As part of a daily series Campaign Brief shines the spotlight on the top female executive creative directors and creative directors in Australia...

The 56th D&AD Judging Week in London has come to a close, resulting in Australia ranked #6 country with 31 Pencils and New Zealand ranked #8 with 21 Pencils.

527 Pencils were awarded on the final day, bringing the total for this year to 721 Pencils, decided by juries made up of over 250 of the world's top creatives.

In total Host/Havas Sydney scored eight Pencils for Palau Legacy Project 'The Palau Pledge' and one Pencil for Fund for Peace 'The Bottom 100'; CHE Proximity Australia scored four Pencils for Cochlear 'The Hearing Test in Disguise' and one for Lego 'Making the list'; Cummins & Partners Sydney scored three Pencils for Go Gentle Australia 'Stop the Horror' ; Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney won two Pencils for Wespac 'Rescue Rashie'; Re, Sydney won two Pencils for Sydney Design Festival; and Interbrand scored two Pencils for Cotton One Group 'G'AY MATE'. One Pencil apiece for BMF Sydney for Sportsbet 'Putting the Roid in Android'; Heineken Asia-Pacific for Tiger Beer 'Air-Ink' (created by Marcel); National Gallery of Victoria for 'NGV Triennial'; Clemenger BBDO Melbourne for Air BnB 'Until we all belong'; TBWA\Melbourne for ANZ '#HoldTight'; For The People for Australian Ethical 'Fete of the world'; J Walter Thompson Melbourne for Melbourne Fringe Festival rebrand; M&C Saatchi Sydney for AIME 'Cogs'; and Alt.vfx for Tile 'Lost Panda'..

For New Zealand Colenso BBDO scored five Pencils for Pedigree 'The Child Replacement Programme and one Pencil for Pedigree 'SelfieSTIX'; DDB New Zealand scored four Pencils for Nescafe 'Re:Scam' and three Pencils for Steinlager 'Fight for Territory'; FCB New Zealand won three Pencils for Testicular Cancer NZ 'Go Balls Up' and one Pencil for Health Promotion Agency 'The Lost Night'; Y&R New Zealand scored two Pencils for Heinz 'Geoff' (one with Assembly for craft); Ogilvy New Zealand scored one Pencil for NZ Police Recruitment; and J Walter Thompson NZ scored a Pencil for Ford Ranger direct mail.

Luscious International has recently provided its creative services for concept design and prototyping of interactive media for the City of Winton in consultancy with Arterial Design. The installation at the Waltzing Matilda Center is a variety of ambient and atmospheric animation and film footage sequences projected onto a structure made of acrylic, silicone filled tubes.

From concept to technical research to prototyping, Luscious developed the show stopping Billabong centerpiece.

Last Thursday evening post production studio Cutting Edge hosted the first CEX charity art auction, raising much needed funds to help young Aussies with high care needs.
 
The CEX art challenge involved the transformation of humble bowling pins into works of art. Members of Brisbane's advertising community heeded the call, lending their creativity and donating unique pieces. Contributions came from Cutting Edge, as well as freelance artists, and Brisbane agencies, BCM, ClemengerBBDO, Y&R ANZ, and PublisicQ.

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LIA has launched the call for entries for the London International Awards 2018.
 
The categories include: Ambient, Billboard, Branded Entertainment, Design, Digital, Health & Wellness, Health & Wellness - Craft, Integration, Medical, Medical - Craft, Music & Sound, Music Video, Non-Traditional, Package Design, Poster, Print, Production & Post-Production, Radio & Audio, Social Influencers, The NEW, TV/Cinema/Online Film and Verbal Identity.

Entries submitted must be broadcast, published or released in a commercial environment
with client approval between 1st July 2017 and 31st July 2018.

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To view the 2018 jury presidents: click here.

In the lead-up to the AWARD Awards the annual CB/LBB Legendary Lunches will be held in Melbourne on Tuesday May 22 and in Sydney on Thursday May 24.

The invitation-only lunches will be attended by top creative directors (including some from NZ) and creative teams from LBB member agencies and production company executive producers.

The annual lunch is generously sponsored by New York-based Barbara Levy, president of the London International Awards, who will be visiting Sydney and Melbourne to catch up with top creative directors and to attend the AWARD Awards in Sydney.

Purchase your tickets to the 39th AWARD Awards evening, to be held on Friday, May 25 at Carriageworks, 245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh, Sydney.

