AUCKLAND, Today: Local writers-filmmakers James Watson and Vince McMillan have won year two of TVNZ’s New Blood Web Series Competition with their pilot, Kura.

AUCKLAND, Today: Ponsonby-based street poster company Shout Media has signed Vector to a contract that provides Shout with a further 25 sites in the city.

NEW YORK, Today: The New York Festivals’ 2019 AME Awards have invited Brand Spanking NZ director Mark Pickering to join the grand jury for next year’s prime global effectiveness competition.

Online advertising company Acquire Online is rebranding in response to the shifting dynamics of the programmatic advertising market, which has experienced rapid growth in the past few years.

Ponsonby-based QMS NZ has forged a long-term strategic partnership with iSEE network, adding a further 21 digital roadside billboards to the combined portfolio – 19 of these sites are located in Auckland, and more in Rotorua and  Whangarei.

LONDON, Today: D&AD has released the briefs for New Blood Awards 2019, simultaneously launching Make and Break, a WPP-sponsored podcast series which aims to bring insight from the New Blood Academy to the wider world.

AUCKLAND, Today: The Comms Council has unveiled the schedule for its 2019 Beacon Awards – which recognise NZ’s best media campaigns (held in association with NZME).

LONDON, Thursday: DDB NZ has scored one finalist in the Non-Traditional category at the London International Awards. And Colenso BBDO and DDB have both been shortlisted in The New category.

The Radio Bureau has named its judges for the 2019 Orca Awards. They are FCB CCO James Mok, Ogilvy ECD Lisa Fedyszyn, BC&F Dentsu managing partner Luke Farmer, and AUT senior lecturer Trevor Plant.

AUCKLAND, Thursday: TBWA\ has launched the season of Shakespeare in the first of a series of creative campaigns for Pop-up Globe following their appointment as creative agency.