Browsing: Christmas

News
Away in a manger, a LifePod for a bed: Young & Shand puts a modern spin on the nativity scene
By

The vast majority of Christmas-themed advertising that flooded onto media channels during November and December featured the rotund imagery of Santa Claus smiling and handing out gifts. However, when challenged by philanthropist and scientist Ray Avery to develop a campaign encouraging Kiwis to support the development of his LifePod technology through donations, Young & Shand veered away from Santa Claus and instead used more traditional imagery to get its point across.

News
Watch the meat packs
By

As advertisers spread news about all those fantastic sales out there, the criminals in our midst create personal wishlists of all the items they aim to get at 100 percent discounts. So to help retailers keep an eye on the most regularly targeted goods, software company Auror recently compiled a list of the items stolen most often around Christmas. And as it turns out, meat is the most common target.

News
Is commercialisation killing Christmas?
By

With the annual slam of Christmas commercial messaging hitting us from all sides, it comes as little surprise that 59 percent of Kiwis feel that Christmas has become too commercial. So are brands doing themselves a disservice by focusing on sales rather than more authentic Christmas messaging?

News
Sparktazzle: a modern take on Christmas
By

It’s no secret that Christmas has turned into a massive marketing success story that pushes product sales over the holiday period every year. But, if Christmas was conceptualised by a modern advertising agency, would it still look and feel the way it does today?

News
Just another Thursday
By

Christmas is a time of joy, love and a fair bit of excess for most, but it’s a tough time for struggling families—and those without family or friends to share the day with. Many charities try to get people who have enough to donate something and UK charity KidsCo and Droga5 have released a powerful 90 second spot showing that for some kids without the required parental support, Christmas is just another depressing day.

News
Barnes Catmur lays down the gift gauntlet with special High St whisky
By

As Mulberry’s #WinChristmas campaign showed, giving is basically a competitive sport these days. And that’s also true in the corporate realm, where many businesses attempt to one-up each other by giving expensive offerings of thanks to their VIPs. Just as The Downlow Concept took the opportunity to show off its skills and sense of humour with its Christmas message, Barnes Catmur & Friends has honoured its special friends with a bespoke whisky named in honour of the street where its office lies.

News
‘We don’t produce, we create’
By

In the creative industries, the Christmas message is a time for experimentation and show-offery. And the Downlow Concept’s ‘annual non-denominational holiday video’ is a gem. Running the gamut of corporate video cliches, the production company responsible for 7 Days, Coverband, Hounds and fair few ads has created a glorious visual treat that includes generic words, shirtless men, fingers on fences, cutting-edge animation and, perhaps most importantly, gas heating. It also features Josh Thomson doing a fine impression of Little Richard.

News
Brands embrace the Christmas (consumerist) spirit
By

Nothing gets brands more willing to spend dollars on advertising than a special event. Be it Halloween, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day or Christmas, brands throughout the world embrace the moment, throw caution to the wind and try to capitalise on the consumer frenzy that often accompanies these days. And in the lead up to to Christmas 2014, brands have not disappointed, delivering yet another entertaining dose of humorous and tear-jerking spots.

1 2