Easter Madness: When Historical Events have Social Media Pages

Following the hilarious and hugely successful campaign using fake Facebook pages to represent historical events and figures (as seen here ), the concept appears to have popped up again in the annual showdown between Good and Evil that occurs in downtown Auckland.

The latest TBWA Agency offering shows the Crucifixion as a Facebook shared Image with one "like" by Judas.

Those of you living outside of New Zealand or unaware of the regular showdowns that occur at Saint Matthew's in the City may be surprised to know that these adverts are actually sponsored "as thought-provoking messages with the aim of inspiring healthy debate and reflection", by the Church itself !

The self-proclaimed progressive Anglican Church in the heart of Auckland City is not one to shy away from controversy, posting a picture of the Virgin Mary looking at the results of a pregnancy test in the run up to Christmas last year.

Brands: Latest Shifts (Retail)

Some Brands are winning over consumers, but are they providing real value?

 Everyone agrees that Brand equity is something precious to hold on to and can sometimes help you ride out the rough times, but in times of crisis it is also true that our fickle consumers will become treacherous and turn their backs on their favourite product, in search of a cheaper or fresher looking.alternative.

In a recent Bigger Picture Market survey, some of the shifts in New Zealand's Brand Leaders and Losers have come as somewhat of a surprise in a country that relentlessly adores home brands and shuns outsiders, and does so in a consistent manner - year in, and year out.

Take, for example, The Warehouse - "Where everyone gets a bargain". Back in 2005, when I last visited these shores, The Warehouse was best known for selling "cheap and cheerful" goods (to be polite). Walk into any of their glistening red warehouses today and you'll be met with...yes, you guessed it: "cheap and cheerful" goods again. Surely a successful model that has stood the test of time? 

Well...yes and no. This latest survey actually ranks the country's largest listed retailer well behind many of its competitors when it comes to delivering value. Market Research firm Big Picture surveyed 300 New Zealand consumers last week, asking them to rate 44 well-known brands in terms of their value.

Spotlight on: "Carbon Zero"

Around the world, Governments, Companies and Individuals are embracing the eco-friendly vibe and at least trying to give the impression that they are making headway against the impending doom that is forecast for us all. From a Marketing perspective we have witnessed waves of "greenwashing", some downright lies, and a whole range of half-hearted attempts to jump on the Sustainable bandwagon. So isn't it nice that some guys do come out smelling like roses and tasting as sweet as honey....? Read on to discover how one Kiwi brand is doing their bit for our future well-being ....

J.Friend's "Carbon Conscious" and extremely delicious honey

Chocolate - an interactive approach

Salted Herring (a digital design agency based in Wellington, New Zealand) are already known for producing first-class interactive experiences, and this site for Whittakers Chocolate is no exception. Using an undeniably "hands on" approach, each element was painstakingly hand-crafted, photographed and assembled to make a fantastic website that simply looks good enough to eat.