Tag: anz

Australia – Publicis Groupe ANZ has today announced the acquisition of full-service media agency, Atomic 212°. The agency is led by chairman Barry O’Brien, CEO Rory Heffernan and chief digital officer James Dixon. It has offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Darwin. 

The acquisition comes as Publicis Groupe ANZ’s media agencies continue to record strong performances. The agencies consist of Spark Foundry in Australia and New Zealand, Zenith Australia, Starcom Australia and MBM New Zealand. 

On the acquisition, Michael Rebelo, CEO at Publicis Groupe ANZ said, “Our media practice in ANZ has been on an incredible trajectory, experiencing growth and momentum across all metrics. The acquisition of Atomic 212° presents a unique opportunity to bring Australia’s most progressive independent media agency into our fold, further strengthening and scaling our media capabilities.” 

He added, “Atomic 212° is globally recognised for its world-class expertise. For over 15 years, it has consistently delivered growth to clients by leveraging marketing technology and data in media. By adding Atomic 212° to our market-leading roster of agency businesses, we solidify our position as the only group in ANZ capable of offering truly comprehensive end-to-end marketing transformation solutions to our clients.”

Meanwhile, Barry O’Brien, chairman at Atomic 212°, commented, “From our first meeting, the Publicis Groupe offering and their continuous encouragement to help our business grow was the compelling factor in making this decision. The way the Groupe’s connected platform proposition flows through the organisation, its leadership, its people and its clients is truly powerful.”

He added, “We have grown Atomic 212° into a world-class media operation, but we recognise that the complexity of marketing requires holistic services for our clients. By joining the global best in this regard, we are confident that we can offer our staff and clients an even better experience moving into the future.”

Australia – Global marketing and media consultancy Ebiquity has announced the appointment of Paul Murphy as managing director of its Australia and New Zealand business. 

Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, Paul will report to Leela Nair, managing director of APAC, and will be responsible for leading the company’s strategy and business operations in the region.

Under Paul’s leadership, Ebiquity will continue to deliver strategic value to its clients, elevate the company’s profile, and expand and progress its ability to support marketers in achieving effective and responsible advertising. 

Paul brings over 25 years of experience in the media industry across agency, consultancy, and marketing. His career includes leadership positions such as managing director at iProspect Australia, chief media officer at Cummins & Partners, and national media manager at Carlton & United Breweries (CUB), Australia. 

Speaking on his appointment, Paul said, “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Ebiquity at this time of seismic industry change. Advertisers have never been more aware of their impact and responsibility than now, and Ebiquity is uniquely placed to support them achieve effective and responsible advertising. I look forward to connecting with as many people as possible in my new capacity in 2025.”

Meanwhile, Leela commented, “The Asia-Pacific region is a key market for us, and we are delighted about Paul’s appointment. He is a highly respected executive, and his appointment strengthens Ebiquity’s capabilities in the media and digital space.”

Lastly, Ruben Schreurs, global CEO at Ebiquity, commented, “We are thrilled to welcome Paul to the Ebiquity family. His appointment reflects our commitment to best serve our clients’ needs, help them improve media investment decisions for better business outcomes and in doing so, create a better media world together with their media agency partners.”

Australia – ANZ, in partnership with JCDecaux, have transformed the large-scale tram stops at Melbourne Park–the gateway to Rod Laver Arena–into a striking brand experience for the Australian Open. 

The takeover spans all twelve tram shelters with nine different themes, greeting fans with ANZ’s signature blue neon lighting, fully wrapped shelters, seat decals, and a 70-metre tennis court floor decal – the first of its kind. 

The Yarra Trams stop location is the only commuter entry to the Australian Open serving as a crucial link between Melbourne’s vibrant streets and one of its most iconic events. The campaign runs from 13th to 28th January.

