US elections are the biggest communications campaigns in the world. JWT managing director Simon Lendrum takes a look at Trump’s success through that lense to see what can be learnt from it.
What do you get the 150 year old agency that’s got everything? A new digital agency, of course. After celebrating a big milestone last week, JWT has announced another large piece of news: it has taken a majority stake in Wellington-based Heyday.
As it says on the James Walter Thompson online timeline, the agency’s history is the history of advertising. And as it celebrates its 150th birthday, we talk to Simon Lendrum about its role in New Zealand’s cultural fabric—and its recent renaissance.
In an effort to attract a younger market to its range of life and health insurance products, increase the nation’s happiness and save the company some money on claims, Sovereign has rebranded around the line ‘Life. Take Charge’. But rather than just talk about itself and continue to drum home the classic insurance message of it will be there when you need it, it’s aiming to create healthier Kiwis by equipping them with a range of practical tools.
From apps to native ads, design is championing reductionist principles. And that’s a good thing, writes Simon Lendrum.
The modern human condition tends to be one of constant connection and, in many cases, slight addiction. But JWT and Sacred Hill are jumping on the mindfulness bandwagon and aiming to inspire a different, more classical version of connection with a beautifully-crafted new print campaign.
CAANZ chief executive Paul Head this morning announced that Simon Lendrum, managing director of JWT New Zealand, has been elected to the position of CAANZ president, which was vacated by DDB’s Sandy Moore after his recent resignation.
Most New Zealanders are only dabbling in digital, says JWT’s Simon Lendrum. And the ‘Hardcore Digital’ segment is very, very small. So when it comes to online advertising, it pays to target the many, not the few.
Countless articles pronounce the end of advertising, the death of marketing, and a gloomy outlook for all involved. From the Harvard Business Review, Forbes, or pretty much every marketing and advertising conference, the headlines shout that we’re in serious trouble. There’s only one problem, says JWT’s Simon Lendrum. It’s all bollocks.
Sponsorship isn’t just about logos on hoardings any more. It’s all about ‘activation’ and ‘integration’. And, with the X Factor hitting TV3’s screens this year, broadcast sponsor Ford and its agency JWT have already got in on the act with The Passengers, a campaign that aims to find “traffic light tunesters and side-street singers” to feature on a remix of Che Fu’s ‘Fade Away’. Plus: Last two X Factor judges named.
Westpac’s Martine Jager heads back to Oz, Colenso shares the account management love, CAANZ announces four new board members, indies band together to create new agency forum, Orangebox makes a big Wellington hire, Fairfax goes Peat mining and Alexander Communications goes global.
As we wrote a few weeks back, Contact Energy put the feelers out for some new agency partners and JWT New Zealand has been chosen as the company’s sole creative agency across brand, digital and retail.
After a tough few years for the automotive industry, most of the manufacturers are getting back up to speed, with some agressive marketing campaigns and more favourable economic conditions leading to a 14 percent increase in new car sales in September. Ford increased its share by nine percent, and it’s hoping to increase that even further for its Mondeo model with the help of a paid-for reality show called The Test Driver.
Sentia Media welcomes a new general manager, Cooper Street Media aims for the Sky, AD2ONE adds one, Insight goes global and JWT gets a move on.
As Lion says goodbye to one of its prize marketers, Frith Morrissey joins TBWA\, Will Seal shifts from PR to media and JWT’s Rod Prosser heads for France.
They say there’s no truth in advertising. But PlaceMakers and JWT flouted that rule with their fly on the wall campaign focusing on a team of tradesmen building a house in Huntly—and the role of PlaceMakers’ expertise to ensure it all happens smoothly. And while the campaign was aimed at the trade, consumers have given it the big tick as well because ‘The Job’ has taken out Colmar Brunton’s Ad Impact Award for March.
It’s been a tough old time in the building biz of late. Homes have been leaking, consents have been dropping and the Christchurch rebuild is taking longer than expected to kick into action. But there is some optimism afoot this year and PlaceMakers is aiming to assert its position as the go-to trade supplier in New Zealand with its first brand campaign for a few years and a major sponsorship of the Super Rugby competition.
Simon Lendrum took over as the managing director of JWT in 2010 after a long stint at Ogilvy and, with solid campaigns for Ford and PlaceMakers this year, a freshly renovated office and a new creative director at the helm, there’s some excitement afoot. Here’s what he thought about 2011.
JWT announces a new creative force, Pead PR adds to its brand and digital arsenal, Haystac launches a new events division, DDB gives Adschool pair a leg up, Adi Staite is lured away from self-employment by Synovate, Crossmark opens its Kiwi office, and The Sweet Shop picks a US boss.
Everyone loves an infographic. All that boring data made much more digestible through the wonders of design. And to celebrate the launch of his new Simon Says blog, JWT’s managing director Simon Lendrum got the team to whip something up that shows how Kiwi consumers feel about and react to advertising.
After around three years with JWT New Zealand, executive creative director Peter Ogden has resigned and will return to Sydney.
Rarely has a client portfolio switched back and forth like this one. After announcing only in March this year it was moving its portfolio from JWT to Ogilvy following a competitive pitch between the two agencies, Pharmacybrands has performed another switch. In a move based on recent strategic shifts combined with an internal review, the company has announced it’s reverting back to JWT.
With the NZRU’s increasingly commercial approach, seeing All Blacks on our TV screens endorsing something isn’t particularly unusual these days. But the problem is that they’re often forced to act and, as most know very well, rugby players don’t make particularly good actors. Thankfully, Ford and JWT have avoided that trap with the AB35 campaign, which lets the lads design their very own pimped out Fiesta with the help of the Ford team.
JWT’s desire to become a more potent force in the Kiwi ad landscape just got a big fillip with the announcement that it has won the PlaceMakers account and will take control of the whole shebang, including creative, media, trade, loyalty and retail.
As one Simon says goodbye, another says hello: Simon Lendrum has been appointed as the new managing director of JWT New Zealand, taking over from Simon Fitch, who has chosen to return home to Sydney after spending two and a half years in Auckland.