Tag: Accenture Song

Australia – Accenture Song’s Droga5 has announced that its ANZ executive creative director Barbara Humphries and Droga5 Aotearoa chief creative officer Damon Stapleton will step into new roles as co-chief creative officers of Australia and New Zealand, working in conjunction with Matt Michael, CEO of Droga5 ANZ.

Meanwhile, Droga5 Australia chief creative officer Tara Ford has been named the chief creative officer of Droga5 London. Based in London, Ford will take on the creative helm, working closely alongside Droga5 London CEO Bill Scott and chief strategy officer Will Hodge.

The new ANZ creative line up is part of an orchestrated creative restructure to reinvent Droga5’s worldwide offering and reposition the expanding global network for its new phase of growth and ambition under Droga5 Global CEO Mark Green.

Speaking on this move, Damon said, “Droga5 has always been a bastion of world-class creativity, and it makes me proud to be able to work with all the great and talented people of Auckland, Sydney and Melbourne to add to Droga5’s story. Having the larger playing field of Australia and New Zealand with so many more Lego pieces to push creativity forward is always going to be fun. On top of that, I get to partner with somebody as massively talented as Barb which makes that journey even more special. I look forward to great ideas and making great stuff.”

Meanwhile, Barbara commented, “I’m really proud of the recent momentum as part of The Monkeys, Song and now Droga5, and learning from a creative force like Tara over the past few years has been invaluable. Now, with the opportunity to bring together more of our talented people across three offices, partnering with the brilliant Damon Stapleton and long-time collaborator Matt, I’m super excited about the opportunities ahead of us.”

It is worth noting that in 2024, Droga5 acquired award-winning Brazilian agency SOKO as well as welcomed The Monkeys in Australia and New Zealand – co-founded by Mark Green – to its network.

Matt Michael, CEO, Droga5 Australia & New Zealand, stated, “I’m excited for Tara and looking forward to seeing her make the incredible kind of impact she has made in Australia in another part of our global network. Her move to head up London further underscores the incredible regional and global opportunities available to our creative talent. Having worked closely with Barb and Damon over the years, I’m thrilled to see these two heavyweights unite, strengthening our creative firepower for clients across the region.”

He added, “This move reinforces our commitment to borderless creativity, driving transformative impact for our client’s businesses, brands, and reputations in a way that continues to lead the world. With the creative calibre of Damon and Barb leading the charge, the next phase of Droga5 ANZ is set to be truly exciting.”

Mark Green, global CEO at Droga5, said, “It is always great to see people you have worked with closely for many years take on new challenges. With Tara moving to London, we didn’t hesitate to elevate Barb and Damon, and it felt like the perfect opportunity for everyone to advance their careers and bolster the creative pedigree of Droga5 globally.”

Meanwhile, Pelle Sjoenell, worldwide chief creative officer, Droga5, commented, “We’re fortunate to have such extraordinary talent within the Droga5 global family. It’s an embarrassment of riches to have world-class creative leaders like Tara, Barbara and Damon. As we welcome Tara into a new chapter in London and unite Barbara and Damon’s creative firepower for ANZ, it allows us to work without borders — harnessing our people, capabilities, and influence to make a real impact for our clients and move us closer to our ambition of being the most influential creative company.”

Speaking on her new move to the agency’s London office, Tara said, “I’ve had an amazing time at The Monkeys, now Droga5 ANZ, working with some exceptional talent but the opportunity to take on my next big challenge of Droga5 London was just too alluring. Droga5 ANZ is in great hands with Barb and Damon at the helm and I have no doubt the agency will flourish under their leadership.”

United States – OpenAI has debuted its first TV commercial at the Super Bowl event, with its ad done alongside Accenture Song, and aims to introduce everyday people to the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI), marking a milestone in AI’s journey into mainstream consciousness.

As the world approaches the Intelligence Age, OpenAI remains committed to ensuring that artificial general intelligence (AGI) benefits all of humanity. Their products, including ChatGPT, already empower millions to tackle daily tasks, enhance productivity, and solve complex problems. 

This Super Bowl ad serves as an invitation for people from all walks of life to consider how AI can enrich their personal and professional lives.