Time: Pre-drinks: 6.00pm - 7.00pm / Presentation commencing 7.00pm followed by after party which runs until late
Venue: Carriageworks, 245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh
MC: The Chaser Boys  - Craig Reucassel & Andrew Hansen
Dress: Cocktail
Cost: AWARD & Corporate members $325 (inclusive of GST) / Non-member $380 inclusive of GST)

BOOK TICKETS HERE

Leap Agency Melbourne was named the winner of one Gold and two Silver Stevie Awards in the fifth annual Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards today.

The Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards are the only business awards program to recognize innovation in the workplace in all 22 nations of the Asia-Pacific region. The Stevie Awards are widely considered to be the world's premier business awards, conferring recognition for achievement in programs such as The International Business Awards for sixteen years.

Each week Bestads picks the very best advertising in the world, in every medium - which is reviewed by a top creative director or team to select their own personal favourites.

This week's guest judge is Aaron Nielsen, creative director at thjnk, Hamburg.

BEST TV
Winner: DDB New Zealand SKY TV 'Poisoned Chalice'. Entertaining way to tell the viewer exactly what they can expect from a great drama by turning your commercial into one. I was drawn right in and wanted to watch more so I'm sure this idea will have the desired effect. Everything about the film had me hooked. The execution, the music and the direction. READ ON...

ARC EDIT has announced a new addition to its roster for Australia and New Zealand in the form of talented editor Aika Miyake.

Miyake - one of the top editors in her native Japan - has an extensive career in film, music videos and commercials, having worked internationally for productions companies such as Epoch, Sweetshop and Stink and brands such as Nike, Nissan, Mercedes Benz and Visa to name but a few.

Says Joseph Perkins, executive producer at ARC: "We have been big admirers of Aika's work and her approach to storytelling for some time. She has a bold style that combines an international outlook with a sharp eye for story, making her a perfect fit for ARC. It's really exciting to be able to share a unique talent with the industry."

The Marketing Academy has today announced that Terry Savage has been appointed as its first global chairman to guide the Academy through ambitious expansion plans when he leaves his current role as the chairman of Cannes Lions in June. 

In addition to steering the Academy's international development Savage, who will be based in Sydney, will convene a global council of high profile industry figures to assist in raising awareness of the Academy's mission around the world. Phil Rumbol, partner at Mullen Lowe, will continue to chair the board of trustees in the UK.

Infinity Squared director Daniel Reisinger has completed principal production for his debut long form series with Youtube Red in the U.S. and will return to Australia later this month to reclaim his Australian-osity.

The show entitled, "Swipe Right" airs in July and was co-created and executive produced by Reisinger alongside the show's star and showrunner Carly Craig (American Housewife) and the show's other showrunner Robin Schiff (Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion).

Sweetshop has signed highly-acclaimed director Zoe McIntosh for global representation.

When it comes to hunting down unique characters for film and commercial work, McIntosh is in her element unveiling these best kept stories. Finding the truth in any performance; she's completely at home directing one of New Zealand's most notorious Mongrel mob gangsters, and hanging out in boxing gyms and caravan parks.

Her most recent short film The World in Your Window is a heartwarming tale of grief, family and circumstance and was awarded the prestigious Jury Prize at the 2017 Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, and won Best International Short Film at; Melbourne, Flicker Fest, Short Shorts Asia, Tahiti Film Festival and Vancouver Women in Film International Film Festival. It is also a contender for the 2019 Oscar's.

Expert insights on what's trending in the world of technology, data and innovation will be discussed in a new podcast powered by The Works, global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright and digital services consultancy RXP.

The Smart Dust podcast - named after micro electromechanical computers that that can be breathed in to monitor the human brain - has been created to give brain-expanding ideas and perspectives that can be applied to listeners' daily and professional lives.

Presenters Nick Abrahams (above left), global head of technology and innovation at Norton Rose Fulbright and Douglas Nicol (above right), partner at The Works, will deliver insights into emerging technology, data and innovation each month.

Top names from Europe and Asia-Pacific, including Jimmy Lam, James Sorton, Hanna Maria Heidrich and Adrian Bosich are announced as jury members of this year's Young Director Award.

With only two months to go to the Cannes Lions festival, and therefore to the Young Director Award 2018, the YDA has announced the first half of the jury that will help decide the winning work in this year's competition.

As part of a daily series Campaign Brief shines the spotlight on the top female executive creative directors and creative directors in Australia...

Last year, Toby Talbot (left) returned to Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand as chief creative officer. He spoke to Campaign Brief about indie agencies with zany one-word names, the Publicis awards ban, why he keeps coming back to work in New Zealand, his upcoming gig at Ad Stars, things he's not-so-good at, and lots more besides.
 
