Y&R adds a pair, Val Morgan shuffles deck for launch of Brandfit, Katie Mills returns to MediaWorks Radio, Jacqueline Sainte-Rose-Warn to run Prodigy’s Auckland office, TVNZ launches its onenews.co.nz website, and Datamine nabs a new developer.
Grand Designers
Y&R has added the talents of senior designer Scott Crickett and senior digital developer Mark Coleman to its growing design department.
“Scott and Mark joining is a real score for our team,” says Musonda Katongo, head of design. “These two are good guys who are great at what they do, and they’ll help us provide even greater design thinking and craft to our client’s brands and communications.”
Crickett is a native Aucklander, but has spent the past 12 years working on a several high-profile brands, at agencies big and small in New Zealand, Melbourne, London and Edinburgh. He has recently been contracting through The Pond, after three years at digital communications agency The Church, where he worked on Telecom, Gen-i, PWC, Chapman Trip and Mediaworks.
He can work across all media from print to digital, animation to environmental graphics, but his main focus is the conceptual thinking that informs good design.
Coleman joins Y&R’s Auckland office having recently returned from the UK. There he worked for a number of companies as a freelance digital developer on brands such as Disney, Microsoft, Virgin Media and Heineken.
He began his career in film and television before crossing over to digital media. He loves storytelling and enjoys the challenge of weaving this art into all forms of digital media, from websites and banners to interactive applications.
“The increasing investment in our design department is a direct response to the growing demand from our clients for the exceptional work that Musonda’s team have delivered,” says executive creative director Josh Moore.
If the brand fits
Val Morgan’s chief executive Damian Keogh has announced the formation of a strategic department named Brandfit to provide advertisers with strategic integrated solutions in the New Zealand market.
O'ConnorThe department has been launched following the return from maternity leave of Natasha O’Connor, Val Morgan’s sales director.
“I am really excited to be back in the cinema market,” says O’Connor. “Cinema is an ideal environment for brands, delivering captivated audiences, unrivalled impact and engagement. Our new Brandfit division will work closely with planners and strategists to deliver turnkey communication solutions, including experiential marketing, in foyer activations and strategic uses of cinema to unlock the power of our media assets for brands.”
HoodSuzie Hood has been promoted to strategy director, Brandfit, and her role will include working closely with agency planners and strategists, building closer working relationships with movie distributors and partnering other media companies with integrated solutions where relevant.
Cinema box office is currently up 12 percent year on year, with The Amazing Spider-Man, The Dark Knight, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2, James Bond: Skyfall and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey still to come.
Grist to the Mills
MediaWorks Radio group marketing director Katie Mills has returned from maternity leave this week and, with the continued support of Kristy Craig, who has covered group marketing for radio in her absence, she will now be covering the role of Andrew Szusterman, group programme director – music, while he is working on TV3’s X-Factor project
Jack in the box
Prodigy has appointed Jacqueline Sainte-Rose-Warn as the executive producer in New Zealand and she will join an established international team in new offices at 3 Adelaide Street in Freemans Bay.
Sainte-Rose brings global production experience spanning some 25 years to the business, having successfully produced projects in a range of disciplines including international documentary, drama and feature projects as well producing and line-producing commercials with both local and international directors.
Having begun her career in London, Sainte-Rose moved to New Zealand in 1996. Throughout her career, she has worked closely with producers and directors of international acclaim, many of whom she still considers mentors, including Steve Golin (Anonymous Content), Mehdi Norowzian (Joy Films, RSA UK) and husband Jesse Warn (Spartacus, Criminal Minds, Vampire Diaries) to name just a few.
Sainte-Rose joins NZ/Asia executive producer Stephen Douglas and a roster of film directors including Tim Bullock, Michael Gracey, Dael Oates, Brent Bonocorso and Kiwi director and exhibiting visual artist Matt Palmer.
“Jack has an impressive track record; there would be few EPs in New Zealand or the greater region with a similar depth of talent and experience,” says Douglas. “With our renewed focus on developing the New Zealand business, bringing Jack on board was a key part of our growth strategy and we are excited about what she will bring to the table for our existing and future clients.”
Sainte-Rose is already on deck and available immediately to discuss projects and she will be making some announcements soon about enhancing the international roster.
TVNZ’s online news has undergone a makeover to align more closely with its on-air counterpart and now has its own dedicated site, onenews.co.nz.
The new site will be home to all of TVNZ’s news content, while the tvnz.co.nz homepage will continue to have a strong news presence in the short term to navigate users through to the new site.
“The revamp will make it easier for New Zealanders to access their news anywhere, anytime and to find what they want more quickly,” says TVNZ head of news and current affairs Ross Dagan. “It will also give our first-rate news video more prominence.”
The site launches at 11pm on Tuesday, June 12, in time for exclusive streaming of Wimbledon from June 25, and extensive 2012 London Olympics coverage in July and August. It will have 24-hour Games coverage, including video highlights, live text updates, extended interviews from the ONE News team in London and commentary and analysis from experts. This content will be available across the new website, and also on the mobile site, news app on iPhone, and across social media platforms.
Sheik of tweak
Faisal Sheik has joined Datamine as it snewest developer.
Hailing from the UK, he has a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Computer Systems from the University of Cardiff. He has a wealth of experience previously working as a software and database developer and in IT project management for a multinational company involved in Port Operations. A sports enthusiast, Sheik is in good company at Datamine with an interest in hockey, cricket and Formula 1.
