SALT rebrands as Constant ahead of European expansion

Boutique agency SALT has chosen a new name in preparation to open its first overseas office in Copenhagen this coming March.With the new identity, Constant will bring a more holistic service offering to its client, focusing on all areas of digital brand building.The expansion to Europe is a rarity in the industry, where Western agencies setting up shop in Asia is the norm. But for Constant, it was a logical next step that can bring a new perspective to current and future clients.Tim Ho, partner and creative director, said there was a trend of more Asian companies wanting to go global and adapt global design thinking."This is interesting for us. We want to help Asian companies grow.”The move marks further momentum for the Hong Kong-born agency, having landed regional work for Nikon, Wrangler and New Balance in the past year alone.He added that Copenhagen was the right fit for Constant, which has developed a design-centric profile in Hong Kong."Copenhagen is known as one of the design capitals of the world, both in the classic sense but also in growing fields such as service and user experience design. Design is seen as a core value of a business, which is in line with Constant’s beliefs."The Copenhagen office will be managed by Tem Hansen, partner and strategy director, while still spending time with clients in Asia.“Design is part of the DNA in the Nordic countries and there’s an acknowledgment of how design can transform a business. We would like to bring more of that culture to businesses in Hong Kong and Asia,” Hansen said.As part of the expansion, Constant will tap into the talent pool of the Nordic countries, where disciplines like UX and UI design are further developed.To support the vision, Constant has completed the first of many strategic hires that will strengthen the tie between the two offices: HenrikXu, a graduate of the renowned digital academy Hyper Island, trades Stockholm for Hong Kong in a role as interactive art director.Talent acquisition and exchange is part of the agenda for Constant, but it won’t change the agency’s strategy of staying agile and working with a large network of external partners from all over the world.