News in Brief 4 Dec 2013

Grey to open Berlin office

In January 2014 Grey will open a new office in Berlin. The digital/traditional hybrid agency will run as an autonomous entity and will be headed by MDs Matthias Meusel and Oliver Handlos. Meusel was previously CMO at eBay Inc. Mobile.de and has spent time at DDB Tribal Berlin, Coca-Cola and Vodafone. Handlos comes from BBDO New York where he was creative director and worked on AT&T among others. He has also worked for Jung von Matt and Scholz & Friends and has won multiple awards including 12 Cannes Lions. In the Big Won Report 2009, Handlos was listed the second most successful creative director worldwide. The two MDs will be joined by creative director Jan Lucas and digital director Achim Weber, and all staff at the agency will have a hybrid work history.

Ogilvy CommonHealth Asia Pacific launches

Ogilvy CommonHealth Asia Pacific has been launched as part of the global network under the Ogilvy CommonHealth Worldwide banner. With established healthcare specialist offices in China, Hong Kong, Australia, Singapore, Japan, and India, the Ogilvy CommonHealth Asia Pacific offer has been carefully constructed over the last two years and The Asia Pacific launch of OCHWW creates a healthcare specialist agency network that will provide innovative marketing communication solutions tailor-made for the Asian health & wellness environment. Leading Ogilvy CommonHealth across Asia Pacific is Rohit Sahgal, who has been regional director for Ogilvy’s health business since January 2012.

Wanda Print launched by production co

International production company Wanda has launched Wanda Print, an integrated print services studio. The new division will specialise in digital art, photography, image manipulation, retouching matte painting, 3D CGI and graphic design. Led by Charles Denis and Patrick Barbier, CEO of Wanda Productions, the roster of talent on offer includes Adam Martinakis, Antoni Tudisco, and Benoit Challand (all CGI and digital artists); Jack (a collective of illustrators, photographers and art directors); and photographer Monica Menez. Wanda Print’s integrated studio guarantees fast execution of projects and its first fashion editorial, Fetish Factory (pictured above) photographed by Jean-Yves Lemoigne with CGI by Olivier Jeannel, will be featured in SOON Magazine. For more information check out the Wanda Print website.

Karmarama invests in employees’ ideas with Krank

London advertising agency Karmarama has launched a new initiative to encourage staff innovation and entrepreneurialism.  Krank gives employees the chance to develop their own products and ideas with support from the agency, and will be run by Karmarama’s head of digital, Lawrence Weber; chief creative officer, Dave Buonaguidi; and head of planning, Dan Hill. So far £100,000 has been invested in Krank, which launches with three new products including Perk, a web-based consumer survey tool, and Pi in the Sky, a piece of photo booth technology. Employees with ideas ranging from tech innovations to fun, useful and culturally valuable products and services pitch to the senior Krank team, who decide if the project should be developed. Karmarama will share revenue, IP, equity and profit with the people who generate the ideas.

Isobar opens in Auckland

Global digital marketing agency Isobar has announced its launch in New Zealand, with an office set to open in Auckland on 1 February 2014. The new office will be headed by Grant Henderson, currently general manager of Isobar Sydney, who will take up the same role in Auckland. Since joining Isobar six years ago as creative director, Henderson has helped grow the Sydney office from six members of staff to 45. The New Zealand office will work closely with the Australian team to manage existing digital and creative agency projects for the Dentsu Aegis Network across the Trans-Tasman for Isobar clients such as Holden and Jetstar.

Music+Sound Awards extends entry deadline

Due to requests for extra time, the Music+Sound Awards has extended its deadline for entries to its 2014 event until 14 December 2013. The awards recognise the role music plays in enhancing film, television, advertising and gaming. To find out more about the categories and to enter work, click here.

D&AD commissions graduate to design 51st edition of book

For the first time the D&AD president has selected a graduate of the New Blood Academy to design the Annual. Neville Brody, president for 2012-2013, picked Wolff Olins designer Fleur Isbell, who graduated from the New Blood Academy in 2011, reflecting D&AD’s support for fresh talent in the industry. The 51st edition of the book celebrates the global diversity of D&AD with data visualisations of 196 nations based on latitudinal and meteorological data. Users are also encouraged to create their own data visualisations, as seen throughout the Annual and on the cover, by visiting the D&AD global horizons website.

Q&A panel announced for Singapore screening of Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors’ Showcase

This year Saatchi & Saatchi took its New Directors’ Showcase on its inaugural world tour and the Q&A panel has been announced for the last stop in Singapore on 10 December 2013. Singapore filmmaker Wee Li Lin, Great Guns producer Ays Tan, The Straits Times film reviewer John Lui, and human behavioural expert James Breeze will be discuss the impact of the Internet on filmmaking. Five double passes to the invitation-only event will be made available to the public. For terms and conditions and to enter the draw, click here.