After saying goodbye to BNZ, ‘recalibrating’ the agency and adding a couple of ex-Ogilvy chaps to its creative arsenal, Sugar&Partners had plenty to contend with this year. But it took it in its stride and released some quality campaigns for TAB, new challenger telco Flip and, slightly controversially given its similarity to a popular cat video, Mammoth Insulation. Dave Nash and Damon O’Leary sum up their 2012.
1) Favourite campaign that isn’t yours
Driving Dogs. It’s
an example of a brilliant core idea executed really well in the right way.
That’s why it will be such a success in social and online space, because it’s a
great core creative idea. And that Peter
Vegas is the only person who could convince an executive creative director to sell in training dogs to
drive cars.
2) Favourite campaign that is yours
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7k5rvpFlQUTAB Sport, a
new campaign that reinforced the brand’s positioning as part of the Kiwi lifestyle. As well as following Tom & Ben and the
Chicken on TV, the campaign went on premise and into a series of page takeovers
every Friday featuring the live odds Prediction Chicken banner.
3) Least favourite campaign
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N4bwMR2-ewMastercard’s
All Blacks campaign. The worst part
about it was everyone we talked to loved it.
4) Best brand
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsvj0pmMBhQCoca-Cola. The
Share a Coke campaign was our last hurrah at Ogilvy and it has gone gangbusters. The last phase of the campaign is on the streets now, looking great and
reconnecting with the youth of today.
5) Best stoush
United Kingdom
vs. Aussie radio DJ’s. I’m sure this will do wonders for Commonwealth diplomacy.
6) Heroes
Linds Redding.
7) Villains
Every agency
has one, but they were all pretty well behaved this year.
8) Most memorable marketing moment
All the banks
playing musical chairs. The stand out
moment in all of that would be Black Horse Down, the end of The National Bank.
9) A few predictions for 2013
The year of digital! The year of mobile! Probably not…we’ll save that for 2014.
2012 was the year of launching a TVC with a
matching banner and calling it an integrated campaign. Campaigns like Share A Coke and Driving Dogs
will hopefully redefine how media can be used and how technology and PR can make
you famous overnight.
2013 will see more collaboration of
agencies. Love it or hate it, brand owners want as many smart creative people
around the table, and you cannot find all those people in one agency. Hopefully 2013 will see media agencies catch
up with the consumer, smart use of media and media spend will make the most
innovative brands in 2013.
Then again all the banks will probably change
agencies again, and Corey and Gus will follow suit.
Here’s to 2012.
