On your Mark, get set, cook

Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:00 +1000

Our resident Chef Vicki Uriarte has thrown open her doors, and secrets, to the staff with a series of nightly cooking courses.

Never have people been so keen to stay back for dinner.

Last Wednesday was the first of the three sessions where Mark and M&C Saatchi Group members began their culinary education with the theme ‘Quick meals on a budget’.

After a brief overview on the metaphysical benefits of cooking, we were split into pairs, with each team given a separate dish to create.

Each pair toiled away, whilst Vicki offered advice on everything from how to chop capsicum to why you salt pasta. And as the cooking neared completion, some interesting trends began to arise.

Whilst the copywriters sang the praises of their food, the art directors took the more aesthetic approach. Account service fretted the food wouldn’t be made on time, and finance decided we had cooked too much.

A big thank you to Vicki for her time, expertise, and patience. And thanks to the boys for cleaning up - everything.

Welcome, LivingSocial

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +1100

After a five-way pitch we are delighted to welcome our newest client to the Mark roster - Australia’s leading group buying site LivingSocial.

We were briefed to create an integrated campaign which would differentiate LivingSocial from its competition. Creative Director of LivingSocial Australia and New Zealand, Andrew Mamo had some blush-worthy praise for the resulting work:

"We saw a lot of great creative concepts from some of the best agencies in Australia, but Mark's creative really stood out visually and conceptually. They took the brief and they ran with it, producing something fresh and surprising."

We're hoping this means we'll become even more fit, well fed and romantic.

Celebrating Mardi Gras with Google+

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +1100

Our client Google is a Major Partner of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras, so we’ve just produced a cheeky campaign for Google+ in the lead-up to the event.

The campaign, across press, radio and digital, focuses on two benefits of Google+ for the LGBT community: Circles (controlled sharing) and Hangouts (group video chat).

The Hangouts ad, shown, demonstrates that you can get some honest feedback on your Mardi Gras outfit from up to nine of your friends before flaunting it to the world.

Happy Mardi Gras!

Good AdNews

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +1100

You may have already heard Mark has been nominated for the 2011 AdNews Direct Agency of the Year, but we're so excited we wanted to tell you ourselves.

We've actually been nominated every year since the agency’s launch in 2007, which we’re also pretty happy with.

So here's to a repeat of 2009’s winning effort (Hamish and Dave pictured above collecting the goods).

The winner will be announced at the ceremony in Sydney on 23rd February. Go team!

Mark ranked 8th in the world

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +1100

We’re delighted to announce that Mark has been ranked the 8^th best DM Agency in the world, according to the Won Report.

The Won Report is an annual ranking of agencies worldwide based on their effectiveness and creativity. It’s generally considered the definitive global ranking of agencies within the industry, so it's great to be recognised for all the hard work that's gone into the year.

But enough about us! A big shout-out to our clients - we wouldn’t be here without you, so thank you.

And next year, let's make it numero uno. Hasta la vista Arnie!

Children's Christmas Party

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +1100

On Wednesday it was time for the kids to get festive at the M&C Saatchi / Mark Children’s Christmas Party. There were party pies, proud parents, face painting, pick and mix, and a portly grey-haired man in a red suit.

The highlight of the party had to be the special appearance of DJ Lance from Yo Gabba Gabba! It was like every single Christmas arrived at once… and was dressed in orange.

The sugar-highs have faded, but the memories remain.

Oh to be a kid again….

No More Mark Mo

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +1100

Thursday was a sad day for the agency, when with a few strokes of a razor, our glorious mustachioed men of Mark joined the ranks of their fellow mortals once again.

Sporting haired lips that would make Joaquin Phoenix proud, they managed to raise a huge $3,808 for men's health, which for those of you who love a case study is 26% above target and a staggering 3,808% ROI.

Some impressive figures from some impressive moustaches.

Well done men.

ADMA haul

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +1100

As well as Becs picking up the Young Direct Marketer of the Year award, M&C Saatchi/Mark came away with 9 awards from 14 finalists, including 1 gold, 3 silver and 5 bronze – a huge result!

