Monthly Archives: February, 2014

News
Owning the airwaves: APN acquires TRN, iHeartRadio and ARN
By

APN News & Media Limited today announced in a release that it will acquire full ownership of The Radio Network (TRN) and Australian Radio Network (ARN) from US-based Clear Channel Communications for $246.5 million. This move will give APN 100 percent control of what it claims is the largest network of radio stations across the trans-Tasman region.

News
Foodstuffs capitalises on anti-Aussie supermarket sentiment
By

Following the decision of the two big Aussie supermarkets, Coles and Woolworths, to remove New Zealand-produced goods from their house brand labels and Shane Jones’ request for a Commerce Commission investigation into the way Progressive Enterprises treats its suppliers (and the inevitable Facebook campaign asking Kiwis to boycott the company), Foodstuffs has taken the opportunity to remind the nation that the big brands under its umbrella—Pak ‘n Save and New World—are full-blown Kiwi.

News
Leukaemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand breaks the silence
By

In November last year, Leukaemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand (LBC) got 12 celebrities to silently stare at a camera as part of the ‘silent treatment’ campaign. And now, only three months later, that silence is being broken with the stories of Kiwis who have decided to shave for cure. The integrated campaign, once again developed by .99 and brought to life by Blockhead Visual Effects, aims to spread awareness for the annual ‘Shave Week’ appeal that runs from 17 to 23 March.

News
When spuds go social
By

Birdseye UK is set to create food madness with the very social Mashtags, potatoes transformed into @ symbols, smiley emoticons and hashtags. Seems the humble french fry was just too straight (or crinkled) for the discerning digital generation.

News
BNZ staff take YouMoney on a social journey
By

BNZ is capitalising on the increasing blur between professional and personal use of social media, arming staff to get social on its behalf. That’s evident in its current bid to promote the YouMoney tool with a road trip to university campuses.

News
Pins on the board
By

If you’ve ever run into a fellow mall shopper because you or they are staring down at their mobile phone, you’ll appreciate US brand Caribou Coffee’s efforts to make a show of what its users are posting on Pinterest.

News
Twists and turns, reggae style
By

A crazy mash of retro style game graphics and actual bobsled footage is the Jamaica Tourist Board’s attempt to get fans during the Sochi Olympics. We can’t help but point the finger at Cool Runnings.

News
Pair pressure
By

If the TVC for this Chinese online dating service is anything to go by, the country seems to prefer luring lonely hearts with guilt than the prospect of a happy relationship. So why not throw in a grandmother desperate to see her granddaughter at the altar?

News
Pure imagination brought to life
By

BBDO New York tapped into the boundless imagination of a child to create a spot that oozes creativity while simultaneously applauding the awesomeness of mums (or moms) who work for GE. Every scene in the slick ad brings an absurd idea of a child to life, and thereby shows that the extent of possibility is directly proportional to how far the imagination can stretch.

News
In praise of age
By

The ad industry often seems like a young man’s game. But there’s no substitute for experience, as renowned copywriter Paul Burke wrote recently. And, if you’re wondering when you’ll come up with that brilliant product innovation, that revolutionary campaign idea or perhaps that long-awaited solution to the world’s energy needs, turns out you might have to wait a while.

News
Victory not guaranteed: new Vodafone Warriors campaign focuses on the fans
By

Rather than falling into the regular sports advertising trope of the burly sports star making a great play, the team at &Some* has instead opted for a fan-centric approach that doesn’t hold the promise of victory. The idea behind the ‘game of hearts’ campaign comes to life most evidently in the print versions, which feature the faces and quotes of six different Voadfone Warriors fans—both male and female—of different ages.

News
Meat through the ages: NZ Beef and Lamb chief goes back in time to draw attention to the Quality Mark
By

For the past few years, the Iron Maidens—Sarah Walker, Sophie Pascoe and Lisa Carrington—have been promoting the culinary pleasures of the flesh. But NZ Beef and Lamb has taken a slightly different tack with its new ‘Tough Standards, Tender Results’ campaign, which shows how the butchery trade has changed throughout the years and aims to reinforce the attributes of the New Zealand Beef & Lamb Quality Mark.

News
From blog to brand: Jenene Crossan (nzgirl)
By

In this series, we talk to Kiwi keyboard tappers that have managed to shift from the personal realm of blogging to create online media brands that are widely read (and in some cases profitable). In this segment, we chat to Jenene Crossan, the founder and current director of nzgirl.

News
A matter of fact: Barnes, Catmur & Friends goes into bat for Special Group
By

Last week Special Group made Barnes Catmur & Friends a quilt of love as part of the Axis Call for Entries campaign. And, after a slight delay due to ‘censorship issues’, Barnes, Catmur & Friends has returned the favour, with creative managing partner Paul Catmur embracing the confrontational interviewer within, aggressively singing the praises of his fellow indie and probably ensuring his agency will never be bought by WPP.

News
Not for acrophobics: The North Face releases terrifying ad
By

Outdoor and camping clothing manufacturer The North Face recently followed free-climber Alex Honnold to Mexico, where he climbed up El Sendero Luminoso (the shining path). And the six-minute video that resulted from this endeavour offers a visceral glimpse at what it’s like to dangle from the tips of your fingers.

News
Colenso uses real surveillance footage in latest Burger King campaign
By

Over the course of the next few weeks, Colenso will be adding security camera footage of customers that purchase the ‘Outlaw’ burger to a series of pre-rolls, online banners and social media. Once the advert has been released, the public will be given one day to identify the person depicted in the ad, and the first person to do so on the Burger King Facebook group will be given a $250 reward.

News
Spreading the ad love on Valentine’s Day
By

While chocolate hearts, cherubic angels with bows and Hallmark cards have nothing to do with the history of St Valentine, they are a bit more light-hearted than the imprisonment and torture of a man in Rome. So rather than condemning the unbridled commercialisation of love (and martyrdom), let’s celebrate some of the good ideas and be thankful that we don’t have to endure the annual retelling of the horror that befell a random historical figure.

News
Yet another helping of food TV: My Kitchen Rules NZ on the menu
By

Viewers could’ve been forgiven for believing that the food cooking format had reached its capacity on Kiwi TV with the addition The Great Food Race. But the networks beg to differ, and TVNZ recently announced that it has acquired the rights from Endemol to produce a New Zealand version of My Kitchen Rules, the popular Australia show that enters its fifth season this year. Plus: find out which shows are being dropped by the broadcaster.

News
Sponsor post: Help us invent the future
By

This year, here’s what we’re going to do. When our clients say, “What’s the future of media, anyway?” we will bedazzle them. Show them new, more powerful ways to link magazines with digital media and other outlets. New ways to use social media and websites, with competitions, special events, display advertising, viral campaigns, sponsorships, customer incentives and a bunch of other stuff that’s so new and so amazing, we’re not even going to tell you about it yet.