Monthly Archives: August, 2015

News
Tank crush, drone drop, golf club smash: Tait Communications puts its products to the test
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Two-way radio company Tait Communications has been putting its products through hell. The devices have been dropped 100 metres from a drone, crushed by a 52-tonne tank, washed in a dishwasher, set on fire, punched repeatedly by a boxer and, most recently, smashed with a golf club. So why exactly is the Christchurch-based company putting its products through a veritable catalogue of medieval torture techniques?

Opinion
A 50-cent mixture of findings from Nielsen
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Based on the latest out of Nielsen, Nick Butler reckons Kiwi marketers will soon be targeting 45-year-old Cantonese-speaking Polynesians living in Auckland who are looking after a toddler at the gym while watching a video on their mobile about which organic takeaways are the best match for the authentic Basque cider they bought online. Possibly.

News
Gregg’s audio-visual feast lands Colmar Brunton Ad Impact award
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At the beginning of June, Gregg’s released a high-energy brand ad that pulled its disparate product strings together. It was an explosion of colour that gave a nod to the brand’s cheeky heritage by showing a range of mischievous Kiwi characters using the products in their own unique way. And with each segment playing out to to an infectious backtrack, the ad was an audio-visual feast that made jelly, coffee, spices, hot chocolate and food pastes look like party essentials. The creative efforts of FCB and the production skills of Flying Fish have now caught the attention of the team at Colmar Brunton, who have awarded the spot the Ad Impact award for June.

News
Facebook video vs. YouTube: which should brands use?
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Shortly after its inception, YouTube became the go-to platform for watching and uploading videos, so brands begun uploading content to it to attract consumers. But in recent times Facebook has nudged its way in, placing an increased focus on the exposure of its video content to attempt to take a slice of YouTube’s marketing pie (or the whole pie if it can manage it). Here’s a look at Facebook video compared to YouTube, including some agency insights into the use of the two platforms for video sharing.

News
Won in translation
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Belting out La Bamba is practically a rite of passage in this country. But what does it all mean? Thankfully Google is here to help non Spanish speakers.

News
Web wizardry
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Peugeot’s latest TV ad may seem run of the mill. That is until they promise ‘an online experience you’ll never forget’. Given advertisers are known for their hyperbolic tendencies, StopPress didn’t have high hopes of Peugeot living up to its claim. However, upon arrival at Pure 308 website, we were pleasantly surprised by an eye-catching online execution. PLUS: a look at few other slick online efforts.

News
Fairfax calls on readers to help with Stuff app revamp
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The willingness of Kiwis to adopt new technology means that major publishers have to ensure that their online and mobile interfaces continue to offer a suitable user experience for readers. Failure to do so can lead to frustration that could drive readers to get their news fix on other sites. And given the importance of staying in touch with its readership’s consumption methods, Fairfax recently launched the third version of its Stuff app. PLUS: a look at why apps are important for news publishers.

News
Samsung talks a ‘big game’
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We’re fans of brands that get creative in an effort to hijack the attention generated by major events they don’t actually sponsor, whether it’s the African airline that found a way to get Sepp Blatter to endorse it, Nike’s focus on other Londons during the Olympics or Calendar Girls flying a plane above Eden Park advertising its services as Martin Guptill smashed a six after a Mitchell Johnson no-ball in the Cricket World Cup. Steinlager is winning that battle at the moment with its ‘We Believe’ campaign managing to reference the upcoming Large Sporting Event without actually mentioning it. And Samsung is also embracing euphemisms for one of its promotions.

News
McDonald’s provides (un)empirical evidence of the superiority of butter chicken pies
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For the relaunch of the McRib, Mcdonald’s went down a slightly crazy path by featuring a passionate individual dancing as a bucket of thick sauce was emptied out on his head. While the clip was unappetiwing at best and downright disturbing at worst, it was memorable and a definite improvement on the usual fast-food launch approach of showcasing carefully constructed burgers in the ideal light from the best possible angle. McDonald’s clearly sees value in the quirkiness, because the brand has now followed on from the McRib launch with an equally outrageous (and messy) spot that features a human guinea pig comparing the newly launched butter chicken Georgie Pie to its pastry-free alternative.

News
‘Crowdfunding to greatness’: NBR reaffirms its focus on reader revenue by removing a few ads—UPDATED
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Online media is largely fuelled by advertising revenue. And many believe this inherently parasitic relationship is inspiring a race to the bottom as publishers seek clicks and scale above all else. But the NBR is going the other way and focusing on growing subscriber revenue. And, as part of that strategy, it is getting set to remove all but one of the ads from its homepage.

News
Lost and found: ASB trumpets its alternative to card cancellation woes
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In most instances, losing an item is little more than a frustration, but it can be quite a major problem when the said item is a credit card. Usually, the relisation that a credit card is missing is followed by about 20 minutes of manic searching, 30 minutes of concern about where you were pick-pocketed and then the painful recognition that you’ll have to cancel the card for security’s sake. Then, once the card is cancelled, nothing is quite as annoying as finding the now useless piece of plastic lying in your wardrobe under your trousers and realising that it just fell out of the pocket of your jeans (yes, this is a personal experience).

News
Too uncool for school
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It would appear the ‘cool kids’ in the States are wearing Old Navy these days which this ad iterates through the eyes of a boy who dresses a bit too well, thanks to his overbearing mother.

News
DC Shoes introduces moto-surfing
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The local industry is currently a little obsessed with conflating different foods together to create a delectable (and some very questionable) hybrids. We’ve had Whittaker’s chocolate milk, Cadbury’s Vegemite atrocity and St Pierre’s sushiwi. Internationally, brands are also dabbling in the art of fusion, but now DC Shoes has taken it beyond cuisine to create a new hybrid sport by combining surfing and motocross. In a new video commissioned by the brand, motocross daredevil Robbie Maddison is shown riding a customised motorcycle across the surface of the Pacific Ocean, before dropping in on a wave (undoubtedly annoying the surfers waiting in the lineup).

News
Future tense: Dallas Gurney on starting out as a cart boy, leading Newstalk ZB and taking on branded content
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In a new series, StopPress talks to a range of newsmakers currently trying to shine lights into dark places while also keeping their own lights on and looks at whether commercial realities are leading to editorial compromise. Next up, Damien Venuto talks with NZME’s Dallas Gurney about his new role and how he sees branded content existing alongside journalism.

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