EFFECTIVENESS:
LIMITED EDITION (Sydney Dogs and Cats Home) - Bronze
PING-PONG BY NOISE (Noise) - Bronze
FEED A FRIEND (Pizza Hut) - Bronze

CREATIVE:
MAKE CYBERSPACE A BETTER PLACE (Optus) - Gold (Art Direction)
MAKE CYBERSPACE A BETTER PLACE (Optus) - Silver (Copy)
MAKE CYBERSPACE A BETTER PLACE (Optus) - Bronze (DM)

LIMITED EDITION (Sydney Dogs and Cats Home) - Campaign - Silver
LIMITED EDITION (Sydney Dogs and Cats Home) - Out of Home - Silver

DIGITAL
FEED A FRIEND (Piza Hut) - Bronze

Congratulations to all the teams that contributed to the success and a huge thank you to our wonderful clients for making the campaigns happen.

Congratulations Becs

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +1100

Last night Rebecca Bezzina (pictured above left with Mark MD Simone Blakers) won 2011 ADMA Young Direct Marketer of the Year. It’s a huge achievement and we’re extremely proud of her. The award was given in recognition of her ability to take direct strategy and apply it to innovative new media.

She gets a big trophy and a big trip to Las Vegas for her troubles. Watch this space for updates on her adventures during 2012 as winner.

Making noise at the London International Awards

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +1100

The Ping-Pong by Noise DM piece is doing the rounds at the award shows as we speak and is proving to be a real contender. Not only is it a finalist in multiple categories in the upcoming ADMA and Caples awards, but the video just picked up a bronze medal for best sound design at the prestigious London International Awards. This is a huge achievement as it was the only Australian piece to even be nominated in the category.

Bean Blitz

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +1100

We've just launched Bean Blitz, an addictive Facebook game for Nescafé Gold. Have a go and see if you can line the beans up and grow your Arabica tree by keeping the perfect balance of altitude, sunlight and moisture.

Play it for yourself here.

Warning: it gets addictive, so clear your afternoon.

Noche De Los Zombies

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +1100

The M&C Saatchi Group Christmas party was awash with margaritas and marauding mock-Mexicans last week as we celebrated Tijuana-style.

The theme was Mexican Day of the Dead and the result was something that Tarantino would be proud of with blood, make-up and questionable dance moves in spades.

From what we can recall, it was a night to remember.

The photographic evidence certainly suggests so.

Becs makes the finals

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +1100

Our very own Rebecca “it’s Friday” Bezzina has made it all the way to the finals of the 2011 ADMA Young Direct Marketer of the Year Award.

This prestigious award recognises the very best young multi-channel marketers in Australia and confirms what we’ve all know for a long time now – that Becs is an absolute star and destined for great things.

If she wins she’ll get a trip to Las Vegas to attend the ultimate DM junket, with more conferences, exhibitions and award shows than you could poke a stick at.

The winner is announced at the ADMA Awards on November 24.

Good luck Becs!

The real men of Mark

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +1100

Remember the 80’s, when men were men? When being a man meant an intimate knowledge of Kung Fu, the ability to fire automatic weapons (one handed), speak fluent Cherokee, and above all, support a moustache.

Let me take you back to the manliest show ever filmed. Can you even begin to fathom Magnum PI without his Mo? Everyone knows the name of his mo was Magnum. So the show would just be called PI, which doesn’t sound manly at all. In fact, it sounds like a mathematics based game show which, let’s be honest, wouldn’t exactly ooze masculinity.

Therefore, in the spirit of manliness, Kung Fu and, above all, a good cause, the men of Mark have once again joined the Movember movement. And this time, it’s come from the top – lip that is! Both our CEO Dave Whittle and CD Hamish Stewart have volunteered their top lips, as well as the company logo, to the cause.

So get involved and support the men of Mark. Donate at MoBro.co/realmenofmark

Seriously, the mo doesn’t ask twice. Don’t make us bring some of that Kung Fu.

Experimenting with Google Voice Search for mobile

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:31:00 +1100

Mark has been working closely with Google engineers recently, conducting a series of acoustic experiments using Google Voice Search for mobile. We were curious to know how the product worked under a range of different conditions.

One experiment took place in the middle of the desert in South Australia, using an Android phone and a pair of satellite dishes called 'parabolic mirrors'.

Check it out here.

The other happened at the bottom of the Coral Sea in Queensland – where the Android phone was connected to a special underwater communications device called a 'transducer'.

Check it out here.

If you’re as curious as we were, you can watch all the experiments at youtube.com/googlevoicesearch.

And you can follow the Tweets on the hashtag #VoiceSearch.

Saving the animals with a snack

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +1000

On Monday, our wonderful resident chef, Lu, made an extra special batch of cupcakes that were sold to raise money for the RSPCA. For such a good cause, it was certainly easy to justify a cheeky afternoon snack. Charity never tasted so good.

