Spikes Asia to become LIONS Asia from September 2027

MUMBAI: The creative compass is getting a new name, as Spikes Asia prepares to trade its familiar identity for LIONS Asia after nearly four decades of spotlighting Asia-Pacific creativity.

The rebrand will bring the Asia-Pacific creative marketing community closer to the wider LIONS network, with the Asia Lions Awards becoming part of the new structure. The first LIONS Asia Festival of Creativity and Asia Lions Awards will be held in Singapore in September 2027.

The change comes as the boundaries between advertising, technology, entertainment and commerce continue to overlap. LIONS is positioning the new platform around a broader definition of creativity, linking ideas not just to creative recognition but also to business performance, customer growth, innovation and competitive advantage.

At the centre of the new structure will be the LIONS Asia Festival of Creativity, bringing together marketers, creatives, agencies, technology companies, platforms, entertainment businesses, consultancies and business leaders.

The festival will combine the wider LIONS ecosystem, including WARC, Effie and Contagious, with executive forums, learning experiences, networking opportunities and industry content. The focus will extend beyond creative inspiration to how organisations can use creativity as a tool for growth, transformation and innovation.

The second pillar, the Asia Lions Awards, will recognise creative ideas, brands and talent across the Asia-Pacific region. The awards will focus on work demonstrating local innovation while connecting with culture and audiences across borders.

There is also a calendar change in the works. The new festival will return to September, the original month for the event, after it had previously been held in March. LIONS said the shift follows feedback from marketers, agencies and industry leaders and is intended to establish a more relevant focal point in the regional industry calendar.

The move also continues LIONS’ partnership with Haymarket Asia, which has been associated with Spikes Asia for decades. The new structure will build on that legacy while expanding opportunities for the regional creative community to learn, connect and gain recognition.

Beyond the September festival, LIONS Asia is intended to give APAC creative and marketing professionals greater year-round access to LIONS’ intelligence, learning, benchmarks and global network. The offering will be shaped around the cultural and commercial realities of the region rather than functioning solely as an annual gathering.

That year-round ambition reflects how the creative industry itself has changed. With brands increasingly operating across platforms and disciplines, the value of an idea is being measured not only by how well it travels creatively but also by what it does for businesses and audiences.

The first LIONS Asia edition in Singapore will therefore mark more than a change of signage. It will bring the long-running Spikes Asia platform into a wider LIONS framework, putting creativity, effectiveness and business growth on the same stage.