Monthly Archives: March, 2014

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Google introduces smartwatch OS: war of the wearables heats up
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The proliferation of smartphone ownership changed the vocabulary of body language, in the sense that it stopped people from pointing to a bare wrist when asked for the time. These days, when asked for the time, people almost reflexively clutch at their pockets as an allusion to their phones. But, now, Google is attempting to rewind the evolution of body language by introducing Android Wear, a modified operating system that can be used in a range of smartwatches that consumers – beyond tech junkies – would actually consider wearing.

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Better networks, worse flirting
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AT&T is exploring its inner geek with a new TVC featuring tech help guys. The pair in this clip are providing helpful network services and a cheesy attempt to flatter an office worker seems to pay off.

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Inside: Heyday
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Luke Pierson started the agency now known as Heyday as a 20-year-old, cold calling prospects for web builds. Now its speciality is working with private sector organisations that just want to get stuff done — and making content the starting point for every project.

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Cooking with Glass
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Google has been on an education drive to tell people how to use its wearable tech, the Glass headset. Now it’s showcasing the wonder of possibility, telling us how the glasses could bring a cooking show-like experience into our home.

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YouTube songs in the key of tax
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Recruiting YouTube stars seems a weird thing for a tax management company to do, but that’s the idea behind H&R Block’s campaign that tries to tell ordinary citizens not to attempt their own tax return. Then again, they would say that.

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Curiosity kickstarted the cat
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Meow Mix, a US petfood company, has come up with a new website designed to appeal to the creative investor and cat lover. Catstarter has three products available to support, including a food dispenser powered by tweets.

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Uber wants to take Aucklanders for a ride
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Ride sharing service Uber is opening its doors to Auckland passengers, with its website saying a limited numbers of cars are already available. The company is encouraging first time users to give it a try and leave feedback, and it’s offering an online fare calculator.

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A polite zombie
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If there’s one thing that Kiwis and Canadians have in common its a reputation for being polite to a fault. And if a recent spot released by JWT for the Canadian Film Festival holds any semblance of truth, then it appears that this stereotype also applies to the undead.

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Have a hoon on Pandora, win big Sonos Wireless package
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The cards have been printed, the stationery has arrived, the team is now in place and the doors to the new office in The Generator in Auckland’s CBD have been opened. And to celebrate Pandora NZ’s launch—and its first commercial partner, Sonos Wireless—it is offering a Sonos prize pack worth over $3,800 to one lucky StopPress reader.

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Last of the big spenders: NZ top 10 a familiar story
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Our media spending heavyweights have continued their dominance for the past three years, reflecting strength in supermarkets and retail, according to Nielsen figures. However, telco seems to be gathering force with Telecom ranking fourth and Vodafone sneaking into the top 10.

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Tower assumes the role of a lighthouse keeper, promises to watch over Kiwis—UPDATED
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.99’s latest TV spot for Tower invokes the nautical metaphor of a lighthouse keeper to illustrate that the insurance giant is always looking out for its clients. Throughout the 45-second TVC, the bearded protagonist draws a parallel between lighthouse keepers and Tower, in the sense that both are “always on watch” and have wisdom on “how to avoid danger and how to put things right.” Updated with 2013 ad spend figures for insurance companies.

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Get shaved in your face
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Unilever’s Old Spice has been ratcheting up the new product development recently, with new scents, sprays, soaps, shaving gel and hair products, all of them launched in typically absurd and generally very entertaining fashion by Wieden + Kennedy. Now Terry Crews, the long-time sinewy, shouty ambassador, is back to launch a new range of electric razors.

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When politicians, brands and businesses all admit to being a little green
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While conspiracy theorists might infer that St Patrick’s Day has some deeper meaning or historically significant origins, we all know that the day is actually just a great excuse to wear green hat, sip on a dark brew and hop around like a leprechaun for a whole day. And given that it has become such a jubilant day of unrestrained revelry, businesses, brands and politicians all take it as an opportunity to get some additional exposure. Here’s a breakdown of some of the interesting St Patrick’s Day-themed efforts that emerged this year.

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OPSM chats to Napier locals for new campaign
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Quite often, when companies operate across both the Australian and New Zealand markets, advertisers create generic marketing messages that are applicable across the board. But rather than adopting this cost-saving approach for its latest OPSM spot, the creative team from Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney took a flight across the ditch to produce content that was aimed specifically at the Kiwi market.

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‘Grown-up’ 2degrees maintains its mascot, sets sights on richer pickings
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When clients shack up with a new agency there’s a tendency to torch the previous work and start afresh. 2degrees and its new partner Special Group certainly took a different approach with their recent business push, but it’s kept Rhys Darby on as the frontman and maintained the quirky, colloquial and self-reflexive style of the previous work for the pair’s first big brand ad.

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Trivial pursuit? Not likely
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Those working in the persuasive arts often get a rough time from ‘normal people’, who are quick to trivialise the work of this industry and regularly call into question its ethics. But, as this glorious piece from McSweeneys entitled ‘I should get the first lifeboat because I’m in advertising’ points out, it’s time those tireless creative souls were acknowledged for their massive contribution to society.

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