New Zealand Media and Entertainment’s (NZME) competition celebrating the innovation and creativity inherent in print advertising is back for a second year, with the esteemed panel of judges for 2024 announced today.

NZME’s Imprint Competition challenges NZME’s agency partners to showcase innovative and strategic thinking, proving how their campaigns leverage the full potential of print advertising, including creative use of the channel and ad placement. The winner will receive a trip for two to attend Advertising Week New York.

A diverse mix of media industry experts forms the panel of judges for the 2024 competition:

• Brad Collett – Chief Creative Officer, Federation
• Mikayla Hopkins – Head of Marketing, Tracksuit
• Simon Hofmann – General Manager, Brand and Marketing, Kiwibank
• Christie Cooper – Creative Director, The Monkeys
• Graham Dolan – Group Creative Director, NZME

Margaret Hawker, NZME Head of Commercial Publishing and Innovation, and award judging facilitator says NZME takes great pride in delivering Imprint and is looking forward to building on the success of last year’s inaugural competition.

“As we continue to expand our audience and engagement, we’ve witnessed first-hand the impactful outcomes of outstanding print advertising, strengthening brand awareness and lasting recall, which is hugely beneficial for our advertising clients. We’re looking forward to seeing some exceptional entries in 2024 and I’m sure our judges will have their work cut out for them in selecting a winner.”

Brad Collett, Imprint judge and Chief Creative Officer at Federation, says: “I’m a huge fan of print ads, inky little masterpieces, being able to pick up and hold your creative baby in your arms is an amazing feeling. And I’m excited that print advertising has undergone significant changes over the years, adapting to shifts in technology, consumer behaviour, and cultural trends, is the rebirth of print advertising.”

Mikayla Hopkins, Imprint judge and Head of Marketing at Tracksuit, says: “Print is such an effective medium for building brand and storytelling. I’m looking forward to judging this year’s NZME Imprint Competition and celebrating the power of print advertising alongside all the extremely talented marketers and creatives across the country.”

Media agency OMD and McDonald’s were recognised as last year’s NZME Imprint winners for their ‘cheesy’ takeover of The New Zealand Herald, in which a slice of McDonald’s cheese covered the front page of the paper. The campaign was created by DDB and designed to be a striking celebration of one of McDonald’s most famous ingredients, capturing readers and serving up a powerful hunger trigger.

Entries for NZME’s Imprint Competition are now open and will close on Monday 20 May 2024. To participate, visit imprint.nz (Terms and Conditions apply).

For more information, please contact:
Patricia Banda
Communications Advisor – NZME
+64 27 213 3637
Patricia.banda@nzme.co.nz