A creative-led PR solution

AUCKLAND, Thursday: Special Group has launched Special PR, and appointed Kelly Grindle – formerly a Pead PR executive – to run it.

Group ceo Tony Bradbourne said: “The appointment is a natural extension considering Special’s long track record of creating work that has a PR focus and generates headlines around the world.”

Grindle’s role is head of PR & influence in the Auckland office, effective immediately.

Grindle has 15 years of creative PR experience, with an award-winning career spanning agencies and in-house roles in London and Auckland.

He’s worked as associate board director at the Havas-owned Cake, and associate director at M&C Saatchi UK, with clients including EE, Sony Electronics, Coca-Cola and Virgin Atlantic.

He was PR lead for Virgin Atlantic’s leisure division Virgin Holidays, driving multiple award-winning campaigns before returning to New Zealand as director of integrated strategy at Pead PR.

Group ceo Tony Bradbourne said: “Special is positioning the offering as a creative-led PR solution – combining consumer-orientated insights with innovative creative thinking to generate clearly measurable results.  

“We have intentionally kept PR as an integrated service sitting alongside our strategic, creative, design and media teams. In a world where disciplines are merging we believe clients will benefit the most from marketing and communication teams working seamlessly together.”

“Special’s offering integrates three distinct disciplines – strategic and targeted communications & PR; influence and endorsement across the digital and physical divide, and standout activations and consumer experience.

“Special has a track-record of delivering campaigns that generate attention – across the course of our history we have turned the Auckland Harbour Bridge into a live interactive music and light show for 2Degrees; punked Kelly Tarlton’s Shark Bus with a Filet-o-fish Burger Car for Uber Eats & McDonald’s, transformed a concrete mixing truck into the world’s biggest cocktail mixer for Smirnoff’s festival activations; and won a Cannes Grand Prix for invited people to re-record Iggy Pop’s The Passenger via the power of Orcon internet.

“We have always strived for work that has talkability at its core, we believe it’s such an important part of any modern campaign’s success.

“So we have intentionally kept PR as an integrated service sitting alongside our strategic, creative, design and media teams. In a world where disciplines are merging we believe clients will benefit the most from marketing and communication teams working seamlessly together.

Kelly Grindle said: “Special is undoubtedly the most progressive and innovative creative agency in Australasia – and a PR team is a natural fit given their track record of delivering work that grabs attention and generates headlines.

“I’m excited to join a company that is on such a remarkable growth streak and can’t wait to show how PR ideas from New Zealand reverberate across the world.”

• Kelly.grindle@specialgroup.co.nz