… as Pead PR has a growth spurt, award-winning ad photographer Rory Carter signs with International Rescue, Loyalty New Zealand welcomes an old face back to the office, McCann Worldgroup New Zealand snaps up a talented creative couple, Twenty nabs a creative director and Omnilab Media goes for the digital jugular.
Pead my lips
It’s been a busy few weeks for Pead PR. First it was pushing the new ASB campaign, then it was telling Fastline off for misquoting Orcon’s Quentin Reade, and now, with the “brand building consultancy” closing in on its tenth birthday, it’s moved to new offices in Mt Eden and has announced a number of new appointments.
Former staffer Jen Ferguson has returned to the roost after hanging up her boots with Mango, a couple of senior account managers have been promoted and five other new full-timers have joined the fray.
With the departure of Quentin Reade (who’s now heading brand comms at Pead PR client Orcon), Ferguson comes back to head up the technology team as group account director and will further develop the social media division for the agency.
And with an expanding client base, the technology team has been split into two with former senior account managers Angely Grecia and Esmée Dunlop now promoted to account directors.
Ferguson also takes over a growing technology team with Simon Smith, recently returned to New Zealand from eight years in the UK and was most recently with Hill & Knowlton in London, appointed as an account manager and Sonia Singh, previously marketing assistant with Walt Disney Studios in New Zealand, as account executive.
Pead PR has also appointed former contractor Shuk Yin Liew to a staff role as a senior account manager and interns Victoria Ellis and Rebecca Churchill have be given full time AE roles within the business
The extra humans are to support “organic growth in existing business” as well as recent wins for the agency, most notably the Malaysian Trade account. The Malaysian Kitchen Programme will see a yearlong calendar of promoting Malaysian cuisine in New Zealand.
Got Carter
Rory Carter, one of New Zealandʼs—and, having recently been selected as one of Luerzerʼs Archive Best 200 Ad Photographers Worldwide for 2010/2011, the world’s—top conceptual ad photographers has joined the International Rescue ranks.
Carterʼs three-part series for the New Zealand Army via Saatchi and Saatchi Wellington was selected from a total of 6,539 submissions across 48 countries by a panel of industry-leading art directors, creative directors and photographers.
Hailing from South Africa and having shot extensively throughout London, Europe and Asia, Carterʼs style is strongly slanted towards highly conceptual ad photography with an irrevocably clean, polished look. While best known for his distinct concept images, Carter is also sought after for his solid automotive, landscape and product photography and has shot for clients including Nike, Mercedes Benz, BMW, Land Rover, Sanyo and ABSA Bank.
Carterʼs Luerzerʼs win adds to his pool of awards which include Cannes (Dunlop, Eskom, Whiskas and Nike), Lourie Awards (Dunlop, Whiskas and Nike), The One Show USA (Dunlop) and the New Zealand Axis Awards (Pink Batts).
Carter now joins International Rescueʼs nine photographers, 17 illustrators and five animators.
“Iʼm very excited to be joining up with the energetic and vibrant team at International Rescue and to be amongst New Zealandʼs best artists,” says Carter. “I believe its beneficial for all parties involved, especially the agencies and clients, who Iʼm sure like to know that they can pick up the phone anytime and have their questions answered.”
International Rescue executive agent/producer Rob Finn believes there is a solid gap in the market for Carter’s style.
“Roryʼs a talented professional and a hell of a nice guy. Iʼve always loved his clean and humorous style but his work speaks for itself – itʼs great to have him on board.”
Call me Loyal
Loyalty New Zealand, the operator of Fly Buys, has appointed Carolyn Mettrick to the role of key account manager, grocery, filling the final key account manager position in its customer engagement team.
A Wellingtonian—and a passionate marketer—Mettrick worked with Loyalty New Zealand as business development manager, 2003-2007. This time around she’s looking after the Foodstuffs account and will be working with some of the most well known brands in the Fly Buys Programme including New World, Liquorland and Henry’s.
“This role appeals to me as it’s an opportunity to return to my passion; direct marketing. I’ll be working on our strategy for the fast paced grocery sector, which is a challenge I;m really looking forward too,” she says.
During her career she’s also been employed by Royal Sun Alliance Life Insurance.
Chief executive officer Lance Walker says Mettrick’s return to the company after a few years working elsewhere is “testament to the great working environment and culture that we have built up at Loyalty New Zealand.
“Carolyn brings business development and product development experience from CIGNA Life Insurance with her, along with extensive experience in strategy and direct marketing.
Mettrick reports to Chris Lamers, head of customer engagement. Other recent starters at Loyalty New Zealand are Adele Pieterse, Senior HR & Payroll Advisor and Amy Wall, office administrator and PA to Lance Walker.
Bright young things
McCann Worldgroup (NZ) has employed Charles Twaddle and Edward Knowles after being impressed by them at the Media Design School’s Adschool end of year show.
“They created quite a stir at the show. Ollie (Maisey, creative director) liked their book. Then we found out one of them was a model and the other’s the lead singer of The Checks, so we knew they’d be a perfect addition to the agency,” says general manager Sue-Ellen Craig.
The pair nabbed the NAB student newspaper ad of the year award for their AMI ‘All the Time’ campaign.
Further afield, McCann Worldgroup appointed Linus Karlsson as the chairman and chief creative officer of McCann Erickson London and New York. He joins from Mother NY, which he founded in 2003 and was named Creativity’s ‘Agency of the Year.
Prior to Mother, Karlsson worked at Fallon for seven years.
Got a Twenty?
Digital and direct shop Twenty has appointed Kenton Osmond, formerly head of art at Rapp, as its first fulltime creative director.
“Kenton is a creative leader with the strategic nous to make a real difference,” says Twenty director Simon Breed. And he’s also taken home Gold and Silver RSVPs, a couple of Bronze Caples and a Bronze Cannes Lion.
Digital jugular
In a move seen as the biggest signal yet of Omnilab Media, the parent company of Oktobor and Oktobor Animation, making a major play in the Internet Protocol TV space in Australia, the company has promoted Tom Kennedy into the newly created role of executive director, group digital services.
Kennedy, who was also recently promoted to general manager of The Playroom, now takes on a broader leadership role across the entire Omnilab Media group of 17 companies.
Kennedy has been a key part of the team which has seen The Playroom go from being a channel playout centre to a major content manager, aggregator and digital distribution hub in the last three years.
“We have created an opportunistic and innovative culture at Omnilab through clever digital strategies, smart acquisitions and a significant investment in R&D,” he says. “It’s the perfect time to make the most of all of Omnilab Media’s considerable resources in the digital space and to highlight the fact that we can provide real, working solutions in key areas like digital cinema and IPTV.”
