The latest agency news, campaigns and client wins (and losses) making headlines across Aotearoa.
Since Google was first launched, Larry Page has shown his inner prankster through quirky doodles, elaborate April Fools’ jokes and a slew of Easter Eggs. And, despite the seriousness of his latest message on the launch of Alphabet, it still came with a sneaky touch of Google’s humour.
Calculators are useful things. Or perhaps they were useful things before smartphones came along and made them somewhat redundant (unless you pursue a study/career in maths or science, are in highschool or want to write ‘80085’ or ‘55378008’ into the device). But 2degrees is proving other kinds of calculators can be useful, and it’s used its own one which it says reveals Kiwis are paying too much for their mobile, with millions more dollars in savings possible if they make the switch to a different provider aka 2degrees.
Sky has opened up Sky Sport channels 1, 2, 3 and 4 to non-subscribers through its online sports streaming service Fan Pass. And this announcement means that sports fans will be able to access the quartet of channels through a one-day streaming pass for $14.99 or a week for $19.99. So what does this mean for viewers who don’t have a Sky subscription.
The Financial Times, which has recently been sold to Nikkei, is at the forefront of economic and business journalism. But, just like The Economist’s well-regarded wit, this level of professionalism and seriousness doesn’t detract from its sense of humour, as evidenced by a recent development project on its website that tried to add some character to its error page.
To own a smartphone is one thing, but as technology becomes more advanced, it also becomes more pervasive, edging itself further into the household. Soon it seems we’ll have a smart everything: smart beds (yes that’s a thing), smart watches, smart thermostats, smart bikes. The list goes on. Yesterday Spark released its Morepork smart home technology, but it’s not using the native owl of which it’s named after to market the product, but rather a family of emojis. We spoke to Spark’s Gemma Croombs to find out more on how the telco is pushing the product and her insights on smart technology. PLUS: a few examples of the latest in home smart tech.
There’s a battle for talent happening in the tech sector, as evidenced by the massive salaries and various sweeteners being offered by big tech companies like Facebook, Google and Apple. That battle is also being waged in New Zealand. And while it might not be on the same scale as Silicon Valley, Kiwi tech companies are also employing a range of different tactics to try and find good staff and keep them engaged. From charity schemes to creative offices to Friday kegs, here’s what TradeMe, Vend and Xero are doing.
Flash was a format that gave rise to the interactive web of today and the independent video games scene as we know it. But after security flaws have been exposed and the number of detractors has grown, its time has come, says Gladeye’s Eleanor Barker.
As Paul Catmur wrote last year, the marketing bit often seems to be forgotten in the world of digital marketing. But here are a few that combined the two and were deemed worthy of a place in the interactive marketing category at the Best Awards.
Air New Zealand lodged itself firmly into the glow of the upcoming Rugby World Cup by launching a new safety video featuring the All Blacks depicted in a Men in Black setting. The five-minute clip shows chief protagonist Richie McCaw and his sidekick Dan Carter walking into the Men in Black building for a meeting with Agent Zed (played by actor Rip Torn), who instructs them to keep Air New Zealand passengers safe. What ensues is a safety rap performed by Stan Walker with some reasonably impressive supporting vocals by Israel Dagg.
For sometime now the general consensus behind website design (and many other kinds of design) is that less is more. Web designers aim to make sites as easy to navigate as possible, rather than assaulting visitors with flashing green neon and trillions of different icons like early websites did in the late 90s. But like many things in life with a cyclical nature (fashion, music and food trends to name a few), perhaps websites are no different. And while we’re not sure if we can call it a trend, we have noticed a few more web designers and developers cramming more into their website designs, creating a retinal overload which is surprisingly pleasing. Digital agency Resn is one of them, making a name for itself by thinking a bit differently and capturing our attention through its creative, animated website designs.
The Auckland City Mission, which provides specialised health and social services to marginalised Aucklanders, is running a unique campaign through Rapp where it’s “cyber-squatting” on the .nz homepages of dozens of New Zealand organisations in an effort to raise awareness about homelessness in the city and increase donations.
Netflix has taken a rather innovative and interesting route for its latest ad which promotes its show Sense8 by creating an original piece of music using people’s brainwaves.
In his 1889 essay The Decay of Lying, Oscar Wilde observed that, “Life imitates art far more than art imitates life.” And in the more modern context, where reality TV has become one of the more popular forms of entertainment, this expression could be evolved to say something like: ‘real life imitates reality TV far more than reality TV imitates real life’. And nowhere is this clearer than in the example of a Reno Rumble poster that has been pasted onto the wall of the TVNZ building, which is currently under construction.
New Zealand has a horrible rate of boating deaths. And, in an effort to reduce those numbers and get people wearing lifejackets, the powers that be have tried campaigns involving everything from peer-pressuring clowns to ’80s-inspired gunfights. But French watersports company Tribord has gone down a different, more abstract path and created a rather unique drink.
