Frivolous Friday: News Snacks are back

This instalment of News Snacks is sponsored by The Comic Sans Preservation Society. Donate today to save this endangered species.

Fiji me!
Barnes, Catmur & Friends has produced a TVC that’s the first ad effort since the agency won the account in August last year. Watch the mellifluous temptation here.

BC&F took the account from Qudos, which did the “Where did Bula go” campaign, and has been charged with growing New Zealand visitor arrivals from 100,000 per year to 120,000 by 2011.

“We’ve gone for the lowest common denominator and tried to simply make an ad that will make people want to go to Fiji, rather than doing something too arty,” said BC&F co-head Paul Catmur.

“It’s designed to move Fiji into the affordable luxury area and distinguish Fiji from other tropical islands.”

The track is sung by Kat Edmonson.

Tough gig, shooting that one.

Chinoiserie chez les RSVPs
It’s nearly time for the yearly RSVP awards, to be held on Friday February 26. Marketing Association marketing assistant Sarah Hastie said this year there’ll be an Asian theme. “On the Awards website we have a ‘Dojo Room’ where entrants can find advice from the ‘Grand Masters’ about creating an award winning entry. The Grand Masters are the judges, it’s just part of the theme. Have a look around the site and it should all come together.”

Tax dollars for political spin
A taxpayer funded public relations campaign to push John Key’s beloved national standards. Say wot? Taxpayer dollars going to PR?! And they’re admitting it? Some public relations folk will no doubt think it’s a triumph for the industry, and yet others will say it’s insidious. Heaven forbid the average punter should be allowed to think for himself.

Cold work
The Ad Show is coming soon to a TV screen near you. Last week we shot a promo for it, which involved reporter Simon Pound almost ending up with hypothermia from being repeatedly dunked in a pool and made to say "It's all over me". Watch the madness here. (In spite of the pool, there was no nudity – so it's totally safe for work.) The show starts February 18, 9.35pm on TVNZ7, and will also be viewable on TVNZ OnDemand and on YouTube.

Behind the scenes with Iggy
Orcon’s Iggy Pop ad, where people were pulled together to make a new version of The Passenger, is online and about to hit the small screen again. There’s a fun behind-the-scenes video of the making of the ad. It’s by indie agency Special, which is lining up for some pitch goodies alongside Shine (see today’s print NBR for details).

Marketing religion
Last weekend Canvas magazine did a brilliant cover story on “Rebranding Religion”. It’s by Welly journo Jehan Casinader, who’s been kind enough to put the article on his site for you to peruse. Have a cup of tea and a read of it here. It’s fantabulous food for thought.

Snow more lies!
The rise of social media apparently means an increase in honesty in advertising. The latest implication? Ski fields can’t lie about how much snow they get. 10cm is 10cm, and not a millimetre more.

DLG on SM: spend not matching habits
Social media is the answer for better customer engagement and loyalty, according to a survey by CAANZ’s Digital Leadership Group. More than two thirds of New Zealand businesses say social media is the key, with 70% agreeing that SM meant businesses could get deep and meaningful with customers.

But there’s still a gap between spend and media habits.

DLG chair and Saatchi DGS head Tony Gardner said 84% of businesses planned to spend less than 5% of their marketing budget on SM in 2010.

But the time spent on the internet is now 20.5%, catching up to radio at 31.6% and TV at 47.8%.

Limited understand of SM and a lack of qualified staff are hurdles to the rise of SM in marketing.

SM the norm now
Social media had a big year in 2009, but in 2010 it’s going to be normalized, Mr Gardner believes. He’s waxing lyrical in an excellent thought piece on the Digital Leadership Group blog. Get click-happy to it at digitalleadershipgroup.co.nz.

Conference on SM
The CAANZ Digital Leadership Group is holding a forum on “Social Media in Business” in Auckland on March 11. The conference will feature local and international speakers sharing their insights on harnessing the commercial power of social media. More at www.caanz.co.nz.