In terms of the creative process, while AI played a role in the ad’s creative journey, human professionals spearheaded the project’s execution. Accenture Song’s team collaborated with OpenAI’s Sora team to explore innovative ideas during pre-visualisation. However, the final product remains a testament to human craftsmanship, featuring a unique visual style crafted through 2D hand animation and 3D procedural rendering (Houdini).

For Accenture Song, the creative goal was simplicity—cutting through the noise to deliver OpenAI’s vision for the Intelligence Age in a direct, visually compelling manner. Sora served as an experimental tool for rapid ideation, allowing creatives to explore a variety of concepts before refining their final approach.

‘The Intelligence Age’ uses a pointillism-inspired animation style, drawing from OpenAI’s core brand identity and the ChatGPT interface. Throughout the ad, a single data point—referred to as ‘The Point’—transforms into moving iconography, illustrating key moments of human progress leading up to AI’s emergence. This visual metaphor reflects OpenAI’s foundational philosophy: every idea, breakthrough, and innovation begins with a single observation, a single point.

Meanwhile, ‘The Point’ is not just a symbol—it underpins OpenAI’s identity system, influencing its typeface, iconography, and design language. It also appears in the ChatGPT interface, making it a familiar visual cue for users. In the ad, ‘The Point’ serves as a reminder that AI, like all human advancements, is a tool born from curiosity, research, and discovery.

Through ‘The Intelligence Age,’ OpenAI hopes to spark curiosity and inspire individuals to explore the new possibilities AI can bring into their lives. The Super Bowl ad is not just a commercial—it’s an invitation to be part of a defining moment in technological history.

Australia – Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) is back with its yearly lamb advertisement, this time it encourages online users to get out of the comments and enjoy lamb cutlets, as the country enjoys a renewed success in exporting lambs.

Created by Droga5 ANZ, part of Accenture Song, and directed by Max Barden from The Sweetshop, the ad was created with 100% real Australian comments sourced from online platforms including Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, Facebook and YouTube.

From how to make the perfect cuppa, to some of the year’s most viral moments – this year’s ad was created using real online comments that divided our nation on so many topics.

With its typical tongue-in-cheek humour, the ad encouraged people to get out of the comments and get stuck into a lamb cutlet instead, as the shared love of lamb is one thing Aussies can all agree on.

Nathan Low, general manager for marketing & insights at MLA, said that the Summer Lamb campaign showcases lamb as the protein that brings Aussies together.

“When you delve into the world of online commentary, it would leave you thinking we’re all at each other’s throats, no matter how trivial the topic. But in real life, we don’t treat each other like that. The Summer Lamb campaign is an irreverent reminder that we’re at our best when we’re united, and there’s no better way to bring everyone together than an Aussie Lamb BBQ,” he explained.

The annual lamb ad comes off the back of another incredible year for lamb production in Australia. For the year to September 2024, Australia produced 488,566 tonnes of lamb meat. This was almost as high as the number reached for the full year of 2023, which was the highest on record.

“As producers have continued to send their lambs to the market leading into Summer, we can expect plenty of lamb on the shelves as the campaign launches. Consumers have also continued to show their support for lamb on the back of these campaigns. For example, during the six-week campaign in 2024, purchase volume increased 18.9% compared to the previous year and purchase volume per trip increased 9% compared to the previous year,” he further added.

Building on the ‘Share the Lamb’ brand platform, the five-week integrated campaign features topical jokes, a good dose of satire and of course, lots of mouth-watering lamb. It will feature prominently across online video, cinema, retail out-of-home, paid social and PR.

To keep lamb top of mind and drive purchase in store, the campaign will also connect consumers with a presence in major retail environments including Coles, Woolworth’s, IGA, Costco, Drakes and butcher stores. Product-focused online promotion, digital screens, catalogue, digital assets and point of sale activity will deliver meal inspiration and drive purchase in store. The current issue of Rare Medium magazine will also feature Australian Lamb as a key focus, and have content promoted via paid media.

The full-length ad premiered during the national evening news of Seven and Nine on the 7th of January. This will be followed by a national rollout across free to air, catch-up and subscription TV, cinema, paid social and retail out of home (OOH) channels.

