Author Ben Fahy

As evidenced by campaigns like Push to Add Drama, Carlsberg’s entertaining trickery and, more locally, Pedigree’s Donation Glasses and the Metservice see-through billboard, campaigns that exist in the real world can be seen by many more as a result of online magnification. And Auckland Transport, Val Morgan, Work Communications and Zoomslide are hoping to do just that with a stunt in a movie theatre that aimed to illustrate how deadly distractions can be when driving.

A weekly wrap of funny things, good things, weird things and other things seen on the intertubes.

DB Export 33’s recent campaign tried to prove that men were doing women a favour by drinking low-carb beer. And now Tegel and DraftFCB are doing their bit to inspire better inter-sex relations with a 45 second TVC to prompt the lads to roast up a few more chooks.

While Samsung has shot a few ads in New Zealand, the local executions have been few and far between. Colenso BBDO has done a few things for the South Korean behemoth, like Peter Bromhead drawing cartoons live on nzherald.co.nz and a virtual queue to launch the Galaxy S4. And now Barnes Catmur has given the Galaxy Note 2 the full Kiwi treatment by getting actor/director Taika Waititi to do his mad thing in an online only, long-form video called ‘State of the —ATION’.

When it comes to Pacific destinations, Tonga is a long way down the consideration list and has smaller visitor numbers than Fiji, Samoa, Rarotonga and Vanuatu, primarily because, unlike those countries, it has never really invested in promoting itself. But for the first time in its history, the Kingdom has taken to TV with a trans-Tasman campaign that aims to build on the 2012 launch of ‘the True South Pacific’ brand and show what its 176 islands can offer visitors.

Given the size—and growth—of the pet industry, and the increasingly close relationship humans have with their animals, it’s not unusual to see strange new products being launched (I’m looking at you cat soufflé). Not surprisingly, most of the products are aimed at pets that are still alive. But ‘cardboard engineer’ Mat Bogust and his wife Jane have seen a gap in the market and launched a Kickstarter campaign to try and give their cardboard casket business Rest in Pets a leg up.

Marian Salzman, chief executive of Havas PR North America, PR Week’s 2011 PR professional of the year, a 2012 addition to PR News’ Hall of Fame and one of Business Insider’s 25 most powerful people in PR, is venturing to New Zealand as the keynote speaker for CAANZ’s international Marcomms forum on 3 July. Here’s what the award-winning blogger, brand marketer, public relations executive and social media innovator had to say about the global move towards real-time creativity, the role of digital and social and how the industry can do more good.

A weekly wrap of various things seen and noted.

McDonald’s announced today that it was discontinuing its lamb burgers in New Zealand after disappointing sales results. But as one range departs, the new chicken range has arrived, and DDB NZ has enlisted 20 people who really know their chicken to help sell it.