Golden days
DDB’s digital creative director Aaron Goldring is heading to London after taking up a role with OgilvyOne.
He has spent more than 12 years working in digital in New Zealand, starting off as an interactive designer with Publicis Rainger before joining AIM Proximity as digital creative lead in 2004, where he worked on projects for the likes of Visa, Yellow, BNZ, Vodafone, Air New Zealand, The Warehouse, Tower and TVNZ.
He moved to RAPP Tribal in 2010, around the same time RAPP and Tribal DDB were combined to create New Zealand’s largest direct and digital specialist agency. Recently, DDB has quietly removed the Tribal brand and moved some of its digital resource back under the DDB umbrella. In 2012, RAPP Tribal was named Australia and New Zealand Digital Agency of the Year by Campaign Asia-Pacific.
DDB chief executive Justin Mowday says it’s a fantastic opportunity for Goldring and it’s “a considerably long way down the track” in finding his replacement.
McIndoe moves down the hill
More DDB moves, with David McIndoe appointed to the role of head of planning at TBWA.
McIndoe, who starts on 18 September, replaces Simon Bird, who is set to join DraftFCB as planning director (its senior planner Hilary Dobson is going on maternity leave).
He joins fellow ex-DDBers like Lisa Fedyszyn, Jonathan McMahon and Steve Kane who have made the same shift to work with TBWA’s executive creative director Toby Talbot.
McIndoe has spent 12 years in the world of advertising and describes himself as a long-serving steward of banks, broadcasters and beer brands alike. His credentials include multiple Effies, as well as being part of the team that won a prestigious gold Creative Effectiveness Lion for Steinlager’s Believe campaign at Cannes earlier this year.
“TBWA is poised for another big chapter in its story,” says McIndoe. “It’s an exciting proposition to become part of an agency which is on the up. Needless to say, I’m thrilled to be part of the team making that a reality.”
TBWA has recently won the Bell Tea business and a TradeMe project, but it probably needs to update its ‘our clients‘ page, because it has lost 2degrees, Pernod Ricard and a big chunk of the Radio Network. It isn’t doing much with Sovereign or Adidas either.
As for Bird, he says he had a great couple of years with TBWA and he’ll “leave with plenty of fond memories and good friends”.
“And I’m delighted to hand over the role to David who I’ve known and respected for many years.”
Chief executive Todd McLeay says Bird has made a huge contribution to the agency, especially his work around the ANZ merger, Tourism New Zealand’s special interest groups and the Bell Tea pitch.
Mowday says it’s nice to see the talented McIndoe get an opportunity to take the next step up to a head of planning role, and while he will be replaced, he says the agency is using his departure as an opportunity to see what the planning department should look like and where it needs to invest.
Blick to Blighty
Waitemata Films co-founder and executive producer Johnny Blick is departing New Zealand for a new life in London.
“My wife is English and we’ve had a long standing agreement that one day we would return to London and that ‘one-day’ has arrived”, says Blick. “However, more importantly, we are very happy to announce that Julie Elstone will take over the helm as executive producer at Waitemata Films”.
Elstone has been executive producer of Silverscreen Australasia and more recently 2011 Axis production company of the year Capital City Films.
“[Capital City Films directors] Peter Burger and Rob Sarkies both have longform drama projects booked for 2014, so when the Waitemata Boys made contact it was perfect timing. I’m looking forward to working with directors Mike Oldershaw, Gary John and Jamie Campbell and continue to develop their work.”
Miller to Mailshop
Charles Miller has joined Mailshop as general manager.
Miller brings extensive experience in the print, mailing, marketing and print supply industries in New Zealand. During the ’90s he was vice president Asia Pacific for the Flint Group (formerly Manders), and then group general manager of PaperlinX New Zealand, which was responsible for both Spicers and Daltons. More recently he was chief executive of the Wickliffe Group prior to its acquisition by Kalamazoo, and most recently was general manager of sales and marketing of PMP, with responsibility for print, distribution, PMP Maxum and Mercury Mailhouse. Miller is also the chairman of the Paper Forum and a director of Print NZ and Pride in Print.
“I am really inspired about the opportunities facing Mailshop at this important phase of our life,” he says. “Marketers have more need than ever to connect with their customers in relevant, impactful ways, ways that will create and develop the critically important ‘one on one relationship’ that today’s consumers demand. We will strive to position ourselves to design and implement solutions that will achieve this end with creativity, reliability and peace of mind.”
