Facebook wants a piece of that delicious search engine pie
The 1 billion-strong social network launches a social-powered search engine. Is this where your next SEM dollar will go?
Get the latest direct to your inbox twice a week. Sign up today. 
Browsing: News
The latest agency news, campaigns and client wins (and losses) making headlines across Aotearoa.
Kiwi game developer hits 1 million mark in three days
Hawke’s Bay man creates iOS game from home which has taken the app world by storm, now sitting pretty in the Apple App charts.
TVCs of the Week: 15 January
There still seem to be a few holiday tumbleweeds out there in marcomms land, but we managed to find a few contenders, with TVNZ’s colourful Seven Sharp promo, Animates’ accurate Doomsday prediction and nzgirl’s raunchy ‘regretgasm’ spot featuring in the year’s first round.
Wellington agency pinpoints 2012’s toughest PR gigs
The modern world is quick to jump on PR fails, and they certainly make for good fodder in an age of rampant sharing on social media. But in an effort to get people to appreciate the complexity of PR issues, Wellington PR agency BlacklandPR has created a list of what it deemed the most difficult PR challeges of 2012. And the merging of Christchurch schools took top spot.
Westpac’s bickering oldies usurp the throne once again with Ad Impact win
‘Flatties’, the entertaining home loan-related follow-up to Westpac’s ‘Start Asking’ brand campaign by DDB and Prodigy, managed to beat out its big brother in the Jan/Feb instalment of Campaign Review in NZ Marketing magazine after taking second place. And it’s followed that up by winning the November round of the Colmar Brunton Ad Impact Award.
Out of the ashes: Radio Hauraki ‘kills station in order to save it’
“For the past few years, Radio Hauraki has been shit.” So says a very frank and rather Back of the Y-esque video clip involving petrol, a lighter and some hearty appliance violence. But with a new look, a new breakfast pairing and a new campaign via Saatchi & Saatchi, the Radio Network claims “things are changing” for the rock station in 2013.
Samsung deal brings TVNZ Ondemand to smart TVs
Shortland Street fans rejoice. Now you can do your on-demand catching up with the gang from the big screen. Mobile screen fans to get some love in February.
Third time’s a charm as Colenso takes another YoungGuns honour
The YoungGuns awards aim to recognise the world’s best advertising and communications industry talent under the age of 30 and, after becoming the only agency in the world to win the YoungGuns agency of the year twice in 2001 and 2008, Colenso BBDO was named as the most awarded agency of the decade by the organisation in 2010. And it’s obviously no fluke, because it’s also been awarded the 2012 agency of the year prize after winning four bullets in total—one gold, two silvers and a bronze—with Contagion the only other Kiwi agency to take home a prize after winning bronze.
Planets set to align for cinema advertising, as Val Morgan rings some changes for 2013
With a new measurement system that aims to shift the focus from buying screens to buying eyeballs, the rise of digital screening technology, an enhanced focus on cinema’s ability to add incremental reach, and a fully staffed sales team to show off its wares, Val Morgan’s sales director Natasha O’Connor says the issues that have hampered the growth of cinema advertising in New Zealand—primarily a perceived lack of accountability and additional production costs inherent in transferring TVCs to film—are now being addressed and it has taken steps to ensure cinema will be easier to plan, buy and measure in 2013.
TVNZ’s sharp new show gets air date
Latest current affairs show on New Zealand TV landscape promises to tell the news with a bit of a laugh. Don’t we already have 7 Days for that?
Westfield goes agency shopping as DraftFCB subs out—UPDATED
Three years after winning the Westfield New Zealand account, DraftFCB has resigned the business, with the agency finishing up on 31 March.
Publicis Mojo leaves creditors $16m in the lurch
Following news of its liquidation in a classic Christmas dump last year, a new report shows the agency owes its employees, the tax man, and trade partners a significant amount of cash – and it looks like it doesn’t have money in the bank to pay it all.
Publicis Mojo throws in the towel
First it was Droga5, and now, in the classic ‘Christmas dump’, where bad news is saved up for when everyone’s focusing on some well-earned festive cheer, it was announced yesterday that Publicis Mojo’s time in New Zealand is also up. It will be replaced by a new agency called Joy in the new year.
The last post: you, us and Damon Wayans
As a wise man once said, those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it. So, given all the opinions that have flowed forth over the past week from a range of marcomms cutters and thrusters (never fear, we’ve got a few more up our sleeves to ease you into 2013), it seemed remiss of us not to do a bit of reflecting ourselves, both on the industry we cover and on the evolution of StopPress and NZ Marketing.
Pluk the halls
What’s more Christmassy than an inappropriate pash at the office party? Or a deep ham and alcohol coma? Or the disappointed look on your greedy kids’ faces when they don’t get what they want? A festively-themed, avian-heavy dollop of digital show-offery, says the gang from audio-recognition app Pluk. So Pluk the video and see what happens.
2012’s apps of Apple’s eye
Five Kiwi apps have floated above the rest in Apple’s pick of this year’s best in the New Zealand App Store.
Tourism New Zealand’s fantastical Hobbit fest takes top tourism award
Tourism New Zealand and Whybin\TBWA’s 100% Middle-earth, 100% Pure New Zealand campaign has been the subject of much discussion recently, plenty of it based around the perceived gap between the fantasy of the slogan and the reality of the country’s environmental situation. But after some negative media coverage, it’s put one in the plus column by winning the World’s Leading Destination Marketing Campaign in the World Travel Awards 2012.
State’s catchy ad most searched for in 2012
New Zealanders really enjoy a catchy tune mixed with a bit of schadenfreude, a fact demonstrated by the most searched for ad on Google this year.
