Vivian Bryant – Director & MD

A Graphic Designer by trade, Vivian established Brand Spanking in the spare room of a Ponsonby flat in 2002. She has been the constant force in the agency’s evolution and has garnered widespread respect from both clients and industry peers over the last 15 years. Today she retains a major shareholding, heads up key client accounts including 2degrees, Independent Liquor, Lindt and ANZCO Foods, as well as contributing to the industry’s development as an active member of the CAANZ PRESCOM (PR, Experiential and Social Committee) and judge in a variety of awards ceremonies.

Outside of work, Vivian raises two young children with her husband Nathan and now lives back in Ponsonby, where it all started. Her past life includes a six-year stint in Japan and stunt work in films and television shows such as King Kong and Xena.

Jeremy Hunt – Director & CFO

Jeremy merged his campus marketing operation into Brand Spanking in 2004 and continues to hold a major stake in the agency. As well as being Brand Spanking’s CFO he oversees major accounts including Frucor, L’Oréal and Cottonsoft, and takes a particular interest in sponsorship work for clients like Gatorade. At an industry level, he was the Treasurer of EMANZ (the Experiential Marketing Association of NZ) for many years and has judged awards such as the EFFIES and the NZ Radio Awards.

Jeremy moved to Havelock North in 2010 and now spends 2-3 days per week in Auckland, leaving wife Christina and three children in “the Bay” to enjoy the sunshine and lack of traffic. Dig deep into his past and you’ll find everything from a degree in Swedish to time spent lecturing corporate strategy at the University of Auckland Business School.

Mark Pickering – Director & Creative Strategist

Mark joined Brand Spanking as a shareholder and Director in 2016 via a merger with Fluxx, the agency he owned previously. Over the past 20 years he has worked on some of the world’s biggest brands in both the UK and NZ, creating, planning and delivering award-winning experiential, event and sponsorship leverage campaigns. Current clients include the Building & Construction Industry Training Organisation, Panasonic and the Industry Training Federation. Vice Chair of the CAANZ PRESCom (PR, Experiential and Social Committee), Mark is passionate about promoting best practice in experiential marketing via public speaking appointments and workshops. He also regularly judges at the Axis, Beacons and EFFIE Awards. 

Outside the office, Mark is an avid enthusiast for both vintage aircraft and vinyl, equally at home tending to warbird aircraft at Ardmore as he is on the decks in a bar. Go way back in time and you’ll find he even spent time at the front of a high school classroom teaching history.

Chelsea Came – Senior Account Manager

After completing a Bachelor of Communication Studies in Marketing & PR at the University of Waikato, Chelsea spent two years at the PR Institute of NZ in a Comms Advisor role. In 2015 she moved to Fairfax as the Marketing Lead on their events team, managing a wide range of events from the Night Noodle Markets to the Central Districts Field Days. Chelsea currently oversees a range of in-store and event work for L’Oréal, Almond Breeze, Gregg’s, and others. Outside of work Chelsea enjoys slaughtering vegetables of all shapes and sizes but animals large and small can rest at ease as she assures us that meat will only pass her lips if she’s stuck on a desert island and all her attempts to create an edible harvest fail. 

Courtney Brown – Talent Manager

Courtney oversees our Auckland-based talent and is a key point of contact for our regional coordinators in Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. She literally crossed the road in mid-2016 after spending two years at KAM Models and Talent as their Senior Talent Booker. Prior to that she completed a Bachelor of Communications at Unitec. 

She has two dogs who have yet to grace the office with their presence and loves spending her spare time outdoors, with trips to Great Barrier a particular favourite. 

Claudine Pausma – Account Manager

While studying for her Bachelor of Arts in Marketing and Event Management AUT, Claudine gained valuable experience working as a brand ambassador for Synergy and Copper. She then moved to SPUR as an Account Executive, working primarily on the Spark account, before moving to Brand Spanking early in 2017. Claudine now works for clients including 2degrees, Hutchinson’s and Frucor across projects ranging from in-store sampling to social media. Away from the office Claudine takes an active interest in social media and her life highlights reel also includes stints dancing on X-Factor and cheerleading for both the Vodafone Warriors and SKYCITY Breakers.

Abbie Clough – Account Manager

Having gained experience as a brand ambassador with SPUR, Engage and Phenomenon while completing her degree in International Business, Marketing and Commercial Law at Vic Uni, Abbie knew the drill when she made the move to a client service role. Her administration skills had also been honed by working at Jeremy’s old school, 20 years after his departure of course, as an office assistant. She now works on the Independent Liquor, L’Oréal and Logitech accounts.

Outside of work Abbie has a passion to endorse a healthy lifestyle for herself, family and friends, and enjoys going to the gym and being involved in a variety of outdoor sports.

Harriet Hughes – Account Manager

Another recent graduate from Vic Uni, Harriet joined us after completing her degree in Marketing and International Business. Her varied work experience while studying stand her in good stead for the range of tasks required of our AEs, with everything from designing and crafting technical documentation for a medical specialist software app to teaching dance and nannying on her CV. Harriet’s clients include Lindt, ANZCO Foods and Dole.

Now that she’s in full-time employment Harriet hopes to find time to continue pursuing her interests in travelling, cooking and skiing while avoiding workplace banter about certain topics of a medical nature.

Piri Craig – Senior Account Executive

Piri, known to all as ‘P’, was born and bred in the Waikato and studied Sport, Health and Human Performance at the University of Waikato. She joined the Brand Spanking team as a brand ambassador while studying, and also served as a Video Analyst & Nutrition Intern for the mighty Chiefs. After a stint of travel around Europe Piri became our Hamilton & Regional North Island, looking after Tauranga/Mt Maunganui, New Plymouth, Hawke’s Bay, Palmerston North and more in addition to the Tron. Passionate about sport and health/fitness, Piri is also a self-professed admin guru/freak and can’t imagine being without a diary and a to-do list, as Nick found out when he received his “welcome to the team” gift of a giant diary.

Liam Baker – Warehouse Coordinator

The announcement of Liam’s role was viewed by some of our team as the best Christmas present they received in 2016. Liam now shoulders much of the responsibility for our warehouse and logistics operations meaning our Account Executives all now burn less calories than previously with their trips up and down the stairs down 63.7% on last year. 

Outside of work, Liam enjoys a good movie and we’re still trying to decide if he’s pulling our leg when he says he demolishes a whole packet of a chocolate biscuit brand that shall remain nameless for breakfast when the mood takes him.

Josh Nicholls – Dunedin Coordinator

Josh joined our Dunedin team in 2014 as a brand ambassador and took over the Coordinator role in 2016. His previous experience includes a variety of sales roles, including selling farm mapping and aerial photography around the South Island for Imagine Photographics. A keen sportsman and Highlanders fan, he’s also a closet techie and once built his own computer. Suffice to say whether you need talent in Dunedin, directions around the South Island, someone to cure your computer of the spinning wheel of death, or a fill-in for your touch team Josh is the man to call! 

Lydia Peckham – Talent Booker

Lydia is a graduate of the Toi Whakaari NZ Drama School and since debuting at our front desk in early 2017 has taken much of the talent booking burden off Courtney. When not on the phone booking staff and looking forward to our weekly platter, she’s recording voice overs, video games and acting in Film and Television. Her most recent voice over was a Game of Thrones advertisement where she nailed the audition so well there was no need for a call back! Her favourite place in the world is India and she can often be found at her desk eating curries and drinking lemon water.