…as the ASA announces its new chair; TBWA\ shuffles the management and says goodbye to its general manager; Affinity ID nails a hat-trick; Kate Alexander takes over from dad at Studio Alexander; Christina Force sells her stake in the “first dedicated photographers agency in New Zealand”; Envy Studios add two to the staff roster; and DNA welcomes a large man from Northampton.
The tongues have been wagging fairly violently in agency land about the possibility of ANZ shifting agencies. And the speculation has now been confirmed, after Whybin TBWA was officially appointed as its global creative agency after a four month pitch.
Who’s it for: 2degrees by TBWA\ and Digital Post
Why we like it: Once again, 2degrees has managed to entertain and inform simultaneously with its new Pay Monthly spots. As we’ve all come to expect, they’re funny, quirky, easily understood and also quite …
It worked last year when TBWA\ creatives Iain Neallie and Tara McKenty somehow managed to scavenge their way to Cannes by selling fictional stocks in themselves. And the disease is obviously catching at the Auckland agency, because another fledgling creative pair are hoping to get themselves a free trip to Adfest in Thailand by buttering up the nation’s muscliest silver fox through the power of song.
The radio, design, digital, creative innovation and integrated finalists for AWARD have been announced, with Clemenger BBDO, Colenso, DDB, Saatchi & Saatchi, TBWA\, Publicis Mojo, Rapp/Tribal, AIM Proximity and Special Group all making the cut. But coming out on top for the Kiwis in terms of overall finalist nods are DraftFCB, DDB NZ and Special Group. The awards will be handed out on Friday.
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.
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.
This year’s Effies tagline was ‘the best ad for advertising’. And it was certainly a pretty good advertisement for Colenso BBDO, which won 12 awards and became the only agency to ever win Most Effective Agency of the Year two years in a row, as well as the only agency to win Most Effective Agency of the Year and Best in Show in the same year. It was a close run thing, however, with DraftFCB nipping effectively at its heels with nine.
He’s been a fixture of the New Zealand advertising landscape for 11 years, but all good things must come to an end and, after TBWA\ lost the ASB account to Droga5 a few months back, the axe was always likely to come down on Ira Goldstein, New Zealand’s best-loved bumbling fictional American banking spy.
It was a night that had almost everything: surprisingly loud and seemingly dangerous explosions; a fair bit of rowdiness from the 2degrees/TBWA tables; a hilarious mad scientist poking fun at everyone; strange glowing beakers; an array of confusing acronyms; polite clapping; attentive listening; and prodigious amounts of inter-company sexy dancing as big names from big and small Kiwi companies got dolled up for last night’s TVNZ-NZ Marketing awards at the Langham Hotel in Auckland. And the general consensus was that the quality of the winning work was world-class and that the awards themselves just keep on improving.
Forget your EFFIEs and Axis Awards, this was the one that really counted: the 2010 Battle of the Ad Bands.
There will undoubtedly be a few bottles of Montana (or is that Brancott Estate?) consumed in the TBWA\ towers in the coming months after it disrupted Pernod Ricard New Zealand into handing over its business. And, once again, TBWA\ will be working closely with Mitchell Communication Group on the account, which won the media business from ZenithOptimedia.
The strife in Thailand had its wicked way with Adfest, the Asia Pacific advertising awards. But the dates were changed a few times and, instead of the usual Thai beach resort location, it was decided the big name judges would converge on Tokyo this week to make their decisions. And it’s fairly slim pickings on the finalist front for Kiwi agencies.
Kelly Bennett
It’s been a relatively stressful time for TBWA\ of late: around the same time the ASB account left the building, Sony Computer Entertainment New Zealand (PlayStation) was also undertaking a thorough competitive review of its PR account. And it would’ve been a pretty bad look to lose that business too, but in news that’s sure to bring comfort to the Mayoral Drive offices, ELEVEN\PR, part of the TBWA\ Group, retained the account.
