Lowe Sydney has bolstered its creative ranks by appointing senior creative team Matt Cramp and Sesh Moodley to work across all communication channels, from traditional advertising to digital to experiential.
The pair was previously at Leo Burnett Sydney for four years, where they worked on high-profile campaigns for Virgin Credit Card, NRMA, Canon and Colonial First State.
“Now more than ever, we need big creative thinkers with a progressive and experimental outlook, and in Matt and Sesh, these qualities seem innate. As such as they are perfect fit for our team here and will no doubt be a fantastic asset to the agency’s evolution,” Lowe executive creative director Dave Johnson said.
Both Cramp and Moodley are multi-award winning creatives who have worked in agencies in the UK as well as Australia.
“Dave Johnson is one of the few world-class creative directors in this country – and a really good bloke! We jumped at the chance to work with him, and the agency that produced LynxJet and MTV ‘Snoop’ – some of the best multi-platform creative work in Australia,” said Cramp.

Nathan Lennon and Dave Gibson have recently returned from a two year stint in London, most notably at BBH, working on Vodafone and British Airways. Upon arriving back in Sydney they did a freelance spell at Publicis Mojo before making the trip down to The Rocks and delightedly joined Lowe and Rivet.

Copywriter Lennon enthuses “We’re incredibly happy to come in out of the rain, as it were, and nestle into a permanent role at Lowe Rivet, in what is an extremely exciting time for the agency. There’s a proper sense of opportunity here with a portfolio of great brands, a brilliant CD in Dave (Johnson), who has boundless creative energy and, refreshingly, an uncompromising shelter of support from the management right through to the account and strategic teams. There’s a heritage of brave, award-winning work in the Sydney office, and this is reflected in the confidence the (Lowe) network itself has in us to continue and build on this and we’d be immensely pleased if we can help make this happen.”

After a very busy first quarter the teams at Lowe and Rivet Sydney took to Sydney Harbour on two sailing boats.

Afterwards we all settled into a few cold ones at Walsh Bay Wharf.

They say toddlers have little tummies and big appetites. Well for Yahoo7 – celebrating 2 years will be a big deal. The company has been at the forefront of Seven’s push into new media and under the stewardship of Rohan Lund has made a competitive stand in the Australia marketplace – still dominated by adolescent players.

In fact it’s hard to think that the joint-venture is only two years old tomorrow. Proof of digital’s speed? That was just part of what Rohan said to this year’s AFA Graduate Trainees – our Grad among them - who have just started their one week intensive course.

We welcome your thoughts too.

While this blog is usually dedicated to the goings on here at Lowe and Rivet’s HQ, we couldn’t help but notice the innovative launch of a new airline.

British Airways (BA) has launched a new airline – called OpenSkies with daily flights from New York to Europe, taking advantage of last year’s EU-US “open skies” deal to free up the key transatlantic market. (Source). Now the product itself is quite innovative. Flying medium sized jets they are going to have roughly the same number of passengers in Business (24), Premium Economy (28) and Economy Class (30) giving it a comparative executive jet feel and smaller more intimate cabins throughout.

But what caught our attention was the launch website which is … a blog. With a name like OpenSkies, BA has established a brand name that promises a new levels of brand and consumer interaction. Well the blog seems to be taking that promise forward. A read of the behind the blog section spells out the plans for the site and that two-way conversation that we think is so important.

If you want to see an example closer to home (apart from the site your on right now) check out the blog – The Full Picture - on the FOXTEL HD site we recently launched. Hosted by Patrick Delany - FOXTEL’s Executive Director of Content, Product & Delivery Innovation – it’s another great example of brands opening up dialogue with their most passionate consumers.

Michael is Lowe Rivet’s IT guru and has some answers for you…

1) Which is the campaign that impressed you most this year?
The Silverjet (All business) airline ads in the UK

2) In your job, which is the most important thing you learnt this year?
Solutions are only solutions if they work for the client

3) As a marketer what’s on top of your agenda for 2008?
Redeveloping my site (digitalsalad.com.au) and having a go at blogging.

4) What, in your opinion, will be a killer application/key trend in marketing in 2008?
Killer Applications - more mobile tools for smart phones, PDA’s. Gone are the days of pulling out a street directory. Just pull out your blackberry and go to google maps

5) Which book would you give as a Christmas present to a colleague?
Change the world 9-5. 50 ways to change the world at work

With only a few posts to go, today we hear what Judi Lewis has to say in response to the advent calendar questions.

1) Which is the campaign that impressed you most this year?
Probably stating the obvious – but it’s hard to go past NY Tap. I wish I could say I was involved. Such a simple insight coupled with a big idea and executed brilliantly.

