ABOUT

818 is one of New Zealand’s leading entertainment and experience publicity agencies. Based in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland, the boutique style PR agency specialises in large scale live events, entertainment, and cultural industries. 

818 has been at the forefront of New Zealand’s PR industry since 2014, delivering world-class communications campaigns for hundreds of the country’s most successful entertainment and live event projects. With specialist knowledge in all aspects of live events, film, music, comedy and television publicity, the 818 team also pride themselves on holding some of the best media relationships in town.

2024 and 2023 has seen the team take the lead on publicity for the ASB Classic and the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix in Christchurch, leading to sell-out crowds and positive brand awareness. The past year has seen the business manage campaigns for Broadway hit Hamilton, New Zealand Music Month, Auckland Pride Festival, Big Fan, Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Crystal’ and more. Other publicity campaigns to 818’s name include Disney’s The Lion King sell-out season, The Wiggles nationwide tour, multi-sensory exhibition Van Gogh Alive, British comic Ben Elton’s 17-date tour, and Auckland Live’s Cabaret Season.

With unrivalled local film industry experience, 818’s recent standout 360 campaigns include Kiwi box office hits Muru, Red White and Brass and The Mountain. Previous hugely successful film projects include Savage, Cousins, The Breaker Upperers, Hunt for the Wilderpeople and What We Do in the Shadows. 818 has also managed the unit publicity for more than 30 local films including: Juniper, The Tank, Baby Done, Coming Home in the Dark, Born to Dance, Punch, The Legend of Baron To’a, The Changeover and upcoming release Bookworm, Tinā and We Were Dangerous. 

Recent music and comedy highlights include campaigns and talent junkets to promote shows for Dawn French, Pearl Jam, Queens of the Stone Age, Lizzo, Fatboy Slim, Chelsea Handler, Bic Runga, Guy Montgomery, Rob Brydon and more.

The agency holds solid experience in the television space, working from unit through to release. Our broadcast clients have included Warner Bros. Discovery, TVNZ, Bravo, Comedy Central and MTV. Recent campaigns include the launch of the NBCU streaming platform HAYU to the New Zealand market, a launch event for Three’s ratings-hit Traitors New Zealand, Bravo’s Below Deck Down Under, and unit publicity for TVNZ’s acclaimed series After the Party starring Robyn Malcolm. 

The 818 team is led by Managing Director Chris Henry, who is proud of his creative and passionate team. Bex Martelletti is Head of Publicity, Kate Jones is Key Project and Partnerships Director, and Cynthia Monardez is Publicity Manager. Morgan Ellis and Antonia Aimer round off the 818 team as Publicists.