On Tuesday Strategy Design and Advertising announced it would be merging with fellow Christchurch agency Simpatico Advertising. We chat to Strategy Group managing partner Geoff Cranko about the decision, and how the integration between the agencies is working out so far.
Strategy makes a few changes in Christchurch, Mango adds some fresh fruit, Ideas Shop promotes from within, L’Oréal’s cosmetic kismet, Mulligan readies his quill, Snakk Media names new group chief executive, Reachmedia ups it reach, and Blockhead welcomes a few new troops.
Fresh from an impressive Best Awards haul, its first Effie accolade, a big Kathmandu rebrand and the global launch of MahiFX, Strategy Design and Advertising has ramped up its expansion plans by bringing Wellington’s Cue Design into the fold, with the studio adding to its existing offices in Christchurch, Auckland and Sydney.
It’s been a tough year for the Christchurch-helmed Strategy Design and Advertising. But last week was a well-deserved good one, with its first Effie (one bronze for Christchurch City Council’s Share an Idea) and five golds at the Best Awards. Now it’s getting international attention for its brand development work for new foreign exchange trading website MahiFX—and particularly for an online gimmick that allows visitors to compare their income to renowned supertrader John Paulson.
'One laptop, one scotch and one phone'
The building that once housed Strategy design and advertising in Christchurch has been obliterated. But, as managing director Geoff Cranko writes, the staff are all well, they’ve found a new studio, they’ve got plenty of whisky on hand and, with the help of modern technology, they’re muddling through and are still able to do great work.
Design-led, Christchurch-based advertising agency Strategy has bolstered its Auckland offering and added the similarly design-led talents of Seven to its roster.
After clocking up 11 finalist nominations for the 2010 Best Design awards, the staff from Strategy design and advertising in Christchurch celebrated in the appropriate fashion on Friday night. But they didn’t expect to come back to such a mess on Monday.
Independent design and ad agency Strategy has snaffled Ogilvy New Zealand’s recently departed head of planning Michael Prentice. He will take up the role of group strategic director for the Auckland, Christchurch and Sydney offices and will also be general manager of the Christchurch office.