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 the fourth segment, we chat to Megan Singleton about her online journey with Blogger at Large.
While most movie releases still rely on the classic cliched poster/over-the-top trailer combo, there have been plenty of creative (and sometimes quite violating) attempts to get attention in recent years. And The Lego Movie, which is currently number one at the global box office, joined that elite group with a great stunt conceived by Warner Bros. and media agency PHD that saw four well-known UK ads acted out in the style of the movie.
The annual league of corporate musical chairs continues with key moves made by Bauer, Whybin\TBWA, Pfizer, Mango, Tourism New Zealand and Network Ten.
Air New Zealand is reconsidering its approach to an initiative seeking volunteers to write for The Flying Social Network after a Twitter backlash, and is considering compensation it could offer to those who make contributions.
The creative love may have been shared in the call for entries campaign, but now the creative competition begins, because the 2014 Axis finalists have been announced and Colenso BBDO/Proximity is in a familiar position atop the list with 56 nods, followed closely by DraftFCB on 54, DDB on 37 and Saatchi & Saatchi on 30. Plus: Clemenger BBDO’s new Axis logo.
Lorde’s letter of thanks to fans in the lead up to last month’s Grammy Awards and her Auckland Laneway makeup gig was the judge’s pick for January’s News Works Ad of the Month. And they reckon it wouldn’t have worked in any other medium except the venerable newspaper.
In August last year, Middle East Campaign reported that Havas Media had won the global media account for Emirates from Starcom MediaVest Group. This change now seems to have rippled into the Kiwi market, as Emirates has confirmed the move of its New Zealand media business from Starcom to Lassoo. Updated with a comment from Lassoo director Anna St George.
Waitangi Day is often mired in acrimony and argy bargy, partially because that’s what the media tends to focus on. So, in a heady combination of self-promotion and national pride, Wellington creatives Think Suite and Unlimited Ltd—with the help of some well-respected historians—aimed to create a new kind of conversation about the Treaty with its “Kiwi ‘Trojan Horse”, The Sweety of Waitangi.
It’s no secret that Colenso BBDO had a fantastic 2013. The agency on College Hill won eight out nine pitches and picked up enough local and international awards to fill at least a few shelves. And given that it has now been listed as the runner-up on Ad Age’s prestigious ‘International Agency of the Year’ list, it seems that 2014 will start in the same way that last year ended: with more awards and a consequent barrage of dismissive comments.
Our weekly wrap of good things, strange things, funny things and other things from inside the intertubes.
Last week, APN NZ announced the arrival of the Herald Advertising Challenge, an initiative designed to showcase the opportunities for large scale, integrated campaigns across Herald media channels and get agencies thinking about the possibilities. And, along with the previously announced prize pool, which includes $250,000 of agency rate card media to bring the winning campaign to life and a trip for two members of the team to attend the Festival of Media Global 2014 in Rome, it has announced that teams will also be playing for the Andrew McNally Cup.
Given that Delta, Virgin and other airlines have started emulating Air New Zealand’s novel approach to safety videos, the original innovators have decided to take things to the next level by inviting the Sports Illustrated swimsuit models onto their planes. Update: Air New Zealand arranged the sponsorship and True developed the creative for the project.
With the proliferation of smartphones, the meaning of the word mobile has shifted from its humble origins as a means by which movement is made possible to something that implies wireless interconnectivity. But this summer, several brands have decided to wind back the clock and give the phrase ‘brand mobility’ a retro twist.
More detailed Census information is being released at the end of March. Critchlow’s Tim Ryan shows you how to harness its power.
There was a fair bit of chatter in the market last year after the Great Ratings Drop of 2013, something the broadcasters and their research partner Nielsen put down to a range of factors, including an improving economy, a mild winter and changing media consumption habits. Not surprisingly, the broadcasters remained confident that TV was an effective—and cost-effective—option for advertisers. But, in an age of supposed accountability and measurability, why don’t they release minute-by-minute ratings data to the market to prove it?
Right after warming our icy hearts with two poignant stories that were brought to life with eerie animations and haunting soundtracks, Chipotle has now released a trailer for its next ambitious advertising project: a satirical series comprising several 30-minute episodes.
In response to Russia’s continued condemnation of homosexuality as a mental illness, The Canadian Institute of Diversity and Inclusion has released a public service announcement that presents the two-person luge in particularly risqué fashion. The customary back and forth movements associated with the sport are accompanied by a backing track of The Human League’s ‘Don’t you want me baby’. And then at the end of the 30-second ad, text saying “The games have always been a little gay. Let’s fight to keep it that way,” appears on the screen.
In anticipation of the Super Rugby hype that will begin to captivate the nation from 15 February, APN has rebranded its sports tipping and fantasy portal as the Dream Team. In addition to a new logo, the updated version will also feature a fresh design, in-game experiences, enhanced functionality and greater integration on the Herald website.
Unitec has done a good job of bringing academia to life in recent years, with its reality-advertising campaign Change Starts Here, GPS-enabled buses that turned Auckland into a media platform for ‘We make the people who make it’ and, most recently, the personalised Umag. And it’s once again taking the school to where the potential students are: the mall.
A confused Guy Williams is the punch line of a new TVC that Mediaworks Radio has launched to promote the line-up of The Edge. Shot as a pool party by Daniel Thorn and his team at Rubberneck productions, the 30-second video also features cameo performances by The Edge radio personalities Dominic Harvey, Steph Monks, Sharyn Casey, Jay-Jay Feeney, Clint Roberts, Megan Annear and Mike Puru. Updated with comments from Guy Williams.
Simone McCallum discusses her initial scepticism and eventual love of Facebook’s Paper app.
Cape Town-based ad agency King James has just launched a new Bells whisky advertisement that doesn’t just pull at the heart strings; it yanks at them, ferociously.
For the second year in a row the Church of Scientology has slipped an ad into the Super Bowl, and this year’s offering is impressively high on claims and equally low on explanations.
The corporate shuffle continues at Scoop, Bauer, Lily & Louis, The Radio Network, the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand and TVNZ.
Raunchy bread, time-travelling mascots and banal questions make the grade this week.
Jockey is the latest company to sign up for a sponsorship deal with the NZRU. And, to celebrate the announcement, Jockey has released a behind-the-scenes clip shot by Augusto of the nine All Blacks stripping off, oiling up, mucking about and sucking in.
Pete and Andy Walker managed to entertain a big chunk of the nation with their cheeky quips and farm boy antics on the last season of The Block NZ. And they’re making hay while the sponsorship sun still shines by hitching themselves to Hirepool’s wagon.
Mobile marketing agency Mobile Embrace is set to enable another campaign that makes the most of banners on hand-held devices, this time with a trailer for the movie I Frankenstein.
Auckland-based Media Design School says a new collaboration in the US will provide a talent pool for blockbuster filmmakers and games studios in California. It’s launching Media Design School of Digital Arts at NewSchool of Architecture and Design in San Diego.
We live in an era of social media-inspired showing off, says Theresa Clifford. So should brands be encouraging it, or fighting against it?