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Opinion | Features
Q&A with Adshel's Rob Atkinson
Online trading is the next big thing says Rob Atkinson in a piece that first appeared in Encore. Who is the most powerful person in Australian media and why?
Harold Mitchell because of his influence and the footprint he has left. He’s built a huge brand in Mitchells, offloaded it into Aegis, Aegis has obviously done extremely well to be then sold on to Dentsu. So if you think about it, he is very much a father figure of the industry.
Making it overseas
Is the best way of being successful in Australia not be here at all? In a feature that first appeared in Encore, Lee Zachariah speaks to Aussies making it big abroad.I always wanted to work in New York,” says Julian Cole. “I thought it was the number one place to work in advertising; a lot of the best campaigns were coming out of there. So I moved over and was lucky enough to have a couple of interviews in the first couple of weeks.”
Cole’s story is indicative of the somewhat contentious idea that the best way to be successful in Australia is to not be in Australia any more.
Got a book in you?
From journos to ad execs and PRs, these days everyone seems to have a book in them. But what does it take to get published and will you actually make any money? In a feature that first appeared in Encore, Brooke Hemphill finds out.Attention wannabe authors. Forget big fat advance cheques and living off royalties. The reality of having a book published today is another story altogether. There are only two reasons you should even consider sitting down at your computer to bash out a manuscript – passion or profile.
Savage counsel
In an article that first appeared in Encore, Chris Savage tackles your career and agency dilemmas in his weekly advice column.Hi Chris,
My clients seem to be demanding more and more from us. At the same time, it seems many of the younger people in our industry simply don’t have the client servicing skills my generation grew up with. How do we instill in our executives some of the good old-fashioned behaviours that would keep a client happy and loyal?
Fake it til' you make it... as an ad agency receptionist
From dressing the part to playing the gatekeeper, Leo Burnett Sydney’s Susie Henry tells us how to make it as the face of adland in a piece that first appeared in Encore.What does a receptionist in an ad agency actually do?
Well, there’s the frantic every-day, all-day stuff of deliveries, courier bookings, doing expenses for directors – always challenging – plus arranging all the travel. But one of my main jobs is counselling the account service people. I also keep up with all sports information to discuss with our sports-loving clients – because who wants to be bored while they’re waiting? And I know how they like their coffee. You need to know everyone – from accounting to HR. I’m also the go-to for all catering and sending flowers.
Whose views skew the news? Media chiefs ready to vote out Labor, while reporters lean left
Most journalists lean left-of-centre, says Folker Hanusch of the University of the Sunshine Coast, in a post first published on The Conversation.Most Australian journalists describe themselves as left-wing, yet amongst those who wield the real power in the country’s newsrooms, the Coalition holds a winning lead.
But while the media’s political leanings will no doubt be debated in the lead-up to September’s federal election, our study has also found other largely unscrutinised biases remain – particularly whose views disproportionately shape the news.
It's time for a new New Wave in the film world
Government funding bodies are lazy and decadent, says industry veteran Michael Thornhill but in a piece that first appeared in Encore, Ed Gibbs begs to differ.I vividly remember the time I first saw Animal Kingdom, David Michod’s breathtaking labour-of-love feature debut. The press screening was half empty, despite the film winning the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance just months earlier, in 2010. Yet its superb performances, stylistic flourishes and overall polish left me speechless. Could this really be a feature debut, an Australian one at that, I wondered, almost out loud? It seemed too good to be true.
Going cold turkey on an agency addiction
Life is sweet for freelance writer Max Kitchen, but in a feature that first appeared in Encore, he admits his struggle against returning to the agency fold.I’ve never taken heroin. But I suspect if I had, the temptation to try it again would not be too dissimilar to the lure of returning to agency life.
Can sport save Ten?
First there was the Grand Prix. Next came the reported $500m bid for cricket rights, then Ten secured the 2014 winter Olympics. So, can sport save the ailing network? In a feature that first appeared in Encore, Nic Christensen investigates.The television sports rights bidding process is a bit like a game of poker.
Check, fold or bet. Those were the options for the Ten Network last week when it had to finalise its bid for the cricket rights.