Sian Chadwick, general manager of marketing for Australia at ANZ, says, “We’re bringing the ANZ Falcon® to life in a way that connects meaningfully with fans. Collaborating with Tennis Australia, we’ve created an engaging precinct experience that combines the excitement of the Australian Open with the security of ANZ Falcon®, always protecting against fraud. It’s a memorable way to leave a lasting impression on locals and visitors alike.” 

Meanwhile, Kristian Muhllechner, Victorian sales director at JCDecaux, commented, “This is a Melbourne-first for us. The precinct takeover serves up a winning combination of creativity and scale. It showcases the power a creative campaign can have and the role it plays in brands being seen and remembered. ANZ is acing the arrival experience with an immersive and memorable activation at this iconic event.”

Australia – Nunn Media has been appointed as the strategic media partner for one of Australia’s leading food brands, SunRice, following a competitive pitch. 

Through this mandate, Nunn Media will take the lead role in managing media planning and buying for SunRice across Australia and New Zealand. 

The win comes after an extensive pitch process focussed on finding an agency that could best deliver integrated media strategies that will help achieve the company’s ambitious growth goals across the region. 

The SunRice Group is a global FMCG business and one of Australia’s leading branded food exporters that operates across 10 countries and has 35 major brands that are sold in close to 50 global markets.

SunRice is the latest win for Nunn Media, Australia’s largest independent media agency, and follows its appointment for Spotlight, Anaconda, Harris Scarfe, Baker’s Delight and Melbourne Airport.

Tamara Howe, chief marketing officer at SunRice, said, “Nunn Media stood out during the pitch process for their strategic insight, creative thinking, and commitment to delivering results. Their innovative approach and deep knowledge of the Australian and New Zealand markets will be invaluable in helping us elevate our brand and connect with consumers in meaningful ways.”

Meanwhile, Chris Walton, managing director of Nunn Media Sydney, commented, “We are really looking forward to working with SunRice and help propel their business forward. This is a fantastic opportunity for us to demonstrate our media expertise and deliver measurable results for a brand that has such a strong legacy in both Australia and New Zealand and look forward to a long and successful partnership. We are on an exciting trajectory, growing not only in scale but also in recognition due to the quality of the work being done and the results that work is achieving.”

Australia – TCL and NBCUniversal have announced a new agreement that aims to enhance the entertainment options for TCL viewers in selected regions. This deal marks the first partnership between the two companies, and it introduces a range of iconic NBCUniversal TV shows to audiences in Australia and New Zealand via these branded FAST channels.

Viewers in regions such as Australia and New Zealand can now indulge in a selection of beloved classic TV shows on TCL Channel. Fan-favorite reality shows from hit franchises like ‘The Real Housewives,’ ‘Top Chef,’ and ‘Million Dollar Listing,’ as well as early gems like ‘The Lone Ranger’ are also now easily accessible to TCL viewers.

Expressing their excitement for the collaboration, Howie Li, general manager at TCL FFalcon stated, “We are thrilled to partner with NBCUniversal. This marks a starting point, and in the future, we aim to work with NBCUniversal to bring in more content to serve TCL TV users better, while also enhancing our offerings and services for our advertisers.”

Meanwhile, Rob Bell, executive vice president of digital distribution & global content strategy at NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution, commented, “We are delighted to partner with TCL and bring NBCU’s suite of FAST channels, featuring our iconic drama, sci-fi, reality, and animated kids series to TCL’s audiences in Australia, and New Zealand.”

Sydney, Australia – Contextual advertising company Seedtag has announced two senior leadership hires for its ANZ market, namely Mark Brownie as commercial director and Daniel Macinante as trading director. The new leadership appointments follows Seedtag’s entry into the ANZ market earlier this year with the acquisition of JustEggs.

In their new roles, Brownie will focus on launching and growing the Seedtag business in ANZ while Macinante will lead and develop trading strategies across ANZ, focusing on optimising contextual advertising solutions.

