The Year in Review: Andrew Holt
It’s been around one year since Andrew Holt joined Clemenger BBDO in Wellington as managing director. And quite a year it’s been, with the agency winning the New Zealand Post account, an AXIS Gold for its creative Radio NZ radios and launching new campaigns for Dulux, Mitsubishi and the New Zealand Transport Agency. Here’s what caught his eye in 2011.
Favourite campaign that isn’t yours: Westpac’s ‘Impulse Saver’ App. Okay, I know the idea owes its inspiration to Rory Sutherland, but it’s still a great example of where our industry is heading: using creativity to help our clients be more effective not only in what they say, but what they do.
Favourite campaign that is yours: 
After internalising a really complicated situation in my head, it’s our recent ‘Legend’ campaign for the New Zealand Transport Authority. Pitch perfect in both insight and execution; it gives the target audience a credible language with which to confront a difficult problem. Full credit to a wonderful client and agency team.
Least Favourite Campaign: 
A late entrant, but the new ‘Don’t Be A Clown’ spot for Maritime New Zealand makes a strong case for inclusion. So literal it’s not funny, I suspect it will insult both its target audience and clowns.
Best Brand: 
Steinlager. I loved the simplicity and authenticity of the ‘We Believe’ campaign and thought the White Can was an inspired way of connecting Kiwis to their team and their time. Not being able to say ‘Rugby World Cup’ or ‘All Blacks’ only added to the degree of difficulty and thus the elegance of the idea. Great to see a brand acting with confidence and class.
Best Stoush: Wellywood vs. Wellywouldn’t. I love my adopted city, but the arguments over the proposed airport sign felt like a collective and untypical sense of humour failure. Be derivative and be proud I say.
Heroes: The French Rugby Team. Came within a point of becoming the least popular Frenchmen in New Zealand since their synchronised swimming team caused such as splash in Auckland harbour back in 1985. But made the final worthy of the tournament.
Villains: The ‘Cuppa-tea-gate’ tape guy. No recording, no Winston Peters.
Most memorable marketing moment: Hardly an original choice I suspect, but it would have to be the Telecom ‘Pink Fist’. Perhaps proof at last that there is such a thing a bad publicity.
Nicole
December 12, 2011
Have to agree with the inclusion of "don't be a clown' by Maritime NZ. I cringed when I saw it for the first time, the humor misses the mark completely