Look, let's be honest, SOOP affiliate PlayD has just brought in Heo Ik-seo as creative chief director (CD) and kicked off a brand new four-division operating system on August 14. Through this rather cheeky corporate reshuffle, PlayD intends to speed up its expansion into fresh business ventures, aligning nicely with the integrated advertising and marketing brand launch that SOOP is pushing for the second half of this year.

The newly recruited Heo Ik-seo is a seasoned veteran with 20 years of experience who has spearheaded massive campaigns like McDonald's Big Mac Song. He has bagged Cannes Lions Titanium and Grand Prix awards, developing a broad industry perspective and distinct execution skills while moving through foreign and digital agencies. Right before this gig, Heo Ik-seo headed the production division at Serviceplan Korea and even landed in the top three for the most award-winning creative directors in South Korea for 2024, proving serious talent both domestically and internationally.

Through this personnel move, PlayD has appointed Heo Ik-seo as the head of the Creative Solution Division, which has now been elevated to division status. The plan is to push expertise beyond existing AI and data-driven digital performance creative capabilities into integrated marketing creative fields covering brand strategy and campaigns overall.

Following this corporate reorganization, PlayD is boosting competitiveness across business sectors centred around four divisions: the Marketing Division, Growth Strategy Division, Creative Solution Division, and Management Planning Division. Song Ki-baek, who led SOOP's acquisition of PlayD last year, joined early this year as head of the Management Planning Division to prep group synergies, strategic investments, and new business rollouts. The Marketing Division has gained fresh energy with the recruitment of branding campaign and gaming marketing experts, alongside a dedicated team.

PlayD is solidifying its existing business competitiveness based on a four-division structure that includes Marketing Division Head Choi Hyun-seok and Growth Strategy Division Head Ryu Jae-shin, who oversees media and solution businesses. Moreover, the firm plans to accelerate entry into new businesses as a key pillar of the integrated advertising and marketing brand that SOOP is driving in the second half.

Cho-myung-jin, CEO of PlayD, noted that by strengthening creative and gaming marketing capabilities, the company has laid the groundwork to expand business domains beyond AI-driven performance marketing into new ventures linked with branding. The CEO added that based on organic collaboration between the four divisions and synergy effects with SOOP and group companies, PlayD will broaden the scope of advertising and marketing operations while sharpening competitiveness as a differentiated AI marketing partner.