Australia – Accenture Song has recently announced that Hugh Gurney and Joe Sibley will assume executive creative director roles to lead creativity at Droga5 Melbourne, which has been part of Accenture Song.

As part of the continued move towards a more national approach, Hugh and Joe will report into Tara Ford as CCO Droga5 Australia and will work closely with Milla McPhee, chief strategy officer at Droga5 Australia and Matt Michael, CEO at Droga5 ANZ.

“Hugh and Joe are tremendous creatives and wonderful leaders of talent, who we’re sure will continue to help create world class work from Droga5 in Melbourne,” Ford said.

Meanwhile, Michael commented, “Hugh and Joe were our first team in Melbourne and as long-term members of our creative team, we’ve had the chance to see them grow, so it’s a pleasure to have them take roles as Executive Creative Director I Melbourne as we transition into the future as Droga5.”

“Droga5 make some of the best work in the world, so we jumped at the opportunity,” said Hugh and Joe in perfect unison.

The Monkeys became Droga5 at the start of this month, with the aim of delivering outsized impact through outsized ambition and provocative thinking.

Auckland, New Zealand – Accenture Song, a tech-powered creative group, has appointed Storm Day as its New Zealand lead and chief executive officer (CEO) of The Monkeys Aotearoa ahead of its rebranding to Droga5 in December.

Since joining the company in 2022, Day has been leading The Monkeys Aotearoa’s marketing operations, contributing to the team’s growth.

With over two decades of experience in the marketing and consulting industry, Day has worked with brands such as Tourism New Zealand, ASB, New Zealand Story, Fonterra, Mazda, and Asahi.

Accenture Song recently appointed Bronwyn van der Merwe as Accenture Song lead for Australia and New Zealand and Matt Michael as CEO of Droga5.

Justin Mowday, country managing director at Accenture New Zealand, said, “Storm has been instrumental in expanding the team at The Monkeys Aotearoa and making Accenture Song’s global expertise relevant to the New Zealand market.”

“She is a formidable leader with unbeatable local knowledge and experience and is the best person to help steer us into the future as we continue to champion purpose-led growth for our clients in New Zealand,” Mowday added.

“I am extremely excited to be leading this very talented team and working with our clients to join up purpose and customer experience. We help Kiwi organisations put a meaningful purpose at the heart of their culture, operations and experiences to drive growth,” Day commented.

“Combined with the Droga5 name and our incredible creative leader, Damon Stapleton, we will continue to build and sustain Aotearoa’s most influential brands,” Day added.

Australia – Accenture Song, a technology-powered creative group, has appointed Bronwyn van der Merwe as Accenture Song lead for Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) and Matt Michael as chief executive officer (CEO) of Droga5, an advertising agency under the company.

In their new roles, van der Merwe and Michael is set to lead Accenture Song’s ANZ team in driving growth.

Currently the service practice lead at Accenture Song ANZ, van der Merwe’s new position is effective starting Oct. 15, 2024. She was also the design lead at the company for the Asia-Pacific region. Before working at the company, she served as the vice president of design at Culture Amp. She also established Fjord, a design agency, in Australia.

Meanwhile, Michael’s position is effective starting Dec. 1, 2024, while retaining his leadership in the company’s marketing practice for ANZ. Michael was previously the managing director at The Monkeys, which he held for more than 10 years. He has worked with various brands such as Telstra, Qantas, Amazon, and NRMA Insurance.

Mark Green, global CEO at Droga5, said “This is a great moment for two truly brilliant people, both of whom I have had the pleasure to work with for many years. Bronwyn was part of why I was keen to join forces with Accenture in the first place. Seeing what Bronwyn helped create with Fjord in Australia was a brilliant insight into the potential of creativity, consulting and technology. Bronwyn will lead Accenture Song into a new era and the team in Australia and New Zealand are in good hands.” 

“It is great to see leaders grow and expand and it has been a privilege working with Matt Michael for over 14 years. Matt’s elevation to CEO of Droga5 in ANZ is an absolute no brainer and a great reward for someone who has been instrumental in the success of not only The Monkeys but Accenture Song as well. I cannot wait to see where Matt can take Droga5 in ANZ and I look forward to continuing our long partnership,” Green added.

