hope to identify at least two new growth goals each year that involve improving my adaptability

I will not say most is true, but generally, that is quite me. Situations happened, circumstances changed along the years, I may or may not be the same anymore.

It kind of explains how I work as a leader. I do empathize and and I do explain the way I want it to be done, I do not give direct commands nor have I came across as a demanding person. They look for me when they believe I can genuinely help solve their problems or give them advices. But this, arguably, may not make myself a very accomplished leader.

Most leaders, are ruthless. Already some sprung to mind. However, I believe respect comes from giving understanding and patience. Not fear.

Also, I may have thoughts and beautiful ideas in the head, but very often, I need someone with the skills to execute and work along with me. So I am not entirely sure about the independent portion. After all, as an Art Director, I cannot stress enough that you need to bring the best out of everyone from within their strengths, respectively.

I was afraid of public-speaking way, way back. After a pat or two, some appreciations and recognitions here and there, I definitely grew in confidence.

Well, I believe so.

But yes, generally, it is quite amazingly accurate. I was skeptical initially, but after hearing out from this prospect guy, it all made sense. Charming fellow.

TOTAL Lubricants, ELF Moto

An agency is only as good as the people within. Some clients follow. Which is why again and again I stress on integrity and reputation of both agency and ourselves. Do the right thing. Let the work and sincerity speak for ourselves.

Two posters to unveil their new packaging labels.

#adbox #advertising

Toshiba

Whenever I am told by the servicing, "hey, the client thinks our creative team understands her a lot", it felt good.

Not because I give them what they want. Just that we really need to digest the brief, and put ourselves in a consumer's point of view. Then, chip in our creative input. No point forcing it on them.

Not every work is about how beautiful the outcome is. It really is about how you could make them work beautifully.

#adbox #advertising #design