Ogilvy & Mather Absorbs FlamingoEDA to Launch K1ND in China

Today, Ogilvy & Mather China announced that it has absorbed the Beijing-based FlamingoEDA, a brand innovation company versed in harnessing technology to connect products with consumers. Integrating with the newly opened K1ND (pronounced One Kind) office in Beijing, the FlamingoEDA team will work closely with Ogilvy & Mather Advertising to create innovative media channels and digital brand experiences.

“With this, we’re building on our ability to combine creativity with technology,” says Peony Wu, National Chief Digital Officer of Ogilvy & Mather and lead for K1ND in China. “Brands are realizing that their future requires a more connected, interactive world to enhance consumer experience, and FlamingoEDA will add to the ways we transform conventional products and experiences into extraordinary ones.”

The technical expertise of FlamingoEDA has already been displayed in a range of cutting-edge collaborations. On Chinese New Year, the team lit up thousands of lanterns in the ancient Stone Village of Hebei Province to poignantly demonstrate the power and versatility of an Intel tablet. For public health, there was an umbrella outfitted with PH sensors, LED lights and a microcontroller, informing pedestrians on the dangers of acid rain in real time. In the fashion world, a pair of interactive Converse sneakers hooked up to an iOS program, allowing users to pimp LED light designs on their shoes with the stroke of a smart phone app. 

“Our team of engineers loves what they do, and throws themselves into everything from interactive installations to out-of-the-box prototypes of intelligence hardware,” says Wen Peng Xiao, FlamingoEDA Founder and Technology Leader. “Working with Ogilvy & Mather, not only in Beijing but across Asia, is a great opportunity for us to advance the digital brand-building capabilities of their clients in forward-thinking, surprising ways.”

The first K1ND office was successfully founded in Singapore in April 2014 to create brand innovation for existing clients. The collaboration of inventors, engineers, coders, designers and marketers has brought value to a range of companies, from Mondelez to e-commerce platform Yihaodian. Whereas Singapore’s K1ND is set up as the region’s design hub, Beijing’s China KIND office will focus more on technology and R&D.

“We’re excited to expand K1ND into a mini network, leveraging the unique skill sets of specific markets to drive a truly new and innovative way of working,” says Chris Reitermann, CEO of Ogilvy & Mather China. “This unique, independent company is just another way Ogilvy & Mather is showing its commitment to the creative process, by accelerating business practices and harnessing digital power.”