Last night, The Keystone Group hosted the Australian Wine Design Competition Awards 2012 at The Winery in Crown Street, Surry Hills.

Hosted in conjunction with the Association of Australian Boutique Winemakers, the event played host to a number of Australia's top wine makers, graphic designers, media and industry alike, including Keystone Group Director Paul Schulte, Lisa McGuigan, and CEO of the Association of Australian Boutique Winemakers, Judith Kennedy.

VIEW THE WINNING DESIGNS HERE

BEST TV
FAVORITE: Polo: Father and Daughter. This spot had me from beginning to end. Great story. Perfect music. Excellent directing. Fantastic little moments. OK, so I'm I new father. But I would've loved it even if I wasn't. Although, would I have gotten all choked up and pretended not to be teary-eyed when someone walked into the room as I was watching the spot? We'll never know.
RUNNER UP: Flying Horse: Cat Toast. Normally, I'm not a fan of weird for weird sake. But I'm also not a fan of cats. So those forces seemed to have cancelled out here and left me chuckling. And it's for an energy drink. So I think they kind of get a pass on having to make a whole lot of sense.

On Thursday May 31st, Curious Film takes its Pop Up Cinema Rockabilly Rumarma to Melbourne in further celebration of its Australasian release of Hori Smoku, a documentary on the life and times of world-renowned tattooist Norman Collins, aka Sailor Jerry.
 
To know what you're in for (including the screening, arm wrestling, roller girls, tattooing, clipper cuts, massive wieners, popcorn, copious amounts of spiced rum and more) check out the sheer spectacle of last month's unbridled bash in Sydney.   

As part of its campaign to promote Hell Pizza, Barnes, Catmur & Friends Auckland has put to air a new TVC focusing on the range of delicious sides available.

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BMF Sydney has created a 90 second 3D cinema commercial for Expedia, the world's largest online travel company, showcasing the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas and the South Pacific.
 
The spot is airing directly before the screening of The Avengers in cinemas across Australia and New Zealand.

Since its launch just over a month ago, Magnum Pleasure Hunt 2 Across the Globe has reached over one million players worldwide, who each spend an average of more than three minutes trying to achieve their highest score in the best possible time.

Frank Chimero is one of the most influential graphic designers, illustrators and thinkers in the design industry.  He has worked with some of the world's leading companies as a designer and strategiser including Facebook, Nike, WIRED, New York Times and Y&R as well as dedicating time to work on personal projects and writing.

Visiting Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, Chimero will present a series of intimate talks consisting of a keynote presentation, Q&A and networking drinks after the event.

Melbourne Central is set to introduce Quick Response Codes (QR Codes). 

Three final year RMIT students, Jackson Harper, Millicent Malcolm and Luke Falkland-Brown, (pictured left to right), have won the "Best of Year" award at the recent D&AD Student Awards in London for their digital campaign for Aviva. 

Aussie expat Mark Ringer, executive creative director at TBWA\Hong Kong, is a serial Cannes delegate and former juror. He will be popping in to the Festival for a couple of days this year but before everyone heads there he offers a few remedies for "Cannes Fatigue".

Cannes Lions; eight days, about 200 speakers, 15 separate awards presentations, production companies' parties, your network's stuff, the holding companies' stuff, your agency obligations, your clients needs, and old friends and acquaintances. And it is wonderful. Until it isn't.
 
In fact Cannes is a little bit like having an orgasm while sitting on a durian. Overall it's pleasurable, but there will be painful moments.
 
It is 'Cannes Lions Fatigue' and I prescribe the following diversions to get you through the week.

The International Festival of Creativity - Cannes Lions, the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), the leading global trade association for the mobile industry, and Velti, the leading global provider of mobile advertising and marketing technology, together announce today that the Mobile Circus is coming to town. 

The 2012 Sydney Film Festival launched last week, with an integrated marketing and advertising campaign created by Boccalatte. 

The work, encompassing campaign strategy, creative direction, art direction and design, is centred around the concept of 'Infinite stories. One film festival'. 

Mark, Sydney has launched its first campaign for group buying site Living Social since winning the business back in early March this year.

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Y&R New Zealand has been appointed creative agency for Quickflix Australia and New Zealand and will start immediately on developing separate campaigns for both markets. 

ASX listed Quickflix has aggressive growth plans for its online movie and TV streaming service for both countries. 

Says Jon Ramage, CEO Y&R NZ: "This is the future of entertainment, what you want to watch, when you want to watch it on pretty much any device you want. We're excited to be part of this new era in entertainment."

M&C Saatchi Melbourne has continued its new business run with appointment as lead creative agency to Opel, General Motors' esteemed German car brand that is about to launch in Australia.
 
From 1 September cars bearing the Opel badge, with its distinctive lightning logo, will be on sale in Australia for the first time.
 
