Australia’s Mumbrella nailed it: “Dr Mumbo giggled when WPP’s Y&R merged with WPP’s VML to become WPP’s VMLY&R. So many letters, so little time.”

AUCKLAND, Friday: Stuff’s national Sunday newspaper The Sunday Star-Times – a broadsheet since its inception in 1994 – is to adopt a compact format in three weeks, on Sunday 21 October, following the lead set by all other Stuff dailies which switched to compact earlier this year.

AUCKLAND, Today: The Comms Council has overnight released the 100 agency finalists who will contest the NZ Effie Awards next month. Leading the way are: Little Giant, Republik, Y&R, Colenso BBDO, Clemenger BBDO, BC&F Dentsu, FCB, Ogilvy, GSL Promotus, DDB, True, Saatchi & Saatchi, TBWA, PHD, and Special Group.

NZME has partnered with World Vision to raise awareness of modern-day slavery and raise funds to help those most at risk in Asia. Their Not for Sale campaign aims to highlight these atrocities happening in the world, and empower readers to make a difference globally.

AUCKLAND, Today: From 1 January 2019, Y&R NZ will be known as VMLY&R NZ, a Sydney-based WPP spokesperson (who asked for anonymity) told M+AD this morning.

“The KFC NZ campaign featuring the funky upbeat 1970s track Hand Clapping Song from the iconic Warner Music NZ American band The Meters has just been rolled over for their latest creative,” reports the latest monthly Aeroplane Music e-newsletter.

AUCKLAND, Thursday: Network RNZ National reaches 633,500 different people each week, a 14.9% reach of all people 10+ across New Zealand, according to the latest Radio New Zealand measurement survey conducted by GfK.

SINGAPORE, Today: Forty-nine NZ entries are through to the final of the Spikes Asia. The judging process has been underway for the past two days and further shortlists will be released over the next 24 hours.

When Sony Pictures and its media agency PHD approached Phantom to publicise their latest superhero movie, Phantom pulled a surprising move.

AUCKLAND, Wednesday: NZME has appointed Katie Mills to the role of chief marketing officer. CEO Michael Boggs says Mills is not just results-oriented, but passionate about her work.