The Craft Shop

Unit 10, 36-42 Sale St,
Freemans Bay, Auckland, New Zealand.
Telephone +64 9 37 99 444

LATEST NEWS

Campaign Brief article October 2011
Auckland based studio The Craft Shop has added yet another string to its already impressive bow with the acquisition of The Department of Motion Graphics.
The Craft Shop co-founders Jacko van Deventer and Ben Lockwood say the move follows a string of successful collaborations between the two companies in recent times.
"For the past seven years our focus has always been on craft - whatever form that takes - be it type, art direction, retouching, illustration, you name it. More and more we've found our clients are requesting we apply animation and motion graphics to the mix and offer a more integrated solution," Lockwood said.

"We've always admired DMG, we love working with them, and most importantly, their work is always top shelf, so getting them on board was a no brainer."
DMG animator Dan Short says he's excited about the opportunities the new enterprise will create: "The really exciting bit is to see what can be done with all these skill sets now under the one roof, and being able to pull them all together seamlessly. And I can't think of two better guys to do it with than Jacko and Ben."

Campaign Brief article September 2005
After spending six years crafting most of the award-winning work to come out of ColensoBBDO, Jacko van Deventer and Ben Lockwood have set up The Craft Shop, with the aim to work with "anyone who values the importance of great craftsmanship".
If their combined twelve years experience at ColensoBBDO taught them one thing above all else, it's to appreciate a great idea and know how to help it reach its full potential through the application of great craft.
Having already won numerous regional and international gongs at One Show, Cannes, D&AD, Clio, AWARD, Axis, YoungGuns and the ATV Awards; in Typography, Art Direction, Copywriting, Retouching, Music Composition and Animation; Jacko and Ben are looking forward to applying their skills to a broad client base, across various agencies, both in New Zealand and abroad.
According to Jacko and Ben, they both knew they wanted to eventually open their own shop. But they also understood the value of working in a large agency like Colenso, with some of the industries best people, building on their experience and expanding their skill sets. Yet they agree that there couldn't be a better time to go out on their own than right now.
"There are lots of agencies looking to improve on the craft in their work at the moment. People are growing to appreciate, more and more, that the most effective and awarded ads are those that not only have a great idea; but also make the idea work as hard as it possibly can in every facet of the execution."
Reluctant to comment on their own achievements, this is what some of the industries most notable Creative Directors have to say about the duo:
"Both these guys are fantastic talents," says ColensoBBDO Auckland creative director, Richard Maddocks. "You only need to look at the variety of work they've been involved with from Colenso over the past six years to see what an unconventional approach they bring to everything they do."

Adds former ColensoBBDO CD, now Saatchi & Saatchi deputy CD, Toby Talbot: "Most people are only genuinely skilled at one or two things. Personally, I can write, art direct a bit and play keepy-uppy with a football. That's about it. Between them, Ben and Jacko are accomplished typographers, photographers, retouchers, animators, designers and composers. I look forward to working with them again in their exciting new venture. Even though they make me feel somewhat inadequate."
Says Mike O'Sullivan, executive creative director of Saatchi & Saatchi, Auckland, who was their CD for years at ColensoBBDO: "Nearly every decent ad I've ever been involved in has their name on it. From music to typography. These guys are good. Very good."
Adds Paul Catmur, CD of DDB Auckland: "Colenso have been putting out some great ads for years and Jacko's name, in particular, has been on much of it. He's also a very fine yachtsman, if rather weak at fishing. They're both good boys and it will be great to have another option in town for crafting ads."
Says Linds Redding from The Department of Motion Graphics: "I have known Jacko and Ben for some years now and know them to be both talented and original designers as well as being highly skilled technicians, indeed we have collaborated on numerous projects during their tenure at Colenso and it has always been a fruitful and rewarding experience."
"Broadband technologies allow us to work internationally and provide the same high level of service for anywhere in the world," says Lockwood.