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Opinion
After Harold
The ‘Harold rumour’ rarely goes away.
Last time round WPP was rumoured to be looking at buying Mitchell Communication Group. On another occasion one of the trade magazines hoaxed a rival into reporting that Telstra was the buyer.
This time, the rumour appears to have a great deal more substance. Read more »
Intelligent TV – the next big thing?
I was, I must confess, mistaken about last night’s Gruen Nation. Read more »
Masterchef: Homophobic? No. Racist? No. Ageist? Maybe
In this guest posting, Tactical TV’s Tony Richardson argues that Masterchef shows Australian TV audiences are ready for multiculturalism but not older faces
When the popularity of a TV show bumps the prime minister and the leader of the opposition to an earlier time slot, you know you have a phenomenon. Read more »
Bad enough the SMH iPad app is just a PDF, forcing a print subscription is insane
So yesterday Fairfax launched its Sydney Morning Herald iPad app. The strategy – designed to shore up print – and the execution – already derided by users as a “glorifed PDF reader” – are both laughable.
If there were ever doubts that Fairfax is two companies pulling in different directions, then the handling of the iPad app dispels them. Read more »
Is a kettle boiling a good ad?
So would you watch a kettle boiling? The weekend magazines carriedied an unusual ad.It was a plain, unbranded address for the url Life is too short.com.au. Read more »
Guest post: Why Sensis believes in the cause
After Mumbrella criticised the Facebook campaign by Sensis to give socks to the homeless, we invited the brand to explain its thinking. In this guest posting, Sensis communications manager Danielle Horan explains the background to the idea
The debate about the intention behind the Sensis 1234 Warm Up campaign certainly unearthed a range of differing opinions. Read more »
Hungry Jack’s – something to sing about
I often enjoy giving the Hungry Jack’s ads a kicking, so it’s good to see a new one where there’s an interesting idea. Read more »
The big election question
As an occasional media commentator, I’m sometimes asked: ‘Tell me Tim. Given that politicians want to engage the electorate beyond the hardcore politics junkies, would it be a good idea to schedule the leaders’ debate at the exact same time as the final of Masterchef, arguably Australia’s favourite TV programme and likely to be the most watched show of the year?” Read more »
Why this is NOT the Twitter election
If you read the last few days’ papers, you would think that the Twitterati will decide the outcome of the election. Read more »
Paging the fun police
While any brand has to worry about the legal implications of running a contest, there does come a point where the entire thing looks so unappealing it may be worth going back to the drawing board. Read more »
Oh PETA
This ad is a tough watch.
If you don’t want to see seals being clubbed, then don’t watch. Read more »
Sensis – social responsibility isn’t about patronising the needy about their socks
I wish I could put my finger on what it is that makes this social issues campaign for Sensis feel so icky: Read more »
Old Spice: Best use of social media yet?
Today has been a good day. You know those very rare moments where you see an advertising idea and you can recognise not only how good it is, but how it’s going to inspire other great work? What Old Spice did next is one of those moments.It combines great advertising, great writing, a huge PR idea and excellent use of social media as a two-way channel. Read more »
If that’s how paywalls work then we’re utterly flipping screwed
So tonight, for the first time, I went behind Fairfax Media’s pay wall.
Based on that experience, if the future of journalism is paid content then every one of us working hacks is utterly screwed. Read more »
Media Watch picks an odd target
I’ve got a nasty feeling I’ve finally gone native.
Much like Stockholm Syndrome where kidnap victims come to adore their captors, journalists have always been susceptible to a similar syndrome. Read more »
Photon Group: negotiations are ‘complex, fluid and interdependent’
Photon Group has drawn down $274m of its $280m debt facilities and will be unable to meet a $46m earnouts bill due at the end of the month after next if it cannot recapitalise or restructure what it owes, the company has said in an update to the ASX giving a more detailed timetable of its outlook. Read more »
Mitchells board recommends $363m Aegis deal
The board of Australia’s biggest media buyer Mitchell Communication Group has recommended to shareholders that they accept a bid from Aegis to purchase the company for $363m. Read more »
Four fight it out for ad of the month
Voting is now open form Mumbrella’s ad of the month contest.
The finalists are:
- Goodby, Silverstein & Partners – Commonwealth Bank
- BMF – Football Federation
- Bakers Delight – AJF Partnership
- Bondi Advertising – Fantasy World Cup Read more »
Aegis ‘in advanced talks’ to buy Mitchells
Aegis – parent company of Carat and Vizeum – is in advanced talks to buy Australia’s biggest media buying operatiion Mitchell Communication Group, Sky News has reported.
The UK-based City editor of Sky News Mark Kleinman wrote:
“The media buying group Aegis is in advanced talks to buy an Australian rival for about £200m ($350m) in a move expected to enhance its exposure to fast-growing Asian economies.
“I’ve learnt that Aegis’s new chief executive, Jerry Buhlmann, plans to announce the acquisition of Mitchell Communication Group in the next 48 hours, although the exact details are yet to be finalised.
