RED Havas has hired a new managing partner for its Melbourne office.

The agency announced this week that Lynn Chinnock (pictured) has agreed to take up the post, following a recent company direction on data and improved creative.

A journalism graduate of Griffith University, Chinnock’s experience in the corporate communications and marketing circuit span at least 17 years. This includes, among others, a client services director job at Wunderman Singapore, account management head at the former George Patterson Y&R, and most recently, group account director at McCann, plus executive work with MSL Singapore and H+K Strategies London.

The accounts that she has handled over her career so far include two popular cosmetic companies, a major consumer goods conglomerate, the NSW Government, and a leading Middle Eastern airline.

“This new chapter at RED Havas will see us integrating specialist expertise in Experience, PR and Social more deeply than ever before alongside our c

PR and entertainment agency New Romans has tapped Anthony Spargo as a new managing partner.

He will work alongside co-managing partners Mark Eggleton and Dan Ferguson, who run the agency’s offices in Singapore.

Spargo comes in from GE Capital, where he spent almost nine years in a variety of positions, even after its rebrand to Latitude Financial Services. He recently stepped down from Latitude’s corporate affairs department. His entry comes as New Romans’ entertainment division, Lunch Media, is preparing to release a new magazine.

“I was looking for something exciting and new in content, PR and entertainment with a very clear point of difference in the market. That is what New Romans provides – we use the very best and most respected journalists from across Australia and Asia, to help bring to life the great brand stories of the clients we work with,” said Spargo.

Follow Spargo on LinkedIn.

Marcomms agency whiteGREY Sydney has spearheaded a collaboration with GSK Consumer Healthcare Australia in introducing a new campaign for pain relief medicine Panadol, called “Let’s Rethink Care.”

The campaign focuses on helping Australians discover effective ways for pain relief to supplant the common method of only taking up oral medicines. One element of the campaign is introducing the concept of “Healthies,” which is a special day off for people who may be exhausted and need to look after their health before things get worse.

whiteGREY Sydney ECD Chad MacKenzie said discussions with Panadol hit upon the idea of more holistic self-care.

“It’s about encouraging Australians to rethink how they care for themselves, suggesting that every positive change – no matter how small - can make a difference.  We love the fact this message extends beyond medicinal care and enters a conversation of wellness and wellbeing - moving away from th

Marcomms agency Archetype has kicked off FY20 with a raft of new clients, as reported on B and T. 

The agency revealed that Aussie VR/AR startup UN/BND, Ericsson, Tile, Travelport, and Poly are the fresh signings. UN/BND, in particular, made the news recently for developing a mixed reality content platform for subscribers to experience NBA games. 

At the same time, a current client, Taiwanese computer company Acer, tasked Archetype with managing the company’s marketing efforts for the lifestyle, education and gaming sectors. Communications, social media, and digital marketing work await Archetype’s expanded relationship with Oracle, NetSuite and VMware.

“Born out of the desire to create a company that is more aligned to the way clients work today, we have focused on bringing in new skills and services to deliver what clients actually want versus what many agencies think they need,” said Archetype Australia MD Karen Coleman.

“We’ve had a

PR agency Kate & Co has secured representation for Coles Supermarkets and the Australian Turf Club (ATC), as reported on Mumbrella.

Under the Coles account, Kate & Co will run local and community PR work and organise the openings of the retailer’s new branches in Victoria, NSW, Tasmania, and the ACT.

For the ATC, the agency will handle the club’s local and international guests, especially brand ambassadors, and manage influencer content and media partnerships. One assignment, in particular, covers building up media relations for the ATC as spring racing season looms later this year.

“These new partnerships – with ATC and Coles Supermarkets – are a true reflection of our talented team and the passion that we have within the agency. Winning these accounts is a testament to our hard work and a reflection on our ever-growing client portfolio, particularly in Sydney,” said Kate & Co managing director Kate Keane.

The PR Team has won the account for the Solomon Islands’ flag carrier, Solomon Airlines.

The new deal will see The PR Team run commercial publicity for the airline and build up its media relations. The account win came just as Solomon Airlines activated a new flight from Brisbane to Munda Airport, located in the Western Province island of New Georgia.

“A collective vision and a great deal of hard work has already occurred by the stakeholders in Solomon Islands future economic and tourism development,” said The PR Team founder Heather Jeffery.

“We were delighted to help the team launch the first international flight to Munda and look forward to supporting the airline and its partners as they move towards greater, sustainable tourism development.”

Polkadot Communications has landed three new clients for its lifestyle practice.

The agency revealed that its partnerships with P. Volve, Fry’s Family, and Swirlit will cover a mix of event and influencer management, content creation, and PR duties.

P.Volve is a New York City-based provider of online fitness training programs and equipment, already famous as the go-to physical fitness resource of Victoria’s Secret models.

Fry’s Family is a popular manufacturer of vegan food products operating in Australia and South Africa.

Operating out of North Sydney, Swirlit offers sugarfree and non-acidic health drinks.

“We’re always looking to work with clients who can differentiate themselves from their competitors in their industry, and those that have something to say. We’re thrilled to partner with these leading brands known on both a local and global scale,” said Polkadot owner Dionne Taylor.

In related news, Polkadot announced the entry of PR a