Truth and Soul Inc. The New Zealand Advertising Podcast.

Andy Blood is originally from the UK where he spent time at start up Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe, before he followed his heart over to New Zealand. In Auckland he worked at the highest creative level at Saatchis Auckland, Whybin TBWA, and Colenso BBDO doing some amazing work gathering three Cannes Grand Prix in the process. Unlike me, Andy is irrepressibly enthusiastic about almost everything, and he also mentions NFTs a couple of times so that should get us the cashed-up hipsters audience – he's a great guy, with a lot of insights about the business, so have a listen.

In the middle of the Auckland lockdown I talk to the incoming Monkey's New Zealand creative chief about leaving DDB after many years; what you actually do when you're on gardening leave, and whether you should have a bath before or after talking to your gynecologist. Oh, and the future of advertising, where technology will take the industry, and whether it's a good job for your kids to do.

Jason is currently CEO of Vodafone New Zealand, but don’t be put off by that corporate sounding title as he’s anything but. He’s also worked in advertising in London which doubly qualifies him for a listen. Jason shared some great insights including his views on advertising and ad agencies. He talks about the great mentors he has had over the years and his journey from being a sports obsessed work-shy schoolboy in Invercargill, via a marketing background to some big roles in both New Zealand and the UK. There are some great tips for those starting out in business and we also have a natter about his favourite sporting moment, which coincidentally was also mine. Jason Paris. Ridiculous over achiever.

In this podcast expat-Kiwi Rob Sherlock answers the immortal question: “What the hell do Global Creative Directors do, anyway?” We talk about his career from a Junior Accountant in South Africa to Global ECD of FCB based in Chicago via London, New Zealand and just about everywhere in Asia.

Music makes a huge difference to ads and Jim Hall has provided the music for many of New Zealand’s most popular ads over the last thirty years as well as some cracking two-note stings for Korean telcos. Jim has decades of musical experience across the globe including playing with Cilla Black, being musical director of X Factor NZ and playing in an amazing David Bowie tribute band.

Ross Goldsack is one of the eminence grise of the New Zealand Advertising scene. Starting out from Fielding in 1971 he has worked at the highest level for agencies in New Zealand and Australia including starting, and selling two of his own.

We look at the roles of strategy, post rationalisation and creativity in advertising and they have some very interesting thoughts on whether creativity can be taught or whether it’s innate. Part 2.

We look at the roles of strategy, post rationalisation and creativity in advertising and they have some very interesting thoughts on whether creativity can be taught or whether it’s innate. Part 1 of 2.

Shane Bradnick is currently ECD of TBWA Auckland. Shane was born in Zimbabwe and has worked in advertising in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand winning many awards along the way. We talk about his initial job as a teacher and what inspired him to stop wasting his time and instead do something meaningful like advertising.

Marty O’Halloran who has been head of DDB New Zealand since 2000 and DDB Australia since 2009 was recently appointed CEO of DDB global, this is a great achievement for someone from down here to get the big gig, especially as such a respected giant of the industry such as DDB.

Bartle Bogle Hegarty is still one of the most respected agencies in the world of advertising and the creative founder, Sir John Hegarty, is one of the most revered names. Such is his renown that in 2007 he was knighted for his services to advertising. (Mine is still in the post.) Sir John and I formed a close relationship while spending several minutes in a lift together in a hotel in Cannes in 2006. I felt that was a strong enough bond to ask him on the podcast and, it being the lockdown and everything, he couldn’t think of a reason not to. For those of you who wonder why John is on this New Zealand advertising podcast I should point out that his wife is a Kiwi and that they come over here every February to get away from the London winter. Subjects we discussed include his love for New Zealand, where he gets his suits, why he hates scams, his Cannes jury experiences, who is the great unsung hero of world advertising, and how we should look to come out of Coronavirus lockdown. Many people sent in questions, and I asked as many of those as he had time for. It was a lot of fun; I think you’ll enjoy a listen.

I first met Mike at the School of Communication Arts in London in 1988. We worked together for five years in London trying to make a name for ourselves with limited success. Following a chance meeting with a kiwi in Cancun, Mexico in 1994 we were offered a job at Y&R Auckland. In the end Mike came, I stayed at home, and unleashed from the handbrake of working with me, he went on to be ECD of Mojo, when it still existed; then together with Roger MacDonnell (and others) he started Colenso BBDO on its incredible path to glory, before a lost year at Clemenger Melbourne. He returned to Saatchi NZ and together with Andrew Stone returned the agency to something approaching its former glory. The two of them then left and had mixed fortunes setting up Droga 5 in New Zealand before Mike went out on his own setting up The Collective and Many Minds where he is now. He’s won a million awards for his work, worked with some of the best, and is well known around Auckland for his love of fishing, wearing shorts whatever the weather, and talking in a funny accent.

