DDB group takes top honours as Agency of the Year – creativity at its core

AUCKLAND, Today: DDB Group Aotearoa has had an outstanding year, marked by significant achievements and a focus on delivering impactful creative ideas. Their efforts have culminated in receiving the Campaign Brief NZ Agency of the Year title.

Matty Burton, DDB Group Aotearoa’s Chief Creative Officer, underscores the philosophy behind their success: “We invest in the kind of creativity that turns people’s heads and doesn’t bore them to death with yet another unnoticed piece of rubbish polluting our eyeballs,” he says.

The agency’s work has not only resonated with clients but also with the wider industry, earning them multiple accolades and affirming their creative strategy.

Discussing the value of industry recognition, Burton explains: “That can sound pretty simple, but it is easy to get lost in meetings and decks and feedback loops and money and fear and everything else that comes with the territory.”

“An idea can turn to dust or magic, depending on the talent that rubs against it.” – Bill Bernbach

Priya Patel, CEO of DDB Group Aotearoa NZ, reflects on the agency’s growth and team ethos: “We’re really pleased that DDB Group finished 2023 ahead of the previous year. It’s a great result in a tough environment and requires huge effort across many clients and across many different specialisms. We never take this success for granted and we’re very much focused on 2024 – and how to be even better partners to our clients.”

She also emphasises the leadership’s approach to fostering a positive work environment: “We hang out together as much as we can, and we laugh a lot – mostly at ourselves and our height deficiencies.”

Patel praises the agency’s inspiration and guiding principles: “We’re all hardcore fans of our founder Bill Bernbach. He said: ‘An idea can turn to dust or magic, depending on the talent that rubs against it’.”

In addition, Gary Steele, DDB Group Aotearoa NZ’s Chief Creative Officer, speaks to the unique creative landscape in New Zealand and the agency’s culture: “This place has always had something a bit special about it, some say it’s in the water, but I think it’s the people that live here.”

Steele shares his admiration for certain projects that embody the agency’s values and impact: “The first one is Correct The Internet, for not only highlighting the inherent bias but more importantly, helping make the fundamental change to a data set that has been around for decades due to the continued pressure and dedication of everyone working on this.”