Atome hands BBDO SG regional creative duties

Buy now pay later brand Atome has appointed BBDO Singapore as its regional creative agency for the year 2022. The appointment will cover nine markets: Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. A closed-door pitch was held which saw three other agencies vying for the account. VaynerMedia was the incumbent for the account.

As part of the appointment, the agency will be assigned two mega campaigns and two sustenance campaigns in 2022. The mega campaigns will launch in the second and fourth quarter, BBDO's spokesperson said. BBDO said it was chosen for its strategic approach and adaptable creative ideas.

Vangie Hu, VP of regional marketing, Atome said that it looks forward to building on its track record of memorable, creative campaigns across the region with BBDO. “As a young, energetic and dynamic lifestyle brand, we have ambitious goals for 2022. We’ve always tried to do something edgy and different in our past brand work and this year, we’re going to take it up a notch,” she added.

Atome previously worked with VaynerMedia and one of the initiatives they launched together was a new music group named the Atome Kittens. The Atome Kittens, however, were not just any other girl group but comprised of a litter of kittens and formed through the wordplay on the famous British 90s girl group, Atomic Kittens. MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Atome for comment. 

Headquartered in Singapore, Atome launched its buy now, pay later service in Singapore in December 2019. For consumers, Atome offers choice, convenience, and flexibility in how they choose to shop and pay with three equal payments over time, with zero interest, annual or service fees.

Over the last 12 months, Atome has expanded into other key markets such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and mainland China. It is currently available as a point-of-sale payment checkout option across 5,000 online and offline retailers. Last September, the brand launched an in-app loyalty rewards programme in Singapore. Also known as "Atome+", the programme allows shoppers to earn points for purchases made using Atome across online and offline retailers in Singapore. 

Separately, Atome partnered with foodpanda Hong Kong last month to introduce its offering on foodpanda's platform. Starting from 14 March, foodpanda Hong Kong's customers can split purchases into three zero-interest deferred payments upon checkout. Atome also appointed Meta's former country marketing manager, Daphne Lourdes, as its head of marketing in February this year. As head of marketing, Lourdes will be responsible for developing 360 brand and marketing plans to drive brand awareness, brand advocacy, and user acquisition. She will also be leading a team of partnership, campaign, and social media marketers. In her role, she reports to Trasy Lou Walsh, Atome's regional general manager. 

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