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News
An impressive body of music
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While most think of Isaiah Mustafa on a horse when they think of the Old Spice guy, Terry Crews was there earlier on, flexing his pecks and yelling a lot. And he’s back for more with a brilliant—and suitably surreal—interactive Vimeo clip made by Wieden + Kennedy called ‘muscle music’, where different instruments—including a “flame sax”—are played through Crews’ rather rhythmical flexing. Pfff, V Motion Project. But wait. There’s more. After the vid is finished users can perform and record their own song with the keyboard.

News
Dish has a bun in the oven
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From NZ Life & Leisure’s Insider’s Guides to NZ Rugby World’s First XV, magazine publishers are creating more one-shots and brand extensions than they perhaps needed to in the past. And following on from the success of the 2011 special issue Everyday Dish, which has sold “heaps”, according to Tangible publisher John Baker, the Dish team has sifted a few more ingredients and moulded it into Baking Dish.

News
TVCs of the Week: 28 August
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Another bumper edition of TVCs of the Week, with Tourism New Zealand, Unitec, AUT, Lotto, Telecom and Pak ‘n’ Save making it on to the (extended) dais.

News
Changing world, changing university: AUT looks to enhance reputation with new focus on research
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‘Tis peak season for academic institutions to try and convince prospective students to sign on the dotted line. Unitec has looked to the city with its new, very urban campaign, The University of Canterbury has looked to the future with Designworks, Lincoln has looked to the land and most of the other academic institutions are active as well. And now AUT University is joining in the fun, with a new brand campaign by Consortium that showcases the work of six researchers who are “helping define the future of our changing world”.

News
New name, same story as Ipsos reigns supreme at Effies of the research world
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Just as New Zealand’s advertising industry is world renowned, so too is the local market research industry, routinely succeeding in the face of tight budgets, big tasks, and an ever-increasing need to do more with less. And the people and companies behind some of the industry’s recent achievements were acknowledged at the 7th biennial Market Research Effectiveness Awards at the Hilton last week, with Ipsos coming out on top as the supreme winner for the third time in a row.

Movings & Shakings
Movings/Shakings: 28 August
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Shine’s Julian Andrews goes free range, APN announces its new Herald line-up, DDB welcomes back a prodigal duo, Admission admits many, TradeMe seeks out Vivaki, DraftFCB activates a rising star, Komli launches its mobile ad network, Ngage gets its FIX and Steve Price spruiks Panasonic’s smart TVs.

News
Looking for a gift for the state-funded media lover who has everything?
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Back in 2007, Radio New Zealand kicked off the Sounds Like Us campaign, which entailed creating ten radios in the style of iconic New Zealand cultural expressions, from wool sheds to gumboots to pavlovas (2007 was also the year its funding was frozen). Another five models were added in subsequent design contests in following years, constructed by the sharp tacks at Weta Workshop, and then exhibited at galleries around the country. It was a nice branding exercise on the part of the public service broadcaster, and it won an Axis Award last year, and now the concept is being extended into the wearable arts, with RNZ selling t-shirts at its new online store for $34.95.

News
Coca-Cola to the nation: “This time it’s personal”
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In September last year, Coca-Cola Australia put people’s names on its cans and bottles for the first time in the company’s history. The campaign won loads of gongs at Cannes and its global marketing chief Joseph Tripodi said the idea would be exported to other markets. Now New Zealand is getting the personal treatment, with 150 of the country’s most popular names being put on millions of Coca-Cola bottles and cans “to remind and inspire people to connect”.

Opinion
Confessions of an advertising standards nitpicking professional
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Around one year ago, Mi9’s Dan Robertson put his hand up to be a representative of the ‘dark side’ on the ASA complaints board. To his surprise, that label turned out to be bang on, with advertising that would in most cases generate complaints in other mediums often flying imperiously online. And, as online advertising takes a bigger slice of the pie, he thinks that needs to change.

News
Snickers gets Henry’s mean gene back on Kiwi screens
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Anyone who doesn’t use a high-rigidity 165g competition quality disc deserves to be ridiculed. And that’s exactly what Paul Henry has done in the local—and, in our humble opinion, slightly underwhelming—execution of Snickers’ ‘You’re not you when you’re hungry’ campaign.

Opinion
The delicate art of the cease and desist letter

Earlier this year, Jack Daniel’s Properties, Inc issued a cease and desist letter to author Patrick Wensink regarding the cover design of his recent novel, Broken Piano For President, which closely resembled the Jack Daniel’s whiskey label. And, as AJ Park’s Damian Broadley and Jude Antony write, the company’s response is a great reminder that the tone and approach of any communication should be carefully considered.

News
Keep cool till after school: Unitec and Special Group celebrate the urban creators
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Last year’s rather risky ‘Change Starts Here’ docu-ad campaign for Unitec Institute of Technology aimed to address some long-standing misconceptions about the institution among parents and potential students and led to a significant increase in enrolments. And now it is hoping to, ahem, build on that by celebrating the achievements of graduates of its Faculty of Technology and Built Environment with its new campaign, ‘We make the people who make it’.

