CANNES — Hill+Knowlton Strategies has launched the Shanghai Addition, a team that will focus on connecting Chinese brands with global audiences, cultures and markets. The expansion was announced at the 2017 Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity during H+K's event entitled 'China's Age of Ambition.'

The team currently works with Chinese brands including Huawei, Honor and Envision, providing business, innovation, data and creative services to help them and others grow creatively and quickly into key markets.

"Economic and political shifts in the world present a greater than ever opportunity for China and Chinese brands to step onto the global stage in a meaningful way," said Richard Millar, CEO, H+K UK. "Our Shanghai Addition offering is personal and client centric, based in Shanghai but networked globally. And our knowledge is based on years of expertise underpinned by deep cross-cultural, human and market insights. 

The Shanghai Addition is backed by the H+K network and WPP, and is an extension of the firm's global center of creative strategy in London. It is led by Millar and Simon Shaw, chief creative strategist at H+K Strategies. 

"The Shanghai Addition brings the skills of the London Center of Creative Strategy to China. It will house a fluid agile team focused on the new services and products demanded by the changing needs of our clients. It's purpose is to serve the global ambitions of Chinese brands by developing strategies to connect them with audiences around the world through H+K's extensive network," said Jack Martin, global chairman and CEO, H+K.