Stink Studios has hired Marlina Fletcher and Pek Yee Lai in the capacity of managing director for its Los Angeles and Shanghai operations, respectively. Fletcher had been Beats by Dre’s top global marketer while Lai served as general manager at SAME SAME But Different, the luxury social and digital arm of Dentsu.
Fletcher and Lai come aboard during a period of strong growth for Stink Studios, which recently opened in Sao Paulo and Shanghai, increased headcount by 31%, revenue by 70% and profit by 100%. This success is matched by its creative output, as Stink Studios continues to be recognized in global award ceremonies.
As the business looks to further develop its offer as a full-service creative studio, Fletcher and Lai are tasked with building its appeal to global brands especially in technology, luxury and entertainment, continuing to deliver top-drawer creative work and driving forward the Stink Studios culture of creativity and innovation, attracting local talent to their offices. They will report to the recently promoted global managing director, James Britton.
Fletcher has a wealth of senior client-side experience, driving Beats by Dr. Dre’s global digital communications and brand for the past four years. Shifting from digital to global brand at the start of 2016, she led strategy and key campaigns, launched the likes of Beats Pill+ and created defining work such as the 2014 World Cup campaign “The Game before the Game.” She joined Beats from Nike, leading campaigns like “Nike Sportswear’s The Chance,” a competition to find creative reporters from around the world to document the brand’s quest to find the top amateur footballers in the world. Prior to Nike, she brought sports lifestyle and culture together at FADER, producing major events for Levis and Converse.
Stink Studios LA was set up in Culver City just two years ago and is already making an impact working on a range of projects, from global clients like Netflix to visionary chef Jordan Khan’s restaurants Destroyer and Vespertine.
Fletcher commented, “Stink Studios is in a unique space–it’s a non-traditional type of agency, a creative studio, that works directly with brands in non-traditional ways. We’ve been neighbors for a while and we’ve hung out at Destroyer. I saw a talented group of people making and doing things differently. It’s the perfect opportunity to be a part of a group that’s blending, shaping and creating a new way to work while bringing my client-side experience to help Stink Studios get closer to entertainment and technology brands and go to the next level.”
Lai has built her career agency-side. At Dentsu’s SAME SAME But Different, she was responsible for a number of important campaigns and digital breakthroughs such as the first social commerce project for Valentino in China–a Valentine’s/Chinese New year campaign for the Rosso Collection–and Fashion Week campaigns for Coach. Previously, she was account lead on the Coca-Cola business at Ogilvy & Mather Shanghai, part of the pitch team that won the Sprite business and repositioned Fanta for a teenage audience.
Lai will build a team and client base in the recently opened Stink Studios Shanghai. Working alongside the established Stink Films team, she will seek to position Stink Studios for brands especially in luxury, which are shifting their content strategies to favor quality over quantity and for whom the Chinese market accounts for a significant proportion of global revenue.
Lai said: “I’ve always wanted to do good work in a digital environment, and that’s a major attraction with Stink Studios…This is what luxury clients are looking for–exceptional craft and technological innovation married to local knowledge, excellent client service and a well run business. I’m looking forward to building on the reputation Stink Films has established in the last 10 years in China and developing a market leading digital offer and team for the Shanghai market.”
Britton related, “It’s always been important to us to bring in new talent that we can learn from; people who can add a new dimension to what we do. Marlina will help us better understand the needs of modern clients and work more closely with entertainment and technology brands, while Pek has a deep understanding of the unique digital landscape of China and the luxury market. Locally, we will always be small enough to allow our leaders to stay hands on with the work, so it’s vital that we bring in people who share our philosophy for quality and purposeful innovation, and that’s definitely the case with Marlina and Pek.”
James Morris, global CEO of Stink group, said of Fletcher and Lai, “Attracting people of their caliber shows the strength of our brand and work globally, and lays important foundations for further network expansion next year. It is my mission to drive diversity throughout the business and I am delighted that we now have an even stronger group of female leaders and have achieved gender parity amongst our MDs.”