News
Air New Zealand does the math
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Studies have shown and experts agree Friday is the best day to show infographics. And Air New Zealand has come to the party with a selection of stats to celebrate 30 years of flying to LA and London.

Opinion
APN NZ’s Todd McLeay on facing up to challenges and changing for the better
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There is no question the media landscape is changing and the pace of technological advancements means that change is happening more rapidly than ever. This is changing the way people live their lives and the way that they consume media. At APN we spend a lot of time listening to consumers and understanding the affect these changes have on their relationships with our news and entertainment brands. There is no denying that more and more people are reading, watching and listening to our content across print, digital and mobile platforms. But rather than seeing that as a negative trend, we believe this is a strong signal for a positive future.

News
TBWA\ stamps its fantastical mark on New Zealand with 100% Middle-earth
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The 100% Pure New Zealand campaign is now in its 13th year, is held up as a master-class in tourism marketing and has helped turn New Zealand into one of the strongest country brands in the world. And Tourism New Zealand is aiming to replicate the international influx of visitors following The Lord of the Rings trilogy with the release of a new global campaign by the Sydney and Auckland offices of Whybin\TBWA and Curious Film that “invokes the magic of Middle-earth”.

News
Perennial performers Colenso and DraftFCB on top of Effie finalist table, BC&F and DDB hot on their heels
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As the bean counters might say, if advertising doesn’t improve the bottom line, it’s really just art. And expensive art at that. And the agencies that improved their clients’ businesses the most this year have been announced, with perennial Effie performers Colenso BBDO and DraftFCB on top with 22 and 16 finalists respectively, followed by the bolter Barnes, Catmur & Friends on ten and DDB on nine.

News
The future of newspapers, hear all about it
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The newspaper industry is certainly not without its naysayers, but in spite of dwindling numbers and organisational shake ups, it’s also full of people that will gladly proclaim the ongoing vitality of the medium. In fact you can expect newspapers to emerge stronger from their current circulation woes and enter 2020 as a leaner, more valued and trusted medium than at any time in the past 50 years, according to Peter Thomson, founder and former chief executive of M2M International. And you can find out for yourself why he’s so sure when he arrives to our shores in September as a keynote speaker at the revamped News Works NZ Advertising Awards.

News
AIM Proximity quashes the fun with Toyota campaign
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Toyota has been busy this year. It’s launched a host of cars, including the Prius, Prius c, Prius V, Camry, Aurion, Lexus GS, Lexus RX and new Corolla Wagon. And the 86 has also taken to the streets, but not before receiving some attention from the Fun Police, a campaign developed by AIM Proximity Wellington to launch its sportscar.

News
Idealog chalks one up to experience
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It’s estimated that tablet use will triple in New Zealand in the next six months, which bodes well for publishers hoping to find a way to distribute their content electronically without giving it away for free. But while apps and jabscreens are all well and good, you still can’t beat the feeling of wood pulp in your hands, especially if it features a quality cover like Idealog’s design issue.

News
Telecom enlists more young’uns, this time for its ultra fast broadband push
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Telecom’s Tommy and Boris campaign has been going great guns but while the masses are busy fawning over Tommy and his cute turtle, elsewhere Telecom is busy rallying up young’uns in school to spread the word on the potential of ultra fast broadband (UFB). Its Amazing Ideas Search (AIS) was launched last month, inviting pupils across the country to consider what UFB will make possible in the future and what that future may look like.

News
Give free stuff and they will come: Countdown seeks to lure shoppers with glassy offering
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While New World is busy trying to win shoppers’ hearts with nostalgia, and Pak ‘n Save with stickmen, Countdown is once again tugging at the most powerful of consumer heartstrings, free stuff. Off the back of its popular knives promotion, which saw more than 700,000 free Thomas Knives snapped up by customers, the supermarket has launched its Royal Worcester glasses promotion, and it’s confident this one will be just as successful as its predecessor.

News
TVCs of the Week: 21 August
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‘Tis a tussle of the telcos this week, with Vodafone’s ‘Do Your Thing Better’ and the return of Tommy and Boris for Telecom scooping the prize.

News
Carefree ad discharged without conviction by the ASA
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Stories about ASA complaints that weren’t upheld are generally the marcomms equivalent of ‘there was no accident on the bridge today’. But in the case of an advertisement for Carefree Acti-Fresh Panty Liners, otherwise known as vagina discharge-gate, we’ll make an exception, because none of the 18 complaints received will get to have their day in court.

Opinion
Dead wrong: Sandra King on why New Zealand’s print market is alive and well
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Over the past few months, discussions around the future of the media have come to a head, thanks in part to a couple of big announcements from the other side of the Tasman and a big one here in New Zealand too. This has brought about loads of discussion within the New Zealand industry about the role of media in society and changing trends in how consumers select and consume news. Worryingly, lots of commentators have been all too willing to eulogise New Zealand’s robust newspaper market. So I’m putting my hand up to remind you all that newspapers and magazines are alive and well in New Zealand.

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