“How lucky to be going from strength to strength in ANZ leadership. Bronwyn’s integrated expertise and perspective, coupled with her deep commitment to both our people and our clients, makes her the ideal leader for this next chapter. At the same time, Matt who has a history of leadership and excellence is uniquely poised to lead Droga5, and will shape a local perspective that will undoubtedly have an impact on the agency and its clients globally,” David Droga, global CEO of Accenture Song, said.

“I feel incredibly honoured to have the opportunity to lead Accenture Song’s next chapter, alongside Matt and the rest of the Song leadership team in Australia and New Zealand. We have incredible talent and capabilities in Song, including our recent acquisitions of Fiftyfive5 and The Lumery. The launch of Droga5 in this market will further strengthen our ability to deliver purpose led growth for our clients,” van der Merwe commented.

“The opportunity to work so closely with David and Mark to re-launch Droga5 in Australia and New Zealand is something I couldn’t back away from. I look forward to building on everything we have done over the past 18 years with The Monkeys to take the business to new heights, here and globally, under the Droga5 moniker. It is an exciting time for Song and I look forward to working with Bron to continue taking our full-service suite of services and bring the provocative thinking and creativity of our outstanding team to our clients,” Michael said.

New Zealand – KidsCan, a charity committed to providing essential support for children affected by poverty in New Zealand, has partnered with The Monkeys Aotearoa, part of Accenture Song, for its latest campaign. This new initiative highlights the increasing number of Kiwi children in urgent need of winter essentials, emphasising the critical role KidsCan plays in their well-being.

Like many charities, KidsCan has been hit hard as regular donors struggle with New Zealand’s cost-of-living crisis. Supported by its principal partner, Meridian Energy, KidsCan currently aids 889 schools and 205 early childhood centres—a third of all schools nationwide. However, this year, the charity faces its largest waitlist in 19 years, with 10,000 more children in 260 schools and centres still in need.

Created by The Monkeys Aotearoa, KidsCan’s new campaign aims to tug at the hearts of New Zealanders by bringing the waitlist to life, vividly illustrating how many children are facing winter without essential items like food, jackets, and shoes.

The campaign spans broadcast TV, outdoor advertising, press, digital, radio, and social media. Additionally, localised extensions in major cities—Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin—highlight the number of children on the waitlist in those areas, in addition to the 10,000-plus children on the national list.

Julie Chapman, founder and CEO of KidsCan, said, “When kids are going cold and hungry, they can’t learn and are at risk of falling behind, so the repercussions are huge. We can’t forget about them, nor can we keep them waiting for support at such a critical time in their development.” 

Damon Stapleton, chief creative officer at The Monkeys Aotearoa, added, “Helping everyone starts with helping someone, and in our latest work for KidsCan, we juxtaposed children’s song This Little Light of Mine up against the stark visuals of children in need to garner attention and leave viewers lingering on a hopeful message. We hope the campaign cuts through to touch all New Zealanders, urging them to support and get behind the work of this much-needed charity.”

KidsCan is reaching out for support to provide warmth to New Zealand children this winter. To make a donation, please visit the charity’s official website.

New Zealand– ASB Bank has partnered with The Monkeys Aotearoa, part of Accenture Song, for its latest campaign, which highlights the vital role of home ownership managers in guiding New Zealanders through the evolving challenges of home ownership.

The campaign features a series of light-hearted films starring the popular advertising couple, Ben and Amy, along with their new furry family member, Sunny the Saint Bernard. When the family faces challenges adjusting to their new addition, Teana, a real-life ASB Home Ownership Manager, steps in to help them get back on track.

ASB’s campaign aims to showcase the expertise and experience of its team in guiding and supporting people through every stage of their home ownership journey, from renovations and mortgage adjustments to enhancing the comfort of their homes.

The campaign extends across ASB branches, digital platforms, and social media, featuring interactive street posters uniquely designed for dogs. These’sniff’ posters, created in collaboration with Phantom Billstickers, emit a scent to attract dogs and are displayed at locations in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch.

Additionally, the integrated campaign also directs New Zealanders to the ASB website, where they can use the ASB Mobile Banking App to find and book an appointment with a local home ownership manager tailored to their needs.

