Steinlager, Air New Zealand, ANZ, ASB and Cancer Society take centre stage this week.

In a new series, StopPress talks to a range of newsmakers currently trying to shine lights into dark places while also keeping their own lights on and looks at whether commercial realities are leading to editorial compromise. Next up, Damien Venuto talks with NZME’s Dallas Gurney about his new role and how he sees branded content existing alongside journalism.

Studies have shown that as many 90 percent of all arsonists are male. And a few candle-making companies are trying to take advantage of this proclivity in men to set things alight.

Graphite, Carnival, Reactor, Gnarly and Kaboom are just some of the flavours that V has introduced to varying degrees of success over the last few years, and the company is continuing this trend by releasing two fresh variations. But this time, instead of giving the drinks names that would be better suited to comic book villains, the energy drinks company has commissioned Jono and Ben to appear on the respective cans.

Private mental health, drug and alcohol centre Capri Hospital has released four new ads in conjunction with its brand refresh, with the help of Lachlan McPherson & Friends.

Worried about putting your greasy mitts all over your phone to take a photo while you’re munching on some dirty bird? Then this invention is not for you.

Like many entrepreneurs, Kirsten Taylor served as the guinea pig during the testing phase for her product. And after being impressed by the results, she decided to make it available to consumers.

“Is your skin colour holding you back? Are you tired of systemic prejudice ruining your day?”

Burger joints appear to be popping up left right and centre, emerging as a better quality alternative to traditional fast-food chains. And Britomart-based Better Burger is trying to create a point of difference with its eye-catching branding.

The human urge to collect is a powerful one (and makes for excellent television). And our local supermarkets have been tapping into this urge in recent years, whether through tiny groceries or animal cards. In pretty much every case, the nation seems to have gone completely mad for them, with swap meets being organised, black markets being established and kids regularly tugging on parents’ pants demanding the full set and the associated plastic tat. Now Countdown has struck up a deal with Disney Pixar for its latest collectables campaign, Domino Stars.

As the world becomes increasingly digital and intuition steadily gets banished to the naughty corner, data has become a new currency—and a language that needs to be learned by marketers. And Krunch, a “data-centric agency” being run by ex-auto marketer Darren Kirkland is hoping it can teach clients how to speak it.

While some big brands have been successfully using the likes of Snapchat and Instagram to market themselves, it would appear that Pinterest has been a little slower to take off here in New Zealand compared to abroad. However, with Pinterest announcing its Buyable Pins which began rolling out last month, we imagine many more brands will jump onboard once they’re available here. Here’s a look at the platform and a rundown of which New Zealand brands are using it.

Providing Kiwi families with everything from baby food to its classic tomato sauce, Wattie’s has a place in the heart of many New Zealand families. However, with its latest Google ad, it appears that Wattie’s has slightly changed its marketing strategy and is prepared to launch a new R-rated product.

With Google continuing its delve into Skynet territory, the internet conglomerate has brought us a new feature to “reminisce” over.

ANZ has released a (very) short movie commissioned from award-winning filmmaker Jane Campion to coincide with the launch of the bank’s Wise Women website and #equalfuture social media campaign, which aims to highlight the dismal stats around the male/female pay gap and the average woman’s woeful lack of preparedness for retirement.

New Zealanders are well-accustomed to getting whacked over the head with rugby ads and sponsorship activations. And that only increases in the lead up to—and during—the Rugby World Cup. Many of the tournament sponsors like Land Rover, Heineken, Mastercard and Coca-Cola have played their first promotional hands. And, among the All Blacks sponsors, Adidas has embraced the players’ inner animals for Force of Black, Air New Zealand has upped its sponsorship and its efforts around the #crazyaboutrugby platform, Steinlager has teased the return of the white can and NZ Rugby even decided to do its own campaign. Now Ford and JWT have joined in with an online video campaign called The Driven that talks to three All Blacks about their driving habits and their favourite models.

The second episode of Kiwibank’s KB Series featuring Jamie Curry is out. In this episode, Curry has moved into her new flat in Auckland and is attempting to navigate herself through the beginnings of adult life, which she does with much uncertainty and awkwardness.