A new million-dollar Volvo campaign, created by Freemans Bay indie Republik, launches on TV this Sunday to entice hundreds of New Zealanders to head to Sweden and visit Gothenburg, the largest port in Scandinavia and a city becoming known for its advanced self-driving cars.

Leading experiential agencies Brand Spanking and Fluxx: Ideas in Motion have merged. Continuing under the Brand Spanking banner, the merged agency will form one of the largest players in the NZ brand activation space with a roster including Huawei, Frucor, AMP, L’Oréal, BCITO, ASB, Hancocks, Turners & Growers, and Cottonsoft.

CAANZ has set up a Fair Trading Commerce Commission seminar led by Rob Noakes and Nick Kovacevich from Auckland & Christchurch legal firm WYNNWILLIAMS.

Adman/broadcaster/musician/producer Dale Wrightson died aged 70 in Auckland on Tuesday after a two-year battle with illness.

The London-based D&AD organisation has confessed to stealing D&AD Pencils from agencies around the world in a stunt that D&AD has now revealed was blatant self-promotion.

The New Zealand Advertising Producers Group is hosting an information evening (in cooperation with CAANZ, ANZA, Techo’s Guild, Screensafe and Film Auckland) to update the sector with safety compliance.

Colenso BBDO’s Nick Worthington is the 5th most awarded chief creative officer in the world – up from 7th last year – according to the 2015 Big Won agency rankings, produced for The Directory magazine in the UK.

Tickets have gone on sale for the 2015 NZDM Awards – to be held at The Langham on Thursday 25 February (don’t be confused by the dates – the winners to be announced in 2016 are being honoured for their work during all of 2015).

Saatchi & Saatchi has appointed general manager Paul Wilson to the managing director role left vacant yesterday when Nicky Bell announced her intention to leave the agency in March after six years in the top job.