Early in July, GDJers past and present had the great pleasure of joining Herdy for a night at Sea Circus. Not only was it the birthday of two former employees, Alex and Vicko, but it was also a great chance to see Herdy’s hard work in action.

If you’re ever in that neck of the woods, be sure to drop into Sea Circus. You can check out their website or their blog.

Running from 26 June to 10 July, the program treated visitors to a rare glimpse at the nocturnal lives of wild and wonderful animals. More than 3,200 people enjoyed the experience. They were armed with torches. They were warmed with toasted marshmallows. And they were entertained by fire dancers and African drummers. All this while searching for cheetahs, lions, hippos and more.

GDJ created a campaign for Werribee Zoo that covered press, outdoor and radio advertising. It was great to be associated with such a fun event and we were pleased to learn the Zoo’s overall visitation was up 20% on the same holiday period last year. Bring on next year’s Wild Nights!

Actually, no. It may come as a surprise to some, but an endless summer is not the Holy Grail. It’s more like a grail that promises lollies and chocolates and icy-poles but then gives you liquorice. The truth is, summer can be sleepless air-con-free nights, parking fines accrued at by-the-beach locations and holidays that must always come to a close…

The end of summer is not to be lamented. In fact, in here at GDJ, the end of summer means the beginning of some exciting new campaigns. And what could be more exciting than a brand new account? We’re very pleased to announce our new partnership with the Australian International Motor Show, which sees the Melbourne and Sydney Motor Shows combine for one big annual event (see here for more on the new merge). In here at GDJ, we’re looking forward to revving up for a massive campaign prior to the October 2010 show in Sydney. This should see us cover TV, radio, press, outdoor and online advertising. Stay tuned for a first look at this campaign soon.

We’re also thrilled to reveal our latest project with Temptation Bakeries. If you’ve already tried Temptation’s delicious range of quiches, slices and petites, you’ll understand why this particular job was so enjoyable! We had the fortunate task of photographing the tempting treats and putting together a new concept for re-branding and re-packaging (yes, there were a few leftovers and, yes, there were also a few satisfied bellies in the GDJ office!). Several of the newly designed packs have already hit supermarket stores with more to follow. Check out Temptation’s new look in our recent advertisement below.

So summer’s almost over, but that’s not such a bad thing. In fact, it’s the perfect excuse to settle down with a mug of steaming hot chocolate and a slice of crusty, home-style Temptation quiche. Mmmm, I can feel winter beckoning…

The GDJ office will be closed for Christmas from December 23rd to 29th and again for New Year’s on January 1st 2010. For anything urgent during this time, please contact Cathy Grant on 0412 434 781.

Enjoy your holidays!

Just as there can only be one winner in the Cup, there can also be only one winner in the workplace sweepstake. This year, it was a shocked (pardon the pun I’m practising restraint, I promise) Cathy Grant who drew the lucky horse. As the most passionate horse-person in the office (with Bianca a close second), it’s a fitting win for Cathy. For the rest of us, it’s a shocking disappointment (sorry).

Here at GDJ headquarters, a competitive mood has replaced the usually mellow vibe. Money was pooled this morning and horse names drawn in an office sweepstake. Of course, every talented member of the GDJ team is a born winner. But some people will do anything for a taste of fame and fortune! Therefore, it’s a good thing we have the very trustworthy Leni in charge of the sweep. She’s keeping a strict eye on proceedings, making sure no double dips, swapsies or shady allegiances take place.

Good luck punters and may the best horse win!

But we’re all mature adults, right?

*ahem*

Right.

This year, the weekend was held at Falls Creek a long journey but worth every minute. After arriving late on Friday, we awoke Saturday morning to perfect weather, beautiful scenery and great snow! Boarders, skiers and tobogganers alike, we were all on the slopes by 9.30, practising our moves with instructors or, for those with more experience, flying down the mountain at high speeds. After a quick stop for sustenance, the afternoon saw us back out there with renewed energy to, well, pelt each other with snowballs! Duels broke out across the mountainside, suspiciously always in the vicinity of “the kids” aka Ben and Pete.

At the end of the day, a hot shower, refreshing beverages and delicious meals were waiting, thanks to the staff at Diana Lodge. We were also met with stories of relaxing facials and massages from the few who hadn’t seen the slopes. And then, in preparation for another day at Falls, it was time for a couple more refreshing beverages. And a few hilarious mobile phone games. Needless to say, some were up earlier than others come Sunday morning!

The weather was again in our favour for another chance to hit the slopes. Various techniques were tried out Joel’s no fear attitude, Bec’s snow plough approach and the face plant, as demonstrated by one who shall remain nameless with varying degrees of success. All methods, however, were sufficient in getting their bearers to the bottom of the mountain with or without injuries (and bruised egos).

And then it was time to head home. The long bus ride was made much more enjoyable with a pre-arranged stop-off in Myrtleford at Carlo’s pizza thanks to Andy Baker. We finally arrived back at the office flashing lights and a group of men in uniform. Surprisingly, it wasn’t the usual North Melbourne drug raid but a fleet of taxis waiting to take us to our respective homes.

And so again we say thank you to Cath, Ben and Pete for a fabulous weekend, and, until next year, contemplate the techniques we’ll try out on the GDJ Snow Trip 2010 ‘The mogul meander’ ‘The one-legged heli-ski drop’ Definitely not a reprise of ‘the face plant’.

Sadly folks, I can report that after returning to the land of the baguette, C.E and E.T. for the first time in twenty years, the better half and I discovered that while the latter are alive and well, the most beautiful little car ever created has all but disappeared. Of course, it was always going to happen, wasn’t it? Here in Australia, we hardly have FJ Holdens parked on every street corner do we? The French, like us, have moved on and have embraced the virtues of the Smart car, which is considerably smaller than the original ’smart’ 2CV, and is … well, everywhere. If I had the skills, I would post an interesting picture here of just how smart a Smart car is for the tight parking challenges that Paris provides, but I don’t. Watch this space though, because I’ll get someone with technical capability onto it shortly.