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Movings|Shakings: 29 May

Back in the game

​Post his Y&R post, Jon Ramage has been working as executive chairman of PR agency Lily & Louis and as a trustee/board member of Unicef. And he's also signed on as a consultant with Mike O'Sullivan's The Collective. 

Along with Open, The Collective has worked on the recent Fairfax campaign and is soon to launch the anti-domestic violence campaign for the Owen Glenn Foundation. 

Two's company

Whatever Colenso BBDO can do, so can DDB, because it has also strengthened its digital offering with a new addition and a promotion. 

Digital strategist Michiel Cox is returning to DDB New Zealand after a period with Tribal DDB in Korea, where he worked on worldwide brands such as McDonald’s, Volkswagen and Johnson & Johnson. Korea is among the world’s most advanced technological nations and during his time there he was instrumental in helping to instill an insight-led digital culture across the agency.

Jack Murphy has also been named as social planner. His previous role was account executive with DDB

“In order to reflect the core importance of digital we are recruiting more digital heavyweights to boost our offering," says Justin Mowday, chief executive of DDB New Zealand. "Michiel is a digital native with a wealth of experience, and along with Jack, a very smart and intuitive social planner, they are joining DDB’s digital team of over 30 people, already made up of some of the country’s best digital strategists and creatives.”

He says the social intelligence team and the broader digital strategy team are involved in pretty much every brief the agency is working on, which is shaping its approach to tasks and the type of work it's developing.

“I’m stoked about returning to this stellar Kiwi team,” Cox says. “I’ve missed those guys and I can’t wait to work with them. I'm especially looking forward to finding ways that digital ideas and experiences as a whole can make our lives better, easier and more fun.”

Lucinda Sherborne, head of planning, says Cox is a great digital strategist and a really interesting and insightful thinker.

"His true power is translating classic planning skills into the digital space which makes it a whole lot more human and creative.”

Elsewhere in the Death Star, Mango's Rebecca Rassie has recently left for a job with her client Specsavers in Melbourne. Eleisha Balmer has taken over her role.  

Eff'n Oates

Dael Oates has joined Thick as Thieves for representation in New Zealand.

Winner of the Kodak new director award, Oates has quickly built a reputation for finely crafted work with a unique visual aesthetic. With a background in the dark arts of post, his work reflects his fascination with narrative, design and VFX.

"Dael’s work encompasses the full range of film-craft from stop animation to CGI across a range of genres and styles," says executive producer Nik Beachman. "He is a fine chap and a proper artist and we can’t wait to introduce him and his work."

Drink to that

Super Liquor Holdings has announced the promotion of Martin Bremner to the newly (re)created role of chief executive officer. Bremner has been chief operating officer since 2010, when he replaced the last chief executive. 

Chairman of Super Liquor Holdings, Mark O’Donnell, said the leadership appointment reflects Bremner’s success to date in transforming the business, yielding significant success for the group and for individual franchisees. 

“Martin has led the business through many challenges, and transformed our marketing, professionalism and position in the industry. His promotion to CEO is well deserved and represents the next step in the growth of the business,” says O’Donnell.

Bremner leads a management team of ten. The business has just appointed creative agency Procreation to lead its brand refresh and new store fitout programme. And it is currently working with Tangible Media on its craft beer initiative Craftology.  

Prior to 2010, Bremner worked with Winstone Wallboards and Pumpkin Patch. He is a board member of Diabetes Auckland.

Young bloods

It started off as Young, Bright & Broke, but, due to a supposed clash of names with another entity, CAANZ has renamed the youth-focused industry group First Five Rungs.

While the name has changed, the modus operandi hasn't and it aims to provide a stage for young ad folk to be informed, inspired, engaged and to have the odd knees-up. ​​

To launch the new name, it's having a baby Battle of the Ad Bands, featuring the raw musical grit of last year’s winners, Friends Electric, OMD’s The Chased and Taxidermy.

Make sure your name is on the door. All RSVPs must be made by Friday 31 May. 

The details:

  • First Five Rungs: The re-invention
  • Thursday 6 June from 6.30PM
  • The Windsor, Parnell
  • Cover charge: $5 (first drink free)
  • RSVP by 31 May 2013, to [email protected]

More beersies

Pack & Co has added a new gastro-pub on Auckland's Customs St. to its portfolio, with The Crown the first of its Little Empire Brewery and Eating Houses.​

Tapping into the craft beer boom, it comes with a microbrewery onsite and the Crown will soon be serving its own pilsner, golden lager and pale ale. 

Beer buffs can expect the first batch to be on tap by late June, with seasonal varieties coming later down the track (the brews will also be available in two-litre ‘rigger’ bottles to take home). 

The microbrewery has the capacity to brew for multiple sites, with the company now looking at other sites for Little Empires around Auckland.

The Crown’s menu is rustic, hearty pub fare. But there's also plenty of smaller options (check out the menu here). 

Taking its inspiration from the industrial era, the Crown’s fit-out is in keeping with Pack & Co's other impressive efforts, such as Everybody's in Imperial Lane, and celebrates the number eight wire mentality that has allowed New Zealand to carve out its own ‘Little Empire’ in the South Pacific.

Located in the historic Britomart Hotel—most recently the Rose & Crown and Britomart Brewery—the main bar includes a beautifully restored, glossy-black pressed tin roof and original light fittings. Out back, the functioning brewery space is also a bar. Upstairs has been entirely reworked with the new Empire Salon space featuring big curved booths in tan leather that are ideal for lounging, and a dance floor and DJ booth for later in the evening.

Tables and bench seating outside provide more options, and plans are underway for a rooftop terrace.

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