’Tis the season of Top 10 events. Yesterday we featured Facebook’s; today we turn to YouTube. There’s two lists – the top 10 videos viewed by Kiwis in 2014, and the top 10 music videos in NZ.
US-based Aussie joins NZ film co
Saatchi snares Colenso’s Digital CD

Unusual suspects
Two wildly unconvincing claims – based on actual AMI conversations with claimants – are the hook for the insurer’s new TV campaign out of Colenso BBDO. Simple line-drawn animation tells the stories, but the ads revert to real people for the sales pitch at the end.
Awop bop aloo bop alop bam boom
Auckland-based comedy producers The Downlow Concept (7 Days, Hounds, 48 Hours) has sent us their new skite clip.
Fairfax invests in new NZ social site

Fairfax Media NZ has bought a stake in Kiwi-founded neighbourhood website Neighbourly.co.nz, a platform that allows New Zealanders to connect and share with their neighbours and wider community using private websites for their suburb.
Snakk brings US native ad platform Downunder
Mobile advertising company Snakk Media has struck a deal to bring US-based Nativo’s native ad platform to NZ and Australia. “Marketers wanting to take advantage of innovative smart screen ad formats that move beyond the banner can now do so,” said Sydney-based Snakk Group ceo Mark Ryan.
Facebook’s global top 10
Sports events take three of the 10 places on the Facebook roundup of the most talked-about global topics in 2014 – released this morning by Facebook NZ. Wars, cops, ebola, airline crashes and Robin Williams made up most of the rest.
Adspend to grow by 5% in 2015 and 6% in 2016 – but NZ will struggle
Global adspend will grow 4.9% to reach US$545 billion in 2015, according to ZenithOptimedia’s new Advertising Expenditure Forecasts, released yesterday by ZO NZ.