Following the events of the past few years, most media have been busy licking their wounds—and, in many cases, focusing on survival rather than growth. But, after consistently good revenue results and signs that there is more growth to come, the Kiwi digital sector has developed quite the swagger. Liz Fraser, the chair of the Interactive Advertising Bureau of New Zealand and head of MSN NZ, opines.
Creative Review magazine called David Carson “the most famous graphic designer on the planet” and “art director of the era”; his first book The End of Print, is the top selling graphic design book of all time, selling over 200,000 copies; and he and his work have been featured in over 180 magazine and newspaper articles around the world, including a feature in Newsweek magazine and a front page article in the New York Times. Well, Kiwi design lovers rejoice, for you will be able to bask in his reflected glow when he conducts seminars Auckland and Wellington in February.
Ashburton isn’t a place that’s renowned for its marketing innovations. But, after the launch of Air Banners, it soon might be.
Perceptive has made more than a few waves in the marketing and research biz since it was established in 2004, having taken 24th place on the 2009 Deloitte Fast 50 list and signing up over 90 clients in New Zealand, Australia and Hong Kong. Here’s what Chris Pescott, the founder, big cheese and 2009 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year finalist, thought about 2010.
Hardly a day goes by without someone announcing another journey that will see the protagonists walk/run/bike/kayak/forward roll the length of New Zealand to raise awareness for something (StopPress is considering driving half the length of New Zealand to raise money for McDonald’s). And, to celebrate 60 years of Land Cruiser, Toyota is getting on the bandwagon, taking the newly launched FJ Cruiser truck on an epic journey. But the difference with this journey is that it will all be done off-road, with Marc Ellis bouncing around in the driver’s seat.
JWT’s desire to become a more potent force in the Kiwi ad landscape just got a big fillip with the announcement that it has won the PlaceMakers account and will take control of the whole shebang, including creative, media, trade, loyalty and retail.
After one particularly big staff shift late last year, Adshel has rung in the new year with a few more changes to its sales and marketing roster and, in what new sales director Nick Vile believes is testimony to the quality and performance of the team, all three of the new positions have been filled by existing staff members, with Raewyn Anderson promoted to sales manager in Auckland, Phil Lucy to sales manager position in Wellington and Rochelle Weaver moving into the reinstated national marketing manager position.
Creativity can come from anywhere. And the Media Design School obviously recognises that, because it’s calling for wildcard entries to fill two positions on this year’s creative advertising course.
There’s almost nothing you opinionated marcomms folk love more than passing judgment on a new logo and the Media Design School’s bright and explosive brand makeover is quite the departure from its former black and white identity.
Who’s it for: Vodafone by Colenso BBDO and Robber’s Dog
Why we like it: We’re suckers for a good internet meme. And the Double Rainbow man, known to his mum as Paul “Bear” Vasquez, was one of last year’s most impressive, with his video …
Despite promising to make a decision by September last year on how far the advertising clean zones, clean transport routes and clean periods for the Rugby World Cup would extend, the Ministry of Economic Development is yet to formally announce its decision. And, as you’d expect, media owners, buyers and planners have been getting a bit titchy about it, because they want to get stuck into the RWC goldrush but can’t sell their packages. Well, we have it on good authority that all the outdoor assets 500m from the stadia and the main transport routes have now been sold to Rugby NZ 2011 for use by the RWC sponsors.
Late last year, up-and-coming digital agency Young & Shand asked 150 New Zealand chief executives and marketing managers about their organisations’ spending intentions and planned commitments to digital marketing in 2011. And while the results showed there’s no doubt Kiwi businesses see digital as an integral aspect of the marketing mix, there still appears to be an unwillingness to splash too much e-cash.
Late last year we received an email from Rogers and Rutherford law firm. Lawyers letters are rarely, if ever, nice to receive (and they’re particularly stressful if you’re a smart arse working in the media). But, thankfully, the letter was only partially related to something we had done and instead related to an ad featured on StopPress for Mobile AdVert (MA), the outdoor media company run by Urgent Couriers.
