Back to results EDITORIAL : Foreign legion By David Gapes The new people running Saatchi & Saatchi have a long road ahead of them if they are to turn around the floundering glamour agency. Not only must they deal with the ongoing effects of the economic crisis, but they’ve got a lot of confidence-building ahead of them – both with their own staff and the wider ad world – to overcome the problem that they are effectively strangers in a strange land. The UK and Australia, in particular, have long played a vital role in keeping NZ’s creative and management bloodlines in good health. But seldom have we seen a major agency (in this case, one with an outstanding record for recognising local talent at all levels) turn offshore for both a CEO and an ECD. Local knowledge is an essential component in effective advertising, and making ads without that infusion of homegrown essence is to risk misreading the market. Make no mistake, despite their recent problems, Andrew Stone and Mike O’Sullivan – both steeped in the Kiwi way – will be a hard act to follow. Nicola Bell and Dylan Harrison will need a lot of help from within for quite a long time before they come even close to getting up to full speed. We wish them all the best – and trust that by this time next year, we’re eating our words. The situation over at Colenso, which has just lured a young creative team direct from the UK, is intriguing for different reasons. Their arrival will not impact on the overall direction of the agency, which is already steaming into the spaces formerly occupied by Saatchi. The UK imports are proven top talent, which goes some way to answering the question forming on our lips: But really, what does this hiring say about the perceptions of the quality of our own young creative teams and graduates? Meet the ‘New Blood’ – on Pages 4 & 5. © Copyright AdMedia magazine February 2010 All material appearing is copyright and cannot be reproduced without prior permission of the publisher. Please contact the copyright officer: Ph 0-9-845 5114, Email copyright@mediaweb.co.nz.	Username Password Keep me logged in on this computer Forgotten your password? Enter your email address and we will email your password to you:

EDITORIAL : Foreign legion

By David Gapes

The new people running Saatchi & Saatchi have a long road ahead of them if they are to turn around the floundering glamour agency. Not only must they deal with the ongoing effects of the economic crisis, but they’ve got a lot of confidence-building ahead of them – both with their own staff and the wider ad world – to overcome the problem that they are effectively strangers in a strange land.
The UK and Australia, in particular, have long played a vital role in keeping NZ’s creative and management bloodlines in good health. But seldom have we seen a major agency (in this case, one with an outstanding record for recognising local talent at all levels) turn offshore for both a CEO and an ECD.
Local knowledge is an essential component in effective advertising, and making ads without that infusion of homegrown essence is to risk misreading the market.
Make no mistake, despite their recent problems, Andrew Stone and Mike O’Sullivan – both steeped in the Kiwi way – will be a hard act to follow. Nicola Bell and Dylan Harrison will need a lot of help from within for quite a long time before they come even close to getting up to full speed.
We wish them all the best – and trust that by this time next year, we’re eating our words.
The situation over at Colenso, which has just lured a young creative team direct from the UK, is intriguing for different reasons. Their arrival will not impact on the overall direction of the agency, which is already steaming into the spaces formerly occupied by Saatchi.
The UK imports are proven top talent, which goes some way to answering the question forming on our lips: But really, what does this hiring say about the perceptions of the quality of our own young creative teams and graduates?

Meet the ‘New Blood’ – on Pages 4 & 5.

© Copyright AdMedia magazine February 2010

All material appearing is copyright and cannot be reproduced without prior permission of the publisher.

Please contact the copyright officer: Ph 0-9-845 5114, Email copyright@mediaweb.co.nz.

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EDITORIAL : Foreign legion