Who it’s for: 2degrees by TBWA\ and Film Construction
Why we like it: Rhys Darby has been the perfect frontman for a challenger brand like 2degrees and his quirky sense of humour certainly seems to have resonated with New Zealanders in the year or so since the mobile network’s launch. The ads are enjoyable in their own right, but they also seem to have had the desired commercial effect, and the company’s goal of gaining double-digit market share (oh, and giving Kiwis cheaper mobile calling) is apparently within sight. And that’s worth a bit of a nudge, a bit of a wink, a bit of self-deprecating laugh and a bit of a celebratory TVC.
All good things must come to an end (except for honey, which doesn’t have an expiration date) and the axe is currently hanging ominously over Ira Goldstein, the New York banker who, since 2000, has been the endearingly stupid face of ASB bank.
If you believe the company mantra, TBWA\ is all about ‘disruption’. And there’s been plenty of that in Mayoral Drive lately (although not of the creative kind it likes), after ASB decided to end its 12 year relationship and shack up with Droga5 last week.
ASB has scratched its 12 year itch, after long-time incumbent TBWA\ was ousted by new (but old) boys on the block, Droga5.
DDB and Liquid Studios hit it for six at Cannes last night, taking home six Cannes Lions from six finalist placings for their Arts Channel radio campaign for Sky Television. And Yellow has yet again turned to gold for Colenso.
On 21 May we floated Plankton IPO for a meagre $10 a share in the effort to raise enough cash to get us to Cannes. Against all odds and with the help of more than 70 investors from across the globe we actually made it. 30 odd hours and more than a few B-grade movies later and we’re here, eating croissants, dodging scooters and paying through the nose for everything.
The finalist announcements have been made for the Press, Outdoor, Media and Radio categories at Cannes. And the Kiwis have continued their good run.
Raising funds is a tough business. Some sell cheese rolls. Some sell sausages in bread. But TBWA’s Tara McKenty and Iain Nealie have taken an altogether different approach: they’re selling themselves – or, at least, their future – in the form of made-up stocks.
At the start of the year, Research Magazine asked a number of top UK researchers to sum up in one word what they believed 2010 held for the research industry. “Listen,” said respected research director Reineke Reitsma from Forrester Research.
The old theatre line “if it ain’t on the page, it ain’t on the stage” rings true whether it’s David Mamet’s latest taut masterpiece, or Tracy the acccount manager’s brief for new improved Wheaty Bites. But take a look at the majority of ads around you. Any memorable lines? Resonant insights? Emotional journeys? The results suggest all is not well in creative brief world.
Ray Avery, the founder, driving force and bona fide genius behind independent development agency Medicine Mondiale, has been chosen as the inaugural winner of TBWA’s new Disruption Award.
With all this talk of The Feelers and uninspiring marketing campaigns for the Rugby World Cup, it’s good to see some creative, interesting and slightly more challenging event promotion work from the folks at TBWA\Whybin\Tequila for the big dust-up between David Tua and Friday ‘The Thirteenth’ Ahunanya tonight.
New Zealand maintained its reputation as a direct marketing powerhouse at the 32nd John Caples International Awards in New York late last week, with Colenso and AIM Proximity’s Yellow Treehouse once again in the upper echelons and DraftFCB and TBWA\Whybin\Tequila also claiming some precious metal.
As two doors open, another one closes for TBWA\ Group: business strategist and online specialist Bonnie Frankland and Victoria Graves have added their names to the roster, while Ron Fielding and Tracey Fox have said their goodbyes.
Adshel is making a habit of bringing sports to the world of public transport and it did it again during January’s ASB Classic, treating commuters to some unique ‘courtside’ action by combining specially designed bus shelters, posters, decals and even the modern scourge of female tennis, ridiculous grunting.
Christmas has come early for DraftFCB after it was confirmed the agency would take over the Westfield account from TBWA/TEQUILA.