LONDON, Today: D&AD has released the briefs for New Blood Awards 2019, simultaneously launching Make and Break, a WPP-sponsored podcast series which aims to bring insight from the New Blood Academy to the wider world.

AUCKLAND, Today: The Comms Council has unveiled the schedule for its 2019 Beacon Awards – which recognise NZ’s best media campaigns (held in association with NZME).

LONDON, Thursday: DDB NZ has scored one finalist in the Non-Traditional category at the London International Awards. And Colenso BBDO and DDB have both been shortlisted in The New category.

The Radio Bureau has named its judges for the 2019 Orca Awards. They are FCB CCO James Mok, Ogilvy ECD Lisa Fedyszyn, BC&F Dentsu managing partner Luke Farmer, and AUT senior lecturer Trevor Plant.

AUCKLAND, Thursday: TBWA\ has launched the season of Shakespeare in the first of a series of creative campaigns for Pop-up Globe following their appointment as creative agency. 

Campaign Asia-Pacific has unveiled its annual 40 Under 40 recipients with two Kiwis making the list – indie design & ad agency Run Auckland co-founder Raymond McKay, and DAN Auckland ceo Robert Harvey.

LONDON, Wednesday: DDB New Zealand has succeeded with two campaigns across the finals line in the Poster category at the London International Awards.

AUCKLAND, Today: Former FCB Media managing director Rufus Chuter and OMD chief digital officer Kris Hadley have joined forces to launch Together, a new strategy, technology and media-management agency focused on bringing message and moment back together.

Sydney-based Stephanie Famolaro from advertising technology company The Trade Desk, who delivered a keynote at last month’s programmatic summit in Auckland, wrote this thought piece specially for M+AD readers:

By 2020 the number of connected devices in the world is expected to skyrocket to 50 billion – or roughly eight devices for every person on the planet, according to IBM.