It’s been fairly tough going for the out-of-homers over the past few years. But, with the numbers now going in the right direction, the Rugby World Cup expected to up demand substantially and OMANZ starting to regain its teeth, there seems to be a bit of optimism—and even industry cohesion—afoot. Adshel’s new sales director Nick Vile, who took over from Pauline Hanton late last year, speaks his piece.
If you thought ad agencies were only in it for the accolades, then the Directory Big Won may lend a little bit of credence to that, because it’s an award show that gives out awards to agencies that have won the most awards. How post-modern. Anyway, after the numbers were crunched, DDB New Zealand and Colenso BBDO were the only two agencies from the Asia Pacific region to make the top 20 list for 2010, ranked as the 18th and 20th most successful creative agencies in the world respectively, the first time either agency has made the list.
It was heads down, bums up for M&C Saatchi last year. And the hard work obviously paid off, because the agency picked up nine new pieces of business, including Jetstar, NZTE and the new NZ Post-run directories service Localist. Darryn Melrose, who took over from Nick Baylis as chief executive in late 2009, puts in his $0.02 on 2010.
Naked Communications is a force to be reckoned with overseas, but it’s only been on the local scene since late 2009. In that short time, it’s certainly had a big impact, taking a fair swag of strategy and channel planning work off some of its larger competitors and winning a couple of media award golds for its work with Diet Coke. Matt O’Sullivan, who left his posting at Carat to set up the Auckland office with Simon Bird, is one man who’s never short of opinions. So here are a few on 2010.
Yeah, yeah, we know it’s 2011, but due to moderately popular demand (and also due to the fact that we’re running at about 34 percent brain functionality at present and good old reliable Q+A’s are a good way for everyone to ease back in), we’ve decided to post a few more year in reviews from esteemed industry opinionistos/opinionistas that we didn’t have space/time to run last year. First up, Nick Garrett, the man who took the reins from Colenso BBDO’s outgoing managing director Brent Smart and, after winning a host of big awards, snaffling some big new business and doing a fine impersonation of Mini Me at the Colenso Christmas party in his first year, can’t have too much to complain about. Here’s what tickled his fancy last year.
Churches, by nature, are fairly conservative beasts. Understandably, they’re trying valiantly to cling to the power they once held before many modern folk decided a big breakfast at the local cafe was a better way to spend a Sunday morning. As a result, they’re not regarded as the biggest embracers of change or difference, which makes the unashamedly progressive and inclusive Anglican church St Matthew in the City in Auckland such an interesting–and polarising—case. The church has well and truly bucked the conservative old school trend and established a reputation for controversial, attention grabbing marketing ploys that aim get people of all shapes, sizes, persuasions and beliefs interested in the offerings of the big man. The zealots certainly don’t seem to like what they generally deem to be blasphemy (the media does, however) and St Matthew in the City’s latest effort, a blessed billboard made with the help of TBWA\, certainly fits the brief.
Advertising is famously populated with characters. The cliche is that of the ruthless, dashing fellow characterised by Don Draper in the TV show Mad Men. There are the Machiavellian, the tortured and insecure, the banal and phantasmagoric; the attention seekers and poseurs. And then there are folk like Roger Dickinson, who died over the holidays.
Ahoyhoy StopPressers and happy year of the rabbit to all. Sadly, as you presumably well know, the annual period of glorious, unbridled festive leisure has once again come to an end for most and, as the long, seemingly never-ending year stretches out relentlessly in front of us, we trust you too are also emotional husks, staring blankly at your screens, dreaming of ham wrapped in teatowels, sausages for every meal, lustrous summer beards and not wearing any shoes. We at StopPress heartily endorse the presumably highly unproductive New Zealand way, where there seems to be a general acceptance among the populous that no-one shall work over the holidays (to the point where those who do are frowned upon) and little work shall be done in the first week. But now that your places of employ require you to get busy, you’ll probably be looking for ways to avoid doing real work. And recent studies have shown that there is no better form of procrastination than reading about industry gossip on StopPress (and filling in our survey, which will only be up for one more week, to help us gauge the mood of the marcomms fraternity).
