WRC CREATIVE DIRECTOR NIGEL CORBETT ADDS PR COMPANY MANGO TO HIS DUTIES

Mango has appointed award-winning ad creative Nigel Corbett as its first Creative Director, becoming the first public relations agency in New Zealand to harness top-level creative muscle from the advertising world.
Corbett, who is also creative director of sister agency WRC, will play a pivotal role in developing communications ideas for Mango clients.
Mango Managing Partner Claudia Macdonald describes the move as a logical extension of our integrated approach to marketing communications: “The days of PR agencies offering purely media-driven answers to communication needs are over. Clients demand sophisticated business and marketing thinking for their brands. Senior creatives from the advertising world are trained problem solvers and are able to offer a different dimension on issues.
“We’ve always taken a 360 degree view on client work, drawing on the extensive specialist planning, direct marketing, sales promotion, event management and creative resources within WRC and our parent DDB. Nigel’s appointment really strengthens that and allows us to lift the bar creatively and strategically.”
Nigel Corbett believes that working more closely with Mango will also benefit WRC. “These days the line between PR and advertising is blurring. By being able to draw on expert resources from the two disciplines, the work for both Mango and WRC clients will just keep getting better and better.”
Ms Macdonald claims many PR companies and advertising agencies give lip service to the concept of integration, but few actually walk the talk.
“Good integration is more than just leveraging the advertising idea through PR or the web. The idea needs to be at the core of the solution, with the different channels – be they PR, advertising or whatever - used to deliver effectively to the target market.
“This kind of dynamic relationship, which focuses on idea generation rather than territorially guarding the means of delivery, produces the most innovative results.”
Corbett, who joined WRC in 2004 as creative director from Clemenger BBDO, Wellington, has won numerous awards, including several Cannes, One Show, Axis, AWARD, RSVPs, NZ Media Awards, DM Asia and came third in the 100 metres freestyle in 5th form.
Mango Communications clients include Air New Zealand, Vodafone, Bendon, Tegel, Briarwood and the Child Cancer Foundation.