AUCKLAND, Friday: The NZ Design Institute has awarded three Black Pins – their highest honour – to master carver Clive Fugill, legendary brand designer Annie Dow and Fisher & Paykel Healthcare.

AUCKLAND, Today: Stuff has appointed Candice Robertson as head of communications – effectively, a new fulltime role (previously contracted out).

AUCKLAND, Friday: Renowned former Saatchi & Saatchi creative Tom Eslinger – a NZ CD at Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand (subsequently going on to become Saatcchi’s New York-based global CD – has announced the launch of UnLshd in New Zealand and Australia.

AUCKLAND, Today: The Comms Council has pulled in a prominent NZ-based employment lawyer to help answer a question that has many scratching their heads – what to do when prominent employees leave.

SYDNEY, Friday: New Zealand’s media agency market looks set to sustain the current period of higher advertising demand at least until the end of CY2019, new Standard Media Index forecasts show.

AUCKLAND, Today: NZ’s longest-standing and largest advertising tech event returns to Auckland at AUT on Thursday 14 November.

AUCKLAND, Thursday: US-based performance marketing business Rakuten Marketing has launched the second edition of their APAC State of e-Commerce report, revealing some surprising insights into online purchasing habits in the region – including NZ.

AUCKLAND, Thursday: TBWA has announced the promotion of Catherine Harris to ceo of TBWA\Group New Zealand. Previously, she was managing director.

AUCKLAND, Today: More provocative images of rocker Keith Richards dressed as a Catholic holyman are resurfacing in emails, and on the web.