What a sweet bunch :)

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +1000

It was smiles all round the office today thanks to a wonderful care package sent to us by our lovely Nestle clients.

Thanks a lot guys!

Belly Dancing and Baklava

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +1000

We had another installment of our regular Mark team outings last Wednesday night, and this time it was off to the Middle East for a Lebanese banquet. We dined, and we danced, with no one spared from having to exhibit the flexibility of their mid-region. Special mention must go to Amy Friedlander who had some serious skills thanks to a few tips she picked up at her hens party, and Rob Concepcion who invented a whole new genre of “Contemporary Belly Expression”. What a talented bunch.

Worldwide Meeting

Wed, 25 May 2011 00:00:00 +1000

Dave recently spent 3 days in Berlin with representatives from M&C Saatchi Group’s 26 offices. What did he learn? The group has produced some amazing work over the past 6 months, the Jagermeister factory tour in Wolfenbuttel includes a generous tasting session, and it’s possible to get a rented BMW up to around 240 km/h on the autobahns (not recommended after a generous Jagermeister tasting).

Sydney Dogs and Cats Home: Limited Edition Campaign

Wed, 25 May 2011 00:00:00 +1000

The Sydney Dogs and Cats home receives over 4,000 homeless animals a year and is often at full capacity, relying on donations and public awareness to help find new families for thousands of dogs, cats – even a duck. With this in mind, Gavin Mcleod, Josh Rowe and Jason Woelfl created the ‘Limited Edition’ campaign, designed to educate the public on the plight of the animals at the Sydney Dogs and Cats Home, raising both awareness and funds alike.

‘Limited Edition’ comprises of 63 photographs of the Sydney Dogs and Cats Home residents taken by 21 notable Australian photographers. Each of the prints are individual, signed 1 of 1 creations which will be displayed around Sydney train stations across $225,000 worth of AdShel superlites.

With a photography brief to capture the uniqueness of each animal, the results are truly outstanding. The placement of the prints in high traffic train stations creates an outdoor gallery effect where commuters can meet the dogs and cats from the home, and also have a chance to purchase the unique superlites from eBay to raise money for the Home.

Bidding for the prints began last Thursday night at the launch event, which included attendees such as Bondi Vet Dr Chris Brown and TV personality Claire Hooper. The event, hosted by Dr Katrina Warren, raised more than $3,000 for the SDCH on the night with a silent auction and donations.

The full gallery of prints and a behind the scenes video can be viewed on the campaign microsite which also links to the adoption and donation pages of Sydney Dogs and Cats Home.

The following photographers so generously donated their time and skill:

Juli Balla

Toby Burrows

Terence Chin

Michael Corridore

Tamara Dean

Toby Dixon

Marc Gafen

Florian Groehn

Amelia Hawkins

Gary Heery

Jeremy Hudson

Nic Ingram

Ingvar Kenne

Adrian Lander

Tom Luscombe

Jonathan May

Michael Miller

Ruth O'Leary

Andreas Smetana

Adam Taylor

Julian Wolkenstein

Mark Alumni

Fri, 20 May 2011 00:00:00 +1000

It was a sad day for the agency when Megan and Gen left Mark to start a new life together in Amsterdam, but they seem to be taking the town by storm. Dave was in the neighborhood last week and caught up with them at a little speakeasy bar called Door 74.

In true Mark style, it was a big night. From what he can recall of the evenings conversation, they’ve landed fantastic roles at Amsterdam Worldwide and BSUR, joined the local Roller Derby competition and mastered the art of riding a bicycle while holding an umbrella.

Good on you girls!

Young Lions

Tue, 10 May 2011 00:00:00 +1000

M&C Saatchi/Mark has blitzed the field in the first round of judging of the News Limited 2011 Young Lions Competition. In the print category, we had the highest number of individual finalists, with 6 creatives making it into the top 19 teams.

The teams will receive a second brief on Monday 9^th May, which will need to be completed within 24 hours. The winning team will then be flown to Cannes to attend the 58^th International Festival of Creativity and represent Australia in the Worldwide Young Lions Competition.

Check out the full list of winners here.

Ping-Pong by Noise

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +1000

Mark has created a digital DM campaign to help launch the first annual "Ping-Pong by Noise" inter-agency ping-pong tournament with a bang.