The business was appointed following a competitive pitch.
 
Says M&C Saatchi Melbourne managing director Jo Rozario: "It feels great to bring a car account back into the agency.
 
"Opel is a World Class brand across the globe so it is a real privilege to be involved with the Opel team here to launch and build the brand in Australia."

CB Exclusive - In part 1 of the Boosted Inspiration Series, we meet the inventor of the next big thing: "Moreing".

In the quest to add more, the lines are blurred between art, design, fashion and garden gnomes.

This is the first of a series of films for Kraft brand Boost created by Droga5 Australia around the idea of Boosted inspiration.

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To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the foundation of Grupo ABC, the largest communications group in Latin America, President Bill Clinton will address delegates at the 59th Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

Taking to the stage in the Palais des Festivals in Cannes on Thursday evening 21 June, President Clinton will deliver a keynote speech at the event titled How Advertising Can Help Build a Better World.

President Clinton established the William J. Clinton Foundation with the mission to improve global health, strengthen economies, promote healthier childhoods, and protect the environment by fostering partnerships among governments, businesses, nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), and private citizens to turn good intentions into measurable results.

An animated 'Peaman' fronts Woolworth's Everyday Rewards campaign via Droga5, Sydney.

From today, customers are asked to look out for the "extra special" ticket in-store and save.

Everyday Rewards card holders can save 20 percent or more on 100s of specially marked products in Woolworths supermarkets (excluding Tasmania), in direct competition with the My5 offer from Coles, launched in mid April via Big Red, Melbourne.

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The Government's carbon tax is so unpopular new 'household assistance package' commercials outlining compensation for households do not even mention it.

The new spots target singles, families and seniors on what to expect in extra payments from this month. The carbon tax begins on July 1.

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New World in New Zealand has launched its 'Every Day a New World' campaign, with creative out of Colenso BBDO Auckland, and account service from sister shop .99

In the 'I'm Big Day' spot, a little boy gets the birthday party of his dreams. From pirates to a skull topped birthday cake, his imagination runs wild - and so do his friends. In the 'Next Day' spot, a young couple find what might be the beginning of new love. A great night out is followed by a somewhat awkward morning - but then it develops into something special. And in the 'Luck Day' spot, a dad and his son take a special fishing trip, but just miss out on their big catch. Luckily, they're creative fishermen and manage to save face for their special family meal.

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Fairtrade Australia and New Zealand, via Republic of Everyone, Sydney has launched 'Fairtrade Karma', a new campaign urging consumers to buy Fairtrade products.

The campaign includes an interactive web film, directed by Dan Jamieson, where users can create their own alternate ending for the day starting with their choice of coffee. Depending on the choice users make either good or bad things happen to them.

The Pedigree Adoption Drive offers support to thousands of abandoned dogs across the country. While the numbers hadn't dropped, public interest had.

Colenso BBDO, Auckland needed to find a new way to connect.

By adapting the way 3D glasses work they were able to simultaneously project two entirely different films on the same cinema screen.

The groundbreaking project was created in partnership between FINCH and Colenso BBDO.

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VIEW THE DONATION GLASSES - RESCUED CONCEPT

Mission Australia, via Sydney shop Cabana Boys, has launched a new anti-gambling campaign with the line 'Gambling. If you have to lie, we need to talk'.

The campaign, which promotes Mission Australia's specialist counseling and financial advice for gamblers and their loved ones in the ACT, also ties in with Responsible Gambling Awareness Week, which is on from 14 to 20 May.

Until now the quiet achiever in the luxury car market, Lexus has abandoned its function over form approach and emerged with a stylish new range of vehicles, and a bold new advertising campaign determined to take on the Germans.
 
The aspirational new brand campaign from Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney, injects bold new feelings of passion and desire into Lexus' image.

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In an Australian first for group buying sites, LivingSocial has partnered with Pizza Hut, the largest pizza chain in the world, to bring Aussies their favourite pizza at a slice of the price.
 
For just $2.00, pizza lovers can enjoy a full-sized nine-inch Pizza Mia with seven of the mouth-watering flavour combinations available.

Visual effects specialist Patrick Felgueras (far left) and executive producer Jeff Jaffers (near left) have teamed up to open Mirage VFX, a new Sydney-based post production company housing a collection of skilled artists to produce cinema-quality visual effects and animation for advertising and film in the Asia Pacific region.

Curious director Ash Bolland's 'Burn - Never Extinguish' branded content film for Coca-Cola has been selected to screen at this year's St Kilda Film Festival as part of its showcase of Australia's top short films. 

'Radio Connects', an online case study website, developed as a must-have resource for advertisers and media agencies on the best use of commercial radio advertising, has been launched by the industry.

