Sydney-based Australasian mobile commerce outfit Mobile Embrace (ASX: MBE) is rebranding its advertising arm 4th Screen to 1st Screen, reflecting the evolution of the mobile sector – as well as the company’s “commitment to being first” in the multi-billion dollar industry” in NZ and Australia.

NZ has 14 finalists through in the Asian Marketing Effectiveness & Strategy Awards in Singapore. Colenso BBDO has eight, Auckland indie Republik four, and Carat two. Australia has 31 finalists.

Global ad platform AdRoll has compressed its annual in-depth ANZ State of the Industry report – first published in NZ by M+AD in February – into a quick, easy-to-digest infographic.

NZ has three Pencil winners (the colour will be announced next month) from the first day of results from D&AD London. Australian agencies notched four.

Sydney-based Big Mobile ceo Graham Christie, a regular M+AD contributor, wraps up the latest mobile news from around the APAC region:

My Food Bag has appointed Saatchi & Saatchi as its agency of record, following a competitive pitch that began earlier this year. 

To mark the end of summer each year a festival is held in the Far North fishing port of Mangonui. Local producers display and sell their wares, business houses arrange water sport contests and the last of the summer tourists marvel at the range of produce. Well-known local hot sauce maker Garry Sommerville has attended three times now with his famous chili sauce Kaitaia Fire and associated products.

Phantom Billstickers has christened new sites for its sweet new Super and Max A0 poster frames – on Anzac Ave. in the heart of the Auckland Uni precinct.