Asheen Naidu on Human + AI and Culture Fueling Singapore's Creative Future

Culture x Tech: How Singapore's Creative Future Will Be Built

Episode 8 of m25's Global Creative Series spotlights Asheen Naidu, Group ECD at Leo Singapore. His take is blunt: ideas that surprise still win, and Singapore is ready to build big, global work by pairing human creativity with smart use of AI.

From 13-year-old ad kid to Group ECD

Asheen knew he wanted to be in advertising at 13, inspired by South Africa's ad scene. Since then, he's worked across South Africa, New York, Australia, and Singapore-proof that formats and platforms change, but strong ideas cut through.

His standout: an NRMA Insurance project in Australia where the team built a car from all the "extras" competitors didn't automatically cover. A simple product truth turned into a striking visual idea-and it pulled people in.

Singapore's next gear

Singapore has long delivered solid regional work. Recently, it's stepping into bigger arenas with campaigns like Vaseline Verified, Heineken's Trust Bars, and global Samsung work from BBH. The shift: big brands, bold ideas, global attention.

Why global brands set up here

Singapore is a cultural mash-up with talent from across Asia and beyond. That mix produces work that lands locally and scales across Southeast Asia. Pair that human range with AI fluency and you get faster iterations, smarter insights, and fresher creative outputs.

Local culture, real resonance

Great local work taps a shared sense of identity. Think the enduring "Singapore Girl" for SIA, or "It's not crazy. It's the Navy." Leo Singapore's McDonald's LoveSG campaign sent 40,000 garlic chilli sauce sachets to Singaporeans across 10 cities-National Day nostalgia, bottled.

The callout: keep the insight, push the execution to be more unexpected.

AI: faster to great, with heart

AI shortens the path to strong thinking and tighter craft-useful in a market with shrinking timelines. But scale without soul falls flat. The opportunity is to combine personalisation with ideas people care about.

A benchmark: Cadbury's "Shah Rukh Khan My Ad" in India, which merged data, celebrity, and localisation into something people wanted to share. See the case.

Social media: from trend-chasing to brand presence

Singapore has one of the highest social media penetration rates-and people love to weigh in. Yet most brand activity still feels transactional. The opportunity: build signature formats, recurring hooks, and community-driven programs that make a brand feel big, not just busy.

Advice to young creatives

Care deeply about the work. Study the greats to expand your range, then stay open to new tools. AI isn't a threat; it's an amplifier-if you bring the taste and judgment.

Two classics worth revisiting: IKEA's "Lamp," which broke the fourth wall and rewired what an ad could do, and TAC's "Meet Graham," which reframed a safety brief with one smart question. IKEA Lamp | Meet Graham

Expanding into Singapore: what trips agencies up

• Intense competition: many networks, similar offerings. Specialise where you're strongest and partner for the rest.
• Local nuance: a diverse audience requires a diverse team. Mix local and international talent to avoid generic work.
• Regional rollout: most campaigns scale across Southeast Asia. Balance local truth with modular assets and flexible toolkits.
• Network advantage: tap in-market teams early to avoid last-mile misfires.

The next 5-10 years

Expect AI and tech to add emotion, not just efficiency. Hyper-personalisation should feel human, not creepy. And yes-brand love still matters. The job is to make people enjoy the time they spend with a brand.

A quick playbook for creatives in Singapore

• Start with a sharp product truth, then exaggerate it visually or structurally.
• Prototype with AI for speed; commit to craft for soul.
• Design assets for local specificity and regional remixing from day one.
• Build signature social formats you can own for months, not days.
• Use culture as a springboard, not a crutch-surprise people with execution.
• Study proven work weekly; steal the thinking, not the look.

If you're levelling up your AI skill stack for creative work, explore focused learning paths for marketers and creatives here: AI Certification for Marketing Specialists.