The latest agency news, campaigns and client wins (and losses) making headlines across Aotearoa.
The Herald on Sunday ran a story over the weekend that detailed All Black Aaron Smith’s romantic dalliances. And we couldn’t help but notice a strange bit of brand advocacy in among the sordid revelations.
One of the benefits of social media is that, when used well, it can get punters to do something, unlike the vast majority of typically one-way commercial messages. And, as Simon Veksner wrote recently, “it’s well known that getting people to do something makes them more likely to buy”. To launch season four of Game of Thrones, Sky and DDB asked fans to tweet #bringdowntheking and help topple a seven-metre statue of the despised King Joffrey that was constructed in Aotea Square by Finch. And, judging by the big numbers, it would have to rank as one of the country’s most engaging social campaigns in recent memory.
If, as suggested in the media recently, New Zealand is set to be one of the world’s ‘rock star economies’, then Xero would have to be the rightful lead singer. General manager of marketing Jonathan Allan talks about ‘doing beautiful business’.
In an effort to maximise exposure of the fact that statistics collated by ACARS indicated that it was the nation’s most punctual domestic airline in 2013, Jetstar last week hosted an online game that gave players a chance to win $200 flight vouchers. PLUS: see the self-deprecating ad that Jetstar has released featuring the voice of 7 Days comedian Jeremy Elwood.
Following last month’s announcement that Vodafone was undergoing the process of reviewing its global media account (worth about US$950 million), it has now been reported that WPP’s MEC has won the final round of pitching, which was contested between MEC and Carat (part of the Dentsu Aegis network). So what does this mean from a New Zealand perspective?
The moment TNS New Zealand releases its radio survey results, the media industry generally buzzes in competitive chaos as everyone vies to get the often confusing statistics published as quickly as possible. Given that we all know that the storm is coming, this one of the few times when interviews are scheduled weeks in advance, questions are emailed pre-emptively and past results are collated in an anticipatory move. This year did not disappoint, and we were again given a fair dose of chaos. So without further ado, here’s a breakdown of some of the key trends recorded in the latest results.
Some say that print is dead, but maybe advertisers just need to start using the medium in new, more creative ways? And no, we are not talking about QR codes or even any kind of clever digital tie-in.
Our weekly wrap of good things, strange things, funny things and other things from inside the intertubes.
We’ve seen see-through billboards, exploding billboards and bleeding billboards. And now we’ve got an animal-skin billboard, with Hell and Barnes, Catmur & Friends celebrating today’s launch of the new smoked rabbit pizza with an outdoor execution (perhaps quite literally) made entirely out of leftover rabbit skins.
Vodafone is making sure it doesn’t miss out on its share of sales of Samsung’s latest generation Galaxy smartphone, the S5, with a hint of gold fever. It negotiated to offer the gold variant of the device and is putting up a bunch of swag to enthusiasts who can’t resist being first to get the new tech.
Auckland Transport has rolled out the superlatives in a campaign for its new range of electric trains, which will start running in the Super City from 28 April. Developed by creative agency Work Communications in conjunction the production company Useful Films, the ‘Smarter, Better, Quieter’ campaign gives New Zealanders a sneak peek at the culmination of the $500 million project to electrify the city’s rail system.
Creativity is all-important in this industry. But it’s also messy and difficult, as this simple yet quite accurate diagram shows.
The modern human condition tends to be one of constant connection and, in many cases, slight addiction. But JWT and Sacred Hill are jumping on the mindfulness bandwagon and aiming to inspire a different, more classical version of connection with a beautifully-crafted new print campaign.
The search has begun for the next 26 winners keen to etch their names in the nation’s marketing history, with the call for entries for the 2014 TVNZ-NZ Marketing Awards now open.
Sadly, a lot of the time content marketing is terrible. Marketers trying their damnedest to make something that will ‘go viral’ often miss the mark by a long shot. But when a brand gets it right, it’s awesome.
Abused animals, war-torn villages and malnourished, distended bellies have become common inhabitants on Facebook feeds, as increasing numbers of social media users share imagery of causes they supposedly support. The only problem with this approach is that it achieves little more than unsettling those that see these often graphic images. But rather than calling people out for their inaction, Pedigree has launched a new campaign via Colenso BBDO that makes video sharing central to raising funds for a good cause.
Back in the day, giving up food or money was the ultimate sacrifice for a cause. But in an age when parents punish their children by taking away electronic devices, ASB is taking social media use away from its most avid team member for a week to help its sponsor organisation St John.
There are plenty of songs that take the piss out of social media (one of the best in this category is College Humour’s ‘Look at this Instagram’). But you know what there aren’t enough of? Serious songs about social media marketing, like this one, which was performed at a conference and made us throw up in our mouths.
