It’s all about the people. Hey, look, here are a few who have just got fancy new jobs.
Pink turns Orange
Mailhouse Orangebox has scored a major coup with the appointment of Tricia Pink as their general manager in Auckland. Orangebox partner Thomas Subritzky says the company was already a major force in the Wellington market, and their special brand of service was brought to a very receptive Auckland in 2008. Now he says things are going just a little bit ballistic.
“We had been looking for someone with a real X-factor for some time to manage our Auckland office; someone who shares our ethic for exceptional service and who can build strong and lasting relationships with our rapidly growing Auckland client base,” he says. “We finally managed to prise Tricia away from Mailshop where she was business strategy manager, and are just so excited about taking the business forward with her.”
Co-partner Stephen Bennett, who always wants the last word, agrees.
“Orangebox loves direct. We aim to be the best and everything we do reflects that. Tricia shares our vision and I can’t wait to have her up and running.”
Tricia starts at Orangebox on August 16. [email protected] Telephone 09 415 3699
High Fidelity
Fidelity Life has appointed Peter Mensah as corporate marketing manager to develop and implement the company’s marketing strategy in the life insurance and investment market. He will primarily guide company strategy and branding, and will also oversee the development and marketing of risk products.
Mensah has been with Fidelity Life since 2003, most recently as risk product manager at its Auckland office.
Fidelity Life chief executive Milton Jennings says Mensah’s industry and company knowledge will be invaluable in his new role and his success in his last role makes him the perfect person to maintain Fidelity Life’s position in the market.
Mensah will also look after risk processes including liaising with reinsurers and actuaries. He will also be responsible for the development of adviser support tools such as illustration applications, product promotion and adviser training.
Prior to joining Fidelity Life Mensah spent several years as a futures and options trader in the financial currencies and commodities markets for MF Global (formerly ED & F Mann) in London, the world’s leading broker of exchange-listed futures and options. But his skills don’t end with insurance: he also spent nine years as a professional rugby player in the UK and Italy, representing England ‘A’ during that time.
I want my MTV (publicist)
MTVN New Zealand has appointed Stephanie Vercoe as publicist for MTV and Comedy Central. And she comes to the network with an interesting background in media, music and marketing.
Most recently Vercoe was national sales and marketing manager at The Radio Network, working on agency business across all platforms and stations. Prior to that, she headed up the marketing teams for DVD and Music at Virgin retail in London. She has also been head of promotions and publicity for Warner Music and marketing assistant at ACP Media.
“We are delighted to have Stephanie onboard and in-house to attend to our growing PR needs. With Stephanie’s extensive knowledge of the New Zealand media landscape and her passion for the MTV Network brands, MTV and Comedy Central are poised to benefit,” says Laura Glassman, channel manager, MTV & Comedy Central NZ. “Stephanie has already rolled up her sleeves for the September launch of Jersey Shore season two which airs exclusively on MTV and a whole slate of territory firsts for Comedy Central including Gravity, Head Case and Party Down”.
Fresh meat
Direct and digital specialist Twenty has added two boffins, Manuel Payan and Mark Emmett, to its arsenal.
Payan, fresh From the dangerous jungles of DDB Bogotá, is “a Colombian creative brimming with graphical ideas that shout REVOLUCIÓN!!!” Deeply influenced by agitators like Jorge Alderete and Eduardo Recife, Payan is a passionate South American art director and he’s ready to make his mark in New Zealand.
Emmett has joined Twenty as senior insights analyst, further strengthening the analytics team. He has spent several years working in marketing analytics for large corporates in both New Zealand and the UK, spanning the financial services and insurance industries. Having previously worked with Twenty on the client side, Emmett is a ready-made fit for the personality and feel of the agency.
“We are really lucky to have sourced pure Columbian talent the standard of Manuel. He complements the ingenious Kiwi analytical skills of Mark,” says Twenty director Hamish Travers.
The Hoff
Oktobor has nabbed former Asylum Visual Effects Los Angeles executive producer David Hofflich as executive producer and head of TVCs.
“Oktobor has been on my radar for over six years as a world-class visual effects and TVC studio,” Hofflich says. “They have produced stellar imagery and continue to create innovative, imaginative and unique products for their clients. As a result the opportunity to run Oktobor’s TVC department made the decision to leave LA a fairly easy one. Oktobor offers me the chance to work in New Zealand with very forward thinking artists and technicians. They recruit from around the world and have made a real effort to ply not just the local advertising market but the global one as well.”
Hofflich is an industry veteran with a wealth of knowledge and expertise, having been involved in the advertising industry for over 15 years working at production companies, post production facilities and advertising agencies including Rock Honey Design, Mrs. K Design, High Ground Media, Kommitted Films and Asylum Visual Effects.
Hofflich’s reel and client list includes notable directors as Herb Ritts, Michael Bay, Ridley and Tony Scott, Lance Kelleher, Joe Carnahan and Eric Saarinen. Hofflich has also been executive producer in campaigns for major brands including Boeing, BMW, Cadillac, Ford, Coca Cola, Wal-Mart, Samsung, Nintendo, Budweiser and Sony through agencies such as TBWA/Chiat/Day, Deutsch, Leo Burnett, BBDO and Wieden & Kennedy amongst many others.
“Together with general manager Bruce Everett we have set very firm goals for my tenure at Oktobor that include making a firm and significant continued commitment to the local New Zealand market, further increasing Oktobor’s global presence and creating additional revenue streams,” he says.
Everett said Hofflich’s decision to join Oktobor is great news for the company and its clients both domestically and overseas.
“With his level of expertise, he is now one of the top commercial VFX Executive Producers in New Zealand and exclusive to Oktobor. David’s appointment also further underlines Oktobor’s continued deep commitment to TVCs and VFX. In addition to his knowledge and experience David brings with him a raft of enviable international relationships and with them opportunities for Oktobor to work on the highest quality projects. This is also great news for the local New Zealand industry and economy. As a group Oktobor is now growing equally in two very distinct areas Oktobor TVC/VFX and Oktobor Animation. I’m delighted that David Hofflich has decided not only to join Oktobor to head up the TVC side of the business, but that he has also committed to growing it and making it an even more significant local and global entity.”
Character Development
There have been a few big changes at the Pond recently, but that hasn’t stopped the flow of specialist freelancers. And this time it’s Edwin McRae, the first screenwriter to come onboard.
McRae’s background writing for Shortland St makes him ideal for projects where character development, story editing or emotive dialogue is critical to the execution and success of an idea.
And The Ponders think his skills could be applied to long format TVCs to develop a character with campaign longevity, another Goldstein, perhaps.
“Viewers that care come back. Don’t interest them. Don’t make them curious. Make them like, loathe, or love, if you can,” he says.
McRae has recently partnered with AUT to develop an educational gaming application for the iPhone, and is developing an interactive Fiction game as a marketing tool for a children’s book.
