MediaPLUS is your weekly update on all that matters in media and marketing

The Kennedy Summer School is set to launch its 2025 programme with a screening of the documentary From That Small Island, narrated by Hollywood star Colin Farrell, on Thursday, August 28.

The Kennedy Summer School is a distinguished annual festival celebrating Irish and American history, politics, and culture.

Held over three days in New Ross, Co Wexford, events are hosted at landmark venues, including the John F. Kennedy Arboretum, St. Michael’s Theatre, and the Dunbrody Visitor Centre located on the very quayside from which JFK’s great-grandfather departed for America in 1848.

This year’s speakers include Dan O’Brien, chief economist of the Institute of International and European Affairs, author Colm Tóibín, Dr Brian Murphy director of the Kennedy Summer School, Dr. Aisling McEvoy, head of enterprise partnerships at Research Ireland and president of the GAA, Jarlath Burns.

On the opening evening, Burns will take part in a fireside chat with Eileen Dunne before a discussions about From That Small Island.

The film’s writer and producer, Bríona Nic Dhiarmada, historian Prof. Jane Ohlmeyer, composer Colm Mac Con Iomaire, and director Peter Murphy will explore the film’s creation and themes in a conversation moderated by Eamonn Hore. 

Business Plus was recently announced as the official media partner for the Kennedy Summer School. There are a handful of tickets left for the opening night, for details and booking, see kennedysummerschool.ie 

IAPI announces Effies round two judges

The Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland (IAPI) has announced the jurors for the second round of Effies Awards Ireland voting.

The awards demonstrate the winners' ability to leverage creativity and strategic thinking to achieve impactful business results for their clients.

Tom Kinsella, most recently managing director of Homes at AIB Group, will return as overall jury chair, overseeing the integrity of the judging process as a seasoned Effie judge.

Kinsella will be joined in round two by jury room chairs from the Effie Steering Group. Their role is to moderate the discussions of their assigned cases, ensuring all are treated fairly and with integrity.

They are Dael Wood, head of consulting at Dentsu; Damian Hanley, executive creative director at Forsman & Bodenfors; Margaret Gilsenan, chief strategy officer at Boys+Girls; Neal Davies, chair of TBWA Ireland; and Nicky Doran, founder and director of NDAS.

“The Effies imbue the best of industry awards – globally led, locally executed programmes – across 125 markets worldwide and is the universal benchmark for marketing effectiveness," said Siobhán Masterson, chief executive of IAPI.

"The calibre of our Round 2 jury is reflective of the significance of these awards and the impactful work which we will assess.”

You can see the full list of jurors here. Round one was held at the end of July and Round two is scheduled for early September after which the finalists will be announced.

Simpson made Radio 1 deputy editor

Mark Simpson, the former Newstalk deputy managing editor, has been appointed managing editor of RTÉ Radio 1.

Simpson will report to Radio 1 head Tara Campebll and support the development and management of content across the station's schedule when he starts work in September.

He will also support Campbell in the preparation, monitoring and management of the station’s production schedules, budgets and resource plans, as well as staff performance, while also helping oversee the delivery of RTÉ’s five-year strategy.

During his time with Newstalk and Bauer Media Audio Ireland, Simpson worked as a researcher, producer and editor of high-profile shows such as The Right Hook, The Hard Shoulder, Lunchtime Live and The Anton Savage Show.

In 2023, he executive produced the podcast As I Remember It: Bertie Ahern and the Good Friday Agreement. He holds a BA in History and Politics from DCU and a postgraduate diploma in Journalism and Media from Griffith College Dublin.

“I feel really privileged to be given this opportunity to join the RTÉ Radio 1 team and I am hugely excited to work alongside such a talented and dedicated group of producers, researchers, reporters and presenters," said Simpson.

"It is a huge honour to get to play a part in delivering this important public service to the people of Ireland each and every day and I can’t wait to get started.”

Pluto appoints Nutlet and Hamill as creative partners

Pluto has appointed two of Ireland's most prominent creative teams, Mark Nutley and Pat Hamill, as creative partners.

Prior to joining the Dublin agency, the pair worked with Goosebump. They spent 17 years with Irish International/BBCO working mostly on the Guinness account.

Nutley and Hamill have extensive experience working with drinks brands, producing work for Beamish, Fosters and Scrumpy Jack with O'Connor O'Sullivan and then Miller and Boru Vodka at The Helme Partnership.

Nutley and Hamill want to deliver work that is “creatively stimulating and game-changing for clients" with Pluto, which Hamill described as having a “wonderful mix of experience and youthful energy.”

Cathy O’Donohoe, chief executive of Pluto, said they bring “massive experience and a real sense of what clients want and need from their marketing communications,” adding that their track record demonstrates “the ability to create impactful and long-lasting brand platform ideas.”

AI start-up bids for Google Chrome

Perplexity has made a formal $34.5bn offer for Google Chrome, nearly double the AI start-up's reported $18bn valuation.

The company told the Wall Street Journal it has secured backing from several investors and large venture capital firms for its bid.

The offer was made ahead of an expected ruling in Google's antitrust case, which could force the tech giant to dispose of its web browser to break its effective monopoly of the search market.

Chrome, which has 4bn users and accounts for nearly 67 per cent of global internet browsers, is estimated to be worth $20bn to $50bn.

Perplexity first signalled its interest in Chrome in April, telling the District Court in Washington, DC, that it would prefer for Google to keep the open-source browser rather than sell it to OpenAI.

The company said as much in a letter to Google chief executive Sundar Pichai, and that it would keep Google as the default search engine while allowing users to switch in the settings.

Pinchai has said that forcing Google to sell Chrome or share its data with rivals could harm the company’s business, limit investment in new technology, and create security risks.

Allianz’s “Real Life” campaign demonstrates the power and pitfalls of montage storytelling

Every week, Amárach and Future Proof Insights share exclusive findings from their PRIZM+ ad testing service, showcasing best practice creative advertising in Ireland.

Allianz’s “Real Life” campaign reflects a simple truth: life is unpredictable and full of real challenges.

Through a rapid sequence of authentic vignettes, it captures everyday moments most people will recognise: parents with their kids, people in their kitchens, grandparents in gardens, and friends at the local pitch.

While these scenes feel relatable, they enter a crowded space: many brands, from retailers and banks to telcos and CPGs, work hard to associate themselves with the fabric of daily life.

It’s a logical approach, but one that’s difficult to defend and differentiate outside of your own category.

The ad takes a risk by holding all category and brand cues until the final reveal.

TO find out more about this advert, CLICK HERE.