Browsing: Designworks

News
The fate of the flag: the design thinking behind NZ’s biggest brand refresh
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The re-design of the New Zealand flag has been a source of vigorous debate. New Zealanders have questioned whether we can afford the $26 million when so many other social systems need attention. Other New Zealanders have wondered whether we ought to redesign it at all when our forefathers fought and died under the flag while others think the change is long past due and we ought to rid ourselves of the Union Jack for another emblem more befitting of our current identity. Then of course there’s the design perspective. Some have questioned whether sourcing designs from the public was the way to go and have wondered whether the panel has enough design nous to make the right decision. We asked Designworks owner Sven Baker who had five designs make the long-list what he thinks and also had a chat to panel member and Saatchi & Saatchi chief executive Nicky Bell to see what the panel thinks a good flag should represent.

News
Capturing the essence of a shoe: Designworks and Yours combine art and retail for new season launch
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To accompany the launch of its new season, shoe retailer Yours has collaborated with Designworks on a series of posters that “capture the essence of each shoe”. And while this might sound like a footwear-related reworking of a Zoolander line, Yours is treating the launch, which occurs at the new Designworks offices at 36 Lorne Street on 4 December, as part art exhibition, part retail showcase.

News
Designworks ups its Welly firepower with The Church acquisition, earns top prize in STW awards
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In an effort to fill a demand for digital, UX and motion content in the Wellington market, STW-owned Designworks has acquired 100 percent of 15-strong design and digital communications agency The Church, making it the region’s largest strategic brand and multi-disciplinary design practice, with around 130 staff across its five offices. Plus: Designworks’ big regional accolades and Sven Baker’s new STW role.

News
Contact switches off its swoosh, adds a dash of whimsy with colourful new brand identity
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Contact Energy has added a bit of playfulness to its power of late, with lights in Wellington’s cable car tunnel and a Twitter competition to decide the winner of the People’s Choice Award at the Fringe Festival. And that attitude seems to be in keeping with its playful new brand identity, which was created by Wellington’s Designworks and San Francisco-based type designer Jessica Hische.

News
Telling the New Zealand Story: how the campaign was brought to life
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Developing a video that’s representative of an entire country is difficult, because it has to include as many people as possible while simultaneously not upsetting those who have been excluded due to time constraints. This unenviable task was handed over to Assignment Group and Designworks, and they responded with a collaborative effort that Government was proud enough of to release on 6 November.

News
Designworks and Assignment get nod for creative phase of The New Zealand Story
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There were a few terse words directed at Tourism New Zealand, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and Education New Zealand from the creative community last year when Principals, a largely Aussie-based design shop with a small presence in New Zealand, was appointed to tell the New Zealand Story. But the next phase—creative development—has gone to the (admittedly STW-owned) local combination of Designworks and Assignment.

News
310 of the Best
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A guitar with a body sculpted like a spider web, uber cool packaging for compost, a Mexican restaurant, a fanzine for motorcyclists, a tiny cinema in a stair well, and various pop up shops in Auckland’s Viaduct and the Christchurch Re:START container mall are among the 310 finalists in this year’s Best Design Awards, which are organised by the Designers Institute of New Zealand and recognise the country’s best graphic, interactive, spatial and product designs from the past year.

News
Fastidiousness, fashion, the future and free*
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Who’s it for: Lexus by Saatchi & Saatchi

Why we like it: While Toyota’s marketing is all about New Zealandness, this moody new campaign for its luxury subsidiary Lexus aims to drum home the brand’s proud Japanese heritage—and, more specifically, its focus on craftsmanship. And …

News
Designworks sprinkles magic dust over Tait as new global identity unveiled
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Tait Communications is one of New Zealand’s best under-the-radar business success stories and is a great example of a local tech company finding its niche and selling its wares in the international market. And, in an effort to better reflect the company’s transformation into a “world-leading solutions provider” rather than just a radio manufacturer, Designworks Wellington has given it a spiffy new visual identity, slogan and website.

Movings & Shakings
Movings/Shakings: December 15
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In the last instalment of When Someone Goes Somewhere Else for 2011, Nikki McKelvie shifts from Ogilvy to DDB, Saatchi & Saatchi’s Simon Wedde heads up the road to Ogilvy, Droga5 names Jason Clapperton as its planning director and Designworks adds four more to the coterie.

News
Spring brings new HR life…
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…as Clems hires an experienced digi-boffin, Designworks adds another senior string to its management bow and Reach Media and Positively Wellington Tourism both announce new business development managers.

News
On the recruitment drive…
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… as Federation adds both staff and clients, Designworks appoints an experienced business campaigner to the new role of client strategist, Magnum hits double figures, Eleven adds two new accounts, Mike O’Sullivan to pass judgement in London and video and social/casual gaming network VENA adds an Asia Pacific COO. 

News
As Telecom does the splits, K-Rob’s role goes up in the air and agency vultures begin circling
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Telecom and the MED released a document on Tuesday about its plan to ‘demerge’ and split into two separate entities—the network division Chorus and the retail arm at this stage colloquially known as the ‘New Telecom’—as part of the conditions imposed by the government after its successful bid to build the Ultra Fast Broadband network. And the split, which still requires shareholder and bondholder approval, has led to a fresh round of speculation that it could be a catalyst for changes to its agency roster and might spell the end of Kevin Roberts’ position on the Telecom board.

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