Seán Boyle makes a case for why it’s time for Kinsale to seize the creative festival moment as Cannes jumps the shark One of the reasons ad agencies enter award shows is because of something called The Gunn Report. The report is an annual audit of the most creative agencies on the planet, based on […]
Articles Archive

Live and swell at Verve
Ronan Traynor (above) tells Michael Cullen why Verve thrives on solving client problems Go to most major sponsored sports or music events around Ireland and chances are Verve are likely to be involved. It could be Electric Picnic, corporate hospitality at the All-Ireland GAA finals or manning stalls at the National Ploughing Championships in Tullamore. The agency […]

Brands home in on family themes
In his Stray Thoughts, Breandán O Broin looks at brands embracing families In many ways, autumn’s arrival signals the start of the advertising year. The frivolity of silly season summer offers is cast aide and marketing eyes turn to the real job of boosting brands, building awareness, and scripting award-winning Christmas blockbuster TV commercials. Not […]

Getting back on track
Colm Carey on why public transport needs to move with the times RTE Radio’s 1’s Liveline is often the last resort for people who find themselves frustrated trying to deal with companies that do not listen to customers who have a problem. One such case involved a young woman left stranded in Blackrock Dart station […]

Embracing sponsorships
Lisa Browne and Edel McCarthy talk to Michael Cullen about Electric Ireland’s current sponsorship strategy and how it helps connect a brand in a low interest category Sponsorship is big business. Boosted by next month’s Women Rugby World Cup and ‘sponsor switching’ on some major assets, Ireland’s spend on sponsorship is due to due to grow […]

Influencer gold rush
Shane O’Leary questions the high value put on influencers by Irish marketers The ASAI and the PRII are scrambling to regulate it. A number of Irish social media users have made it a full time career. There’s a host of agencies offering it and brands are pumping investment into it. ‘Influencer’ marketing is big business. […]

Sharks judge says education is key
Improvements in creative standards in advertising should be made by starting with Ireland’s education system, Chemistry’s Emmet Wright, a judge at this year’s Sharks festival in Kinsale says. A former teacher himself, Wright believes Ireland’s education system encourages and enforces a particular type of learning: educators call it ‘teaching to the test’. It is as […]

Virgin pushes TV3’s ad solutions
In an interview with Michael Cullen, Gavan Byrne and Paula McCarthy explain how TV3’s Virgin Media Solutions is gearing up for busy times TV3’s director of programmes Bill Malone addressed a recent Virgin Media Solutions (VMS) agency breakfast in Fire restaurant having just returned from MIPTV in Cannes. The expo provides 11,000 TV decision-makers, […]

Brendan Kennelly a national treasure
In his latest Stray Thoughts column, Breandán O Broin writes on why he believes Irish poet Brendan Kennelly deserves to be honoured as a national treasure We don’t have an honours list in Ireland; we are a proud republic, not a suppliant monarchy. But we do have the rank of laureate where we honour our writers […]

Playing fair with interns
Colm Carey on why agencies should act responsibly when hiring interns Two major issues often concern people starting out on their chosen careers. One is getting a permanent job that takes them out of the gig economy, the other is getting a permanent roof over their head. The two needs are strongly connected. It cannot […]

MEC more than content
David Hayes, left, on why MEC’s Wavemaker gives media a new surge If there is one thing David Hayes is certain about in Irish media is that the old, reliable spot ad is dead and gone – or, at best, in a coma. Media agencies need to completely rethink how they operate and what it […]

Display ads could implode
Shane O’Leary on why the display ads bubble might be about to burst It was all supposed to be so different. Digital display advertising was supposed to be the big change for marketing. It would allow marketeers target effectively, measure concisely and ensure that the old adage of ‘half of my budget is wasted, I […]

Integrated take on RTE ads
Luke Reaper (pictured left) responds to a critique on a recent recall study for RTÉ At B&A, we do not normally comment on articles, but feel compelled to do so concerning Ruth Payne’s evaluation of our RTÉ research study in the March issue. In November last year, B&A conducted a piece of primary research for RTÉ […]