2) In your job, which is the most important thing you learnt this year?
The majority of agencies fail to do what they advise Clients – create a clear single-minded proposition that is substantiated and which differentiates from the competition.

3) As a marketer what’s on top of your agenda for 2008?
Based on question no.2, top on the agenda for next year is creating greater distinction as an agency. Not just for the sake of it, but to give greater value to our Clients and more opportunity for our people.

4) What, in your opinion, will be a killer application/key trend in marketing in 2008?
What I hope the trend will be; more marketers committing resources to deliver greater personalisation and customisation. Given all the technology available, there is absolutely no excuse for irrelevant marketing communications. The marketers who have applied this strategy are rightly enjoying the rewards. Look no further than the Apple IPOD and Nike collaboration (Nike+).

5) Which book would you give as a Christmas present to a colleague?
Chris Hunter beat me to the punch, my pick is also ‘The Road’ by Cormac McCarthy. It really is superb. Don’t be put off by the dark plot – it is an outstanding read.

In his follow up book to ‘Life After the 30 Second Spot’, Jaffe gives us a ‘how to’ manual on ‘conversational marketing’ or the successful shift from marketing-funded ‘communications’ to ‘conversations’.

We recently sent out 50 pre-release copies of the Joseph Jaffe book ‘Join the Conversation’ to influential contacts and associates. Our motivation? Marketing success no longer has a static rulebook – it’s dynamic – much like a Wikipedia entry. And we were very keen to be a part of this sort of conversation within the industry.

Part manifesto, part opinion piece, Jaffe’s book is a comprehensive explanation of the steps to (and reasons for) a landscape where the consumer has an active role to play. If you want to know about corporate blogging, consumer-generated content, or the role of Second Life in your brand campaigns – this is your book. It’s not a new story but Jaffe is dogged in his do-or-die belief that consumer participation in brand dialogue is the key differentiator between brand success and branded failure.

Jaffe is raw and honest in his writing but on a few occasions I think he misses the point or perhaps too enthusiastically criticises past brand failures. But the industry is often critical of flag bearers and I think that while I don’t agree with everything Jaffe says, it really stimulated my own opinions. For example, I am still sceptical as to whether Dell really has overcome the impact of Jeff Jarvis and Dell Hell. And I believe that too often conversational marketing examples are born of desperation rather than optimistic belief. (Credit to Dell nevertheless for contributing to an excellent case study on corporate blogging - a refreshingly honest account from a multinational free to speak about its own marketing efforts).

The strongest point made in the book (and in my opinion it’s most important one) is that a commitment to experimentation is the only real way to ensure to future marketing success. And there is no better way to experiment than through dialogue direct with consumers.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to have their thinking challenged or keen to sharpen their interest in this emerging media. It’s not always an easy read but there are some excellent case studies and plenty of practical tips that should ensure that you’re across the emerging frontier.

I’d be very keen to know what you think if you have read the book. So leave a comment here, email me or go to joinin.com.au and have your say.

Jeremy Brook is Senior Account Director at Rivet

Tony is our Head of Strategic Planning and today’s advent calendar man.

1) Which is the campaign that impressed you most this year?
The wind initiative: Nordpol in Hamburg. This is not really a campaign but still is such a compelling communication that takes the area of environmental energy and talks about it in a totally new, fresh way, that breaks from the usual more worthy comm’s on this topic. It stops you in your tracks and makes you think differently.

2) In your job, which is the most important thing you learnt this year?
Often the things you worry most about never amount to anything of any real consequence. But the things that become a problem could not have been forseen. So I have learnt to worry less and to be more accepting of unexpected surprises when they arrive.

3) As a marketer what’s on top of your agenda for 2008? 
Focus on delivering solutions that are about taking brands to where they need to be in 2 years time rather than 2 months time.

4) What, in your opinion, will be a killer application/key trend in marketing in 2008?
Application: The exponential use of social networking platforms (EG: FACEBOOK) in mobile devices
Trend: The rise and rise of brands that give technology a human face.

5) Which book would you give as a Christmas present to a colleague?
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: Deepak Chopra

Dave is busy… really busy. He’s also our ECD. What’s he got to say about our advent questions??

1) Which is the campaign that impressed you most this year?
Nike Run London ‘North V South’

2) In your job, which is the most important thing you learnt this year?
Learnt the virtues of surrounding yourself with great people, but also one’s you like.

3) As a marketer what’s on top of your agenda for 2008?
To create 2 or 3 smash hits on the world stage.

4) What, in your opinion, will be a killer application/key trend in marketing in 2008?
The blurring of Brand and content

5) Which book would you give as a Christmas present to a colleague?
That would have to be the one we ARE giving out to all colleagues - Whatever you think, think the opposite, by Paul Arden