AUCKLAND, Today: Special has lured a much-admired leader back into the industry, appointing Scott Coldham as managing director of Special New Zealand.

AUCKLAND, Tuesday: Garden Centre business Kings Plant Barn has appointed independent media agency Sneakers Media as its agency of record following a competitive review process.

AUCKLAND, Tuesday: On Friday, the Newmarket business community gathered at Cordis to celebrate the annual Newmarket Business Awards hosted by the Newmarket Business Association, with major sponsors Auckland MINI Garage and Q Mastercard.

AUCKLAND, Tuesday: Morningside agency daylight has created a campaign for Vans – Introducing The 6,000s – “the ultimate weekend shoe designed using data from Growing Up in New Zealand, a large-scale  longitudinal study of child development, established by the University of Auckland in 2009.

AUCKLAND, Tuesday: The Effie Effectiveness Function is back after a three-year hiatus. Comms Council ceo Simon Lendrum said: “As part of the 2023 Aotearoa Effie Awards [in association with TVNZ], the Effie Effectiveness Breakfast provides a unique opportunity for industry professionals to unite and delve into the realm of effectiveness.

NEW YORK/SHANGHAI, Today: One NZ creative (and four Aussies) are among the 40 creative leaders from 14 APAC countries and regions to be named by The One Club to serve as judges for the ONE Asia Creative Awards 2023.

AUCKLAND, Monday: Leading pregnancy skincare brand Pure Mama has partnered with creative agency Crave Global NZ to launch an Australasian-wide campaign that ECD Hadleigh Averill says “is sure to turn heads”.

AUCKLAND, Today: Practising ethical PR in an environment plagued by fake news is one of the top concerns of PR and communications professionals working in Aotearoa, according to PRINZ.

PARIS, Monday: Chemistry NZ has taken out a Bronze at the 2023 Gerety Awards for Aged Care Good Cut, a campaign showing Jacinda Ardern and Grant Robertson with portraits of their 80-year-old selves.