Sweatshop nabs former Havas Play creative lead as chief creative technologist

Independent creative agency Sweatshop has appointed AC Ngai (pictured far right) as partner and chief creative technologist.

Ngai joins from Havas Play, where he was creative and technology lead, building the agency’s AI capabilities and integrating the technology into its creative workflows. He has also held creative and technology roles at We Are Social and BBH.

At Sweatshop, Ngai will lead the agency’s AI practice, focusing on new approaches to creating, prototyping and automating creative work, as well as helping clients navigate the growing use of AI in the creative process.

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The appointment also reunites Ngai with Sweatshop co-founder and CCO Adrian Yeap (pictured centre), with the pair having first worked together as junior creatives before reconnecting as senior creatives at DDB.

Yeap said the appointment was driven by both their shared creative approach and Ngai’s ability to bring technology into the agency’s work.

“The best work is done when great minds come together to solve a brief, not simply adding slides of jargon or just turning up for a presentation,” he said.

“As we grow, we don't want to become a bigger version of everyone else. We want to become a better version of ourselves. Ngai doesn't just add another creative voice, he brings an entirely new dimension to our creative game," added Yeap.

Ngai said his move was an opportunity to help shape how creative agencies work as AI becomes more embedded in production.

“The comfortable version is that AI makes taste matter more. The honest version is that it removes the excuse. When an execution takes an afternoon, there's nowhere left to hide a thin idea. That's bad news for a lot of the industry and very good news for clients,” he said.

In addition, co-founder and CEO James Chua (pictured far left) said the agency was looking to build its AI capabilities through expertise rather than simply adding headcount.

“Every agency today is asking how AI fits into creativity. We wanted someone who was already answering that question through the work. AC gives us a capability that's increasingly important for our clients, while fitting perfectly into the culture we've built from day one,” he said.

Founded in 2024 by Yeap and Chua, Sweatshop was established around a leaner agency model designed to reduce some of the layers and inefficiencies associated with traditional agency structures.

With Ngai joining the partnership, the agency plans to continue developing AI-enabled creative workflows and experimenting with new forms of creative production.

“The future doesn't need more prompts. It needs better people asking better questions," said Chua. 

His appointment comes as Sweatshop expands its client roster, with recent business wins including Scoot and work for Lau Pa Sat and Samaritans of Singapore.

As the appointed agency, Sweatshop will be responsible for Scoot's global social strategy, creative development, content creation, community management and social-first campaigns across the airline’s international markets, excluding China.

The appointment took effect in mid-July 2026, with Sweatshop supporting Scoot across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and X.

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