AUCKLAND, Today: Volkswagen NZ has appointed Freemans Bay-based Lily & Louis Creative PR as its official public relations agency. There was no incumbent, and no pitch – L&L have been working for VW on a project basis for some time. VW NZ’s creative agency is DDB.

AUCKLAND, Today: Hobsonville-based brand activation specialist Hoop has formed a joint venture with Australia’s largest pure-play co-packer LJM to fill a gap in NZ’s co-packing market.

AUCKLAND, Saturday: The next head of DDB North America will be a woman, reports business reporter Damien Venuto in the Weekend Herald, who scored an interview with global ceo Wendy Clark during her recent stopover in NZ.

LAKE WAKATIPU, Sunday: A 257-hectare high-country station in Paradise Valley – a prized location for hundreds of commercials, movies, and TV shows since 1958 – is to be sold.

AUCKLAND, Today: It’s a sad day for pedants everywhere. The Apostrophe Protection Society has disbanded.

SYDNEY, Sunday: Just one Kiwi made it through to the shortlist of Australia’s Women Leading Tech Awards 2020 – congratulations, Vodafone NZ head of platforms Sharina Nisha.

WELLINGTON, Today: Saatchi & Saatchi has created a campaign and full brand identity to support Women’s Work, a unique exhibition celebrating the work of 21 women photographers from the Advertising & Illustrative Photographers’ Association (AIPA) running over four days from today (Friday 6 March) at the Ellen Melville Centre in Auckland.

WELLINGTON, Today: Uprise Digital head of people & culture Ashleigh Duncan has penned a thoughtful piece about the place of women in the workplace, challenging Government policy as “a clear example of bias”.

NAPIER, Yesterday: Australasia’s largest fertiliser company, Incitec Pivot, has appointed specialist New Zealand agribusiness agency Tracta to support the development of creative and strategic initiatives across key segments of their business.

SYDNEY, Thursday: Prof Mark Ritson is back in the news with a stirring report on the unexpected rise in sales of legendary Mexican beer Corona – despite the global spread of coronavirus.