For many, choosing an internet service provider (ISP) is about ensuring streaming will not be interrupted by buffering. And to help consumers make their decision, Netflix releases a monthly ISP leaderboard that tracks how the various providers are performing in the local market. However, as the numbers indicate, the difference between the top six players isn’t all that significant. In fact, the average users should be able stream quite comfortably regardless of which provider they use. So, we ask Bigpipe’s Oliver Smith why his ISP continues to focus on speed in its marketing.

Imagine Rocky without ‘Eye of the Tiger’, Apocalypse Now without Wagner, Saturday Night Fever without the Bee Gees’ ‘Stayin’ Alive’. It all looks so good visually might look nice visually, but there’s just something missing. Using this as its premise for a series of idents in the lead up to its soundtrack-themed movie lineup, on-demand platform UPC illustrates that the scene Ghost, Foot Loose and 2001: A Space Odyssey become quite different without their brilliant backtracks.

AMI Insurance is looking to win over the young’uns with a new campaign challenging the stereotype that younger drivers are reckless behind the wheel.

Whittaker’s has come up with a new campaign in support of the flightless rockstars of inhabiting the Kiwi landscape.

High-fives all round for AMI, Ranga and Thomas Cook.

RNZ’s long-awaited multi-platform Checkpoint with John Campbell debuted last night, and the show caused so much buzz that RNZ’s website crashed from all the traffic. We chat to RNZ head of content Carol Hirschfield about the teething issues, the benefits of multimedia broadcasting and the overall response of the show.

Look at the credit lists of many of the nation’s major ad campaigns and you’re likely to spot the name Peter van der Fluit underneath those of the creative directors, account managers and directors that also contributed to the creation of the spot.

When life gives you lemons, take them on fun adventures. That’s what a Marlborough schoolgirl did with the lid of a Karma Cola ‘Lemmy’ drink, which she shared on a dedicated Instagram page. Lemmy has been surfing, singing, gone on a safari, cycled and made art, and all this happened with no prompts or knowledge (initially) from Karma Cola; but, as to be expected, the brand is pretty stoked Lemmy’s living the good life.

Last week’s passing of David Bowie revealed how popular the star was across generations, with tributes streamed in on every social media channel.This outpouring of emotion got Bauer’s custom publishing team at Bauer thinking that it presented an opportunity to give local Bowie fans something tangible to remember the legend. And this week, the publisher announced the release of a special magazine filled entirely with rare photography of Bowie taken over the course of his life.

Ranga alcoholic ginger beer has a new mascot, in the form of Rangaman, a heroic, undie-donning, red headed, hipster-looking guy who appears in the brand’s latest ad, created largely by students.

Skinny is giving a new meaning to wireless broadband and hopes New Zealanders will switch to the truly cableless service. The mobile company launched its broadband service below-the-line in December, targeting their pre-existing Skinny Mobile customers but now the general public has become the target market for the new broadband service.

SMI’s most recent data on media agency ad spend between July and November again reiterated how valuable hosting the Rugby World Cup was to the industry in 2011. While the November figures for 2015 were at a record high, the full-year figures for last year were still below the amount the industry spent when the tournament took place on local shores.

Our weekly wrap of good things, strange things, funny things and other things from inside the intertubes.

New(ish) kid on the block, Flick Electric, has launched a quirky new campaign highlighting its point of difference from other power companies, which features a few familiar faces.

We’ve all felt that sense of unbridled joy and freedom on holiday and revelled in the escape from soul-crushing reality. And thinking about it now, when most have just returned from their summer break is particularly painful. Well, here’s something to rub your nose in it, because Thomas Cook is focusing on that feeling for a big campaign that was shot by The Sweet Shop’s Mark Albiston and features a shark boy who dances like nobody’s watching.

To celebrate the year that was we asked you to vote for your industry favourites. From ideas, to big balls, to stoushes and moves these are your top picks from 2015.