Despite tough times for print, the campaign shows newspapers remain close to Kiwis hearts, even when they’re overseas. November’s judges were Billy McQueen, DraftFCB; Phil Parsonage, The Business Marketing Group; and Iain MacMillan, Special Group (who abstained from selecting the winner). Commenting on the concept, the judges said “it was a clear winner with a strong idea not seen before; almost the world’s biggest coupon offer – a great concept.”

Credits for November’s winning ad are:

• Agency: Special Group
• Creative directors – Tony Bradbourne, Rob Jack & Heath Lowe
• Art Direction -Iain MacMillan
• Copywriting – Antony Wilson
• Illustration – ilovedust
• Account Director – Annabel Rees
• Account Manager - Nicola Muollo

Special Group’s creative team receive $250 with the ad sponsored by the NAB into the 2012 Axis Awards. The ad becomes a finalist in the 2011/12 $10,000 Newspaper Ad of Year competition. Any ad that’s run in any newspaper around the country is eligible to enter the competition. Email ideas@nabs.co.nz for competition details.

Rugby World Cup advertising continued to dominate throughout October, some say to the detriment of both quality and originality. And after being told to ‘touch pause engage’ one time too many, the NAB judges have decided no one deserves the October Newspaper Ad of the Month award. The obvious headlines and groan inducing puns featured across too much of the material – at times to the detriment of art direction.

But the judges have acknowledged some very strong contenders and have awarded an Honourable Mention to Special Group’s Channel Four Not Rugby Viewing Guide which cleverly allocated the channel’s programmes across the Pool, Quarter, Semi, Bronze and Final dates.  So in a way rugby was still the winner on the day.  As Bart Simpson would say “Oh the ironing.”

The judges said “… great strategy and an amusing clever idea.”

Ad of the Month judges for October were, Freddie Coltart, Ogilvy; Rob McDowell, Sugar and Matt Sellars, Saatchi & Saatchi.

Credits: 

Agency: Special Group

Creative directors – Rob Jack & Tony Bradbourne

Creative – Kim Fraser

Managing partner – Michael Redwood

Account director – Annabel Rees

Head of Marketing MediaWorks TV – Amanda Wilson

Brand Manager FOUR – Renee Colquhoun

Marketing FOUR – Gary Mulholland

Any ad that’s run in any newspaper around the country is eligible to enter the competition. (Email ideas@nabs.co.nz for competition details.)

“Our newspaper industry organisation is a smaller entity since the closure of the NZPA and you just don’t need both an NPA chief executive [ex Dominion Post editor Tim Pankhurst] and an NAB general manager,” he says. “My role goes but we’ll add a business/marketing manager job into the mix.”

Having worked for McCann Erickson Worldgroup, Munro had an agency background and “didn’t have any Fairfax or APN baggage”. And one of his most successful initiatives was the creation of the NAB Newspaper Ad of the Year, along with Lexie Ribot. While many awards offer media space or other sizable prizes, he says it is still the biggest cash prize in Australasia (some might see the irony in that given the parlous financial situations of some of the large publishers).

Another highlight of his tenure was working with Special Group and Tony Bradbourne. The NAB was its foundation client and it won a bronze Axis award for its first ad.

Of course, things have changed significantly in the newspaper industry in the past six years. Digital dimes are yet to replace analog dollars and while newspapers are still the top advertising channel in New Zealand, that could change in the next 12 months, he says. Still, “there’s a lot of chaff about the demise of print”. Newspapers are still very big business and, with no national daily, very important to their communities; online newspapers are growing; and there have been some big stepchanges in the industry of late, with an increasing focus on video content (the rumour is Fairfax TV is set to arrive in New Zealand soon) and newspapers selling content to other broadcasters and websites.

“I’ve enjoyed the job. It’s been political at times, which is understandable when you serve many masters, but that’s something I’ve mastered,” he says.

As for his future plans, he’s leaving without a job to go to, “as they say in the UK trade press”.

“But somehow I expect I’ll be busier than ever, he says. “Our West Highland Terrier Dougal is looking forward to more walks.”

• Check out a hi-res version here.

Local judges for the Newspaper Ad of the Year and Digital Newspaper Advertisement of the Year were Mike Barnwell, Publicis Mojo; Dave Brady, DDB; Rob Jack, Special Group; Steve McCabe, DraftFCB and Antonio Navas, Saatchi & Saatchi.

And international chairman of judges Neil French felt the flow-chart ad was “near-perfect”.