Brownie brings 20 years of media experience and long-standing industry relationships. He has a deep understanding of the evolving digital landscape and recognises the vital role of contextual advertising in client addressability, especially with the increasing focus on privacy compliance. 

Before this role, he spent 3 years as general manager of digital revenue at News Corp Australia and 4 years in New York as global VP of commercial strategy for Storyful, a News Corp business. He also has extensive experience in startups and scaling businesses in digital media.

Meanwhile, Macinante brings a deep understanding of media sales and programmatic advertising, along with a proven track record of success. With over 9 years of experience in the media industry, he has built a reputation for driving results and innovation. Macinante swiftly progressed to leadership roles at News Corp Australia, where he held the position of group sales director for independent agencies. 

His passion for independent agencies is well-known across the industry, and he has consistently championed their value. As a dedicated member of the Independent Media Agencies of Australia (IMAA), Daniel has played an active role in advocating for these agencies.

Speaking on his new role, Mark said, “Contextual advertising has never been more important for marketers. In a time where privacy-centric strategies aren’t just innovative, they’re necessary, Seedtag brings the most sophisticated and effective contextual advertising platform to Australia. To be a part of such an incredible and established global company, and being trusted to launch and scale it in the Australian market is both humbling and exciting,”

Meanwhile, Daniel also commented in his new role, stating, “Contextual advertising is rapidly becoming a cornerstone of the digital marketing ecosystem, and I’m eager to bring my expertise to Seedtag to help shape the future of this space in Australia. With the increasing importance of privacy-first solutions, contextual advertising will be crucial in providing brands with the tools they need to connect with audiences in a meaningful, non-intrusive way.”

Meanwhile, Dal Gill, VP of new markets at Seedtag, said, “As we aim to scale and enhance our privacy-first solutions across APAC, the invaluable expertise of Mark and Daniel will be essential. I’m confident that our unique contextual advertising solutions are significantly helping ANZ brands and publishers achieve their advertising goals while addressing the need for privacy-first, scalable targeting.”

Australia – Clemenger BBDO has been appointed to the L’Oréal Group Agency Village after a competitive pitch, taking on responsibilities across both brand campaign and social for the L’Oréal Group’s portfolio of brands. 

L’Oréal brands include L’Oréal Masterbrand, Garnier, Maybelline, Nyx, Kiehl’s, La Roche-Posay and Lancôme. The scope of work includes strategic, creative, digital, and social for brand and tactical campaigns as part of an Agency Village. 

The agency won the account after a rigorous four-stage tender process between an undisclosed number of agencies across Australia and New Zealand. The process involved both a strategic brand response and a social response which was driven by Clems’ in-house earned capability, Chemistry Set. 

Clemenger BBDO’s in-house production company, MADE THIS was appointed to the L’Oréal Group Village in 2023, hence the latest win for the agency gives L’Oréal the opportunity to bring even greater efficiencies to their campaign creation and production with Clemenger BBDO and MADE THIS already collaborating across multiple clients.

Rachel Taylor, L’Oréal Australia and New Zealand’s Procurement Lead, said, “We ask a lot of our agencies, and this process was no exception, where we shortlisted agencies based on capability, then tested their understanding of our category, our brands and our target audiences. It was a rigorous four-stage process and Clems demonstrated their exceptional experience and capability across both Brand (strategy, creative and digital) and Social. We are extremely excited about what we can do in partnership together.”

Meanwhile, Dani Bassil, CEO of Clemenger BBDO, commented, “When you are all about creating work that Australians talk about, having the opportunity to work across such an exciting portfolio of brands for L’Oréal was one of our sweetest wins this year. The potential to do work that lives in culture is endless. We can’t wait to get started.”

Australia – OpenX Technologies, Inc. has appointed Emma Gronow as its new buyer development director for the ANZ, bringing her extensive experience in digital, mobile, and TV to strengthen OpenX’s programmatic and data-driven solutions across the region. 

