Singapore – 22 September 2026: VIRTUE Asia has appointed Cherish Lee as Strategy Director and promoted Marie Lee to Strategy Director, enhancing its leadership in strategy as the agency broadens its focus beyond traditional campaigns into cultural platforms, entertainment, and intellectual property (IP).
The pair exemplifies a new type of strategist, skilled in culture, creativity, entertainment, social media, and content, enabling brands to cultivate lasting value within cultural contexts.
Huiwen Tow, Head of Strategy at VIRTUE Asia, remarked, “The strategist of the future needs to look beyond advertising. They must grasp cultural dynamics, entertainment’s influence on behavior, community formation, and the value of partnerships. Cherish and Marie, though bringing different experiences, share the curiosity and creative ambition essential for modern strategy. As VIRTUE Asia evolves, they’ll guide clients to engage with culture authentically, rather than just participating superficially.”
These appointments coincide with VIRTUE Asia’s expansion into new regions and broader problem-solving for brands. The agency recently launched VIRTUE Arabia in July, supplementing its operations in India. Additionally, it announced “Inside Microdramas,” an upcoming industry upfront that examines the growing vertical entertainment economy, alongside V47 Entertainment—a joint venture with Goldfinch International aimed at developing brand-enabled content across Asia.
Returning to Singapore after 13 years in the U.S., Cherish Lee brings a wealth of experience from top culture-driven agencies like Wieden+Kennedy, Droga5, and Anomaly. She has worked with brands such as Amazon Music, Starbucks, Lululemon, and HOKA, offering a global perspective to VIRTUE Asia’s mission of integrating brands deeply into culture.
Cherish expressed her excitement about returning, saying, “After 13 years in the U.S., I’m thrilled by the rapid creative evolution in Asia. The best briefs now transcend traditional categories of advertising, entertainment, or experience, which is why I joined VIRTUE. There’s potential to merge these domains and create ideas that resonate, inviting people to participate in brand narratives.”
Marie Lee, newly promoted to Strategy Director after joining as Senior Strategist in 2024, has been pivotal in extending the strategy’s role from cultural analysis to client growth and innovative business models. Recently, she led the strategy for the global Shiseido Clé de Peau Beauté social AOR pitch, securing a longstanding partnership for an eighth consecutive year, while collaborating with V47 Entertainment to identify opportunities at the nexus of brands, entertainment, and IP. With expertise in documentary research, cultural forecasting, social insights, and content strategy, Marie represents a new generation of strategists who are pushing beyond traditional briefs to leverage cultural shifts for fresh growth avenues.
Marie commented, “Brands now have vast opportunities to engage with culture as creators, not just advertisers. My experience at VIRTUE has highlighted the expanding role of strategy, which often begins before a brief is even formed, identifying cultural movements and transforming them into opportunities for brands—be they platforms, partnerships, or entertainment properties. I’m eager to continue evolving strategy’s contribution, not only to our projects but also to our future endeavors.”
