Special Group launches Special Media – aims to disrupt the marketing landscape again
Newly appointed Special Group media director, Briar Rowsell, has been working closely with the team at Special New Zealand since November 2020 to establish a media planning group – a natural evolution for Special Group who have always developed media-centred ideas that have creatively pushed categories to drive the best results for clients.
Says Tony Bradbourne, CCO and CEO, Special Group: “We’re the only non-traditional media agency in New Zealand to have won Best in Show at the Beacon Awards. It’s this blend of creative, strategic and media thinking that Special Media offers – and it’s unique in this market.”
Special Group have previously created award-winning television shows, documentaries, a year-long global social media campaign, personalised magazine covers, launched new TV channels and even put 60,000 lights on Auckland’s Harbour Bridge for the first time ever, then synced them up to kiwis’ mobile phone playlists.
This relentless innovation for their clients has delivered an incredibly successful 2020, with Special winning all of the ‘New Zealand Agency of the Year’ titles across Campaign Brief, Campaign Asia and B&T Agency of the Year Awards.
Says Bradbourne: “We launched Special to provide more innovative thinking, deliver stronger results and access to better talent than was currently available to clients. 13 years later we are recognised as the leading agency on both sides of the Tasman, have a growing international network and are winning global effectiveness awards for the results we generate for our clients. It’s now time to bring that same ambition to the media landscape.”
Briar will be based in Auckland after 14 years on the other side of the ditch leading both global and ANZ brands as well as championing media industry initiatives via the Media Federation of Australia.
Says Briar: “I couldn’t be more excited to be part of such a dynamic & well-regarded team – I’ve been an admirer from afar of the talked-about ideas that Special Group and Aotearoa are producing.”
With a background in planning and account leadership, Briar has a penchant for non-traditional touchpoints and an operational focus on freeing clients and agency teams from complexity that diverts energy from innovation and disruptive-thinking.
Says Briar: “We’ll do this through the same simple, agile and interest-based way-of-working that has led Special Group to success so far as a creative company. The media industry has been talking about it for a (very) long time but traditional media agency planning models are as frustrating and linear as ever.
“Media teams spend a lot of time producing large amounts of work that can be disjointed, irrelevant or even a rearticulation of what is already known, having little impact on the final go-to-market plan. Special Media we believe is different.
“We have creativity at the heart of our integrated thinking. We’re independent, which is a very rare thing in the New Zealand industry, and with that comes passion, honesty and accountability. And we believe in innovation to create fame and disrupt the status-quo. The result is ambitious, and ultimately more effective, media thinking brand experiences and touchpoints.”
20 Comments
Special are great at the spin that’s for sure. Colenso and DDB have had media in-house for ages, but you disrupt away lads!
It is a media buy through ageement with OMD. Full transparency is always better.
a buy through agreement with OMD?
We make ads. We buy ads. Relentlessly.
When did Special do the deal with OMD? I heard they’ve been working on this together for the last two months.
Special win awards. That’s what they do – with a relentless focus. If you’re not interested in winning awards, but would rather create effective strategies delivering effective campaigns on time and on budget, you’re best to look elsewhere.
I worked at Colenso until recently shifting to DDB and we most def do not have in house media. We have closely aligned media agencies but the relationships are not like we have with our studio, or digital or pr in house teams and I suspect this is what Special are trying to add to the mix.
Special may not have in house media either. I heard this is a white label buy through with OMD. Looks like there’s no new ideas in advertising. Just repackaged ones.
okay
How is that relevant to the pretend news of a disruptive media arm when it’s all same old, same old OMD, just by another name? Lucky for some of us, we don’t have to blow smoke up any special backsides like you seem to need to.
You didn’t read my comment correctly.
Here we go again – Special must be starting to threaten the big boys hence why everyone is tearing them to shit.
Win Optus – bigger than any NZ telco.
Win Kiwibank.
Win Tourism NZ.
Growing globally – how fucking cool is that for a Kiwi agency with ambition.
Yes the in house media is not really new news but neither is any agency promoting a new model, distruptive service etc.
I like the song they just plat it too much.
is that official – not heard to read anything about the in the press (and let’s face it Special PR everything!)
Buying isn’t the same as planning media and whilst OMD may do the placing this is about the planning and integration of media more closely to the creative. It’s smart for special to partner with a big agency. They’ll get huge value. And Briar looks like a great find.
Secondly DDB and Colenso do not have any kind of media operation currently. They just work really well with their partners. Okay not always but generally they do 😉
This may not quite be the transformative play it’s spun as here buts it’s not bad. Looks smart for everyone involved.
Dogs are barking but the train keeps going
Some explaining to do around a recent pitch I’d say. Not good form.
OMD were in on the Kiwibank pitch too. Uh oh.
Wasnt the point of KB pitching to move to a NZ owned and operated business – hence Shine, Feds and Special.
Maybe Steve and Jodie need to have a think about who their media agency is?
I don’t think it’s professing that integration is new – it’s disruptive because there are few examples where an agency is actually doing it well.
Give me great integrated comms thinking underpinned by a strong trading partner any day.