Ever since New York ad agency Doyle, Dane and Bernbach started promoting ‘Hitler’s car’ to the Americans in the 50s and 60s with what is widely regarded as some of the best advertising the world has seen, Volkswagen’s marketing, much like its cars, has developed a reputation for reliability. As a large global brand, the work seen in New Zealand usually comes from overseas, but DDB NZ has joined in the fun from time to time, with the recent ‘Milk Run’ TVC and the award-winning ‘Finance Director’. Now it’s had another hoon on the German car behemoth and come up with another entertaining retail spot that plays on a truth universally acknowledged: weddings cost too much.  

Even Ads@6 gets an Easter break. Minus a couple of days, this week’s offering includes a really long Countdown ad about pears (both hard and soft), Hammer Hardware still going strong, the IRD make an attempt at humour, Genesis Energy continue to gather the troops to help in the Christchurch neighbourhood muck in, Freeview gets animated, Dilmah maintains its ethical stance and the Topp Twins develop multiple personalities.

APN has been focusing on upping the Herald’s game in the digital and mobile space of late, and it’s done a very good job, with a well-received and award-winning iPad App and mobile site and more on the way soon. As a result of this focus, some brands in its stable have been left behind in this regard and The Listener is a prime example of that. Well, now the website has been completely redesigned by the in-house team to bring it into the modern media era. But the advertiser-funded strategy remains—for the moment, at least. 

Small Wellington-based commercial production company HoverLion, which specialises in animation, motion graphics and a touch of live action, has been creating a bit of an online buzz with a viral video that features a unique type of animation created by company co-founder Ned Wenlock.

GrabOne first offered $4 tickets to Event Cinemas in Auckland in July 2010 and, just ten months later, it sold its one millionth coupon (a 61 percent off Canvas Print in the Northland region, in case you were wondering). To celebrate this milestone, it’s giving away two $50 GrabOne credits to lucky, bargain loving StopPressers. Like social media platforms, daily deals sites all seem to require a strange, suitably catchy name. So all you have to do is come up with a ridiculous name for a fictional new entrant to this crowded market and all your discount dreams could come true. Extra credit given for ridiculous slogans.

Subway has just been given a creative spruce up by its recently appointed agency Publicis Mojo and, for a fast food brand that’s generally played it pretty straight with its marketing in the past, the new ‘You Rule!’ direction is rather surreal and of the times, with a big nod to video game culture, crude but popular YouTube animation and possibly even robot unicorns.

It’s coming into winter and the Christchurch rebuild will be kicking into gear soon, which means the heatpump advertising battle is, ahem, heating up. There’s already Stephen Fleming for Fujitsu, the bald guy holding a cat for Mitsubishi, the anthropomorphic door snakes for Toshiba and, recently, a creepy Dan Carter hanging on the wall for Daikin. Now, after Panasonic embarked on something of a spiritual journey with its agency Publicis Mojo to find out what core brand attributes and values it wanted to convey, there’s a new frontman to add to that list: stubby-wearing, bum-scratching Gerry. 

There’s a stack of digital marketing surveys coming out of the United States and Europe these days. But what’s happening in our own backyard? Well, here’s your chance 
to find out. If you want to gauge how your digital approach compares to that of your marketing countryfolk, complete this quick survey from the Kookmeyer Institute and you’ll get sent the full results. Click here to get amongst it. 

Yukfoo Animation’s first short film Preferably Blue, which tells the story of an embittered, reprobate Easter Bunny, made its rather appropriate New York premiere at the 10th Tribeca Film Festival on Easter Sunday. And it’s also off to Germany after being chosen to screen at the Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film in May. 

Last week it was revealed by the latest Nielsen Online Retail Report that two thirds of online New Zealanders have received email alerts from daily deal websites, and a further 40 percent said they made a purchase from such sites in the past three months. Now two of the world’s biggest deal sites, Groupon and Living Social, are set to arrive and take some more of New Zealand’s discount dollars.

It’s often said ad agencies need to get rid of the mirrors and work more closely with their clients to understand their business. Well, Auckland design and interactive shop Fracture has taken that to another level with one of its new clients after taking out first prize for Most Creative Trolley in the recent Red Bull Trolley Grand Prix.

Fairfax Media is expanding its portable news repertoire, last week announcing the launch of its first Android app for Stuff.co.nz. That means “more people than ever can get up to date with Stuff’s award winning news on the go”, according to Fairfax digital general manager Nigel Tutt.

New Zealand’s design students have been putting in quite the winning performance as of late, hauling in some top international awards. First up, Media Design School. Having recently picked up a double-whammy at the 2011 Honolulu Film Awards, the school continues its winning streak with four of its students each winning a gong in the ‘Comprehensive Identity Program’ category as part of the Brand New Awards in the U.S.

The promotional onslaught from Rugby World Cup sponsors hoping to make good on their significant investment into the tournament has begun in earnest, with the dangling carrot of Cup tickets already being used to lure the punters. Heineken is already offering finals tickets with its on-pack promotion and it’s dishing out a few more in the Heineken Trivia Series.