If we were told that there would come a time when we would long for the awkward pout of an incongruously placed duck-face, we wouldn’t have believed it. But, that day might well have arrived. The proliferation of drone ownership has led to a new means of unapologetic self-promotion called the taking of dronies (a portmanteu of drone and selfie). And while the lip pouts of teenage girls were certainly annoying, they pale in comparison to seeing grown men squinting into the sun as they try to capture footage of themselves with the drone flying overhead.

The spinning wheel of death, the buffering bar, ‘waiting for’ [insert website name here], that sickening modem dial-up sound. Humans really don’t like waiting these days. And Swedish broadband provider Ume.net has showed just annoying delays are in the real world with an entertaining experiment called ‘Living with lag’.

Beck’s and Shine just launched some pretty cool Playable Posters to celebrate the start of NZ Music Month. And if you liked that musical contraption, then check out Play House, a ridiculously complex music maker made of Lego Technic.

There are plenty of shudder-inducing sponsorship campaigns, with brands often clutching at straws in an attempt to associate themselves with their chosen property. But a great stunt by Weet-bix gave us shudders of a positive kind by making the dreams of one rugby-mad Kiwi kid come true.

Argentina’s Del Campo Saatchi & Saatchi—the agency that previously exposed us to untimely erections, miraculous hens and summer haters—has now turned its creative talents to fighting the scourge of bullying for VH1. In the new ad, which is carried by a reworked version of Gloria Gaynor’s ‘I Will Survive’, a series of kids cast in stereotypically nerdy roles are depicted enduring a range of punishments at the hands of bullies. And despite being tied to flag poles and having their heads stuck into toilet bowls, the nerdy kids are shown retaining a sense of pride, due to the knowledge that they will one day reign over the bullies on the corporate ladder.

You might know comedian Gavin McInnes from his popular clip How to Fight a Baby, which offers some handy hints on protecting yourself against these dangerous tiny threats. Now he’s joined forces with Vans’ OffTheWall.TV and extended his range of subjects with the How to Do Everything in the World series.

To commemorate two decades of South African democracy, Coca Cola created a series of real rainbows, which arched over the billboards throughout the city. Conceptualised and executed by FCB South Africa, the colourful additions to the sky were produced using sunlight, water and “a bunch of fancy calculations”.

In New York rats and mice are a serious problem. It is thought that there could be as many as four for each New Yorker. That’s a lot vermin (roughly 32 million if you were wondering). d-CON, an American pest control company has taken to celebrating the little victories against our furry foes in their latest campaign via Havas Worldwide.

Last year, Maritime New Zealand took the comical approach to inspire life jacket usage. But over in France, high-end marine clothing label Guy Cotten has taken the ‘let’s scare the crap out of them’ approach, with a first person online experience called ‘A Trip to the Sea’ that shows what it’s like to drown.
Last year, Maritime New Zealand took the comical approach to inspire life jacket usage. But over in France, high-end marine clothing label Guy Cotten and its agency CLM BBDO has taken the ‘let’s scare the crap out of them’ approach, with a first person online experience called ‘A Trip to the Sea’ that shows what it’s like to drown.

As someone interested in the art/science of persuasion, we know you understand the importance of customer insight. And we want to get to know our readers a little better. So answer a few simple questions and you’ll go into the draw to win either a Storm Satellite Slate watch (valued at $375) or a Storm Kanti Black watch (valued at $325). The survey should take around two minutes and we promise not to hand over your details to shady criminal networks (unless they kidnap our children, and then we may be forced to reconsider).

The telco that will soon be formerly known as Telecom has launched a new campaign to announce that it is now offering residential customers unlimited broadband data plans. And while this might seem like a smart move to separate its offering from its competitors and potentially attract new clients, the Saatchi & Saatchi-created ‘Giganaire’ TVC used to relay the message has divided public opinion, with some describing the spot as annoying, cringe-worthy and racist while others say it’s brilliant, hilarious and entertaining. Whether for good or bad reasons, the ad has gotten people talking and this has led to a YouTube clip of the TVC tallying up over 20,000 views (at the time of writing) since it was first launched.

From typically humble New Zealand beginnings, Stolen Rum has grown rapidly in recent years, with some experienced campaigners joining the team and some big distribution deals that have put its products on shelves outside the homeland. And, in keeping with some of its past marketing efforts, it recently ran a unique giveaway in Miami, Sydney and Dunedin.

M&C Saatchi has confirmed that it is in the process of transferring ownership of the New Zealand arm of the company to local management. The official handover period has been scheduled for July, when details of the new ownership deal will become officially binding on both parties.

In a continuation of its ‘High Five’ campaign launched last February, Lotto Powerball NZ is sending a bearded protagonist around the country to celebrate the successes of Kiwis. And while it might sound reminiscent of ASB’s ill-fated campaign starring Brian Blessed, Lotto’s effort, conceptualised by DDB, differs markedly from the approach used by the bank. Rather than dressing its protagonist in colonial clothing and placing him in the homes of Kiwi families, Lotto NZ is instead sending Craig, the likeable Kiwi Everyman figure from the ‘High Five’ Campaign, to engage with a range of Kiwi heroes.

Apple has given second life to the Pixies’ 1988 track ‘Gigantic’ in a new spot that will have you mouthing along to the chorus about 45 seconds into the 90-second spot.