CB: It's been one year since you took the role as Chief Creative Officer at Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand. How's it going?
TT: It's been fantastic. It's been 10 years since I last worked at Saatchi and I'd forgotten the potency of the name. It's like you look up the word 'advertising' in the dictionary and find us. I also walked into an incredible culture that has been nurtured by my partner in the business here, Paul Wilson, since he took over. No hierarchies. No politics. No egos. Just a burning desire to do the best work we can and a strong sense of purpose shared with our clients. I also have a boss in Mike Rebelo who, as well as being Saatchi born and bred, runs Publicis in the region. So I feel much more connected to the potential of our network than I ever felt in previous networks I have belonged to.
 
CB: Now that you've settled back in, what are your goals for 2018?
TT: My focus for 2018 is about creating world-changing ideas. We've had a year away from awards - which I think on the whole has been applauded by the industry because it's forced huge money-making machines like Cannes to take stock of how out of control it's all become. And personally, I've enjoyed it as it's allowed me to focus on people and product. It will be great to get back into awards but, for me, the shiny baubles come easily after you've got everything else right. I'm still way more focussed on the Strand, Parnell than the Croisette, Cannes.

Independently owned, global 'live' brand events agency, INVNT has launched its APAC operations with head office located in Sydney, Australia, to address a surge of demand across the region for live brand storytellers, capable of challenging everything.

Originally founded in New York in 2008 by Scott Cullather and Kristina McCoobery, INVNT was created to be the best live brand storytelling agency in the world. The company's "challenge everything" positioning statement has seen INVNT's roster of clients grow worldwide to include a number of major household names such as: PepsiCo, Microsoft, General Motors, Oracle, Xero, Samsung, and Subway.

The company, which creates and produces brand engagements for every audience segment - employees, customers, partners, investors, the media and consumers - has seen revenue grow 107% since July of 2017 and predicts 2018 to be a record-setting year as they continue to invest into the APAC region.

In between busy commercial schedules, Butchery editor Johanna Scott has collaborated with director Eddie Martin to cut the documentary 'Have You Seen The Listers?', which premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival in 2017.  The film is a candid and personal insight into the rise of world-renowned street artist Anthony Lister as he challenges conservative Australia whilst battling his own demons.

The film is garnering great reviews and Scott's fantastic work has been noted and praised amongst many.

Together, Scott and Martin cut from almost 1000 hours of footage to craft a refined and moving film, with Margaret Pomeranz calling it 'brave and fascinating' and 'a fine achievement for the editor'.

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As part of a daily series Campaign Brief shines the spotlight on the top female executive creative directors and creative directors in Australia...

A blog by Damon Stapleton, chief creative officer of DDB New Zealand
   
"An egg is funny, an orange is not." - Fred Allen

One of the most painful things you can ever see is a comic bombing. It is like watching somebody else being kicked in the balls but somehow you feel the pain. This was happening to me about a week ago.

It was late at the comedy club. There is a beautiful, opaque, intoxicating sadness about a comedy club. Comics loudly telling stories about past glories. Human beings trying to withstand it all by making other human beings laugh. A boulevard of broken dreams that occasionally glitters so brightly, you are willing to keep walking as the rain falls.

Y&R Melbourne has launched Sip Safe on campus at Monash University. The Sip Safe wristbands detect drugs by simply placing a drop of your drink onto the band itself.
 
Designed for widespread use across festivals, events, bars, nightclubs and other venues where patrons are already accustomed to using wristbands, Sip Safe is equal parts utility, education and deterrent for would-be drink spikers.
 
The product was first trialled during Schoolies in late 2017 and will now be rolled out at a variety of student and youth events throughout the year.

Australian energy retailer, Origin Energy, has today unveiled a new brand campaign via TBWA\Melbourne and Atomic212, to highlight its commitment to making energy smarter, easier, more sustainable and more affordable for customers.
 
The 'Good Energy' campaign features a new, refreshed logo, making the first significant change to the brand in its 18 year history - with a campaign launching this weekend across TV, digital, outdoor and PR.
 
Says Donna Pidduck, chief marketing officer, Origin: "Our customers are at the heart of everything that we do at Origin. The change to our brand serves as a reflection of our ongoing commitment to Australians.

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Following the overwhelming success of its first event for 2018, the Queensland Youngbloods team haven't wasted a minute with their next event, 'The Work Behind The Work' which is set to be held on Wednesday, May 2, 6pm - 9pm at High Church, 483 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley.

QLD Youngbloods is wanting to tell more of a story about the hidden lessons and grit that go into campaigns.

