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Leading global media investment & management operation GroupM is gearing up to launch in New Zealand during Q1 2015. The arrival of the group will see MediaCom, Mindshare, MEC and maxus come under the operational and financial structure of GroupM. Clients of the group’s creative agencies will continue under their current agreements with their current agencies.

A former adman – now living in the south of France – wants to sell two key NZ advertising URLs he picked up when he was job-hunting in Auckland in 2003. The sites Nick Morgan wants buyers for are www.creativedirector.co.nz  and www.creativedirector.nz.

Trevor Moodie, who with the Marketing Association helped organise Tuesday’s auction to raise funds for Auckland adman Andy McDowell – now battling Parkinson’s disease – has been quick to praise the NZ ad & marketing sector who raised an astonishing $70,000 to give McDowell’s two little girls educational opportunities later in life.

The Auckland advertising & marketing community collected nearly $70,000 at a cocktail/auction evening held at La Zeppa in Freemans Bay on Tuesday to raise funds for adman Andy McDowell (43), who has been stricken with Parkinson’s disease.

Senior creatives and CDs from a dozen agencies were among a crowd of over 100 people who made the scouting mission to Adschool’s Portfolio Night on Tuesday to see some stellar work from the latest Adschool grads.

News that Google’s latest consumer barometer shows Kiwis use an average of 2.7 devices each has led downtown Auckland-based full service creative agency Latch and sales expert Michael Buhagiar to collaborate on a ready-MADE advertising solution where brands and services can target smartphone, tablet or desktop users with content and have the engagement reported back to them quickly and clearly.

Clemenger Group has promoted Colenso BBDO managing director Nick Garrett to the newly created role of ceo of Colenso BBDO and Proximity. The appointment is effective immediately.