“In the first place, it allows the reader to be involved…. the ad isn’t a puzzle (a genre which I loathe), but it does take a while to figure out. In the end, it gives the reward of a smile and a chortle, and of empathy with the brand. These people know what it’s like to be a dog.”

Slightly unusually, the ad wasn’t one of the monthly winners chosen throughout the year. And, away from print, Colenso’s Pedigree Doggelganger adoption drive campaign has been a bit of a viral hit.

Click here to view the embedded video.

In a first for the NAB ad awards, the Great Debate/Cockfight took place. The topic was Art vs Copy and the importance of each in print and Toby Talbot’s team won mooting for copy, beating out ex creative/art director Paul Taylor’s team.

The Student Newspaper Advertising Competition for young’uns from AUT and The Media Design School, sponsored by The Press, was won by Salah Ben-Brahim and Zoe Hilton

from The Media Design School, for Cold Cases. They took home $500 for their trouble.

The 48 hour Topical News brief competition—and $250—was won by Craig Douglas and Paul Strong, also from The Media Design School, for their topical ad about Kronic.

Credits:

Winner NAB Newspaper Advertisement of the Year

COLENSO BBDO

Client PEDIGREE

Executive Creative Director Nick Worthington

Creative Director Levi Slavin

Art Director Levi Slavin

Copywriter Levi Slavin/Dave Govier

Senior Account Director Karla Fisher

Senior Account Manager Dave Munn

Agency Producer Shayna Armstrong

Winner NAB Digital Newspaper Advertisement of the Year

DDB

Client MCDONALD’S

Group Executive Creative Director Toby Talbot

Digital Creative Director Aaron Goldring

Digital Art Director/copywriter Ben Barnes

Art Director/copywriter Jonathan McMahon

Art Director/copywriter Lisa Fedyszyn

Photographer Michael Corridore

Group Business Director Zoe Alden

Business Director Susie Darling

Senior Business Manager Kate Eveleigh

VP/Director of Marketing Madeleine Fitzpatrick

National Marketing Manager Niki Lambert

Brand Manager Nathan James

Assistant Brand Manager Paba Wijayaratne

National Marketing Manager (NZ) Nikki Jeffcote

2011 THE PRESS STUDENT NEWSPAPER AWARDS

The Press 2011 Student Newspaper Award

Winners Salah Ben-Brahim & Zoe Hilton

Media Design School

Campaign Title Cold Cases

The Press Topical News Prize

Winners Craig Douglas & Paul Strong

Media Design School

Campaign Title Kronic Performer

The NAB Newspaper Ad of the Year awards have rolled around once again and, with the first Great Advertising Debate, advertising legend Neil French coming on board to help choose the big winner and a new digital category, it looks like it could be a good’un.

The monthly winners from throughout the year will be gunning for $10,000, the largest cash prize of any ad award in the Southern Hemisphere, next Thursday 11 August at the Aotea Centre from 6pm, and French will choose the Newspaper Ad of the Year, as well as the winner of a new category, the Digital Newspaper Ad of the Year.

As for the Great Debate, as yet unnamed industry luminaries will get together on stage to discuss the topic ‘Art vs. Copy’, and which matters more when it comes to press.

“We’ve had a record number of entries with some superb work across print and digital,” says the NAB’s general manager Robert Munro. “It’s going to be a boisterous night of debate and celebration. Our MC, Te Radar will have his work cut out fuelling the mischief and disorder.”

The winning ads will be shown in Metropolitan newspapers around the country the next day, with a few words from French about why they won.

Whybin\TBWA’s Craig Farndale said it was “a return to form from Kelly Tarlton’s” and the judges (Justin Wood from .99 abstained from the vote on the winner) praised Saatchi’s work for its clever interaction between online and print with an arresting and simply executed idea.

.99’s creative team receive $250 and the ad will be sponsored by the NAB into the 2012 Axis Awards and become a Finalist in the 2011/12 $10,000 Newspaper Ad of Year competition. Any ad that’s run in any newspaper around the country is eligible to enter the competition. Email ideas@nabs.co.nz for competition details.

Credits:

Client: Catherine McLaughlin, Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater World.

Agency: .99

Executive Creative Director: Craig Whitehead

Creative Director: Paul Hankinson

Creatives: Will Chang, Damon Maddison, Warren Friend & Justin Wood.

