Why VIRTUE Asia's Shocking New Hire from VaynerMedia Will Change Entertainment Branding Forever!

In a strategic move to amplify its presence in the evolving landscape of entertainment-led brand building, VIRTUE Asia has appointed William Beale as its new creative director. This appointment signals the agency's commitment to enhancing cultural storytelling across its luxury and hospitality portfolios throughout Southeast Asia.

Beale will spearhead creative initiatives across all markets where VIRTUE Asia operates, focusing on helping brands integrate meaningfully into entertainment ecosystems and creator-led platforms. His extensive background at the intersection of brand creativity and entertainment makes him an ideal fit for this role.

Bringing over 12 years of experience, Beale has delivered integrated creative work that spans the Asia Pacific region, including advertising, music, and live performance. Prior to joining VIRTUE Asia, he served as a creative director at VaynerMedia, where he led campaigns for prominent APAC clients such as Disney Studios—covering brands like Marvel, Pixar, and 20th Century Studios—as well as Prudential, Subway, and SK-II. His tenure at VaynerMedia was marked by significant wins, securing new business for brands like Twisties, Optus, and Carlton United Breweries.

Beale’s earlier roles at UltraSuperNew Singapore and VMLY&R Asia further solidified his expertise in creative, cultural, and brand strategy. His portfolio includes collaborations with global brands such as Coca-Cola, Johnnie Walker, Under Armour, PUMA, and Spotify. Notably, he developed branded entertainment properties, including a series for Martell NCF that focused on Asia's drag culture and heavy metal scene.

According to Huiwen Tow, head of strategy at VIRTUE Asia, Beale’s appointment reflects the agency’s ambition to create brands that resonate at the intersection of entertainment and culture. Tow emphasized, “Beale understands how ideas need to work as experiences people actively choose to engage with. His grounding in entertainment, combined with his creative leadership across Asia, makes him uniquely placed to help our clients create work that has cultural weight and longevity.”

In discussing his new role, Beale remarked, “Culture moves fastest through entertainment, whether that’s music, film, gaming, or new creator formats. The future belongs to ideas people choose to spend time with, not skip past, and that’s exactly what VIRTUE Asia is building: an infrastructure designed to push branded creativity into its next chapter.”

This strategic appointment arrives on the heels of the launch of V47 Entertainment, VIRTUE Asia's branded entertainment studio developed in partnership with Goldfinch International. This initiative aims to help brands create long-form cultural intellectual property across Asia, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and the Global South. V47 Entertainment is focused on developing brand-backed films, series, anthology formats, microdramas, digital universes, and creator-led stories.

The collaboration merges VIRTUE Asia's cultural and creative capabilities with Goldfinch International’s financing structures and production networks. This partnership comes at a pivotal moment when marketers are increasingly seeking long-term brand relevance amid rising AI automation and shifting media consumption habits.

Beale’s leadership is expected to drive VIRTUE Asia’s vision forward, ensuring that brands not only engage with audiences but also become integral parts of the cultural fabric. As the agency navigates this new era of growth, the focus on entertainment-driven storytelling could redefine how brands connect with consumers across diverse platforms.