The piece comprises a specially designed iApp (pictured) that enables two players to ping it out via their iPhones on a dinky mini table. The centerpiece of the campaign is a Dean Tirkot-directed web film, shot in the style of a Nike commercial with a comical twist, starring Aussie table tennis legends Paul Pinkewich and Trent Carter.

The ping-pong smash will be held over three consecutive Thursday evening in May and June. The hefty prize pool includes $1,500 for first place, $600 for second and $300 for third, plus a stack of extra Noise-related items and spot prizes for best-dressed. The winners will also take away the priceless Ping Pong trophy and associated glory.

Check out the website for details.

Star Recruit

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +1000

There’s a new face melting a few hearts down at our digital production agency – Make. Her name is Razzle and she belongs to star producer Steph Sims.

Although she only put in a brief appearance, she’s left a big mark on the hearts of our digi team (and under Maggsy’s desk). She had just enough time for a quick photo call, draining iPhone batteries across the office, then put in an appearance at the Friday meeting where she stole the limelight from top dog Simon McMaster.

We’ll hopefully be seeing a bit more of this little cutie.

April Fools

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +1100

It was all fun and games in Melbourne this morning as a couple of pranksters decided to send us on a wild goose chase to the building cafe. Muffin-filled dreams were dashed and hilarity ensued.

Watch the video

33rd Caples Awards

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +1100

Mark, and our sister agency M&C Saatchi have come away from the 33rd Caples Awards in New York with an impressive haul. In our best performance ever at the awards we scored three golds and a silver at what is considered to be the premier DM award show in the world.

The gold went to:

- Samsung 'Mr Knowitall' in the microsite catagory

- ACON 'Wear it with Pride' in the out-of-Home category

- EMI Music 'Plastic Flowerz' in the Direct Mail Dimensional, $5+ cost-per-piece category

And ACON 'Wear it with Pride' picked up silver in the Launch category.

Pepsi Max Crew

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +1100

Last year, our sister agency M&C Saatchi Sports and Entertainment won a pitch for Pepsi
Max's V8 Supercar sponsorship.

The idea was to cause a bit of disruption on the track by merging street art
with V8 racing. They created a team called the Pepsi Max Crew and commissioned
renowned street artists to design different car liveries - which will
be unveiled throughout the year.

For the final part of the season, there is a challenge to the general public to
design the car. That's where the website comes in. It's a place where people
can design their own car skin for the chance to get it on the actual Pepsi
Max Crew V8 Supercar.

Check out all the behind the scenes footage here.

Online Video 101

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +1100

Our Managing Director Simone Blakers recently wrote a column in AdNews on the virtues of online video.
We thought we'd list the five main points on how to best use it here:

1 Tell your brand story.

Give your brand perception some context. From a look behind the scenes to brand history or perhaps your brand positioning. Dove Evolution's video is a clear message to their consumer

2 Bring your product benefits to life.

Will It Blend is a clear example of this, but others (e.g.. ice.com) are using video to increase sales and Qantas Frequent Flyer 'Dave' videos successfully explain complex messages by using a friendly presenter to guide the user.

3 Leverage Sponsorships and Partnerships.

Customer endorsements, live event streaming and interviews are just some of the ways sport can get involved. Check out any sports person's Facebook page for contextual examples.

4 Utilise new technology.

This includes personalised video rendering to using video in banners. e.g. ANZ's recent 'Sneaky Thief' campaign that we produced in 2010.

5 Encourage Participation.

User-generated video content has been massive with a recent Doritos and Pepsi commercial competition for customers to create a superbowl-airing ad. Also the stunningly-successful Old Spice campaign used on-the-spot video responses to customer twitters and comments.

As you can see, there's a lot of scope for video online and it might just be the start of a great conversation with your customer!

Word Lens

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +1100

We haven't dropped some knowledge on you for a while so here is an amazing App that translates signs in realtime just by holding your camera over the sign you want to understand. We think this has lots of potential; along with google translate and similar apps it's a great tool for travellers.

Watch the video here

Author: @sparkweston

New Talent

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +1100

Some fresh talent has made its way into Mark recently.

Alick Hyde, Account Manager @ Mark Melbourne

After graduating Uni with a history degree Alick took a 180 turn, heading out of Northern England and into marketing in London. Three years of battling the tube and financial crashes wore him down and he caught a flight to Australia, eventually making his way to Mark via Clemenger and the beach.

On those odd evenings and weekends when he hasn’t been managing financial clients in both the UK and OZ, Alick has been known to occasionally pick up a camera and spin a few tunes on the wheels of steel.

We welcome Alick to a busy 2011!!