A2 Business Studies students recently enjoyed a day at one of New Zealand's premier advertising agencies, Saatchi and Saatchi. The morning started with an introduction to the Saatchi philosophy and examples of the work they have done for their clients – a lot of very high profile TV commercials among them. The students were then taken on a tour of the building to look at all of the different departments and spent some time talking to some of the key people in each area. After a quick break, the students heard in more detail about the various roles within a large advertising agency from a range of young, talented people who had all joined Saatchi's over the last two years and were able to share their experiences and answer questions. These included the "creatives" who actually think of the advertisements, to those involved in strategic planning and client services. Lunch was then generously provided and the students were set to work on a creative brief – brainstorming and then presenting ideas for an L&P marketing campaign. The creative's and planners who work on the L&P account were there to advise and judge the ideas and the students were able to appreciate how hard it is to come up with ideas under real time pressure. Overall it was a fantastic experience for the students and a number of them are definitely interested in advertising as a career. A huge thank-you to Saatchi and Saatchi for hosting us!

An Honest Conversation with our Prime Minister

Recently the Year 13 Leadership Group, Year 12 Focus Group and Senior Scholars were given the opportunity to spend time in conversation with the Prime Minister, Mr John Key. It was a rare time for him as it did not involve having to talk politics. Instead, he took the time to tell about his journey to being the Prime Minister right from when he was six.It was a challenging journey that require perseverance and hard work. Even in his present job, the work is continuous and challenging yet family were very important.
              

The ACG Senior College Business and Economics trip to New York is happening from June 23rd to July 8th. Two weeks in the financial capital of the world, with a wide range of business visits and tourist activities. Investment banks, advertising agencies, and famous institutions / landmarks such as the United Nations and Wall Street all make up part of the itinerary. There are 16 students and 2 staff going.