Mitchells has asked the ASX to put it in a trading halt. Read more »
Mumbo Report: AWARD’S Craig Davis and Mark Dapin on Alan Jones
In today’s Mumbo Report from Studio 33:
- AWARD chairman Craig Davis on the importance of being a dysfunctional creative;
- Good Weekend columnist Mark Dapin on why Alan Jones is the most powerful person in Australian media.
Gruen Nation leads ABC1 to massive night
The ABC had a stunning Wednesday night, with the top three most watched shows including a blockbuster 1.6m for Gruen Nation, the highest rating show from the network in nearly three years.
The decision by the ABC to focus on the election on Wednesdays paid off hugely for the national broadcaster.
The extended version of The Gruen Transfer was just ahead of Spicks & Specks and The Chaser’s Yes We Canberra special which both delivered just under 1.5m, according to preliminary five city metro ratings from OzTam. Read more »
Sphere Agency wins Melbourne Heart FC
The Sphere Agency has been appointed as advertising agency for Victoria’s new A-League soccer team Melbourne Heart. Read more »
Honda Jazz asks: How many hipsters can you fit in a car?
Ogilvy Melbourne’s digital arm DT Digital has created a series of online ads for the Honda Jazz poking fun at hipsters, rappers, ninjas and body builders.
Andrew Reid switches from Peer Group to lead online measurement charge at ViziSense
Peer Group MD Andrew Reid has left the company to lead a bid by ViziSense to become the online industry’s media metric.
The move comes as the Interactive Advertising Bureau prepares to call a tender to be the preferred supplier of online audience data.
The system to be developed is likely to be a hybrid system – using both tag data to measure traffic and panel data to identify who users are and remove duplication of so-called unique user data, which end up with massive over-reporting because of usage by individuals of multiple devices. Read more »
Jono & Dano become John & Ono for schnitzel stunt
MCM Media’s Jono & Dano Show has launched what it describes as one of its biggest ever promotional campaigns, based around an effort to champion the return of the schnitzel to family dining.
The centrepiece of the campaign is a spoof video featuring presenters Jonathan Coleman and Ian Rogerson dressed as John Lennon and Yoko Ono singing “Give Schnitz a Chance”.
Chaser persuades Julie Bishop to repeat death stare
The Chaser has managed to persuade opposition deputy leader Julie Bishop to reprise her Q&A death stare for tonight’s first episode of election special Yes We Canberra.
Happy Soldiers sticks Virgin Money ad on the card
Sydney-based agency Happy Soldiers has unveiled its first work for foundation client Virgin Money.
Shot at Strickland House in Vaucluse, all of the costs associated with the ad including the 107 cast, 60 crew, props, costumes, director, music, camera hire and catering were all paid for on the Virgin Flyer Credit Card. Read more »
Greens ad: Your vote can really move Australia forward
New creative agency Make Believe is to run election advertising for The Greens during the election.
The ad will get its first TV airing on Gruen Nation on ABC1 tonight. Read more »
Today’s Sydney winning streak stretches to two days
Nine’s Today has beaten Seven’s Sunrise in Sydney for a second straight day, preliminary TV ratings suggest.
While Today routinely wins Melbourne, a victory against Sunrise in the battle for Sydney breakfast viewers is less common. On Monday the margin was just 9000. And on Tuesday, Today won by just 1000 viewers – 108,000 to Sunrise’s 107,000. Read more »
Chaser Charles Firth develops comedy news show WTF! for Go
Chaser co-founder Charles Firth is behind newly commissioned show celebrity news show WTF! which will run on Nine’s digital channel Go.
The show – in the format of a satirical daily bulletin – will be fronted by Nich Richardson.
WTF! – one of the first local commissions for Go – is currently in production. Read more »
Fairfax: It’s a Sydney Morning Herald Smart Edition, not an iPad app
Sydney Morning Herald boss Lloyd Whish-Wilson has told Mumbrella that the paper’s electronic edition launched last week is not intended to be the newspaper’s main iPad app.
He told Mumbrella: “There’s no suggestion this is our app. This is an add-on.”
Last week Fairfax announced the SMH’s Smart Edition with a press release that began:
“The Sydney Morning Herald launches ‘Smart Edition’ App for the iPad Read more »
Simon Gaffney switches from BMF to head of copy at Mercer Bell
BMF associate creative director Simon Gaffney has joined direct repsonse agency Mercer Bell in the newly created role of head of copy.
According to Mercer Bell, Gaffney’s remit will be “to ensure excellence in the creativity, and consistency in the tone, of copy for all of the agency’s campaigns – digital and direct – as well as mentoring the agency’s copywriters”. Read more »
Peter Mycock to head MySpace commercial operations
Affiliate marketing specialist Peter Mycock has joined MySpace Australia in the newly created role of commercial director.
Mycock was head of search, affiliate and lead generation at AOL in the UK from 2006 until late last year. Read more »
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THE MUMBO REPORT
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In today’s Mumbo Report from Studio 33:
- AWARD chairman Craig Davis on the importance of being a dysfunctional creative;
- Good Weekend columnist Mark Dapin on why Alan Jones is the most powerful person in Australian media.
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