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Movings/Shakings: 13 November

Banks direct 

Senior DraftFCB creative Rob Banks has been chosen to join the
jury at the 35th Caples Awards, which celebrate the world’s best direct marketing. 

Having judged at numerous local award shows, Banks is keen to
find out how having multiple nationalities and cultures on the jury affects
judging outcomes. 

“I think largely Aussie
and Kiwi juries tend to gravitate towards certain kinds of work. How that will
change with a room full of different cultural perspectives is anyone’s guess.
One thing’s for certain, local in-jokes won’t feature strongly at the metal
stage. Though I will be taking a suitcase-full of Pineapple Lumps and doing my
best Paul Ego impersonation to try and rectify the situation.”

Changes to this year’s Caples judging programme include the
addition of a full day of creative and branding workshops after judging is
completed. After that, Banks will be scouring New Jersey junkyards for retired
New York yellow cabs. “I have this weird
obsession for Ford Crown Victorias,” he says. “And their massive ‘trunks’ could come in handy for carrying all that Kiwi
gold and silver home.”

The awards will be announced on 6 December. 

Naked appointment

After a four-month international search, Simon Veksner has joined Naked Communications as head of ideas across its Sydney, Melbourne and
Auckland offices.  

Veksner has had an 18-year
advertising career spanning agencies including Saatchi & Saatchi, DDB
London, BBH, and DDB Sydney and has won awards including a Cannes Grand Prix
and multiple Cannes Lions, plus 2 D&AD Pencils and over 40 D&AD In-Book
entries. In 2010, he published a book aimed at young creatives called How
To Make It As An Advertising Creative
, and has a second book coming out in
2013, titled 100 Ideas That Changed Advertising. A release claims his Scamp blog was the most
popular advertising blog in the UK and this year he re-launched Scamp in
Sydney
.

“Naked has always been a
strategically driven agency,” says Adam Ferrier, founder and global head of behavioural sciences. “In Simon,
we have an exceptional world-class creative who complements our strategic
offering nicely. We were looking for
someone bloody good, and really nice, and in Simon we’ve found that person. Simon’s
skillset will ensure even more creative firepower will be applied to shaping
the right solutions for our clients.”

Most recently, Veksner set up
a creative independent agency, Scamp Creative, which will now cease. 

“Everything I wanted Scamp Creative to become—an intelligent, modern
agency—Naked already is. The
opportunity to work with the brilliant minds there, and help continue Naked’s
growth as a true creative force, was far too good to pass up. I am feeling the
same kind of excitement I felt when I first got into advertising… I genuinely
can’t wait to get started.”

Mike Wilson, Naked’s Australia and New Zealand chairman, said finding the right cultural fit for the role was crucial. 

“We
needed to find someone who worked with Naked’s very open and collaborative
business model. Simon has an impressive track record and is well liked and
respected by everyone in the industry. It’s a very exciting time.”

White Christmas 

The Sweet Shop has added Rob ‘Whitey’ McConnaughy to its global roster. The Portland-based director comes with an impressive resume of original, forward-thinking content that combines skills across multiple genres. His work, both on television and the web, has garnered worldwide attention for its clever concepts and skillful execution.

A storyteller at his core, Whitey’s strength lies in his ability to communicate fully developed comedic ideas with a masterful efficiency, from his newest viral stunt with rock n roll legends ZZ Top to his Nike ‘Hyperdunks’ campaign featuring Kobe Bryant jumping over a speeding Aston Martin to the carnage of the Red Fang music videos. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHrS_BonASA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQPfQvLIseA

“I’m excited about being a part of a team that works in a wide variety of genres, mediums and styles,” he says. “The Sweet Shop is a company that is loose on its feet and can adapt quickly as the industry changes. I’m looking forward to working with creatives that won’t just follow the curve but instead want to make their own cooler, totally kick ass curve.”

An accomplished athlete, Whitey got his start making snowboarding films at the age of twenty-one with a secondhand Super 8 camera. From there he went on to direct countless snowboard and skate films and later on helped create the mega-hit “Jackass” films for MTV before transitioning into mainstream music video and commercial work.

“Whitey is an excellent storyteller,” says executive producer Fiona King. “His approach to comedy is all his own and, moreover, it’s sheer fun. His love of craft comes through in spades.”

The Sweet Shop’s chief executive/founding partner Paul Prince comments, “Whitey brings an authentic edge to his work that is instantly recognizable to its audience. This signature blend of comedic and cool is right at home at The Sweet Shop.”

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