Australian box office results postponed due to Colorado shootings
Australia’s film distributors have postponed the release of the weekend box office results until tomorrow morning following the Colorado shootings during a screening of The Dark Knight Rises on Friday.
The announcement came from the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia, the body which administers the box office results, at the request of Roadshow Films, the Australian distributors of the film.
Kyle & Jackie O producer Bouchet fired over Batman massacre gags
Kyle & Jackie O producer Bruno Bouchet has been fired by Today FM after making jokes on Twitter about the weekend’s cinema shootings in Colorado. He told Mumbrella today that at the time he did not realise the seriousness of the situation, and had been drinking.
A spokesman for the network said that Bouchet had been terminated because his comments violated the network’s social media policy.
Bouchet, a guest and talent producer, was with the show for two years. His duties included an on air role including the weekend Producers Edition of the Kyle & Jackie O Show.
The jokes were quickly removed. They were spotted by Jocks Journal over the weekend, which wrote on its Facebook page:
“Very, very sad to read Bruno Bouchet’s Tweets (five ‘gags’) on the tragedy in America involving the killing of 12 people and up to 40 injured persons at a Colorado cinema. Bouchet, who is the Guest and Talent Producer on Kyle & Jackie O’s breakfast show, twittered these ‘so called jokes’ just minutes after the news broke. Mate, I think a ‘Twitter’ apology would be appropriate – not to me or your Twitter readers who may be offended – but to the US families who are grieving today over the loss of loved ones.”
Jeremy Simpson, 2Day FM’s Sydney general manager said in a statement: “Southern Cross Austereo has a strict social media policy that all staff must adhere to, and Bruno’s activity on Twitter was in breach of this policy. It is for this reason that Bruno’s employment has been terminated, effective immediately.”
Bouchet – a popular figure within the industry – told Mumbrella: Read more »
Media agency Pearman rebrands
Independent media agency Pearman has overhauled its visual identity and launched its first company website.
The Sydney-based agency, which ranks 15th in the Nielsen rankings of Australia’s top-billing media buyers, has also repositioned as having ‘Boutique agency service with large agency experience’. Read more »
Radio United to reunite three years on from digital launch
Three years after the launch of digital radio in Australia, the nation’s radio stations are to once again come together in a joint national broadcast.
The event will see live broadcasts from Sydney’s First Fleet Park, Melbourne’s Federation Square, Brisbane’s King George Square, Adelaide’s Victoria Square and Perth Cultural Centre. Read more »
Crown Casino launches Busby Berkeley-styled promo
Melbourne’s Crown Casino has launched a new campaign promoting its program of events, Carnivale.
The kaleidoscopic animated piece directed by Curious Film’s Syd Garon by agency Clemenger BBDO is reminiscent of 1930′s Busby Berkeley films. Read more »
Fairfax strikes leader Marcus Strom joins journalist’s union
The man who led the Fairfax strikes has joined the journalist’s union as a campaigner.
Marcus Strom led industrial action against plans to outsource Fairfax production to New Zealand in May as Fairfax house committee chairman.
He started at the Media Alliance last week having taken a year of unpaid leave from Fairfax, where he was deputy foreign editor on The Sydney Morning Herald. Read more »
TBWA’s Lorenzo Bresciani joins DDB Melbourne as head of planning
DDB Melbourne has appointed Lorenzo Bresciani as head of planning.
The former DDB London planning head joins from Whybin\
Profero eyes Australia expansion, global boss: ‘Never say never’ on selling
Digital agency Profero is gearing up for expansion in Australia.
Sydney is the network’s Asia Pacific hub for creative, strategy and technology, and global CEO Wayne Arnold has said he wants the Australian business to build scale to serve the region.
Profero has traditionally grown organically, but recently acquired an Hispanic marketing agency in the US, and since AKQA sold to WPP in June Profero is the world’s largest independent digital agency network.
Arnold, who was in town last week, did not rule out launching an office in Melbourne or making an acquisition. Read more »
Harper’s Bazaar appoints Thelma McQuillan as fashion director
Fashion bible Harper’s Bazaar has hired former Grazia staffer Thelma McQuillan as fashion director.
