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Year in Review: Alex Lawson, ZenithOptimedia

Every year, StopPress asks players in the local industry for their reflections on the marketing year that was. Here’s what the group business director at ZenithOptimedia Auckland, Alex Lawson, thought about 2015. 

1. Favourite local campaign that isn’t yours

Short and sweet but the BMW April Fool’s Day piece was a great tactical and opportunistic piece of work that made me smile straight away then gnash my teeth for not taking the ad to the showroom myself. Perfect.

2. Favourite campaign that is yours

Speight’s ‘We Will’. Selling beer by the medium of sheds. Loved working on it and it was really successful too!

3. Favourite international campaign

Can I have two here? Both are great examples of online video used for very different outcomes.

First I loved the ‘Gun Store’ campaign from Grey New York and States United to Prevent Gun Violence. Such a powerful message encapsulated in a brilliant idea and simply executed for mass effect.

The second would have to be Geico’s ‘Unskippable’ – and if you don’t love 25 seconds of a giant dog on a dinner table eating spaghetti whilst a family tries to stay still I’m not sure you’re technically alive.

4. Least favourite campaign

Air NZ Men in Black. Best airline in the world for me, kicked some great goals with these safety videos in the past but Israel Dagg rapping sent this kick sailing wide.

5. Your own biggest success 

Being the only media agency to win a Gold at Spikes Asia for Steinlager ‘Deep Dive’.

6. Favourite magazine/website/TV show/radio show/podcast/news service/app/song/other

Right, here we go…

Magazine – Iron & Air

Website – I’m loving The Spinoff right now, which surprises me but it’s consistently good and with the absolute best article on the Scout affair which was riveting. Good work team!

TV Show – Argghh- where to start…so much good stuff but if I had to choose; Mad Men. Still crying inside that that has finished.

Radio Show – I don’t really listen to a lot but if I do it tends to be the Hauraki Breakfast. Honourable mention to the Saturday Special with Mr Steve Simpson.

Podcast – I’d like to sound really clever here and say my favourite is This American Life, Here’s the Thing, Serial or Startup, something smart and trendy like that (although I do listen to them regularly) but I’m afraid it’s Around the NFL as I’m a massive American Football fan. Has to be listened to as soon as it hits my feed.

News Service – NZ Herald. It’s not perfect, but I like it.

App – All the apps on my phone are pretty functional to the chagrin of my kids, but Spotify is one of the most used, and yes, I pay to not have the ads.

Song – Cairo Knife Fight – Rezlord. Do yourself a favour and check them out if you haven’t. Insanely talented NZ band and the video is great.

7. Most ridiculous buzzword

Selfie – and our seemingly unquenchable thirst to use it in our campaigns.

8. Best innovation

360 degree interactive video. Personalised video experiences that can be different every time. Brilliant.

9. Most over-hyped ‘innovation’ 

Influencer campaigns that are nothing more than sending a blogger with more than 20 followers a gift pack and hoping they’ll Instagram it.

10. Best brands

ZenithOptimedia of course!

But brand All Blacks probably won this year on and off the field as the menagerie of All Blacks campaigns and sponsors coming out of the woodwork would prove. 

11. Best stoush of the year

New Zealand Herald vs Mediaworks. The appetite that the old NZH attack dogs had for The Bachelor, Rachel Glucina / Scout, Mark Weldon and his wines was pretty hearty and quite a rollercoaster to ride on as a reader!

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