Background
The Hong Kong 4As was established in 1957, at a time when the local advertising industry was in its infancy, and in need of a local professional body to be established to set and maintain business ethics, enforce an advertising standards code, and act as an arbiter between the agencies. Today, we have around 23 members, most of whom are major advertising and media agencies sharing common objectives. • To maintain and protect best practices in our industry • To promote and inspire creative excellence • To create fair and level playing field for all The Hong Kong 4As is run by an Executive Committee, supported by Sub-Committees. Committee members, elected from the senior management of member agencies, deal with issues concerning the future of the advertising industry and the business of member agencies. As the industry continues to evolve and become even more complex, our role is more important than ever. We act as a forum for local advertising and media agencies to discuss ideas and exchange views, organise training programmes and other member activities, and, always looking ahead, pave the way forward for tomorrow’s generation. Last but not least are our award competitions, recognising and honouring great work. Designed to continually raise the bar, and promote creative excellence. Our industry is very different today than in 1957. Our principles and our objectives, remain the same.
Mission
We have a responsibility to the Hong Kong advertising industry, and to the general public, to establish and maintain a high standard of advertising behaviour and ensure that all advertisements are legal, clean, honest and truthful. There are three aspects to this:
Standards
To promote the highest standards of business ethics among our members in their dealings with the public, their clients and among themselves. To encourage the association of advertising agencies and their commitment to ensuring the specialised knowledge and experience essential to provide efficient service, and professional and financial standards to their clients. To afford means of arbitration on or for the settlement of disputes or questions between advertising agencies or between such agencies and third parties.
Mutual Help
To create and maintain a forum for the better exchange of views and communication between advertising agencies and others engaged in the advertising industry. To use the forum to advise and provide information and assistance to Members on the better management and planning of their businesses. To ascertain and to watch over legislation affecting advertising agencies. To represent the views of Members of the Association and of advertising agencies and on their behalf to enter into discussions and negotiations and to conclude agreements. To facilitate conferences, meetings and exhibitions for the discussion of professional affairs, interests and duties in the advertising industry.
Promotion
To represent and promote to all sections of the public, commerce and government the role of advertising as an essential social and economic requirement in a free enterprise society. To promote a better understanding of advertising and its role in society and to present on behalf of the industry explanation or answer to criticism of the industry to government bodies, consumer associations − other such bodies.
Chairman’s Message
Welcome to the Hong Kong 4As.
Evolution has become the defining theme of our times. Over the past year, our industry has navigated a series of complex and remarkable challenges: the accelerated transformation of our sector has given rise to new agency work models; growing geopolitical tensions have forced us to realign our focus; and advances in AI have reached an inflection point, fundamentally changing how we approach creativity now and in the future. Yet these challenges have acted as a powerful catalyst, pushing us to rewrite old playbooks and prove the true value of our people. Today, we stand at the beginning of a stronger, more innovative and more resilient chapter. Within our industry, as campaign requirements evolve, member agencies can no longer rely on scale alone. While global networks provide the foundation, it is the cross-market, cross-category and cross-disciplinary networking that turns connectivity into greater synergies. Alongside this, our talent is also evolving. Career paths are no longer linear; today’s professionals are increasingly diversified, embracing a hybrid mindset and portfolio careers. Yet at HK4As, we have always viewed change as a new opportunity for growth. While the ongoing consolidation of agency brands has naturally impacted our membership size, it has ultimately sharpened our focus. And as industry leaders committed to advancing our profession, we have the capability and the responsibility to chart a sustainable path that will help us drive meaningful progress as a whole, paving the way for new milestones amidst changes. In the past year, we welcomed five new members: Assembly and WPP Media as full members, alongside Fengshows, Omelette Digital and Prodigious as affiliate members, while iClick, Mirum, Ogilvy PR and ThinkChina transitioned out. We are incredibly proud to see our young talent shine internationally. HK4As delivered record-breaking Young Lions success at Cannes Lions 2026, sending four Hong Kong teams across Digital, Media, PR and Marketing for the first time. Hong Kong achieved its best-ever performance, winning a Silver Medal in Media and a Bronze Medal in PR. As we evolved HK4As awards to reflect Hong Kong’s international reach, new categories were introduced across Kam Fan and Effie Awards. At Kam Fan, “Hong Kong Unlimited” honours work conceived and produced locally but launched overseas, while Effie’s “International Marketing” recognises marketing effectiveness beyond the local market. HK4As also strengthened Hong Kong’s presence at leading international festivals. At MAD STARS 2026, a delegation of nearly 20 talents, judges, agency leaders and creatives attended, with our agencies winning a Grand Prix, multiple Golds and numerous awards, continuing to showcase Hong Kong’s creativity and leadership worldwide. By expanding partnerships with international platforms like the Jolbors Festival and Epica Awards, HK4As created new global visibility for Hong Kong agencies and talent, with Kam Fan Grand Prix and Gold winners now invited to participate. HK4As also hosted the first-ever Gerety Awards judging in Hong Kong. This all-women creative jury strengthened ties with the global Gerety network while championing diversity, inclusion and female leadership. Closer to home, through the Meta x HK4As “United in Hope” programme, HK4As partnered with Meta to support Tai Po recovery efforts. Member agencies volunteered media and creative expertise to five NGOs, providing strategic communications support and demonstrating how the industry can mobilise collective skills for lasting community impact. HK4As expanded brand partnerships through the Happy Hour Series at Bar 1906. Leading partners like TVB and Phoenix TV hosted thought-leadership sessions covering topics from AI’s legal implications to cross-border opportunities, making the series a key platform for knowledge-sharing and engagement. To strengthen industry support, HK4As secured sponsorship for its flagship initiatives. Kam Fan received dedicated backing from SCMP (Print), TVB (The Legendary Roots) and HK2A (Student Sponsorship), enhancing our programmes while creating opportunities for emerging talent. Celebrating community spirit, the HK4As dragon boat team placed 6th in the Mixed-Corporate Silver Cup Final at the Shangri-La Stanley International Dragon Boat Championships 2026, strengthening bonds across our industry. None of this would be possible without the most important pillar: our people. To nurture future creative talent, we played active roles in advisory committees at HKBU, VTC, HKDI, and HKTDC, while expanding recruitment pathways at the HKU, CUHK, HSU, HKBU and more. Additionally, we served as the tireless advocate, ensuring our industry’s interests were clearly heard at every policy address and budget consultation. As our landscape evolves and as challenges continue to emerge, I am deeply grateful for your continued trust and dedication, which serve as the true bedrock of our success. Together, let us turn change into opportunity, empower our talent and industry, and build a sustainable future for Hong Kong's creative community.
Alexis Chiu
Chairman 2026
Executive Committee
Chairman
Alexis Chiu
Group Managing Director
Saatchi & Saatchi Hong Kong
Vice Chairman
Yvonne Lau
Managing Director
Zenith Hong Kong
Committee Member
Duffy Lau
CEO
Ogilvy Group Hong Kong
Committee Member
Edward Ha
Managing Partner
VML
Committee Member
Samuel Ho
Managing Director
PHD Hong Kong
2026
Secretariat
Onie Chu
Executive Director
Appointed by the Executive Committee, the Executive Director, in charge of the HK4As Secretariat, is responsible to conduct the business in accordance with the constitution and Members‘ interest.