McQuillan had held the role at Harper’s when the magazine first launched in Australia.
She was previously fashion director of Grazia Australia and contributing fashion editor at British Grazia. Stylist David Bonney will replace McQuillan at Grazia Australia. Read more »
Mark Coad returns to media as CEO of PHD
Mark Coad is returning to the media world as CEO of media agency PHD after nearly three years at the helm of creative agency Clemenger Harvie.
Coad is seen as one of the most accomplished media operators in Australia and was credited with completing the turnaround of media agency OMD in his previous role.
The CEO role at PHD was not initially filled when Barry O’Brien, now chief sales officer at Ten, departed. The senior ranks at PHD are otherwise unaffected including Toby Hack remaining as MD.
Meanwhile Clemenger Harvie Melbourne will relaunch as CHE Proximity – less than a year after changing its name from CHE back to Clemenger Harvie. GM Chris Howatson will become managing partner which at 27 makes him one of Australia’s youngest agency bosses.
Coad’s strong Melbourne connections will also be a boost for PHD which recently launched its Victorian operation to support new $120m client ANZ. Read more »
Sydney Opera House partners TEDx
The technology, entertainment and design festival spin-off TEDx has partnered with Sydney Opera House for its fourth annual Sydney event.
TEDx is a program of local, self-organised events that provide an experience of TED at a local level.
The event will be held in the Concert Hall before a live audience of over 2,000, simulcast throughout the public areas of the Sydney Opera House and also be streamed live globally. Read more »
M&C Saatchi’s brand consultancy Re hires Jason Little as creative director
M&C Saatchi’s brand consultancy Re has hired Jason Little as creative director.
Little moves after a six-year stint with Landor Associates, latterly in Paris, to a role that has been vacant for 12 months. Read more »
Seven News in social media backlash after deleting grieving mum’s angry comments
Seven News has apologised after it deleted comments from its Facebook page from a mother angry at the network’s coverage of her daughter’s death.
Seven claims it deleted the comment from Linda Goldspink-Lord “in error”. At the time of deletion, more than 32,000 people had liked the comment, and 2000 had commented.
Seven has also made the unusual claim that it has the means of reinstating the comments which were left over the weekend.
The comment from Mrs Goldspink-Lord accused the network of intrusive reporting of her 13-year-old daughter Molly Lord’s accidental death neat Wollongong in NSW on July 11. She stated: Read more »
Virgin Mobile invites Aussies to be part of Doug Pitt’s entourage
In the next phase of Virgin Mobile’s Fair Go Bro campaign featuring Brad Pitt’s brother, consumers will be given the chance to be part of Doug Pitt’s entourage for his first visit to Australia.
The promotion allows people to nominate themselves and four Facebook friends to be among Pitt’s entourage. Entrants will see themselves and their friends featured in a mock magazine spread that they can then download and share.
The promotion will be supported by a TV campaign running on free to air and pay TV. Read more »
Masterchef heads for strong series finish
Finals week of Masterchef got off to a strong start for Ten on Sunday night, with the show dominating in the key advertising demographics of 16-39, 18-49 and 25-54.
The show rated well ahead of any other in each demo.
In 16-39, it pulled in an audience of 582,000 – 76% bigger than the next show which was Ten’s Modern Family with 330,000. Read more »
Carat Melbourne appoints Gavin Ashcroft as general manager
Carat Melbourne has moved Gavin Ashcroft to the new role of general manager.
Ashcroft joined the agency in 2006, and most recently ran accounts including Disney, adidas, Nintendo and Mattel. Read more »
Mark Britt steps in as IAB interim chair
Mark Britt, CEO of ninemsn’s digital parent Mi9 is to chair the Interactive Advertising Bureau.
The IAB is the voice of the advertising interests of Australia’s digital media owners. Read more »
McDonald’s launches Spotify Facebook first
McDonald’s is claiming a media first by launching a Spotify application on its Facebook page.
‘The Social Playlist’ enables people to introduce their friends to the McDonald’s Facebook page, help create the playlist, and reward them with the chance to win a 12-month Spotify premium account. Read more »