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Movings/Shakings: 1 May

Droga5 appoints bcg2’s Chris Long, production house 8com opens up in New Zealand, three agencies fly Kiwi flag at Asian Marketing Effectiveness awards, APN announces its new motoring editor, The Sweet Shop welcomes award-winning UK director to the family, Yahoo! adds two to its sales stable and Aegis Media appoints a shopper marketing specialist.

The Long tail

Droga5 New Zealand has announced the appointment of Chris Long, who has been the creative director at bcg2 in Auckland for the past two years.

Highlights during his tenure there included recent Orca winning work for Jester’s Pies, as well as a highly regarded campaign for Coruba. Prior to that he  held copywriting roles at Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand and Ogilvy Auckland, working on the likes of Tui, Westpac and, most notably, a highly awarded radio campaign for L&P, which he co-wrote.

“Chris and I worked together closely at Saatchi’s,” Droga5 creative partner Mike O’Sullivan says. “He’s a great all-round bloke who’ll partner really well with Nathan Cooper. Nathan joins us from Anomaly in a few weeks’ time. We’re excited to have them both on board.”

 Com to Papa 

After twenty years of flying back and forth across the Tasman, 8com owner and executive producer Mike Vanderfield has decided it’s time the production house had a presence in the New Zealand market and has set up shop in Auckland with ex Curious Film director Josh Frizzell, Katie Millington as executive producer and director Andy Morton on the roster.

Josh Frizzell

Andy Morton 

Katie Millington

“I left New Zealand twenty years ago after working at Mojo Auckland and started repping New Zealand-based directors in Australia. At the time, there were no New Zealand directors or production companies active in the Australian market and in those days there was some resistance from Aussie agencies to New Zealand directors. These days it’s very much one market and with budget pressures and the strong AUD, it feels like a good time to come full circle and open up shop in Auckland.”

Infinity Squared, a company dedicated to creating, producing and distributing brand funded and original entertainment for online, mobile, TV and film, will also be available through 8com in Auckland.

“TVC’s are still our core focus [8com has recently done work for ASB and TAB]. However, some of our directors now cross over into the content work for new business,” Vanderfield says. “Infinity Squared is an exciting and new prospect for New Zealand agencies, as they offer an entirely fresh approach to the digital realm. With Josh and Andy, Infinity Squared and the Australian roster of 8com directors, I’m confident we will be a strong creative force In New Zealand.”

Oriental express 

Colenso, DDB and DraftFCB flew the flag for New Zealand at the Asian Marketing Effectiveness Awards, which were announced yesterday.

DrafFCB’s The Journal took gold in most effective use of direct marketing, Colenso took gold for best ideas for Mountain Dew Skatepark and a silver in best sustained success for V, and DDB Auckland earned a bronze for most effective use of advertising for Instant Kiwi’s Believe it or Not.

The platinum award went to NAB and Clemenger Sydney’s The Break Up.

Driving Mr Greenop

Matt Greenop has been appointed as motoring editor for APN. He will take responsibility for overseeing editorial content in motoring print and online publications across the APN group, including The New Zealand Herald, nzherald.co.nz and APN Regional Newspapers in New Zealand.

Greenop, who takes up his role this week, has been online technology and motoring editor at APN Digital for the past five years. He has many years’ experience in motoring journalism, including web, magazines and newspapers in New Zealand and overseas.

“We’ve got some great plans as we move forward and will continue to keep promoting all things that matter to the motoring public, and cement our irrefutable position as the biggest motoring publication in the country,” he says. “Driven has now ticked over a year old and has been more of a success than we ever expected, thanks to the amazing team that’s been on board since its launch.”

Liz Dobson, of the Herald’s Driven publications and an experienced motoring journalist, will be his deputy.

Alastair Sloane, who has been the Herald’s motoring editor since 1997, is moving to a new role as APN’s senior motoring correspondent. He will work as freelance writer for the Driven product he helped create. For a long time he single-handedly carried the motoring content. He has a rich depth of knowledge and exceptional relations with the key figures in Auckland and New Zealand’s car industry.

Haworth the wait

Pencil, Arrow and Lion-winning UK comedy specialist James Haworth has joined The Sweet Shop for international representation.

“To date James has been doing great work with US, Canadian and UK agencies, I am so looking forward to bringing him down to work with agencies throughout Asia, Australia and New Zealand” says George Mackenzie, The Sweet Shopʼs managing director NZ/Asia/MENA.

Two for Yahoo! 

 

Yahoo! New Zealand has made two new appointments to its digital sales team, with Jenn Adams and Mana Tai joining as senior account managers.

“With the experience that Jenn and Mana bring to the team I’m confident that we are well placed to deliver the high levels of service that our agency partners have come to expect,” says sales director Louis Niven.

Adams brings with her over ten years’ experience in agency and media sales having worked in outdoor, magazines, online media sales and TV. And Tai has eight years’ experience, predominately in agency and Australian media, working across a vast variety of clients and categories.

Shop to the system

Aegis Media has appointed Simon Tebbutt in a newly created role as head of shopper and retail strategy in Australia and New Zealand, based in Sydney.

He will work across Aegis Media’s Activations agencies Apollo, Impact and Synergy and has experience developing shopper marketing solutions and retail strategies for clients such as Sainsbury’s, Woolworths and Aldi as well GSK, Heinz, and Unilever.

Tebbutt has held senior roles at M&C Saatchi, BMF and Publicis Mojo in Australia as well as Ogilvy and retail specialist Storm in the UK.

“The Activations offering at Aegis Media is quite unique in terms of the strength of the individual agencies, the tools and resources they use, and the depth of knowledge available within the group,” says Tebbutt. “The teams in place are extremely passionate and dedicated and there’s a well established direction for the division. It will be great to be part of the development and growth of the Activations division.”

“We have recently developed new strategic tools and are broadening the skill set of our offering to provide clients with a deeper level of insight and strategic support,” says David Fish, managing director of Aegis Media’s Activations division. “Simon’s experience in the shopper and retail space adds considerable weight to our offer.”

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