Ominous start for Ogilvy as Mark Jenner moves on, Chris Long and Rainger & Rolfe part ways & an ASB update

Don’t let the door hit you on the way out! 

It appears the rotating doors are spinning pretty fast in Adland at the moment. On the back of the recent departures of Justin Mowday and Damon Stapleton from DDB, Paul Shale from FCB and Regan Grafton from Stanley St (to name but a few), I have news of more high-profile departures.

Two weeks ago WPP AUNZ lost its CEO Jens Monsees. Now there is news that the publicly traded agency has shown its NZ Business Director Mark Jenner the door after almost four years in the role. It’s my understanding that Jenner was heading up the recently relaunched Ogilvy International in New Zealand, under the umbrella of Ogilvy Australia and its CEO David Fox. Not a particularly good start for the agency we’ve heard very little about.

Jenner, it appears has started his own agency, Jenner and Co. “A leading, independent services agency focused on helping organisations grow.We provide counsel to executive leaders; create growth strategies and activation plans for organisations; coach marketing capability and partner with the very best practitioners to deliver creative services,” he writes on his LinkedIn page. 

Speaking of new starts, I believe that Chris Long, Creative Director at Rainger & Rolfe is saying goodbye to the indie agency as he looks to pursue his own venture in Adland. From chatter I’ve heard it would appear he’s already recruiting. Anyone looking?

At the rate people are coming and going, I’m sure he’ll have no trouble finding recruits ready to take on the big guns who are seeing quite a bit of instability. Well, not if you are Catherine Harris or Shane Bradnick at least.

And is it just me, or are we seeing new agencies pop up every other week? Clearly marketers have big dollar to spend, and with news this week that April ad demand soared a record 56.2 percent year-on-year, it would seem there’s enough to go around.

Banking on it?

I also have an update on the ASB account. Word is that there are four agencies in the running and that the Mowday, Stapleton-lead The Monkeys is one of them. But other than WiTH Collective, your guess is as good as mine on who the other’s are. Perhaps you have the scoop – email me?

Apparently, the pitch process is said to have been quite something too, putting agencies through the ringer with several mini-pitches involved – but then it is a big one with a range of creative services on offer.

StopPress reached out to ASB who told the team that there is nothing new to share at this stage, but that more details should be available mid-June. I’m already on it.

And that’s the latest – although I’m sure there will be something new tomorrow!

Sincerely,

HotPress is the latest opinion column exclusive to StopPress and filled with juicy titbits sure to spark hot debate.

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Disclaimer

The views expressed in this piece are speculative and may or may not hold ground when properly fact-checked. This column is written in the spirit of constructive opinion/ debate and of course entertainment.

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