Andy Lark: good for the marketing of marketing
I can still remember the first story I wrote about Andy Lark, when it emerged that he was to be the new chief marketing officer of CommBank.
It was immediately clear that Australia was about to meet an interesting marketer, one who blogged and tweeted and thanks to his time at Dell in the US was digitally savvy. Even two years ago, that was a big deal. The fact that he also had a stint in public relations gave him an absolutely intriguing background before he even arrived.
Storming the media barricades - advice for young journalists
This week Mumbrella’s Nic Christensen, who began his career four years ago, gave the keynote address to would-be journalists at the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance’s Student Day. This is an edited version of his speech.Good afternoon, I can remember distinctly the last time I was in this room.
It was 2009 and I was sitting where you are. I’d come to this event, a friend and myself — from memory we sat up the back — and I can remember at the time wondering if I’d ever get a job as a journalist.
It was only four years ago and then as now getting a job was ultra competitive but I’m not sure there was quite as much media ‘doom and gloom’ as there is now…
Paywalls will help fund campaigning journalism
In this guest post, News Limited’s group editorial director Campbell Reid responds to the views of ninemsn’s Hal Crawford that the company’s push into metered paywalls is about data rather than dollars.Hal Crawford is both right and wrong in his article which argued that our digital subscription plans are all about the data.
Fake it 'til you make it... as a features editor
Cosmo’s Kate Leaver tells us how to bluff it in her job in a feature that first appeared in Encore.What do you do, as a features editor?
Really, play with words and ideas all day. At any one time, we’re working across three issues of the mag – getting one on its way to the printers, pooling all the words together for another, and planning the issue after that. It’s busy but it’s a pretty magnificent process.
Savage counsel - JFDI
Hi Chris,I run a medium-sized agency that is doing pretty well. As the leader, I am finding my workload just seems to go up and up. I am struggling to stay motivated and particularly to tackle the bigger and tougher challenges I have to face every day. How do I keep up the energy when there just seems so much to do? How do you do it?
Productive, successful executives are those able to consistently tackle difficult and big challenges. It’s a constant struggle for me so I know how you feel. How do the successful leaders do it?
Q&A with Brett Clegg
Brett Clegg, group director – business media, Fairfax Media, in a Q&A that first appeared in Encore, on the journo who refuses to work with him – his wife.Who is the most powerful person in Australian media and why?
Hard to go past Rupert Murdoch. He controls the single largest and most diverse portfolio and is intent on leveraging its scale (and, of course, influence). He’s an innovator and his will to win is obvious to all.
Sam Kekovich gets Lambnesia in this year’s MLA Australia Day campaign
Meat & Livestock Australia’s front man Sam Kekovich suffers a head injury which causes him to hallucinate about rugby players in tutus, getting his fingernails painted and dancing Gangnam Style in this year’s Australia Day campaign.
Kekovich tells viewers that he is suffering from “Lambnesia” which causes symptoms of unAustralianess.
The scene was set for the campaign with Ten uploading a video to its YouTube channel last week which appeared to show Kekovich being injured by a misdirected cricket ball during a live cross with weatherman Tim Bailey.
The reveal was due to take place on Seven’s Today Tonight yesterday evening, but the network extended its news bulletin to cover the bush fires emergency, with Kekovich appearing on Sunrise this morning.
The ad retains Kekovich’s signature rant to camera. The campaign, from creative agency BMF, aims to drive consumers to a website where they are invited to take part in the “National Lambnesia Test“.
View the ad:
Participants in the test are shown a series of images against the clock and challenged to identify whether they are Australian or UnAustralian.
