Creative catch-up: MBCS' Kevin Le

In an industry where attention is increasingly fragmented and ideas are shaped by data, trends and technology, creativity has become less about having a good idea and more about knowing how to make it count.

With more than two decades across Malaysia and Indonesia, MBCS executive creative director Kevin Le has seen the industry evolve from traditional advertising to today’s fast-moving, digital-first landscape.

In this edition of Creative catch-up, he shares why creativity should remain a playground, how a laxative brief taught him that sometimes the answer is staring you in the face, and why Malaysia’s creative industry needs to cheer each other on more.  

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A+M What does creativity mean to you today, and how has your definition of it evolved over your career?

Creativity is like the 2026 World Cup – a new format with more teams than before – competing for the biggest prize: Attention. And with new success metrics today, you need to be precise. Or else VAR will catch you.

A+M: What makes creativity truly unique in your view, especially in an industry where ideas are constantly being shaped by trends and constraints?

It is why I got into advertising in the first place… there is always something new to try.

A+M: With marketing becoming increasingly driven by data and performance metrics, how do you personally protect and develop your creative intuition?

Moving the needle for clients is paramount.

Understanding the challenges and not just coming up with ideas because they are creative.

But it takes a village to do this so the MBCS team practises an open policy where everyone has a say in idea generation.

A+M: Do you experience creative fatigue? What does that look like for you, and how do you navigate through it?

Often. And it can be nerve-wracking. It’s the moments where you realise the job is not the fun playground it used to be. I don’t always get it right, but navigating it means pushing the boundaries in offbeat ways, until you unlock the door to the playground again.

A+M: Can you share a personal moment where you were stuck on a brief, and eventually found a breakthrough idea in an unexpected way?

Nearly 30 years ago, a brief for a laxative landed on my lap. And because medicines advertisements are regulated, you can’t make exaggerated claims. So one night when everyone had mostly left the office, I was just staring at the packaging in my hand – and the solution was staring back at me. The ad that went out was the packaging box with the bottom flaps hanging wide open. It taught me early on that there’s no fixed formula — and sometimes, the best creative solution is just to let things drop.

A+M: Creativity is highly subjective. How do you personally process feedback or criticism when it challenges your work?

I process with the team and collectively, we decide the best way forward.

A+M: Looking back at the Malaysian creative industry, what shifts have stood out most to you, both in the work and in how agencies operate?

Most of what we do these days is on digital with social being the main channel. Being able to deliver quickly is key. Acting on trends before they are no longer trends. I think the big shift is that we have less time to cook up good ideas (which also involves full rollout plans). Guess this is where AI helps a bit.

A+M: Beyond your own experience, what do you think the Malaysian creative scene needs more of right now to grow in a meaningful way?

We are a small industry but there’s ambition. Many of us are agency friends so we should cheer one another on more. When a Malaysian agency does well, it spurs everyone else on. Malaysia Olé!

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