New Noise appointment echoes growing digital convergence

People Moves

by Gariné Tcholakian
Media in Canada

Noise Digital has just appointed Michael Milardo as its co-creative director. The move, which follows the opening of Noise's Toronto office earlier this year, is part of the agency's efforts to strengthen its resources to address the needs of an ad client base that is seeing increasing convergence between traditional and digital.

The award-winning copywriter's first project with the agency, "Zombie Singles", won the Bronze Cyber Lion at Cannes last week. (Milardo, who worked on the campaign on a contract basis at the time, helped set the tone and a unique sense of humour to the zombie dating profiles which contributed to the user experience.)

The newly created role is being shared with Noise's current CD, Brock Ellis, with whom Milardo will be working to develop campaigns for clients including Nokia, Sony PlayStation, Ferrero, Tic Tac and Johnson & Johnson.

"We believe that ideas dictate the media," Mark Nishiguchi, managing partner at Noise Digital tells MiC."Media and creative are becoming one strategic and planning entity, and technology is the reason why these lines are blurring. It reflects the fact that digital is not a singular communication channel: it's the thread that links all media channels together, so Michael's knowledge and expertise in traditional channels is critical to our strategic positioning as a full-service digital partner."

"It's pretty clear where the industry is headed, and I wanted to be a part of that," said Milardo, in a release. "A great idea can live in any form; moving online with Noise just made sense. They work with global brands, and there's a ton of opportunity online."

Formerly of Rethink and TBWA, Milardo's past experience also includes working for BBDO Berlin and Ogilvy Copenhagen, and with clients like Bell Mobility, Vancity, BC Lotteries, HSBC, Volkswagen, Sobeys Foods and McDonald's. He's won over 30 awards, including Communication Arts, One Show Interactive, the Clio Awards and London International.

"Digital agencies are no longer just adapting existing creative for the web," said Nishiguchi in a recent release. "We now have a lead role in overall campaign development. Michael's expertise strengthens our ability to deliver breakthrough creative, strategic insight and technical ability."

Expanding further on the statement, Nishiguchi later tells MiC: "In order for truly integrated executions to be successful, media needs to be at the centre of planning and strategy. In a more fractured media landscape it is becoming more important to acknowledge that earned media vs. paid media is becoming the norm vs. the exception. Truly successful agencies will create time, not buy it."

Single, male, undead

Susan Krashinsky

Globe and Mail, Thursday, Jun. 25, 2009 05:56PM EDT

"That’s one thing about zombie fans: they take it really seriously. So it had to look really good. We couldn’t just take a picture and put a hole in somebody’s head." - Mark Nishiguchi, managing partner at Vancouver-based firm Noise Digital

There are some markets Lavalife and eHarmony just don’t serve. Zombies, for example. The undead need love too. Luckily, Zombie Singles fills that void. The site includes listings from Gorey Gretta, “a female zombie seeking a male for casual feeding.” and Guhhhhhh, who likes “blocked exits” and “people buffet,” and dislikes “the hunger.” In truth, Zombie Singles is the award-winning brainchild of Noise Digital, which created the faux dating site last year to advertise zombie-themed mobile phone-based video game Resident Evil Degeneration. The campaign won bronze in the cyber competition at the International Advertising Festival in Cannes this week. A particularly attractive candidate is Kiki from Indonesia, whose “fiends” list is positively gutted – er, glutted. We hope he finds love. The bar scene can be such a meat market.

Noise Appoints Michael Milardo as Creative Director

Vancouver, BC; June 24, 2009 – Following its Bronze Cyber Lion win this morning, Noise Digital has announced the appointment of Michael Milardo as Creative Director. The award-winning copywriter will join Noise’s current Creative Director Brock Ellis in this newly created role. The pair will act much like creative teams at traditional advertising agencies, developing campaigns for clients including Nokia, Sony PlayStation, tic tac, and Johnson & Johnson.

Milardo’s expertise, gained from years at tier one advertising agencies such as Rethink, TBWA, BBDO Berlin, and Ogilvy Copenhagen, will add significant weight to the creative resources available to Noise clients.

“We created this new position to further address the convergence of traditional and digital advertising,” said Mark Nishiguchi, Managing Partner at Noise Digital. “Digital agencies are no longer just adapting existing creative for the web - we now have a lead role in overall campaign development. Michael’s expertise strengthens our ability to deliver breakthrough creative, strategic insight and technical ability.”

Milardo has won more than 30 awards during his career – including Communication Arts, One Show Interactive, the Clio Awards, and London International. Milardo has worked with numerous clients including Bell Mobility, Vancity, BC Lotteries, HSBC, Volkswagen, Sobeys Foods, and McDonalds.

In recent months, Noise has invested significant resources in adding to its capacity. In February it opened an office in Toronto to meet the growing demand for digital advertising services across Canada.

“A great idea can live in any form; moving online with Noise just made sense,” said Milardo. “They work with global brands, and there’s a ton of opportunity online. It’s pretty clear where the industry is headed, and I wanted to be a part of that.”

About Noise Digital:
Noise is a digital advertising agency providing online marketing solutions for leading national and global brands. The company’s success stems from its belief in truly integrated marketing strategy, cutting edge technology and breakthrough creative design. Noise was founded in 1998 and has offices in Vancouver and Toronto. Its clients include: Nokia, adidas, Sony PlayStation, Johnson & Johnson, Ferrero Brands, Canadian Direct Insurance, Maple Pictures and CTV. www.noisedigital.com

***FLASH***Cannes hands Canada four more Lions

by Carey Toane and Mary Maddever
Media In Canada

If zombies make your heart pound in a good way, then the news of Canada's only Cyber Lion will set you a-flutter. Vancouver-based Noise Digital won Canada's only Bronze Lion for "Zombie Singles," an undead dating site to build buzz for Resident Evil: Degeneration on the Nokia N-Gage platform.

Dubbed the "official dating site of the walking dead," ZombieSingles.com invites lonely brain-cravers to upload photos to be "zombified," browse and rate other gruesome profiles or let the matchmaker take a crack at finding love for them.

"It was a big hit," says Canadian jury member Stephane Charier, ECD at Taxi Montreal. "We laughed, had so much fun. Juries are human - just because of that I think it inspired a lot of love."

"Zombie Singles" was the only win out of the eight entries shortlisted yesterday, and Charier notes that the Canadian work submitted "was very good, but Cannes is like the Olympics...We're still doing safe work, still doing microsites, not involving the consumer enough."

The jury awarded three Grand Prix, the only category required to do so, for the top Website and Interactive Campaigns, Online Advertising and Other Interactive Digital Media, and Viral Advertising. Entries dropped more than 500 from last year, with a total of 2,205 entries this year. Out of the 208 shortlisted, 80 went home with a medal.

All three Grand Prix went beyond the limits of the typical microsite, involving consumers in real-world conversations and collaborating with other kinds of marketing and media says Cyber jury president Lars Bastholm, chief digital creative officer of Ogilvy, North America. "Digital no longer lives in a vacuum, it's part of larger campaigns."