Deidre Ross bought the business back off Clemenger Group in May.
Belowtheline on the dais
Indie marketing and promotional agency Belowtheline has taken four awards—gold, silver and two bronze—at this year’s Australasian Promotional Products Association awards, which acknowledge the most creative promotional companies across Australia and New Zealand.
The only New Zealand agency to win gold, Belowtheline scooped the Limited Budget category for its Tia Maria hair straighteners produced for long time client Hancocks Wine Spirits and Beer Merchants, and a bronze in the same category for its Anchor CalciYum chiller lunchboxes, created for Fonterra Brands.
Pendants created forTe Whanau O Waipareira Taonga won silver in the Non-Profit or Charitable Organisation category. While the agency’s hugely popular bespoke design set of three wooden Huggies Animal Toys manufactured for Kimberly-Clark won bronze in the Consumer Programs/Gift With Purchase category.
In other agency news, it is working with new client Mitre 10 and has recently launched its first campaign ‘Dream Big’. SkyCity and George Weston Foods have also been added to the agency’s client base in recent months and Kimberley Hogan has joined as an account manager.
Working primarily on the Fonterra account, she joins after several years at Barnes Catmur & Friends working on Independent Liquor and Samsung, and at DraftFCB on retail account Noel Leeming.
Dabbling in data
Datacom has announced the appointment of Siobhan Keogh as website content and community manager.
In this newly created role, she will be responsible for developing all aspects of Datacom’s online presence for the New Zealand business and engaging with an active online community of developers and beyond.
Keogh has extensive experience in technology journalism and web publishing, having previously worked as both journalist and editor at New Zealand PC World, as a technology presenter on the local youth TV show, U Live and as a contractor for StopPress.
“Siobhan is an absolute live wire with rich real life experience in technology and social media. We’re delighted that she’s joined us to help our already active online community truly scale,” says Erica Lloyd, Datacom director of communications.
In full voice
Adding to an existing network of offices in Auckland, Hong Kong and Beijing, Voice Brand Agency has set up a new office in Sydney.
“Voice has always been a specialist agency, in many ways ahead of its time,” says Jonathan Sagar, group executive creative director. “What drives our success with clients is the combination of experience, capability and relevance. We know what a brand needs to be successful now. VBA also has a definite perspective on brands in the Asian Century, which is the context in which we all do business these days.”
Voice founding partner and expat Kiwi Adrienne Bateup-Carlson, returning to Australia after several years in senior strategy and executive agency roles in greater China, will head up the Sydney office. Her experience spans Australasia, Asia and European markets, most recently leading integrated marketing for Interpublic Group in Beijing China.
Mobile man
InMobi has appointed Jon White as the new regional director and general manager of Australia and New Zealand.
White joins InMobi with over 24 years of experience, holding senior management roles at Aegis Media, Mitchell Communication Group, Zenith Media and George Patterson Advertising.
Most recently, White was the chief investment officer at Aegis Media, where he was responsible for overall negotiation and trading of traditional and digital media budgets, worth over A$1.7 billion a year. He also served within Aegis as business development director, driving new business opportunities group-wide, across 29 marketing services companies.
“The mobile advertising industry is in a period of enormous expansion. Last month, digital media overtook TV as the biggest spending sector in the advertising industry, of which mobile is showing the strongest growth at 190 percent year-on-year,” he says. “InMobi is at the forefront of this rapidly changing landscape, leading mobile advertising in Asia and across the globe.”
White’s appointment coincides with the transfer of Francisco Cordero, previous general manager of InMobi Australia and New Zealand, to the InMobi New York City office, where he now serves as vice president and general manager of brand sales.
Handle the candle
Ecoya has chosen Bare PR as its new public relations agency in New Zealand, taking over from Pead PR.
“Our synergy runs parallel to their organic focus and sustainable ethos, which has been firmly established throughout ten years of working closely together to successfully promote and establish the Trilogy brand,” says chief executive of Ecoya and Trilogy International Stephen Sinclair. “It made sense to consolidate that relationship to deliver our key brand messages on behalf of Ecoya also, streamlining our strategies and targeted avenues of communication with media and the general public.”