Says chief executive officer of Commercial Radio Australia, Joan Warner: "The 'Radio Connects' website provides a great source of successful case studies, showing optimum use of radio in actual advertising campaigns.

Bing is targeting "generation do" in a new Australian brand campaign via BMF Sydney.

BMF conducted a nationwide search for the campaign talent and the country's best young film makers, to direct and produce the videos. Gen Y researchers were enlisted to find stories to appeal to the core audience. The stories were then put in to the hands of some of the country's best Gen Y film makers, recruited from various production academies such as AFTRS. Working alongside BMF's content division and reporting directly to the agency's ECD, these young directors produced, directed and edited the films.

The centrepiece of the campaign is a series of mini documentaries and TVCs which tell stories of inspirational young Australians who get thing done.

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Breakfast in bed is a Mother's Day staple, but let's face it, cold toast with a swipe of marmalade just doesn't cut it.

So this Mother's Day the kind folk at 2degrees, via Whybin\TBWA Auckland, decided to do something special to make Mother's Day 2degrees better for Kiwi mums.

Mums simply filled out what they'd love to eat for brekkie using a checklist, then hung it on their bedroom door for the kids.

It was on Facebook on Friday, meaning children had the whole of Saturday to prepare their mum a perfect breakfast in bed, with the help of 2degrees. Choice.

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Colenso BBDO, Auckland scored a Gold Pencil for the Levi's 'Rear View Girls' web film at the One Show Interactive Awards, held tonight in New York.

Australia only managed to win a Bronze Pencil, awarded to IdeaWorks, Sydney for Asics 'Run with me', in  the Social Media - Location Aware Services category

This year a total of 91 Pencil winners representing 17 different countries were announced, with momentous "Best of Show" honors going to two projects for the first time in the history of the competition: DDB Paris' "A New Warrior," created for the global nonprofit Greenpeace and 72andSunny for "MFCEO," created for client K-Swiss and featuring lead character Kenny Powers from HBO's "Eastbound and Down."

Come to Mama director Damien Toogood took out Best Direction in a Television Commercial for Sydney Dogs and Cats Home 'Getting to Zero' at the 30th Anniversary Australian Directors' Guild Awards, held tonight at the Australian Maritime Museum in Sydney.

Nominations in the category were Sean Meehan for Sleep Walker, Bruce Hunt for Subaru XV 'Carwash' and Sean Meehan for Volkswagen 'Cross Country'.

Revolver's Steve Rogers won Best Direction in a Music Video for Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders 'Cold Feet'.

Droga5 Sydney has created a film featuring Phill Pace, a contender for the Mr Australia
bodybuilder title, to launch Domestos' new toilet cleaner.

The film follows a typical day in the life for Phill as he eats his way to the title.

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Multimedia communications company KOJO and animation specialists The People's
Republic of Animation (PRA) have joined forces to target growth in national and global
markets.

The latest spot promoting the benefits of Specsavers' digital retinal photography, directed by Nick&Travis @ Airbag Productions.

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Branded-entertainment specialist Ensemble has hired Lauren Joyce as national strategy director, a new position.
  
Joyce will be based in Melbourne and joins Jamie Gilbert-Smith who joined as general manager of Ensemble Melbourne in March this year. 

New Zealand is a bubbling crock-pot of cultures. Not only is the food you find there a fusion of many far away places, but so are many other elements of their lifestyle.

To promote the new Subway Italian range Publicis Mojo, Auckland took a lighthearted look at a few traits kiwis have adopted from their Italian cuzzies.

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Liz Polkinghorne, a graduate of Melbourne University, worked as an account executive in Melbourne before discovering Miami Ad School.

She chose Miami Ad School Hamburg, settling for northern German delights like pickled herring and The Reeperbahn. Eight quarters, three internships at international locations, two stolen bikes and countless all nighters later, she graduated in 2009 with a diploma in copywriting and a beautiful handcrafted portfolio book. Tapping into the school's network she landed a job in a few short weeks at Grey in NYC.

Eighteen months later, Y&R NYC came knocking and she jumped at the opportunity to work on global clients like Land Rover, Virgin Atlantic, Waldorf Astoria, Microsoft Advertising and Dell. Polkinghorne is the writer of the "7th Wheel" for Land Rover, which is this week's top pick of the Bestads Top 6 of the Week.

Sydney shops Publicis Mojo, DDB and M&C Saatchi scored Bronze Pencils at the One Show in New York this evening.

Publicis Mojo Sydney scored Bronze for the Boags 'Russell Falls' spot in Cinema Advertising; DDB Sydney won Bronze for Volkswagen in Branded Content - Television; M&C Saatchi, Sydney won Bronze for Sydney Cats & Dogs Home in Integrated Branding - Public Service Campaign.