The Year in Review: Anthony Gardiner
Creative ideas increasingly need to be media ideas—and specifically social media ideas. And OMD recognised this earlier this year by hiring social strategist, self-proclaimed ‘askhole’, opinionated mofo, treasure hunt lover and enthusiastic supporter of the Herne Bay Local Anthony Gardiner. So get these opinions down ‘ya gullet.
Kim Dotcom’s Mega Christmas ruins Santa for children, but provides plenty of laughs for the grown ups
Twas the night before the night before Christmas, and Rudolph is hungover in the corner. Mrs Claus gives a bourbon fuelled rant about how her life with Santa is no fairy tale. She stumbles off stage, but not before threatening Rudolph with a shit-stained dildo. Thus ending the opening scene of Mega Christmas, playing at the Basement Theatre in Auckland this week.
Ogilvy Wellington’s 12 annoying days of Christmas takes ORCA crown
Following up from a win in August for Consumer NZ, Ogilvy Wellington duo Nigel Richardson and Steve Cooper have taken the November ORCA with their ‘Silly Season’ ad for Consumer NZ.
Google’s Zeitgeist searches for the spirit of 2012
Search giant Google has released the results of its 2012 top search trends, including the most searched for terms in New Zealand this year.
Donate Your Desktop adds eight charities to its line up
New Zealand-based fundraising startup Donate Your Desktop has partnered with eight new charities, with the hope that added choice will bring in new users and boost struggling advertising sales.
Panasonic and Trade Me launch TV app
Panasonic and Trade Me have teamed up to take advantage of televisions becoming more and more computer-like, with the launch of the Trade Me app for Panasonic Smart Viera TVs.
‘No jiggery pokery’: DraftFCBers on the Driving Dogs phenomenon
When it comes to Kiwi viral sensations, we may have a new champion, because DraftFCB, Mini and the SPCA’s campaign that put homeless mutts behind the wheel of a modified Mini has been picked up by most of the world’s major media outlets, been the most shared video on BBC three days running, with 225,000 shares to Facebook and 7,900 to Twitter, and ranks as the biggest news event on Campbell Live in its seven-and-a-half year history.
Hobbit-flavoured digital book gets 130k views on Tourism New Zealand website
Haven’t had your daily dose of The Hobbit? Then head on over to newzealand.com and take a look at New Zealand redrawn in the spirit of Tolkien thanks to WHYBIN\TBWA and Weta Workshops.
TVCs of the Week: 11 December
The last TVC of the Week accolade for 2012 and it’s the global phenomenon that is driving dogs, mobile innuendo and kids mixed with science that taste victory.
Colenso cleans up at Caples, fights with DDB Group for Campaign Asia Pacific agency of the year honours—UPDATED
Fresh from winning more Caples metal than any other agency in the world over the weekend, Colenso BBDO followed that up by winning Campaign Asia Pacific’s New Zealand creative agency of the year award ahead of DDB Group and DraftFCB, with creative chairman Nick Worthington named as the Australasian region’s best creative director. DDB Group also backed up a good year on the awards front, with Rapp/Tribal winning digital agency of the year ahead of Colenso BBDO and TBWA\DAN, while Spark PHD was rewarded for an impressive year with the media agency of the year title, ahead of Naked and OMD.
Wiki New Zealand opens treasure trove of data to the masses
If knowledge is power, Lillian Grace wants to put a sword in every New Zealander’s hand using collaborative data and infographics through Wiki New Zealand.
Spotify’s social work ramps up the music discovery, as local brands start to tune in—UPDATED
There was plenty of excitement when music streaming service Spotify finally launched in New Zealand in May. And it has announced its latest numbers and a few big changes to make the service more social, more personalised and hopefully more attractive to advertisers. Plus: Nielsen’s Spotify’s numbers.
Anonymous commenters rise up, use fear to rid the world of bad advertising
A few of our esteemed contributors have placed ‘anonymous commenters’ in the villains section of our Year in Review questionnaire, as they did the year before. And it’s fair to say most would agree with those choices. But not all, it seems. We received an interesting ‘Anonymous Message’ from a generic email address with a link to a video featuring a shadowy figure in a Guy Fawkes mask outlining the surprisingly worthy, if rather threatening, intentions of anonymous commenters: to completely eliminate all bad ads from this world.
Want to see your life flashing before your eyes?
We’ve seen Facebook data used effectively to tap in the modern narcissistic streak, especially with Intel’s Museum of Me, but Clemenger BBDO and Resn have flipped that upside down—quite literally—with a brilliant anti-speeding campaign in the form on an online game for the New Zealand Transport Authority (NZTA).
Spark games the system—UPDATED
Marcomms folk are a competitive bunch. Always fighting over clients/awards/staff. And, in many cases, that competition is often a good thing for the quality of ideas, which is why PHD and its local outpost Spark Group are set to launch a new global operating system that taps into elements of gamification and crowd-sourcing to “encourage participation and collaboration” among the 2,500 staff across the Omnicom-owned group.
MetService redesign aimed at the avid weather watcher
MetService is launching a redesigned website this afternoon to bring more of its labyrinth of meteorological data up to the user level.
The new site also gives advertisers an interesting proposition: bid for ads next to different weather types.
Shock weight gain! Woman’s Day piles on the pages
Mass market weeklies have had a rough time of it in recent years. But ACP has opened an early Christmas present in the form of the recent double issue of Woman’s Day, which clocked in at over 200 pages and took the title as biggest ever issue.
Instagram and Twitter cut ties
It’s official; Instagram and Twitter are no longer BFFs.
After several weeks of thrusts and parries, Instagram no longer allows images from its 100 million users to be displayed on Twitter, according to a statement made by Instagram to AllThingsD.