Opinion
Brand with a porpoise: The importance of an authentic brand purpose
‘Brand purposes’ might be popping up all over the place these days, but FCB’s David Thomason finds they’re often slippery beasts.
Browsing: David Thomason
Partner articles
What keeps me up at night: FCB chief brand officer David Thomason
FCB chief brand officer David Thomason discusses what keeps him up at night in the first of a new series in conjunction with Tech Futures Lab
Features
The next big trick is mass media
Advertising is an industry constantly focused on finding new ways to bedazzle and charm consumers. But in reaching too far into the digital hat, David Thomason reckons advertisers might be losing grip with what made the show effective in the first place.
News
StopPress podcast #2: David Thomason on the strategic inconsistency of iconic brands
The advertising industry isn’t immune to the very human tendency of passing so-called facts on from person to person. And one of the most common you’re likely to hear is that iconic brands are always consistent in their messaging. But as FCB head of strategy David Thomason explains, things are a bit more complicated than that.
Opinion
‘Big ideas can be taken from small examples’: FCB’s David Thomason on the importance of keeping it real
In a world of clogged up newsfeeds, sometimes the best content is bogged down by the biggest content. David Thomason uses Philip Simon, a down-to-earth, anti-smoking advocate and infectious personality as a gleaming but under-exposed example of social media gold, and wonders how marketers can use more holistic examples like this in their approach to social change, all while keeping it real.
News
FCB erases the boundaries in strategic restructure, brings in Murray Streets and Dan West
Following on from last week’s news of his departure from Saatchi & Saatchi, Murray Streets has now been confirmed as the general manager for business innovation and strategy at FCB. This appointment comes as part of the launch of what FCB is calling “a fully integrated strategy unit”. We chat to head of media and strategy Rufus Chuter about what these changes mean for the agency. PLUS: a look at some of the other staff changes at the agency.
News
Paper Plus and FCB play on emotions and imaginations with new rebrand and ‘porky, green, loveable’ mascot
Kiwi retailer Paper Plus and its agency FCB have enlisted the help of a goofy-looking alien character to bring excitement and imagination into the in-store experience. FCB’s general manager of retail Kamran Kazalbash and head of planning David Thomason talk us through the rebranding journey.
News
The Generosity Journal: David Thomason
As part of our series with the One Percent Collective that’s dedicated to celebrating good work and inspiring a bit more generosity, David Thomason, FCB’s head of planning, lavishes praise on NZTA and Clemenger BBDO’s ‘Mistakes’.
Movings & Shakings
Movings/Shakings: 21 August
Spark PHD welcomes back an old friend, CAANZ announces its international Effie judge, Healthy Life Media’s allergic reaction, Adshool students have something to crow about, The PR Shop goes corporate, TEDx announces its speaker line-up and Adobe appoints a new communicator.
News
Vodafone’s Greg Campbell on existential journeys, raw sophistication and communicating powerfully
Vodafone has just launched its new brand positioning ‘Do Your Thing Better’, a very quirky, very Kiwi ode to the inventiveness of New Zealand that stars actor James Rolleston in the lead. Vodafone’s chief marketing officer Greg Campbell and DraftFCB’s planning director David Thomason tell us about the thinking behind it.
Movings & Shakings
Movings/Shakings: 2 March
David Thomason and Lew Bentley take on Effie responsibilities, DDB Worldwide shifts its creative nerve centre to Shanghai, Mick Connolly joins Waitemata Films, Senate Communications nabs two senior bods, Miles Gandy kicks off his new biz with New Zealand Geographic, Datamine adds two to the flock and AUT trumpets another win for its students.
News
The power and the glory: What’s My Number takes ad effectiveness to new heights
One of the surprises of the Effie awards was not seeing DrafFCB and The Electricity Authority’s What’s My Number campaign up on the podium. Turns out it was ineligible for this year’s competition because of the dates it ran, but it looks set to be a shoo in for next year, because you don’t get much more effective than a campaign that ends up influencing the nation’s interest and inflation rates.