SYDNEY, Today: Uber competitor in the region, Ola (which claims to be “one of the world’s largest rideshare platforms”), is expanding rapidly – and has appointed Australia-based Andrew Balint as chief marketing officer for ANZ. Ola is available in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch (scroll down for the link).
Assignment takes viewers into the afterlife
AUCKLAND, Today: Assignment has partnered with New Zealand insurer Partners Life has partnered to create the brand’s new story.
Aussie shops hawk Au/NZ travel comp

MELBOURNE, Today: Leading hotel franchise group Choice Hotels Asia-Pac has launched its latest marketing campaign Win a Hotel for a Weekend across Australia and New Zealand, out of Gravia Media in Victoria.
AIA taps Anthem for rebrand
AUCKLAND, Today: AIA has announced the appointment of Auckland-based full-service agency Anthem to oversee the rebrand of AIA in New Zealand.
Gregor & Roy put the band back together for House of Travel
AUCKLAND, Today: House of Travel’s new Better Together brand campaign has reunited acclaimed Flying Fish director Gregor Nicholas with advertising legend Roy Meares. The duo’s previous award-winning collaborations include the iconic Heineken Photojournalist spot.
Auckland indie agency launches TVNZ Re: News website

AUCKLAND, Today: High St-based full-service digitally-led agency Little Giant has launched a news website for NZ’s alternate news voice – TVNZ Re:.
Southern Cross mined gold
AUCKLAND, Friday: Affinity ID client Southern Cross Health Society was one of the big winners at last week’s NZ Direct Marketing Awards, taking home two golds, a silver and a bronze for its Altogether Better campaign, which recognises its revamped member engagement programme.
Adobe: ‘Anzac marketers lag behind global counterparts’

BARCELONA, Sunday: Australian and New Zealand marketers are lagging behind their global counterparts, according to new research by Adobe. In fact, only 15% of Australians and New Zealanders believe local marketers are doing a good job.
While my guitar gently weeps

SYDNEY, Friday: A new study from global audio branding specialist PHMG shows that younger Australians place more value on music as a key element of marketing than older generations, according to a report published in B&T (scroll down for the link).
Republik gets creative credit
AUCKLAND: Today: In the absence of adequate supplied information, M+AD Friday passed too much credit to Pead PR in our Marlborough King Salmon/Al Brown report.