There was intellectual dissection, there were furrowed brows, there were plates of calamari (hopefully the kind from the sea), there were big jugs of beer, there were raised voices, there were occasional bouts of physical violence and, eventually, there was quorum as a panel of esteemed judges chose New World and Colenso BBDO’s rather fruity Fruit and Vege Pro as the victor in the StopPress/MediaWorks TVC of the Year, with Vodafone’s Piggy Sue and Sky’s Murmuration second and third. PLUS: other category winners for craft, degree of difficulty and clever use of TV.
Browsing: Sweet Shop
Air New Zealand (x2), Westpac, Toyota and William Hill all get giant cheques this week.
There’s no better way to celebrate centuries of oppressive colonialism than with a series of sporting contests. Thankfully, we’ve got the Commonwealth Games for that. And while they might not be quite as prestigious (or popular) as the Olympics, official broadcaster Sky TV and NZ Olympic Committee sponsor ANZ are doing all they can to draw attention to the upcoming Glasgow games.
A gold star for Vodafone, Rebel Sport, McDonald’s, Rinnai and Samsung this week.
A high five this week, with Stihl, Tower, Treasury, 2degrees and Woodstock tickling our extremely ticklish fancies.
When clients shack up with a new agency there’s a tendency to torch the previous work and start afresh. 2degrees and its new partner Special Group certainly took a different approach with their recent business push, but it’s kept Rhys Darby on as the frontman and maintained the quirky, colloquial and self-reflexive style of the previous work for the pair’s first big brand ad.
Sky launched Sky Go, the long-awaited update to its online and catch-up service iSky, in October last year. And, after a fair bit of social media activity to promote the new website and mobile apps, it’s now launched a print and TV campaign via DDB that shows how easy—and potentially perilous—it is for subscribers to ‘Watch On’.
Trade Me kicked off back in 1999 when Sam Morgan saw an unmet need for an online marketplace selling used goods. That’s largely still how consumers see it. But around 40 percent of its listings are new goods, so it is aiming to draw attention to that aspect of its business in the lead up to Christmas with a campaign via Whybin\TBWA featuring naked fat men, well-coiffed dogs and apparent rectal probes.
Rob O’Neill goes back to his tech roots, Maria Slade means business, Undertow Media lands in Auckland, Alex Radford heads to Consortium, Louise Richardson hangs up her NZ Woman’s Weekly hat, Josephine Mackenize joins Blockhead and The Sweet Shop adds another to its roster.
Carin Hercock swaps APN for Nielsen, the Red Bulletin takes a new approach, Sim Ahmed and Simon Pound join start-up Vend HQ, Damien Shatford signs with the Sweet Shop, Republik gets some Aussie biz, Big Mobile gets bigger, Rose Matafeo changes channels, Stefan Korn takes Creative HQ reins and APN Outdoor heads to Broadway.
Audi, Warehouse Stationery, Sony and a Vietnamese hospital get a gold star this week.
It’s goodbye to the O’Connors, Caulton and MediaWorks go steady, Adshel welcomes a new marketing manager, Haystac adds three to the pile, The Sweet Shop focuses on features with big new partnership, Spark PR and Activate joins The Collective and Aamplify raamps it up with a new hire.
A sand artist, a rural recreationist, some see-through beasts and a wild man walk into a bar…
Kiwi directing duo Mark Albiston and Louis Sutherland, collectively known as Mark & Louis, have picked up a Grand Prix at the Berlin International Film Festival for their feature Shopping. And, in more good news for The Sweet Shop gang, it has also been named as one of Creativity magazine’s stand-out production companies of 2012.
Forbes to the fore on Maori TV, Susan Wood makes a TV comeback, Young & Shand & Growing, Clemenger Group welcomes its annual influx of young’uns, The Sweet Shop adds some more talent, The Blue Rose shifts timeslot, and jobs.co.nz hunts for a new way.
