The Year in Review: Ben Young
Young & Shand, a digital agency that flicked the switch at the end of 2009, has laughed in the face of the Great Recession and grown at a rapid rate, with a total of 45 clients now on its books and an office in a new creative hub in Auckland’s Britomart. Here’s founding partner Ben Young’s take on 2011.
1) Favourite campaign that isn’t yours: Getaway in Stockholm. A great idea embracing mobile, social and turning the real world into a game. They’ve also kicked it off in Tokyo recently. This would go nuts here in Auckland. Favourite local was probably Mountain Dew Skate Pinball. Really simple but effective idea for its market. Kids were dying to go give it a skate and rack up their score.
2) Favourite campaign that is yours: Our sustained Puhoi Valley & Kiwi Bacon social campaigns. We’ve taken both brands from no social presence to category leading Facebook pages but also having a demonstrative positive impact on sales, all within four months. FMCG marketers watch this space, there will be killer case studies we’ll be sending to your bosses.
3) Least favorite campaign: Yellow Local or the Localist launch.
4) Best brand: Rather than a brand, a growth of the craft goods category. Yoghurt, cheese, beer. I/we have all loved giving ourselves a bit of a treat with some of the most delicious foods.
5) Best stoush: Best passive aggressive Steinlager vs Heineken during the RWC. It felt like the guys who knew what they were talking about giving the others a bit of a lesson. This is how you do it son. Classic initiative where both brands benefit. Great to see Steinlager out and swinging.
6) Heroes: Daily deal sites for saving us all a few bucks.
7) Villains: Copycat daily deal sites. Just because it’s easy doesn’t mean you should do it.
8) Most memorable marketing moment: Probably Telecom’s Abstain campaign. It was like a Louis CK comics comic joke. The industry got it, everyone else didn’t.
valentine
January 17, 2012
just because you do cheap exposure does not mean that you have a say regarding NZ creative industry standards – that marketing campaing was crap and Telecom's reputation suffered out of it – even the dude left. Not funny at all but what could have been funny is AB's wearing pink during the final -
Ben Young
January 19, 2012
@Valentine Seeing the AB's in pink would have definitely topped it! My point was that clearly the idea didn't get across with that campaign. Cat was let out of the bag way too early, we didn't get to see the whole context.
valentine
January 19, 2012
thanks for clarifying – did not get your angle, like you were saying that only some obscur parts of the industry players have priviledge access to the 'marketing realm' which should be customer focus… – sorry for being aggressive :)