iris appoints new management team in Seoul

iris has appointed a new management team in Seoul, creating a new breed of creative agency for brands looking to take advantage of the growing opportunity in Korea.

iris has made a significant investment in launching the Seoul office with a raft of senior hires.  Working with a mix of global and local experience, the team has already developed creative ideas for clients in Seoul – including the Taste of Black campaign for Guinness.

Serial entrepreneur and digital/tech guru Joshua Peacock joins iris Seoul as Managing Director. Prior to joining iris in 2016, Peacock founded and worked with prominent startups in the gaming, wellness IT, and e-commerce sectors, and recently partnered with Korean giant Hyundai Australia, which he helped lead to 24 months of continuous growth. Peacock has also previously held senior agency positions at Grey and Ogilvy while based in Seoul.

Peacock said, “There is a clear shift in sentiment within Seoul from global and local clients alike against the traditional Big 4 networks, originally built from a TVC model. It’s no longer enough to think about advertising in its traditional sense. Our ambition is to create brands that consumers truly want to participate with and integrate into their daily lives.  We do this by building a team and culture based on creativity, technology, collaboration and innovation.”

iris has also appointed Huijin Park, one of the leading culture and content marketers in the world, to lead the agency’s strategy, culture and content proposition in Korea. Previously Head of Planning at VICE Media, Park has extensive experience in strategic planning, content creation, trends analysis and consumer behavior – working with brands including Nike, Ray Bans and Ambev.

With the team’s ability to blend a range of skills and products around a client or business challenge – from global integrated campaigns, digital experiences, and TV to branded content, social media and PR – iris hopes to collaborate with clients in Seoul who want to be more competitive and distinctive and create ideas that play a part in culture. 

Peacock continued, “For international clients in particular, there is often a misunderstanding in what shapes and influences Korean culture. iris Seoul will bring a new approach to the market, by providing high powered creativity matched with a team of East meets West thinking and talent”.

Leading business development solutions for the region is Christine Mills, who following having senior roles across iris in London, Singapore and Shanghai has vast experience driving global business solutions for clients alongside integrated accounts across Europe and APAC markets.

Photo from left to right: Head of Design – Jace An. Managing Director – Joshua Peacock. Senior Account Manager – Mimi Lee. Business Solutions Director, APAC – Christine Mills. Head of strategy, Insights and Futuring – Huijin Park.