Helen Fitzsimons, chief marketing officer at ASB, said, “We’re here to help New Zealanders achieve their home ownership goals. We understand the Kiwi dream of owning your own home, and we know that even for those who do own a home, the current situation is rarely the final goal. As people’s lives, families, and jobs expand and change, so too do their priorities, and we’re committed to helping our customers at every step of their home ownership journey. 

“Our new campaign highlights the incredible work our home ownership managers do and how they go the extra mile for our customers, whatever life throws at them,” Fitzsimons added. 

Meanwhile, Damon Stapleton, chief creative officer at The Monkeys Aotearoa, commented, “A home is more than just four walls; it’s a space where life happens. But sometimes, your home gets out of sync with your life, and you just need more space. In our latest campaign, we again turn to Ben and Amy to showcase how the constantly evolving life of a homeowner can be aided by a passionate ASB Home Ownership Manager.”

Australia – Accenture Song, The Monkeys and Droga5 have been appointed by Tourism Australia to provide the agency with creative and digital services for five years from July 2024, structured as a three-year initial contract with options for two further one-year extensions.

According to Phillipa Harrison, managing director at Tourism Australia, the contract with Accenture Song has been finalised after a competitive tender process.

“We have a very specific brief at Tourism Australia with a global footprint that sees us actively market into 15 key international markets. Our campaigns have set a high benchmark over the years and as our operating environment continues to evolve we need to ensure Australia stands out on the world stage,” Harrison said.

She added, “During the tender process Accenture Song, along with The Monkeys and Droga5, proved they were best placed to provide Tourism Australia with the integrated global creative and digital services we need. We look forward to working with them to showcase the best Australia has to offer to the world.”

Meanwhile, Susan Coghill, chief marketing officer at Tourism Australia stated that the brief for the tender was for a panel that would allow Tourism Australia to respond to future opportunities and challenges.

“We will be working closely with Accenture, The Monkeys and Droga5 to remind the world why ‘There’s Nothing Like Australia’ and are excited to learn more about the creative ideas and big thinking they can bring to the table as we look to get Australia’s tourism industry back on a path of sustainable growth,” Coghill said.

She added, “I would also like to take this opportunity to thank M&C Saatchi and Digitas for all of their hard work over the past five years. It was a challenging period and thanks to both agencies we were able to pivot into the domestic space, with the ‘Holiday Here This Year’ campaigns, and once international travel resumed we launched our current global campaign ‘Come and Say G’day’ welcoming travellers back to Australia.”

David Droga, CEO at Accenture Song, commented, “This win means a lot. Professionally and personally. We are thrilled by the wonderful opportunity, immense responsibility and the rekindled partnership.”

Lastly, Mark Green, president of Accenture Song ANZ as well as the co-founder and group CEO of The Monkeys, stated, “It’s a privilege to partner with Susan and her team of outstanding marketers to help transform and elevate Tourism Australia’s global creative and digital marketing approach. Combining the creative firepower of The Monkeys (Australian agency of the decade) and Droga5 (US agency of the decade), underpinned by the technology and global footprint of Accenture Song, we have some of the best Australian talent from around the world coming together to bring the best of Australia to the world.”

Australia – Australian sports brand retailer rebel has released its latest campaign via The Monkeys, which is a subsidiary of advertising agency Accenture Song.

Building on the ‘Sport Is Calling’ brand platform established in 2020, the campaign features the incredible journeys of Australians whose lives have been radically transformed by sport.

Specifically, the campaign spreads its message through a series of films, directed by Finch’s Christopher Nelius, telling the incredible stories of outback grazier Brendan Cullen, and Olympian Sinead Diver.

Coinciding with a busy time on the sporting calendar, the integrated campaign also aims to inspire Aussies watching on at home to start their own sporting journey.

Talking about the campaign, Rosemary Martin, GM of ecommerce & marketing at rebel, said, “Brendan and Sinead’s stories demonstrate rebel’s belief that sport can be the catalyst for incredible change and growth in our lives. Not just physically, but mentally too.”

Meanwhile, Adam Slater, creative director at The Monkeys, commented, “Sport really is stranger than fiction. Whether it’s a farmer who dealt with a drought by swimming laps of the dam, or a 47-year-old I.T professional turned national record holder, we’ve loved unearthing the best sports stories Australia has never heard of.”