Design Bridge and Partners launches today as a new WPP global design company, following the merger of Design Bridge and Superunion announced in 2022. The two complementary companies come together with a vision to fundamentally redefine the role of design for a new era, positioning it at the forefront of business growth and social change through consumer, business and experience design. John Morris, formerly CEO of Design Bridge, will serve as Group CEO, and Jim Prior, who was previously CEO of Superunion, as Chair.
Design Bridge and Partners also announces the appointment of Amanda Sudatip Hancock, who will be taking up the Managing Director role for Thailand. A seasoned branding and marketing professional, Amanda brings with her two decades of experience working across leading agencies in APAC. Having held senior roles at J Walter Thompson and McCann Worldgroup IPG, Amanda joins Design Bridge and Partners from her role as Creative Agency Partner at Meta.
"We fundamentally believe that design is one of the most powerful tools in business, and yet it's historically been underutilized. As Design Bridge and Partners, we're on a mission to change that, and simultaneously help shape the future of organizations worldwide by unleashing the full power of design," said Morris. "For us, it's not just a matter of what design is, but also what design can do, for brands, businesses, people and the planet ?and the role design can play in answering the fundamental questions of the world today."
Uniquely positioned at the leading edge of design to address client challenges, Design Bridge and Partners will pull together top talent from across its 850-person strong network operating in 12 countries to unlock potential for brands, businesses and people alike. Clients include NASA Artemis, Unilever, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Diageo, Mastercard, Intel, Mondelez, Tencent, HSBC, Colgate, Reckitt, Fortnum & Mason, and the BBC, among others. Design Bridge and Partners Thailand includes clients from diverse sectors such as real estate, hospitality, consumer goods, beauty and energy, of which include PTT, Neo Corporation and Magnolia Quality Development Corporation Limited (MQDC).
Amanda Sudatip Hancock, MD, comments: "It's a really exciting time to join the business, which is expanding its capabilities and offer across the entire spectrum of brand strategy from identity to design and packaging to support our client's growth in a more comprehensive way. By combining the expertise and passion from across our network with our deep cultural understanding as a local partner in the Thai market, we can create even more impactful and memorable brand design experiences to also help big local players increase their impact overseas. Ultimately, it's our powerful end-to-end branding offering and ability to use design to drive business impact that empowers us to help our clients unlock the full potential of their business and brands to achieve long term growth."
With centres of excellence in New York, London, S?o Paulo, Amsterdam, Singapore, Madrid, Berlin and Shanghai, Design Bridge and Partners is an industry leader across every aspect of brand strategy, identity, experience and brand guardianship. This includes graphic, motion, digital, physical and communication design, underpinned by a creative philosophy of leveraging the power of exceptional design to solve business and societal challenges. The business will have a strong cultural focus on collaboration and nurturing talent, forging deep and long-lasting partnerships with clients, and operating as a seamless global entity bringing the best talent to clients wherever they may be.