The Monkeys is now Droga5 Aotearoa. As with all good rebrands, they’ve been thinking about their point of difference and what the new identity will mean for them.
Congratulations on becoming Droga5 Aotearoa. What does that mean for NZ?
Storm Day: Thank you. It’s exciting to become part of the global Droga5 network and an honour to be part of this legendary brand. We love its ambition to create purpose-led brands that are the most influential of this century. From the early days with Ecko’s ‘Airforce One’ to Levis ‘The Greatest Story Every Worn’, to Puma ‘Afterhours Athlete’ and more recently Paramount – the work speaks for itself.
And to be influential we believe you need to be making interesting work. That’s a word that has become very important to us. Is it interesting? How do we make it more interesting? Why will Kiwis be interested?
Damon Stapleton: Interesting sets the bar high. The Monkeys as a network has a fantastic creative legacy. In the last two years alone, it has won multiple Grand Prix at every global and local show including Cannes, Clios, One Show, Spikes, Axis, and AWARD.
To top it off, The Monkeys was awarded Agency Network of the Year at the AWARD Awards. We want to carry that spirit forward. Becoming Droga5 means pushing boundaries, raising the bar even higher and redefining what it means to create interesting work.
Stevie Weber: Droga5 is a truly global network. It’s not something we just say. Already we have had the privilege of accessing different talent, teams and briefs. We have rich market-specific insights at our fingertips, and having different perspectives from all over the world is going to enable us to think differently and do more interesting work.
Becoming Droga5 also comes with the pressure to live up to one of the best creative agency brands in the world, but we are very excited to take this on, and use it as an opportunity to stretch our creative thinking even further
and redefine the type of work we want to do.
What does ‘interesting’ mean for your team and clients?
DS: ‘Interesting’ is at the heart of our creative philosophy. There are two simple reasons for this. You will never bore a consumer into buying your product. Dull has never been an option and that is even more true going forward. The other reason is most magnificent work these days often defies convention and channels. It is about provoking thought and sparking conversation. ‘Interesting’ will challenge us to innovate and explore new ideas, ensuring that our work is noticed. But also, this way of working gives us clues as to where our industry is going next.
SW: We’ve done some research and Kiwis are getting bored with advertising – they feel like they’re seeing the same s… over and over. It’s lost its fun and impact. ‘Interesting’ should create social value for customers. It is proven to be one of the most powerful ways to attract and sustain engagement – which is increasingly tough to achieve.
SD: Expect interesting work and a commitment to purpose-led brands that have a real impact. Every person in our team will be motivated to deliver ‘interesting’ and we’ve put a lot of effort to ensure our behaviours and rituals as a team motivate more interesting outcomes for our clients.
What might make ‘interesting’ hard for marketers?
SD: There is no denying that Kiwi organisations are still operating in a strained economic backdrop and that impacts innovation, decision making and business momentum. Our advice is that it’s more important than ever to connect with customers in interesting ways that will help you differentiate.
DS: I think it is very tough to be a marketer right now.
A proliferation of channels and decisions. I am sure a fair amount of snake oil-salesman. Tight budgets and pressure. The reality is cut through and effectiveness do not come from more choices. It comes from how you connect the dots. To do that you need all the Lego blocks and a trusted partner that will work with you to put them together.
SW: Being “dull” is dangerous. It’s costing marketers a lot of money. But there is an inherent fear of getting things wrong. Reduced budgets, short-term thinking, poor use of research, the disruption of new tech and media means we are naturally more risk averse – so default to the familiar. Our role is to help clients navigate ambiguity and help them turn uncertainty into possibility.
Interesting has always been at the heart of the work, with projects including KidsCan, No Ugly and Bagels.
How do you get to ‘interesting’ work?
SW: ‘Interesting’ doesn’t just happen (not usually, anyway). People often think processes hamstring creative thinking, but having parameters or constraints can be hugely beneficial.
While it sounds counterintuitive, having radical constraints forces you to think differently. Another consideration is understanding what customers’ expectations are of the category, your brand – or even culture – and then finding a way to subvert that. There’s also carrying the belief you can find the ‘interesting’ in everything – so being naturally curious is critical. Obvious but often overlooked.
DS: When it comes to ideas and making work, there are many things you can do that have been done already. This kind of work won’t cause any trouble, but also probably won’t move the needle. The strange thing is: this is the work that should get you in trouble, because it is boring and wastes money on a gigantic scale.
‘Interesting’ makes you question and take risks. These will always be the building blocks of good advertising and ideas. It is this way of thinking that led us to making Bagels for ASB: a pop star and a bank doing something to help mental health in New Zealand.
The thing about interesting is it doesn’t make sense until it does. And then everything can change.
SD: And lastly, having a culture where you can comfortably challenge each other – Rosie Grayson, Christie Cooper and James Conner are on the Droga5 leadership team and we always hold ourselves and each other accountable with the use of one simple question: “Is that interesting?”
This was first published in the 2024 December-January NZ Marketing Magazine issue. Subscribe here.
