The Comms Council has set up an afternoon session for later this month with Aussie marketing commentator Mark Ritson in Auckland – “a must-see event for 2017”, the CC flyer reckons.

A new opportunity for brand and sponsorship managers to directly access a large pool of household shoppers and their families ahead of Christmas this year, in a positive feelgood environment at a high-profile family event, has arisen with the 84th Farmers Santa Parade on Sunday 26 November.

Following a trans-Tasman competitive pitch process, Carat Australia has retained the media planning responsibilities for beauty giant, L’Oréal, with the agency’s remit now also expanded to include New Zealand (where FCB was the incumbent).

For the third consecutive year AdSchool students, working with production company Chillbox, have created a film to help raise donations for the Les Mills Fight Night appeal for Curekids.

Nugit Singapore ceo Dave Sanderson – an expert in using technology to simplify and present data as stories – has penned thought-provoking piece about the potential of bots to judge creativity. It ran initially in Campaign Asia-Pacific.

Marketing/ad industry veteran John MacDonald has died peacefully at Auckland Hospital after a short illness on Friday. He was 80.

New Zealand agencies have won five Golds, six Silvers, two Bronzes and seven Certificates at the 2017 DMA Echo Awards held in New Orleans at the weekend.