This is the last official StopPress day of the year. Thank God, we—and probably you—say. We’re off to gorge ourselves to within an inch our lives over Christmas, tip over a few cars and throw bottles at the police as we celebrate a traditional Kiwi New Years and try valiantly to avoid getting sunburnt tops of the feet. Hearty thanks to all our readers, advertisers, sponsors, contributors, commentors and team members. It’s been a great first year for us and, as per usual, an interesting year for what really is a pretty damn exciting industry to work in (imagine being an accountant? Borrrring). It was a helluva lot of fun writing about it all and we look forward to more frivolity, tomfoolery and cheesy puntastic headlines next year, starting 17 January (well, as much as you can look forward to getting back to work just before you go on holiday). Have a good’un, StopPressers. And make sure you fill in our survey, which will be up over the break.
2010’s been a mixed bag for TBWA\, losing the massive ASB account to Droga5 yet doing very well with 2degrees. To his credit, chief executive Dave Walden held his tongue and acted very professionally following what he calls the “ASB debacle” (and he also takes the prize for year’s best quote with “you’ve got to look at the silver lining in every fucking cloud”). As for the future, the agency has some big plans to bring digital to the centre of the agency offering and, given it seems to have missed out on a couple of pitches recently, it will be gunning for some more business next year. So, take it away Devo.
DraftFCB has followed up a rip snorter in 2009 with another rip snorter this year. It’s picked up a swag of new business, it’s at the top of its social messaging game, it’s the consummate all-rounder, it won the big one at the CAANZ Media Awards, it was unlucky to lose out to cat food for Best in Show at the Effies and, perhaps most importantly, it’s still unbeaten in the Balls of Steel table tennis tournament after taking down Colenso in the second round last night. James Mok, executive creative director, gets his opinion on.
With the release of a very popular iPad app, some impressive print readership numbers, an excellent performance at the Qantas Media Awards and a good battle with Stuff for New Zealand’s online eyeball honours, APN shouldn’t be complaining too much over the Christmas break. Here’s what floated the boat of Donna O’Keeffe, advertising director at nzherald.co.nz
Ogilvy NZ liked Bullet PR’s online nous and Bullet PR liked Ogilvy’s technical cred, so they’ve joined forces under the unified (yet slightly ungainly) banner of Ogilvy 360˚Digital Influence.
It was all about ‘reverse integration’ for bcg2 this year, after it merged with Grey Global Group. And with some solid work for Lion and Audi, as well as the recent acquisition of the Esquires account, the new relationship seems to be going fairly swimmingly so far. Director of strategy and planning Abe Dew (who’s written a great piece on agency/client relationships in the latest NZ Marketing magazine, by the way) pipes up on 2010.
New Zealand Post sponsors and runs a huge number of industry events, awards and competitions. And, with Localist moving into the directories space recently, a range of new tech-related developments like Send-a-Card and some flash new data toys on offer, it’s been busily going about its future-proofing business this year. So, pull up a chair and see what Fiona Woolley, manager, market engagement at Targeted Communications, had to say about 2010.
… a dynamic duo is announced for Effie duties, TVNZ’s Breakfast gets its new co-hosts, adstream NZ increases its staff arsenal, MediaWorks says goodbye to some long-serving news staffers and Robyn Janes opens a production outfit in Hokitika. This is the last edition of Movings/Shakings of 2010. There, there, don’t cry. We’ll be back next year and we promise to quench your nigh-on insatiable thirst for employment scandals, unexpected departures, dastardly poachings, new postings (all of which will be written in capital letters to show their importance) and various industry accolades.
Publicis Mojo has finished the year on a high, having recently announced Mike Barnwell as executive creative director following Rebecca Carrasco’s short-lived tenure in the role and winning the Subway creative account. Its work on Vogel’s and Steinlager Pure through the year was well-received and it has also launched a new campaign to try and up Hallensteins’ street cred. So, here’s what creative director Lachlan McPherson thought about 2010.