DDB is well-accustomed to showing off the spoils of spending through its work with NZ Lotteries. But it’s showing a different side of excessive consumption in its latest spot for Westpac.
Instant Kiwi’s instore luck pushing and ASB’s retro vibes take the biscuit this week.
Father Time gets with the programme, John Lewis and the Kiwi connection, AA Insurance keeps on sorting, Dulux channels Muto, Mountain Dew goes 3D, and Freeview shares some love.
Rob Banks heads to New York, Naked appoints a head of Australasian ideas and viral fun glutton Rob Whitey McConnaughy joins the Sweet Shop.
Whittaker’s foreign correspondent, Bay Audiology’s moments of joy, Prince Nikolai Stroganov III, NZ Police and VW’s take on the importance of being young at heart earn TVC honours.
Changes afoot for ZenithOptimedia, Vivaki takes flight, local McDonald’s man receives top burger honour, Firebrand skims The Pond, The Press announces its new editor, George Mackenzie gets an international call-up, Waitemata smells the roses, the downlowconcept gets it Phil, The Sweet Shop nabs a New Yorker, Spikes Asia entries on the upward trajectory, We Can Create announces its line-up, and the end of an era for TVNZ.
He was up on stage a few months back collecting a trophy for best production company at the AXIS awards. But George Mackenzie, who spent three years with The Sweet Shop, most recently as managing director for NZ/Asia/MENA, has decided to try his hand elsewhere and will join Robber’s Dog as managing director.
Five of the week’s best spots, from endearing child stars to George Clooney-esque stickmen and everything in between.
Who’s it for: Lexus by Saatchi & Saatchi
Why we like it: While Toyota’s marketing is all about New Zealandness, this moody new campaign for its luxury subsidiary Lexus aims to drum home the brand’s proud Japanese heritage—and, more specifically, its focus on craftsmanship. And …
After NZ Lotteries’ big rehash of Instant Kiwi, DDB launched the much-loved, much-awarded and completely OTT ‘It Can All Change in an Instant’ musical number in 2010. And while the humour is still there in the follow-up ‘It Pays to Push your Luck’, they have taken a slightly more complicated approach this time round.
Who’s it for: Freeview by True and Flying Fish
Why we like it: In the final promotional push before the digital switchover begins in four months, the free-ness of Freeview is being hammered home once again, this time with some great animation and a nostalgic and patriotic …
Shared responsibility is an increasingly important part of the road safety programme, as evidenced most recently with the hugely successful Ghost Chips campaign, which, for the first time, specifically targeted young Maori and used humour to equip them with the tools required to speak up when one of their mates was too drunk to drive. And NZTA, Clemenger BBDO and The Sweet Shop have followed up that pop cultural phenomenon with a new campaign that tries to convince family members to do the same.
Mark Richardson and Shannon Ryan get themselves on The Block, Haystac reaches double figures, ACP’s Kia Ora is voted world’s third best inflight mag, Frucor quenches its thirst with Gatorade, The Sweet Shop adds Wellingtonian animation director done good to its stable, and TVNZ teams up with Xpo for the upcoming MyBiz expo.
Droga5 appoints bcg2’s Chris Long, production house 8com opens up in New Zealand, three agencies fly Kiwi flag at Asian Marketing Effectiveness awards, APN announces its new motoring editor, The Sweet Shop welcomes award-winning UK director to the family, Yahoo! adds two to its sales stable and Aegis Media appoints a shopper marketing specialist.
The relative lack of sun—and therefore barbecues—over the summer months hasn’t been ideal for the booze industry (craft beer continues to grow, while the overall beer market is thought to be down around five percent). But as the inside months approach and the rugby season gets into full swing, Tui’s new ‘Halftime Distractions’ spot by Saatchi & Saatchi and The Sweet Shop’s Stuart McDonald (he of Summer Heights High fame) is hoping to ensure the boys will focus on the brown stuff should they be required to provide for the group.