Photographer: Simeon Patience

Retouching: Barry Melville

Account Manager: Meredith MacLean

Honourable Mention:

Client: Janet Bagshaw – Women’s Refuge

Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi

Executive Creative Director: Antonio Navas

Associate Creative Director: Scott Henderson

Copywriter: Phil Hickes

Group Account Director: Dawn Marrs

Media: Starcom – Desiree Hales General Manager

The June Ad of the Month judges were Lisa Fedyszyn from DDB, Jeff Harris from Y&R and Mike Ramsay from JWT. And they said the Boundary Road Brewery ad was “just made for newspapers with a well-written and executed idea. You were rewarded throughout the ad which isn’t always the case with long copy”.

And “Beautifully crafted” was Jeff Harris and Mike Ramsay’s take on ‘Parachute Flare’.

Credits for June’s winning ad are:

Client – Ben Shaw, Adam Maxwell, The Boundary Road Brewery

Agency – Barnes, Catmur & Friends

Executive Creative Directors – Daniel Barnes & Paul Catmur

Copywriter – Jesse Stevens

Art Director – Crispin Schuberth

Re-Touching – Kevin Hyde

Suits – Sally Willis & Katyau Urlwin

Credits for DDB’s runner-up Coastguard ad are:

Executive Creative Director: Toby Talbot

Creative Director: Regan Grafton

Art Director: Brett Colliver

Copywriter: Simone Louis

Photographer: Steven Boniface

Retoucher: Gordon Moir

Managing Partner: Scott Wallace, Account Manager: Nisa Solipo

Client: Coastguard NZ, Christine Haru, Bruce Reid

Tony Clewett from DraftFCB, Richard Loseby from Ogilvy and Crispin Schuberth from Barnes Catmur & Friends were on judging duty.

“It ran prior to one of worst weather days so very pertinent timing,” they exclaimed loudly. ”The haunting nature of the message lent itself to newspapers’ brooding newsprint imagery.”

DDB’s creative team will receive $250 cash and the ad is sponsored by the NAB into the 2012 Axis Awards. It will also become a finalist in the 2011 $10,000 Newspaper Ad of Year competition. Check out the other ads gunning for the title here.

Credits

Client – Christine Haru, New Zealand Coastguard

Agency – DDB

Executive Creative Director – Toby Talbot

Creative Director – Regan Grafton

Head of Art – Dave Brady

Creatives – Rory McKechnie, Damian Galvin, Lisa Fedyszyn, Jonno McMahon

Retoucher – Gordon Moir

Managing Partner – Scott Wallace

Account Manager – Nisa Solipo

The March Ad of the Month judges were Ben Chandler from Federation, Joe Holden from Big Communications and Lucien Law from Shine. And they all concurred, saying the ad was a superb use of the medium, something this competition is often criticised for lacking as posters are repurposed for print, and a great example of a hard working retail ad.

M&C Saatchi’s winning creative team will receive $250 cash with the ad sponsored by the NAB into the 2012 Axis Awards. It also becomes a finalist in the 2011 $10,000 Newspaper Ad of Year competition. Any ad that’s run in any newspaper around the country is eligible to enter the competition. You know the drill. Check out the past finalists at the NAB website.

Credits:

Client – Warehouse Stationery

Agency – M&C Saatchi

Dave King – Executive Creative Director

James Bowman – Art Director

Nicci Doak – Writer

The judges—David Bell, Rohrbell; Matt Shirtcliffe, Shirtcliffe and Co; and Murray Watt, DraftFCB—described the multi-page ad depicting the west to east coast route for the event as “really good use of the newspaper medium. It encourages you to turn the page and gives a real insight into the coast to coast journey”.

Fair play to Mojo, because most of the newspaper ads that win the monthly award are posters that have been placed in the newspaper, so it’s good to see a campaign where the message has been adapted to suit the medium.

Publicis Mojo’s winning team (interestingly, Stephen McKenzie is listed as the creative director on this and he’s also working as a contractor with Shine, which is one of the reasons the agency got the Speight’s work) will receive $250 cold hard cash and will become a finalist in the 2011 $10,000 Newspaper Ad of Year competition. Any ad that’s run in any newspaper around the country is eligible to enter the competition.

To view all the finalists in the current Newspaper Ad of the Year series visit the NAB website.

Credits:

Client: Lion Nathan

Agency: Publicis Mojo

Creative Director: Stephen McKenzie

Copywriter: Sokpart Pao

Account team: Marcelle Baker, Evaan Miocevich, Ollie Wall