A round of applause for Maggi, McDonald’s, Hallenstein Brothers, F. Whitlock & Sons and NZ Olympics.
Since 2009 when 2degrees first entered the local mobile market, the company has attracted over a million customers, which came largely at the expense of Vodafone and Spark. And now, with the launch of its broadband offering, 2degrees is again being pitted against these competitors as well as a few others. So, what are the chances of the telco replicating its mobile customer haul in the broadband space?
The re-design of the New Zealand flag has been a source of vigorous debate. New Zealanders have questioned whether we can afford the $26 million when so many other social systems need attention. Other New Zealanders have wondered whether we ought to redesign it at all when our forefathers fought and died under the flag while others think the change is long past due and we ought to rid ourselves of the Union Jack for another emblem more befitting of our current identity. Then of course there’s the design perspective. Some have questioned whether sourcing designs from the public was the way to go and have wondered whether the panel has enough design nous to make the right decision. We asked Designworks owner Sven Baker who had five designs make the long-list what he thinks and also had a chat to panel member and Saatchi & Saatchi chief executive Nicky Bell to see what the panel thinks a good flag should represent.
Over the last few months, Jay Alvarrez has become something of a YouTube and Instagram sensation through a series of videos and images that show him skydiving, surfing, flying helicopters, visiting tropical islands and just living what appears to be the ideal life. And in case there was any doubt that the ridiculously good-looking Alvarrez and his annoyingly gorgeous girlfriend had way better lives than pretty much every other person in the world, Hallenstein Brothers has now confirmed it by commissioning the pair to appear in its new brand spot.
Early this year, the MPA announced that it was making some big changes to its annual awards, with a new name, a few new categories and a new judging process. Those changes have led to an almost 40 percent increase in entry numbers and as far as the finalists go, Bauer is on top with 46, followed by Tangible Media with 25, Fairfax with 19 and Kowhai Media with 10.
At sporadic intervals between the 1980s to the early 2000s, the Care Bears, a multi-coloured collection of pint-sized heroes, appeared on television entertaining kids with their various adventures against the forces of evil. Powered by a range of super powers indicated by the emblems emblazoned across their chests, the Care Bears dedicated their days to increasing the levels of care in the world. And, now, three years after the Care Bears last made a TV appearance, tissue brand Earthcare has introduced its own variation of a bear that can’t help but care, perhaps a little too much. But rather than following the cute footsteps of the Care Bears, Earthcare has opted for a slightly more intimidating iteration of a do-gooder bear.
In a television age dominated by reality cooking shows like Masterchef and My Kitchen Rules, no doubt many of us feel we need to step up our game in the kitchen, and make sure each dish has at least one food source which is impossible to pronounce or perhaps includes kale from a remote region of New Zealand which has grown to the sound of children’s laughter and been watered only with water collected from a luscious mountain stream, or some chia seeds, or maybe some salted caramel topped with cream churned by the feet of baby ducks. But considering most of us don’t have the time or money to regularly produce artisan cuisines, sometimes we just want to whip up something quick, something we know improves the taste of our meal and something that won’t make us recoil from the state of our bank balances, like some ready-made gravy paste by Maggi.
Longtime Daily Show host Jon Stewart bowed out today after 16 years. And the tributes flowed. Here are a few of the best.
Our weekly wrap of good things, strange things, funny things and other things from inside the intertubes.
From the moment Vodafone’s Piggy Sue stepped in to replace James Rolleston for Vodafone, there was a sense that the ad would be popular. It did, after all, feature an adorable piglet that was remarkably puppy-like in its behaviour. And so it has proven, with the ad racking up over 300,000 views online and also getting the most votes in the People’s Choice division in this year’s MediaWorks/StopPress TVC of the Year competition. PLUS: see how many votes each of the finalists received.
The undeniably adorable Piggy Sue has returned to screens once again in a continuation of Vodafone’s brand campaign developed by FCB, this time she’s been recruited as a flanker.
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?
The persuasive arts are often jokingly referred to as the colouring-in department. But the appeal is obviously not limited to marketers and agency folk, because adult colouring books are going gangbusters in New Zealand and around the world.
Ogilvy & Mather took out the July Newspaper Ad of the Month award for its topical Rebel Sport ad ‘National Pride’, scooping up $500 for the win.
Massey University graduate Jason Khoo has taken out first place in the New Zealand leg of the 15th James Dyson Awards with his tree house platform called Tree Mount, designed to encourage Kiwi families to spend more time together and get back to nature.
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.
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.
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.
Humans are becoming increasingly attached to their smartphones and these days they’re often seen as lifelines—sometimes quite literally. Here’s how technology is trying to keep us safe.
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.
John Campbell is set to take up a position as the drivetime host on Radio New Zealand and it’s likely good news for the broadcaster’s growing digital audience as it plans to use Campbell to front a revamped show featuring streamed video and a podcast.
Yahoo’s latest messenger app replaces audio with text messaging for a Skype-meets-TXT-with-the-sound-off platform that might just revolutionise the way we use our phones.