In what’s being called a world first, Tequila\ is taking ANZ Bank’s fundraising campaign for the RSA into the realm of social media by allowing Kiwis to donate funds to the Poppy Day Appeal via SMS and rebadging their Twitter avatars with the familiar poppy icon in the corner.

Aegis recently announced its official arrival on the local scene after the merging of Carat and Mitchells. And now it’s announced the local launch of bespoke consumer study, the Consumer Connection System (CCS), which provides insights into how consumers choose and use media in an effort to better connect them with brands. 

Last month at the Grande Orca ceremony, MC Mike Hosking talked about how popular he was and, inbetween, announced some changes to the Radio Bureau’s monthly competition. But why read boring words when you could watch Leigh Hart and special guests Josh Lancaster and Jamie Hitchcock explain them (occasionally in musical form). 

Mmmm, tea. Mmmm, vodka. Mmmm, Absolut Vodka Wild Tea. We like giving away booze and Asbolut has given us a bottle of its newest variety, which has a “rich, fresh aroma with hints of tea, elderflower, red apples and citrus”, “dark tones and richness” and “a rich fruity taste with natural sweetness and smoothness” don’t you know. So tell us what flavour should be next on Absolut’s list and we’ll send a bottle to the most interesting effort. And as per, you must be over 18 to enter. 

Following a three-way competitive pitch, bcg2 has won the Fletcher Aluminium consumer and commercial account, one of more than a dozen new business wins for the ‘international indie’ in the past 12 months. 

The ad business regularly supports charities with pro-bono work. But Hamilton agency Bettle and Associates has taken that to another level by announcing part of its business will be run as as a not-for-profit model.

Trade Aid has long been fighting for the rights of producers and now it’s aiming to bring them closer to consumers this month with the help of instore touch screens. 

1-day.co.nz pulled out of the daily deal services market last year claiming it was an unsustainable business model. But “New Zealand’s largest daily deals site” hopes to ramp up the competition in the grocery sector with the launch of Grocery Grab.

The TBWA\ Group launched its ‘Good Energy’ campaign featuring Tiki Taane for Mercury Energy a few months back. And its digital arm Tequila\ has kept things moving with a simple social experiment to gauge just how helpful Kiwis really are.

DIY has become a fixture of recent Mitre 10 campaigns and it will again take centre stage in what the country’s largest home improvement retailer is calling a “market-first” integrated campaign by DraftFCB called Easy As that incorporates TVCs, a website, in-store programmes, print, mobile and a YouTube channel.

DraftFCB’s What’s My Number? campaign for the Electricity Authority won big at the RSVP and Nexus Awards recently and it’s added to what could be a big haul this year by taking out the 2011 Yahoo! New Zealand Digital Strategy Award in Auckland last night.