Credits:
- Client: MLA
- Creative: BMF
- Media: UM
- PR: Hausmann
- Managing Partner Stephen McArdle
- Executive Creative Directors Carlos Alija & Laura Sampedro
- Creative Team Carlo Mazzarella & Jonty Bell
- Planning Christina Aventi
- Director Taika Waititi
- Production Company Curious Film
- Post Production Frame Set & Match – Ben Eagleton
- Agency Producer Sue Hind
- Editor Chris Leaver (Online) & Luke Haigh (Offline)
- Photographer Mat Baker
- Producer Matt Noonan & Peter Holani
- Print Producer Karen Liddle
- Art Buyer Basir Salleh
- Music & Sound Production Sonar Music – Mikey Lira
- Designers Matthew Hughes & Indah Shillingford
- Digital Creative Team Carlo Mazzarella & Jonty Bell
- Tim Smith & Simon Koay
- Interaction Lead Nev Fordyce
- Digital Project Manager Rachel OʼToole
- Technical Director Doug Rathbone
- DoP Daniel Ardilley
- Illustrator Mike Watt
- Client Director Bec Morton
- Account Director Kelly Howard
- Account Manager Samantha Heckendorf
- Account Executive Sarah Hood & Rose Flowers
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Comments
10 Jan 13
8:22 am
Where dose he come up with it everytime.??
10 Jan 13
8:29 am
This campaign is now looking so completely worn out that I doubt it even has the energy to jump a shark.
10 Jan 13
9:24 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpraJYnbVtE
10 Jan 13
9:45 am
Nobody who really loves sheep would treat them this badly.
10 Jan 13
9:48 am
@Fonz The shark didn’t even bother to show up!
10 Jan 13
9:54 am
How god dam embarrassing
10 Jan 13
10:14 am
Wow, could this campaign get any worse? Let’s reference some pop culture and current events! The Voice! The Olympics! The Shire! How topical and fresh! Yawn…. All this ad seems to do is paint a very disturbing view on what some classify as Australian. Apparently sport is what makes this country great and anything cultural or to do with performing arts is seen as unAustralian. How sad. Perhaps we can stop pandering to the bogan demographic (a very common occurrence with Australian Ad Land at the moment) and start making ads for anyone who doesn’t drive a Holden or drink a VB from a stubby holder.
10 Jan 13
10:19 am
I am with the Fonz on this one. It feels like Police Academy 9, or whatever number they got up to. Funny to start with, but so tired now.
10 Jan 13
10:33 am
I’m not sure I agree. My first reaction was that it was a bit of a return to form. It also does well in taking it beyond the TV ad.
The game, while simple, is engaging. I suspect that it will prove to be an effective campaign.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
10 Jan 13
10:57 am
I like it, I also now can confidently say I like the cricket ball in the head, needed the whole campaign to really be able to judge it, well teased.
Not sure about Gangnam, I would have painted him up Goyte style but hey… I think the punters will love it.
10 Jan 13
10:58 am
Is there a more irrelevant person in the Australian media landscape than Sam Kekovich
10 Jan 13
11:28 am
I agree with Tim, last years Barbie Girl film clip was a bit much whereas this is Sam at his best. I think @Bem needs to get out if the city and see the real Australia, where sport IS what makes this country great and performing arts is what the kids do at daycare.
10 Jan 13
11:39 am
Of course the industry luvvies will criticise it because
1) it’s not their campaign
2) it continues a long running formula of success and doesn’t reinvent the wheel
3) it’s talking to heartland Australia which most people in Adland would prefer to think don’t really exist
I suspect real people…out there…in the world…will love it!
10 Jan 13
12:46 pm
I find these ads to be quite authentic, a dangerously overweight, unhealthy grumpy old man being the champion for eating too much meat.
This Australia day, I’ll stay fit and healthy by eating a nice salad… but I guess, avoiding cancer… well that’s un-Australian!
10 Jan 13
12:53 pm
@ The Farmers Daughter
*damn*
10 Jan 13
12:53 pm
Ricki + 1 , again
10 Jan 13
1:21 pm
Head trauma and memory loss are serious medical conditions. Fail to see how ‘Lambnesia’ is at all funny or relevant. Even if it is riffing on mad cow disease.
10 Jan 13
1:36 pm
Does the game work? seems to be a technical issue
10 Jan 13
1:41 pm
Is something meant to happen at the end of the test?
10 Jan 13
1:52 pm
I suspect they won’t Ricki
10 Jan 13
1:59 pm
Worked for me this morning, reckon traffic might be pumping up now… FYI I’m 38.3% UnAustralian….
10 Jan 13
2:09 pm
The nanny state cohort is here in spades as usual. Must be quiet in Spring Street at the moment, or wherever the bureaucrats work in states other than Victoria.
