Marketers and clients of the industry gathered last night in the Cordis to celebrate the New Zealand Direct Marketing (NZDM) Awards.
The show’s theme was ‘stairway to heaven’, which was brought to life through the room’s decorations and the flamboyant outfits of those on stage. Brooke Howard-Smith hosted the night spectacularly, cha cha’ing on to the stage in a feathered costume, followed by an equally feathery dancer.
It was a big night for McDonald’s and agency partners TRACK NZ, who took home both the Nexus Supreme and the Grand Prix awards for their transformational, customer-centric campaigns. The judges labelled McDonald’s as the ones to watch for clever marketing in New Zealand.
Jo Mitchell, McDonald’s director of marketing, was delighted with the result.
“This is great recognition for the partnership we’ve built with TRACK NZ. The Maccas app is the latest iteration of delivering convenience to our customers, and it is now a core part of our business growth.”
Other big wins included ASB’s Vanessa Morris who was named this year’s Mary Robbins Director Marketer of the Year for championing the customer within the banking industry.
While FlexiGroup was named the Keith Norris Direct Marketing Organisation of the Year with the company achieving record growth results in both revenue and customer growth.
Flexigroup’s general manager of marketing Jacqui Hourigan said they had invested greatly in the campaign.
“We are thrilled to win the Keith Norris Award and to be recognised amongst the best in New Zealand – all of the finalists this year delivered incredible work and results. We are a small team that punches above its weight and I am so proud of the momentum we have created. A huge thanks to our retail partners and agencies Federation, Mosh and MBM for supporting us along the way.”
Many others won gold, the crowd got involved and overall the night was an entertaining success. Chief executive of the Marketing Association, John Miles, says the night was a true celebration of the best indirect, personalised marketing.
“Congratulations to all our winners and a big thank you to our Platinum Sponsors Loyalty NZ and Orangebox for their ongoing support of these awards,” he says.
Industry Awards Gold Winners:
Track NZ – AA Insurance – ‘A Serioulsy Sweet Easter”
Fuji Xerox New Zealand – ‘Catch the Wave: Marketing Association Sunrise Session Event’
Track NZ – McDonald’s – ‘McDonald’s Customer Engagement Engine’
Energi Advertising – Vitaco – ‘Musashi Beat Your Best Challenge’
Les Mills International – ‘Nothing Beats GRIT’
Skinny Marketing – TAB – ‘TAB Blast a Boundary’
Channel Awards Gold Winners:
Fuse – Kiwibank – ‘Kiwibank I AM HOPE’
FCB – Minidtry for Primary Industries – ‘Saving the Last of the Giants’
Craft Awards Gold Winners:
Colenso BBDO – MARS – ‘MARS Puppo’
FCB New Zealand – Ministry for Primary Industries – ‘ Saving the Last of the Giants’
FCB New Zealand – Flight Centre – ‘The Little Christmas Nudge’
Nexus Awards Gold Winners:
ASB – ‘Automation Strategy for Good’
FCB New Zealand – Mercury – ‘Switch Stop’
Skinny Marketing – TAB – ‘TAB Blast a Boundary’
TRACK NZ – McDonald’s – ‘The App-powered Year: Driving Incremental Growth’