Happiness opens office in Saigon, Vietnam

Happiness Saigon has opened offices in Vietnam’s second largest city. The new agency joins the Happiness Global Network to provide on-the-ground R&D, creative and advertising services for Happiness Group clients, for Happiness Saigon clients and for Group partner clients for local work in Vietnam and in the South East Asia region.

The Happiness Saigon agency senior management structure comprises Alan Cerutti (pictured left), co-founder, CEO and strategic director; Thuy Tran (pictured left), co-founder and chief operating officer; and Karen Corrigan (centre), co-founder Happiness Saigon and CEO and founder of the Happiness Group.

Cerutti returned to Asia last year in preparation for opening the new agency. His credits cover an array of Happiness Brussels award-winning campaigns including “Pimkie Color Forecast” and “Talking Tree”. He and his co-founders start the new agency with the ethos invented by Happiness that “Everything and Everyone is Media”. Tran is a long-time Happiness creative cohort, having seven years behind her as Corrigan’s right hand in Vietnam and as COO of BLISS Interactive, the digital online services agency based in Vietnam. She remains COO of BLISS Interactive while assuming her new COO responsibilities at Happiness Saigon.

Cerutti said, “My career at Happiness started in Vietnam in 2010, with a 3 month project. I loved the country, Saigon, its people and the raw creativity. When moving back to Europe (first Brussels, followed by London) I knew Asia would be my next move. So when Karen asked me if I were interested to co-found and lead up Happiness Saigon I immediately said yes. Also, because I had grown to believe that when “East meets West magic happens”. This became one of our principles to fulfill our ambition – we believe that by combining the best of both worlds we can help Vietnam to become the leading country in this new era for the South East Asia communication industry.”

Tran continues, “Mixing international dimensions is core to our DNA. Happiness is already known as a multi-cultural melting pot of creativity since it was founded in Brussels, Europe more than 10 years ago. In Saigon we are a ‘new agency’, but we are founded with a majority of Vietnamese talents, upon the established shoulders of the highly respected and globally award winning work of the Happiness Group.”

Corrigan said, “7 years ago when we launched BLISS Interactive in Vietnam we had the goal to develop a new Creative Agency here under the Happiness brand. We only wanted to do this when we knew the time was right, when clients wanted us to be there for them in this important market. And that time is now. I am pleased to welcome new creative talent from around the world to join with our experienced Vietnamese talent at the agency to bring a new breed of distinctive work into the lives of consumers who are themselves rapidly evolving in this very exciting nation. A dream comes true as another part of Happiness international vision is realised.”

Cerutti’s senior team further includes the South African born Paul Busschau, who has been headhunted from Cheil (where he ran the creative department for Samsung as ECD) and joins Alan Cerutti and his team as Creative Director. Paul brings over 10 years of experience in the Vietnamese advertising market. Tran Quan, managing partner, is responsible for all clients account management. She has over 15 years of experience in the Vietnamese advertising market and the “personal care” industry. Stijn Van Velthoven, who joins as managing partner, is heading up the Happiness Saigon digital entity. Thomas Colliers joins as creative technologist with responsibility for ideas prototyping and R&D. Tri Ngo Quang and Thai Nguyen each have responsibilities as heads of development.

Happiness Saigon has acquired premises in Saigon’s upcoming District 7 in a beautiful period house reminiscent of the uniquely styled white house that serves as the Group’s HQ in Brussels’ fashionable Bois de la Cambre.