Quite often the ads we are only 10% of what's involved to produce them. So with this in mind, the team have asked along four of Brisbane's biggest agencies to demonstrate the process behind some of their most successful campaigns.

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Since the inception of Creative LIAisons in 2012, LIA has been at the forefront of nurturing the next generation of creative talent. This year, in partnership with Gorilla Doctors, LIA has taken another positive step forward by initiating a global competition that is open to all creatives between the ages of 21 - 30 years.

Says Barbara Levy, president of LIA: "Our focus has always been to invest in young talent. That's why we started Creative LIAisons, our way of giving back to the industry. When we learned of the plight of the mountain gorillas through our association with Gorilla Doctors, we felt that this was the perfect platform to galvanize young talent from all over the world to help save these gorillas through a competition to find the best idea."

The New York Times Company has today announced the appointment of media representation agency WeThinkMedia to represent its advertising business in Australia.

The strategic appointment follows the continued success of robust coverage expansion efforts in the region, which have focused on global issues that deeply affect readers there, including climate change, migration, gender and international politics and economics.

Medibank has today unveiled the evolution of its 'What is Better' brand platform via TBWA\Melbourne, as it continues to challenge what 'better' means when it comes to health.

The latest campaign goes live today in line with the announcement of Medibank at Home -- a program which seeks to improve members' quality of life by providing greater choice where possible over where they receive their care, be it at home or in hospital.

Building on the foundation of the brand platform launched in February, the new campaign sees Medibank continue to question and explore what 'better' means for different people, through ongoing conversations with Australians from all walks of life.

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As part of a daily series Campaign Brief shines the spotlight on the top female executive creative directors and creative directors in Australia...

Little Black Book's Australasian member agencies and production companies: why the LBB & Friends Beach should be your home-from-home in Cannes in June

Now in its 9th year, the LBB & Friends Beach ~ co-sponsored by Bestads & CB ~ has become the place to network, make deals, socialise, grab lunch, hold meetings and even just take a dip in Cannes every year. With the support of our sponsors, we have been able to bring this free event to the Lions festival each year and we will be back for 2018.

The good news is that LBB member agencies and production companies in Australia and New Zealand will once again enjoy Access All Areas. Silver members receive five wristbands for the week, Bronze members receive three.

LBB member agencies In Australasia

Bashful, BMF, BWM Dentsu, Clemenger BBDO, Colenso BBDO, The Communications Council, The Core Agency, Cummins & Partners, DDB Australia, DDB New Zealand, Host/Havas, Ikon, Innocean, J Walter Thompson, Leo Burnett, Marcel, M&C Saatchi, McCann, The Monkeys, Naked, Ogilvy, Red Engine, Richards Rose, The Royals, Saatchi & Saatchi, 72andSunny, Special Group, 303 MullenLowe, TBWA, Thinkerbell, VCCP, VML Australia, WiTH Collective, Y&R Australia, Y&R New Zealand, Zoo Group.

Iconic Australian soft drink brand SOLO has launched its first brand campaign in two years. The campaign developed by TBWA\Melbourne and Carat, showcases how modern men get their thirst.

The much-loved Australian brand became famous for its 70s and 80s advertising where the now iconic SOLO Man tackled extreme activities in order to work up a sweat. Today's work, 'A Thirst Worthy Effort', offers a new take on what it means to be a SOLO Man in 2018 - with men doing things like arc-welding costumes for a school play and constructing Swedish furniture.

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WARC, the global marketing intelligence service, has today released 'Lessons from the world's top effectiveness campaigns' to uncover shared creative, media and measurement strategies.

The report analyses the results of the latest WARC 100, an annual ranking of campaigns based on their performance in effectiveness awards from around the world.

The four lessons from the 2018 WARC 100 analysis are:

1. Effective campaigns increasingly have PR 'baked in'
Analysis of campaigns in this year's WARC 100 reveal the increasing use of PR in their channel strategies. This reflects the rise of creative ideas built to gain press coverage and other earned media. Several ideas at the top of the ranking centre around a highly PR-able stunt or concept, like the Transport Accident Association's 'Graham', that can generate content across channels and media.

APN Outdoor's strong start to 2018 has continued, with the announcement at the company's annual general meeting of three key contract renewals: Transport for Brisbane, Transdev Melbourne and Adelaide & Parafield Airports, for multiple years.
 
Says James Warburton, CEO and managing director, APN Outdoor: "These contracts represent an important part of our advertising offering. The far-reaching impact they provide delivers a compelling proposition and cements our commitment to the development of our transit and billboard product offering.