Ah, the magazine cover. How we love the way you capture the consumer’s attention. How we love critiquing the efforts of our competitors. And how we love the mixture of art and science often required to create a stunner. Well, undercover cover lovers rejoice, for The Maggies have been shipped in from the UK and entries for the inaugural New Zealand competition are now open.
Everyone loves the Old Spice guy. His musk is like the bottled essence of man. His rich, dulcet tones have made ladies all around the world instantly fall pregnant. And his ability to be on a horse is unparalleled. The first ad went crazy online and rightfully took the Film Grand Prix at Cannes recently, the second was a reasonable follow up and he’s also done plenty of others, including this moustache spot. But the agency responsible for creating the ‘man your man could smell like’ meme, Wieden + Kennedy, has taken ‘conversations with the brand’ up a big notch with its latest effort.
Wellywood has its WETA, and Auckland may soon have something to match, after the launch of what is slated as New Zealand’s biggest purpose built computer generated (CG) animation studio, Oktobor Animation.
If you believe the hype, big, traditional agencies are on death’s door, the quest for integration is a futile one, TV is dead, and small, nimble, specialist agencies with new ways of thinking are the way of the marketing future. If you don’t, then it seems like the normal circle of business life continues apace as small agencies look for opportunities to expand and eventually become bigger agencies. And, in the case of digital creative and media company Wag The Dog, accredited media planning and buying agency MediaR and creative agency Advocate Advertising, it seems there is still some strength to be found in larger numbers.
Who it’s for: 2degrees by TBWA\ and Film Construction
Why we like it: Rhys Darby has been the perfect frontman for a challenger brand like 2degrees and his quirky sense of humour certainly seems to have resonated with New Zealanders in the year or so since the mobile network’s launch. The ads are enjoyable in their own right, but they also seem to have had the desired commercial effect, and the company’s goal of gaining double-digit market share (oh, and giving Kiwis cheaper mobile calling) is apparently within sight. And that’s worth a bit of a nudge, a bit of a wink, a bit of self-deprecating laugh and a bit of a celebratory TVC.
Social media is still the hottest of marketing topics at the moment (although there are signs a backlash may have begun and Facebook growth in the US seems to have stagnated), and the early-birds were out in force this morning to catch some of the social media worms being dished out at the Marketing Association’s Jericho Brainy Breakfast.
As broadcasters around the world increasingly focus on the internet to distribute their news and content, as print media invests in additional video and audio assets to enhance its online offerings, and as previously separate mediums seem to become more and more alike, the quest for media convergence means many of these outlets are being forced to cut each other’s lunches and create content that can be used across different platforms. And, despite stellar ratings for its traditional free-to-air news and current affairs shows in recent months, TVNZ is preparing for this new digital frontier with what it says are the biggest changes in 20 years.
Television ratings, much like the make up of sausages, are a fairly mysterious realm for those outside the marcomms industry, and, after asking around a bit, it seems they’re also a fairly mysterious realm for many within it.
Back in the mists of time, a journalist asked British prime minister Maurice Harold Macmillan what was most likely to blow governments off course. And his famously witty response was reputed to be: “Events, dear boy, events”. Unfortunately, events can also blow magazines off course from time to time and in the soon-to-be released July/August of NZ Marketing, his quote, ‘events, dear boy, events’ (which is the headline for a feature about the expos and exhibitions industry, in case you were wondering) has somehow managed to slip onto a full-page ad for ad agency Whistle.
Nothing focuses the mind like a deadline (aside perhaps from P). And Adshel, the Auckland Fringe and StopPress have joined forces to see if that rule also applies to the dark, mysterious advertising arts with the announcement of the Creative Challenge, a new event that aims to showcase the talents of Kiwi creatives and, at the same time, promote creative excellence in outdoor advertising.
The accolades keep flowing for DDB NZ’s Arts Channel radio campaign for Sky TV: after taking home a big bag of metal at Cannes, it has also nabbed a win in the May ORCA awards.
An embarrassment of riches this week, so it’s a tie.
Who it’s for: Fonterra/Mainland by Colenso BBDO and Prodigy.
Why we like it: Keepin’ it real, keepin’ it quirky and keepin’ it simple. There are no bells and whistles required for a piece …
Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story 3 opened in Kiwi cinemas yesterday. How serendipitous, we say, because Andrew Gordon, an animation guru who started working for Pixar in 1997 and is now a senior animator, will be one of the 15 international creatives speaking and teaching at the upcoming Semi-Permanent design fest.
Cadbury has its weird, slightly creepy dancing cow, which, for some, is an all-too direct connection with the source of its chocolate. And, as history has shown, when Cadbury zigs, you can expect Whittaker’s to zag, so Andrew, Brian, Assignment and Curious Film have taken a much more artistic, evocative and slightly more mature approach for a new TVC.