Rocky is one of the biggest personalities from the last twenty years of NZ advertising, having been CEO of Saatchis NZ as well as leading start-ups Generator, and Droga 5. I talk to Rocky about how he got started, what he believes CEOs want from agencies along with some great tales from the past. He was named NZ CEO of the Year three times so he should know what he’s talking about.

I find it really interesting to talk to people who have gone on from a successful career in advertising to do great things in different areas. Michael Faudet is one of these and has followed a path from advertising ECD for DDB in New Zealand and Australia to becoming one of the world’s best selling poets. Yup, poetry is still a thing and Michael and his partner, Lang Leav, have sold hundreds of thousands of poetry books across the world through inspired use of social media. Listen to learn how they did it.

Toby has been ECD at Colenso, DDB NZ, DDB Sydney, RKCR Y&R London and now Saatchis New Zealand. We talk about his criss-crossing across hemispheres, his early meetings with advertising legends Dave Trott and Paul Ardern, and I learn never to leave the microphone on when I go for a loo break.

Lisa is one of the brightest young stars in the New Zealand advertising industry, or she would be if she wasn’t from Melbourne. As well as talking about her award-winning experiences in Aussie, New Zealand, and Droga 5 in New York with partner Jono, Lisa also talks about getting work-life balance right, ‘the agency of one’ as a way of moving your career forward, and we discuss the thin line between ‘strong encouragement’ and ‘bullying’ by creative directors.

In this episode we talk to celebrated New Zealand artist Dick Frizzell. As well as being one of New Zealand’s most famous painters, you will hopefully be interested to learn that Dick is also an ex-adman. Unfortunately he failed at that so had to look for an alternative career. We talk about his experiences in the advertising world and how what he learnt there helped set him up for a career in art. We also have interesting (hopefully) sections on cultural appropriation, exploiting child labour to make ads, and how to sell sausages made from fruit. I also lecture Dick on punctuation, I’m sure he enjoyed that, and Dick answers questions sent in by podcast listeners. So listen in to discover the back story behind his most famous works. Please stay listening at the end as there is a bonus section recorded after I’d pretended to turn the mic off. Please subscribe to hear new episodes when they come out and send any favourable comments or questions to Paul@truthandsoul.co.nz

Josh Moore, Principal Partner Pitchblack Partners Josh has worked at the highest creative level across New Zealand, Australia and in the UK. Agencies include, Mojo, Us, Y&R NZ and now his new role at Pitchblack Partners. He has worked as CEO and ECD which is one of the things we talk about as well as his time at a dysfunctional Lowe Lintas, trying to get people to hire him in London, and the experiences behind McWhopper, including winning Agency of the Year at D&AD.

Jill Brinsdon Co founder of Radiation and Tricky Jill was (we believe) New Zealand’s first ever female creative director. She worked at several NZ agencies including Saatchi and Saatchi Wellington in its heyday, Bates in its decline, Mojo when it was still going and then founded her own agencies Radiation and Tricky. Among her favourite work is the Caltex stunt where a truck and a tugboat fight on a Californian pier.

Mike Watson, Ex Marketing Director at SKY TV NZ That’s right, a client on an advertising podcast. Despite (or possibly because of) having had no formal training in marketing Mike led the marketing efforts of Sky TV for over twenty years. In that time Mike was responsible for more award winning work than any other client in New Zealand. Or if he wasn’t, we’d sure like to talk to whoever beat him.

Regan Grafton, Chief Creative Officer of Stanley Street. Stanley Street claims to be New Zealand’s newest independent agency although it was, until recently Ogilvy New Zealand. Regan has previously worked at NZ agencies Y&R, DDB and FCB. He has worked across a bundle of award winning work including NZ Girl, Vodafone ‘Peggy Sue’, ‘Driving Dogs’ for the SPCA and Police Recruitment.

Damon Stapleton is currently Regional Chief Creative Officer of DDB. Originally from South Africa, Damon previously worked at Johannesburg’s legendary TBWA Hunt Lascaris and Saatchi & Saatchi in Sydney. He has won lots of awards at lots of shows, has a very popular blog damonsbrain.com and loves his rugby. Well known output includes work for The Zimbabwean, Penny the Pirate and Lotto TVCs.