10 Jan 13
2:16 pm
PS if my facebook timeline is anything to go by, it’s a hit. Links, Comments and Scores posted in past hour…
10 Jan 13
2:53 pm
It must be working or they wouldn’t wheel him out every year
10 Jan 13
4:54 pm
A Kiwi director for an Australia Day ad. That’s pretty un-Australian!
10 Jan 13
9:28 pm
15% un-Australian! Loved it. Funny stuff.
11 Jan 13
9:46 am
Sam and his lame lambasting is not going to make middle australia fork out $15 a kilo for mutton chops. The Lamb marketing board will do themselves and us a favour by stopping mutton dressed up as lamb making it on to our shelves.
11 Jan 13
10:37 am
What’s with lamb being pushed as an “Australian” thing? People have been eating sheep all around the world thousands of years before Australians…
If anything, I tend to associate eating lamb with Mediterranean and Central Asian cultures.
11 Jan 13
11:40 am
@British Sheep Company, think it has something to do with our nation’s economy being based around the sheep for over 100 years of our existence. The sheep is in fact credited as one of the main reasons we have had one of the highest living standards in the world. Rode on the Sheep’s back as they say….
PS I am not associated with MLA or the Agency, I worked at Ten a while ago but no bias there I assure you. I am very partial to a good loin chop though!
11 Jan 13
4:46 pm
HERE ARE SOME THINGS FROM POPULAR CULTURE. OBSERVER THEM AND LAUGH, LIKE THE LAMBS YOU ARE. AH HA HA.
13 Jan 13
11:06 pm
@Encyclic! People do laugh at these things though. Just had mum on the phone telling me how great she thought it was. And guess who does the shopping?
14 Jan 13
9:34 am
@Not But does she buy lamb because of the ad or does she already buy lamb anyway?
Has the ad made a difference to her buying habits?
Does it change the positioning of “lamb” as a product in her mind?
The Lamb v Pork war is flaring up this summer, and as always, to the victor, the spoils.
Also, can I throw a cricket ball at Sam Kekovich?
15 Jan 13
11:22 am
Hard working and under paid lamb producers should be shouting at MLA for their levy monies back. Over used and old hat minor celebrity wheeled out every year to make a few producers in the inner circle get their jollies – oh look, there is our ad on TV. Lower prices mean there will be less producers in a years time and the whole joke that is generic meat promotion is way past its use by date. Producers should band together and create their own campaign and actually sell their product to consumers rather than give it to fat cats to waste on generic promotion.
15 Jan 13
5:02 pm
Works a treet every year.Lamb sales increace 34% this time of the year.
Oh I bet you shop at woolworths Sweeney.
17 Jan 13
2:47 pm
You’ll find a Weber is _American_.
Where the hell can you get chops for only $15 a kg ?
17 Jan 13
10:59 pm
Lighten up people. Its funny, its topical, clearly its SUCCESSFUL, and it reminds me every year that it’s nearly Hottest 100 time on Triple J. Although there’s probably heaps of you out there that are too cool for THAT as well.
26 Jan 13
6:17 pm
To those attempting to express their superior intellect and social conscience by deriding this ad and previous ad’s from this client, it is not about brown nosing some politically correct University/ Media / Arts teacher in exchange for a pass high enough to enable you to get a job at THEIR ABC , SBS, SMH .
It’s about relating to and communicating with REAL Australians, as opposed to stroking the ego’s of your ideological masters, so as to SELL PRODUCT.
You see AUSTRALIANS have a sense of humour unlike the “progressives” the left who are tasked with redefining Australia in their Politically Correct Authoritarian Teacher knows best image.
May I suggest that you concentrate on say ‘AIDS as a construct in Dance” or “The Vietnam War through the eyes of a Balmain Master Potter” or how about ” A Feminist perspective on the construct of the 2012 Rugby League Grand Final and the obvious lack of Females with disabilities playing in the front row of both teams”
CHILL OUT OR F**k OFF
27 Jan 13
2:19 am
Why is Sam so lamb or I mean lame It use to give me a laugh.Maybe its up to Dick Smith these day