If you believe the company mantra, TBWA\ is all about ‘disruption’. And there’s been plenty of that in Mayoral Drive lately (although not of the creative kind it likes), after ASB decided to end its 12 year relationship and shack up with Droga5 last week.
Who it’s for: TSB by Special Group and Robber’s Dog
Why we like it: TSB Bank has been at the top of the banking customer service charts for a while now. And, as a result of this solid reputation, it’s also New Zealand’s most …
Last night, at a secret location thick with the smell of cognac and cigars that must never be spoken of (unless the secret handshake is given and you sacrifice a virgin), some of radio’s biggest personalities gathered to eat things on sticks, eat things on spoons, drink things in glasses and take the piss out of themselves, their competitors, the medium of radio, the Auckland media, New Zealand politics, TV newsreaders and, the guests of honour, agency folk.
Who it’s for: Pams by Barnes, Catmur & Friends
Why we like it: Quirky, cute and catchy, this rhyming foody animation tells the tale of Pams and manages to bring a dose of personality to a brand that many assumed was of the ‘house’ variety. Neither Tim Burton …
Harrington’s small goods is setting out to spread the meaty truth and destroy the sausagey lies with New Zealand’s first official Sausage Awareness Week. Of course, every week is unofficial sausage week in New Zealand, but the real one will run from 5-10 July and aims “to help Kiwis recognise that ‘what goes into the sausage goes into you'”.
As someone (it’s usually Einstein) may have once said, perception is nine tenths of the marketing law. And the results of the third Attitude New Zealand survey, which delved into the strange and mysterious world of the Kiwi psyche, have shed some light on the perceptions around the nation’s brands, as well as revealing plenty of other interesting consumer and social trends that may have implications for marketers.
After the stunning All Whites victory last night, which 593,800 Kiwis watched on TV One and 150,500 watched on Sky, FIFA’s worst nightmare, a New Zealand vs South Africa final, is still on the cards. And while a range of lying geeks pull numbers out of the air in an attempt to quantify how much the “lost productivity” will cost the nation, stunning new research by StopPress reveals the victory has actually made the nation more than $45 million in terms of increased patriotism (text received after final whistle: “I am having kittens. I have died and gone to heaven. I love sports.”) and vuvuzela sales. Anyway, everyone knows the result of the match (apparently we’re part of Australasia now). But who’s winning the World Cup brand wars?
Who it’s for: Rascals
Why we like it: Slim pickings for TVCs this week, so instead we’ve chosen this, a video that details the lengths some agencies will go to in order to create the perfect billboard. As you can see, this billboard is slightly more …
The Independent newspaper is on its death bed and, as of 1 July, will cease to exist. But the newspaper’s owner, Fairfax Media, seems surprisingly upbeat about its passing.
This week on Ads@6, dogs will once again be seen going whacko for Smackos; Harraways Oats and the mysterious case of the stilted delivery; Tower insurance mows the lawn and displays moobs; ’tis the season for Damp Rid; a new Mercedes-Benz campaign; Skechers promotes its new shoes for lazy people; and Bluebird, like many other chip manufacturers from foreign lands, is obviously too lazy to come up with its own varieties, so it’s left the decisions in the hands of the chip eaters with the nifty ‘Do us a Flavour’ campaign.
In news that you probably already knew, online intelligence outfit Experian Hitwise has released figures that show Google is the dominant search engine in New Zealand. But, with its recent moves to increase the focus on national search domain identity, the local arm. Google.co.nz, is on the up and is now receiving over 86 per cent of all New Zealand searches.
As it nears the end of its first season, the signs are auspicious for The Ad Show: it’s taken the channel’s top spot for download numbers, the studio audience members are “hanging from the rafters”, a few extra episodes have been commissioned and there are high hopes that the hand that feeds will commission a second season.
Who it’s for: New Zealand Lotteries/Instant Kiwi by DDB NZ, Good Oil and Images and Sound
Why we like it: Exploding old people, mediocre dancing, a moonwalking cameo from Mexi-Doug, the funny dolphin noise, huge amounts of unbridled joy and the promotion of gambling makes for …
Colenso BBDO and AIM Proximity took home New Zealand’s only Yellow Pencil in the branding category for the Yellow Treehouse campaign at last night’s D&AD awards in London. And it’s in fairly elite company: it was one of only 42 Yellow Pencils and five Black Pencils handed out by the judges.
This newsy concoction is light and frothy on the nose, with undercurrents of naivete, overcurrents of aniseed, cassis and forest floor and aftercurrents of squash changing room. Can be served either brucewarm or lukewarm.
It seems the XT mobile wounds are starting to heal: Paul Reynolds, Telecom’s chief executive (and, more recently, its main punching bag) has fronted up on camera, admitted a few mistakes and asked Kiwi consumers to give the telco another shot. And the new campaign marks the resumption of full XT Mobile marketing activities after a fairly long period of apologising and wound-licking.