Gronow joins OpenX from Little Dot Studios and will collaborate closely with the company’s brand advertisers and agency partners to showcase OpenX’s programmatic and data-driven solutions, including its advanced TV by OpenX offering.

She will report directly to Clay Gill, who also recently joined OpenX from IPG.

Speaking on the appointment, Mitch Greenway, managing director for APAC at OpenX, said, “Emma’s expertise across CTV and digital experience is a welcome addition to the OpenX ANZ team. Her appointment reinforces our commitment to expanding TV by OpenX in the region, and we look forward to her support in strengthening partnerships and driving growth across ANZ.”

Sydney, Australia – IPG Mediabrands Australia has announced the appointment of Harry Preston as the new managing director of MBCS Australia. 

Preston will be taking over from Olivia Warren, who has been promoted to Global Managing Director of Traverse32, IPG’s independent development and production studio based in New York. 

Having previously held leadership roles within the IPG network, Preston brings over two decades of experience in the media and technology industry. Currently, he is the national general manager of Hogarth.

“It’s always gratifying to see our home-grown talent being tapped on the shoulder to take on global roles. Olivia was the driving force behind establishing the MBCS brand in Australia on the back of several incredibly successful client campaigns. We know that she will continue that forward trajectory at Traverse32,” Mark Coad, chief executive officer at IPG Mediabrands Australia, said.

“We are very excited to appoint Harry Preston as the new Managing Director of MBCS Australia. With his passion and expertise for driving brand commerce, Harry is perfectly positioned to lead our efforts in creating breakthrough experiences for our clients, connecting brands with consumers in meaningful ways,” Coad added.

Preston commented, “I am honored to take on the role of Managing Director at MBCS Australia. Some of the fondest memories of my career were spent at IPG Mediabrands so I’m excited to return and build on the amazing legacy Olivia leaves. It’s an exciting time for the business, and a fantastic opportunity to work with such a talented group of people to push the boundaries of what we can achieve in the content space.”

Preston’s position is effective starting Nov. 1. 

Sydney, Australia – People in ANZ are increasingly seeking playfulness and humor from brands amidst global challenges, a study from The Research Agency (TRA) reveals. 

The research, conducted among Australians and New Zealanders, found that people are tired of the constant negativity surrounding issues. Along with the pandemic, issues like climate change, cost of living, and global conflicts contributed to the general misery fatigue.

According to the study, people’s desire for more playfulness and humor in their lives extends to their expectations of brands. While other brands have effectively done this, many people believe that more companies need to step up their efforts. 

The research also highlighted that playful brands are perceived more positively. People are more likely to feel good about an organisation when it is playful. 

TRA advises brands to incorporate playfulness at all touchpoints, including brand voice, while considering the mood, timing, proper spaces, and right partners. 

“Staying in a prolonged crisis takes its toll. Our research found people are ready for some joy, including in the marketing they see. It’s a win-win because playfulness makes people feel good and it also makes us feel good about the brands who engage in this way. The last few years have seen a focus on purpose marketing, on improving people’s lives through social good. Improving people’s lives, however, doesn’t have to always be through social good, it can also come from creating joy when the going is tough. They’re not incompatible aims. Purpose is, of course, important, but people are looking for a lightening of the mood, a laugh, fun. The two can go hand in hand,” Colleen Ryan, partner at TRA said.

“Despite people wanting brands to play a part in society and help improve people’s lives, the predominant narrative for the past few years – in both life in general and in marketing – has been purpose. Of course, purpose is important, but people are looking for a break, not just constant ‘worthiness’ in what they see and do,” Ryan added.

“There’s a lot of opportunity with play. While humour is personal, and difficult to land, play is universal. That’s what makes it a powerful tool for brands. Playfulness is light-hearted, spontaneous and fun-seeking. Children and pets are predisposed to play and have fun, but over time a lot of that playfulness disappears in adults. This is an opportunity for brands to introduce more of it into our lives,” Ryan concluded.