Tag: Thompson Spencer

Australia – Following their official appointment late last year, full-service agency Thompson Spencer wasted no time in seeing the rubber meet the road for Honda New Zealand. With a campaign encompassing loved-up robots, relatable lifestyle content, and authentic real-life influencer experiences, Honda’s hybrid range has come to life in all-new ways. 

Thompson Spencer’s in-house production team started strong by telling the heartwarming tale of animated robots Kenji and Ellie, with their union showcasing Honda’s perfect marriage of petrol and electric in an unexpected way. 

Layering up on the robot love story, the next stage of the campaign saw a very human “Lovable Honda Moments” series exceeding audience reach targets, and winning even more hearts. Running in support – but actually taking social centre stage – an influencer series demonstrated the efficiency and reliability of Honda vehicles in real-life conditions as they were taken on breathtaking road trips around Aotearoa New Zealand. 

Social media superstars, Mike and Joelle, amassed over 1m views with one TikTok video alone, and attracted a swathe of comments from their audience keen to share their own ‘Honda Moments’, showing Honda’s appeal to a new batch of hybrid-curious drivers. 

With an expertly ideated and executed media plan from Thompson Spencer that left no stone unturned, Kiwis have been connecting with the campaign across television, social media, cinema, and out of home. 

A particular campaign-favourite for all involved is the stunning, larger than life, custom-painted mural on Auckland’s Khyber Pass, immortalising Kenji and Ellie’s proposal moment. The positive brand sentiment amassed so far – further nurtured in digital spaces by Thompson Spencer’s Community Management team – is testament to the campaign hitting all the right notes. 

Melanie Spencer, co-CEO and co-founder at Thompson Spencer, said, “Seeing this campaign come to life, with every touchpoint making maximum impact, has been remarkable. Honda’s hybrid technology is a game-changer, and we’re just getting started in how we showcase that in fresh, emotive, and distinctly Kiwi ways.”

Meanwhile, Matthew Fong, general manager for sales at Honda New Zealand, commented, “We have thoroughly enjoyed this journey with Thompson Spencer. We appreciate their process-driven approach and enthusiasm they brought.”

Australia – Independent advertising agency Thompson Spencer is expanding into Australia. Establishing a local presence in Sydney and Melbourne marks the next move for the agency, which has results-driven campaigns across 74 countries over the last 15 years.

Leading the Australian expansion is Olivia Thompson and Madison Trevella. Olivia has relocated from New Zealand after working with Thompson Spencer for six years and will head up the Sydney office. 

As a key figure in the agency’s journey, Olivia brings extensive experience from her previous role at Thompson Spencer NZ, where she spearheaded numerous large bluechip clients such as New World, Mitre 10 and The Warehouse Group in New Zealand . 

Meanwhile, Madison heads up Thompson Spencer in Melbourne working with clients such as Chartered Accountants, bringing local expertise and leadership to drive the agency’s presence in the Victorian market. 

Olivia Thompson, business director for Australia at Thompson Spencer, says, ”This is a major milestone for Thompson Spencer and I’m excited to have the opportunity to shape the next chapter for us. We’ve already built great relationships with Australian brands and having boots on the ground means we can be more hands-on and in tune with the market. We’re here to deliver creative that challenges, strategy that sharpens and media that gets business results.”

Meanwhile, Melanie Spencer, co-CEO of Thompson Spencer, commented, “Our vision has always been to build one of the greatest modern ad agencies in the world. We’ve earned our reputation in New Zealand and proven our impact globally. Now, we’re ready to take on the Australian market with the same fearless, future-focused mindset. Setting up a base in Sydney and Melbourne allows us to deliver our bold creative vision directly to Aussie brands.”

Lastly, Wendy Thompson, co-founder of Thompson Spencer, added, “Australia is a dynamic and thriving market and presents an exciting opportunity for us, as well as our Kiwi clients eyeing their own move into the market.”

It is worth noting that this market expansion comes after the recent merger between Thompson Spencer and Reacher, further amplifying its ability to deliver integrated marketing solutions to its clients. The combined agency now boasts an expanded team of over 53 talented professionals, actively recruiting to meet the rising demand and to continue their trajectory of growth across global markets.

Auckland, New Zealand – Two of New Zealand’s independent agencies, Thompson Spencer and Reason, have announced a landmark merger forming one of the largest independent agency groups in the country. 

Both agencies have operated for 15 years and established themselves as category leaders. The newly merged business will be known as Thompson Spencer Group, with both the Reason and Thompson Spencer businesses operating in market under the leadership of Melanie Spencer and Tim Pointer as co-CEOs. 

The merger expands Thompson Spencer Groups’ capabilities, combining digitally-led and ATL creative and media expertise with performance marketing to offer a fully integrated approach focused on delivering measurable results and a full-funnel service for brands looking to the future 

Thompson Spencer is a full-funnel creative and media agency, founded by Wendy Thompson and Melanie Spencer. The agency has an enviable line-up of clients including Bupa, Wattyl (Aus/NZ), Asahi, Honda, London City Airport, Mitre 10, Musashi, Seagrass Hospitality (Global) and Auckland Transport and completed four acquisitions in the last four years including The Social Club (influencer marketing agency); Flying Tiger (Chinese Social Media Marketing Agency), Magnesium (Accredited Media and Content Production Agency) and People of Influence (Talent Agency). 

Meanwhile, Reason, co-founded by Tim Pointer and Matt Rowe, has established itself as a leading performance agency renowned for propelling brands to exceptional results. Reason’s acquisition of Absolute Analytics in 2021 significantly enhanced the agency’s data and insight capabilities, further strengthening their ability to deliver performance-led strategies. Reason boasts an impressive roster of clients, including Chubb Life Insurance, Briscoe’s & Rebel Sport, Woolworths, Tourism Holdings (THL), Caci Clinic, Hirepool, CANZ, DoorDash NZ and Australia and Timely, demonstrating their broad expertise and proven track record across diverse sectors.

Melanie Spencer, co-founder and co-CEO of Thompson Spencer, said, “Most mergers happen when agencies need to consolidate to survive – this is the exact opposite with both businesses coming off the back of record-breaking years of growth despite the challenging economic environment.”

He added, “Both Thompson Spencer and Reason are at the top of their game. We’re growing, winning new business and making waves in our industry. The timing was right – this is about supercharging that momentum by bringing together two high-performing teams that share a bold vision for the future.”

Meanwhile, Wendy Thompson, co-founder of Thompson Spencer, commented, “This is a coming together of strengths. Clients no longer want their creative and media strategies sitting in silos. By merging with Reason, we’re creating an integrated powerhouse that blends world-class creativity with deep performance marketing expertise. We’re setting a new standard for what a modern, independent agency can deliver.”