MediaWorks announced yesterday that it would be extending its radio brand The Edge onto television by launching a new TV channel on the Freeview and Sky platforms later this year. Described by The Edge programme director Leon Wratt as “radio with pictures on steroids,” the Edge TV will feature Jay-Jay Feeney, Mike Puru, Dom Harvey, Guy Williams, Sharyn Casey, Clint Roberts and other presenters on a daily basis. Updated with comments from MediaWorks group comms manager Rachel Lorimer and MediaWorks radio group programme director Andrew Szusterman.
Colenso BBDO and Whybin\TBWA are the only Kiwi agencies in the running for a Webby Award, with DDB, Terabyte Interactive, Saatchi & Saatchi, DNA and Y&R also honoured.
Hell is getting set to launch its new smoked rabbit pizza, just in time for Easter. And, like many companies launching new products, it sent out a goodie bag to selected media to draw attention to it. But, unlike many companies launching a new product—and in quintessentially controversial Hell fashion—it also included this unusual ceramic toy.
When a company grows its revenue 1116 percent in three years it’s obviously young. But software developer Alphero is wise beyond its years thanks to co-founders Caroline Dewe and Kostia Shinderman, well used to specialising at the big end of town.
Trade Me is touting the transformation of its clothing category into a more fully fledged e-commerce experience as an opportunity for Kiwi retailers to go omni-channel. The company began the process of transformation late last year to allow greater customisation and recommendation and to target big labels users couldn’t find on the site.
Yahoo has brought back the Digital Stars programme, which recognises the work of up and coming digital media planners and buyers. This year it’s partnered with Yahoo7 in Australia and is offering two winners a trip to Mumbrella 360 in Sydney.
There’s method in Amazon’s madness as it breaks into the streaming media market, if the new TVC for Amazon Fire TV is anything to go by. The madness is the star courtesy of crazy specialist actor Gary Busey, who in talking to inanimate objects shows the value of a voice search feature that actually listens.
Nissan is using its 80th birthday celebrations with a very techy promotion to pay homage to owners of its vehicles who find it hard to part with their steeds in favour of a new model. ‘Love stories’ between owners and their cars can be shared on a new website or social media and some families even get a 3D printed model of the family with their old vehicle when a new one is delivered.
The burger selfie trend, or food selfies in general for that matter, are a strange reflection of the smartphone era. But while the trend is hot Carl’s Jr in the US is grabbing a bite of the action ahead of the latest X Men movie release, Days of Future Past.
Fewer than two years after getting a toe in Coca-Cola’s door by winning the Lift Plus and Mother accounts, DDB has now lost both energy drinks to Ogilvy. Updated with comments from Ogilvy executive director Paul Manning.
Over the past few years, Heineken and Wieden + Kennedy’s Legends brand platform has resulted in some brilliant ads and increased sales around the world. For its latest trick, it’s managed to convince more than 40 legends from the world of sport, art and entertainment to create a unique poster that will be auctioned off to support Reporters Without Borders, a global non-profit organisation that protects journalists and ensures freedom of information worldwide. And there’s a Kiwi connection to this one, with ex-All Black Brad Thorn and double world record holding freediver William Trubridge enlisted for the campaign.
McDonald’s brand Georgie Pie has tracked up to more than 25,000 fans in a bit over a month since agency Fuse launched the Facebook page. The 25-44 year old demographic who ate all the pies back in the day are a key target, but pie newbies are also on Fuse’s radar.
Trade Me-owned site Holiday Houses is moving with the shift to mobile, getting a new version that caters for changing traffic trends. Visits to the site from tablets have jumped 75 percent since this time last year while smartphone visits have more than doubled in that time.
If your company is investing heavily in digital but it’s not paying off, your CEO, head of marketing or IT boss could be the problem. Top performing companies are those whose chief executive sets and follows a digital strategy and those who can identify a strong relationship between marketers and those who spend technology dollars.
In its first piece of work for World Vision since winning the not-for-profit’s account at the end of last year, Sugar & Partners has released a new campaign that enables Kiwis to contribute capital to the entrepreneurial endeavours of people living in disadvantaged circumstances throughout the world. Launched via a series of billboards that pose the question ‘What if the next Richard Branson, [Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Ellison or Trelise Cooper] couldn’t afford to start up his [or her] business?’, the campaign serves to remind viewers that even the most successful people needed that initial investment to get their ideas off the ground.
Not many ads tend to completely steer away from showing off their product when making a 60 second TVC, but that is exactly what Leo Burnett and Canon Australia have done in the latest ad. “No One Sees It Like You…#whatdoyousee?” is the newest addition to the ‘No One Sees It Like You’ campaign.
Mitsubishi, Vero and Subaru win the meatpacks this week.
For many years, Vero has taken a bovine-heavy approach to its advertising. And while Sensation, the company’s 1200kg Black Angus bull mascot who burst onto the scene in 2003 when Big launched the brand in New Zealand, features at the end of its new 60 second spot, the company has taken a different, more serious tack in an effort to show that insurance ‘is not about things going wrong, it’s about an insurer putting them right’.