Hasta La Creative!

Premier Foods has appointed 101 to work as agency of record on the Cadbury Mini Rolls account.

WaterAid, the development charity that promotes safe access to water, has appointed Now to handle its fundraising and brand communications.

We guess you can just call 180LA even steven. A minute after  losing creative directors Grant Holland and Gavin Milner to 72andSunny, the 180 camp has brought on longtime creative duo Anja Duering and Carl Corbitt in the same roles. The latter pair joins 180LA from fellow SoCal operation Goodness Mfg, where they spent the last two years as CDs. Duering and Corbitt’s history dates back to mid-aughts when they served as VP/ACDs at CP+B, helping manage creative teams on accounts including Best Buy (Geek Squad, specifically) and VW. The duo’s professional travels have also taken them to W+K Amsterdam, where they served as creative directors on the global Nokia account.

Now at 180LA, Duering and Corbitt, whose specialties lie in art directing and copywriting, respectively, will work on accounts including Boost Mobile and Mitsubishi.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Thomas Cook is launching a year-round TV ad campaign featuring three adverts starring James Nesbitt, to highlight how it is attempting to make the customer experience as easy as possible across mobile, online and in-store.

Apparently, figuring out how Superman shaves is a question that has plagued casual fans of the super hero. Behold this Nerdist.com post from 2011 that points out that the Man of Steel appears with a full beard at the beginning of the trailer for the upcoming film, and then appears clean-shaven a few frames later.

Now, Gillette is attempting to answer that question, with HowDoesHeShave.com, a bespoke URL that leads you to four different YouTube videos featuring science-type people presenting their theories about Superman's quest to tame his hirsutism. The lead agency on the project was Concept One, Westport, Conn. (BBDO, which lost the Gillette business to Grey after a review, was involved as well.)

Featured in the videos are Bill Nye, Kevin Smith, "The Big Bang Theory's" Mayim Bialik, and MythBusters Adam and Jamie. Mr. Nye applies the "scientific method" to the conundrum, and concludes that Superman shaves his beard using the principles of material science that let him do some sort of "grinding operation" on those hairs.

Continue reading at AdAge.com

Microwaves and popcorn have been linked forever — or at least since 1946, when kernels were one of the first items zapped by the appliance's inventor, Percy Spencer. By the 1980s, microwave popcorn was all the rage, marketed by brands like Micro-Pop, whose ads declared that “you shouldn't have to wait for great-tasting popcorn.” But today even a few minutes might be too long for some consumers, whose obsession for convenient eating is sparking growth in the ready-to-eat, or pre-popped, segment.

Consider Orville Redenbacher's. Long known for its microwavable offerings, the ConAgra brand is moving aggressively into ready-to-eat, including breaking a campaign for its “Pop Crunch” bagged popcorn launched earlier this year. Ads by Venables Bell & Partners feature a talking crow and are set at mythical Orville headquarters building in the middle of a corn field. The product is described as “air popped for half the fat of regular potato chips.”

The push follows the marketer's foray into ready-to-eat — its “Gourmet” line hit stores last year. “Microwave popcorn at its inception was all about convenience, having only to wait three minutes to get warm, delicious popcorn,” said Colleen Bailey, Orville's brand director. But “as times have changed, the definition of convenience has changed.”

Continue reading at AdAge.com

Confused.com, the insurance comparison website, has revamped its advertising and brought in a brand character called Brian, the fastest insurance comparison robot in the world.

Microsoft has filed a patent that will allow its Xbox One to reward viewers for watching ads on the device, to prevent people skipping ad breaks.

Häagen-Dazs, the General Mills-owned ice-cream brand, is bringing ‘The House of Häagen-Dazs’ campaign, starring Bradley Cooper, the Bafta and Oscar-nominated actor, and model Jana Perez, to the UK.

Advertising Agency: DRAFTFCB, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Creative Director: Joanna Monteiro, Max Geraldo
Copywriter: Felipe Cirino
Art Director: Paulo Junger, Felipe Petroni
Photographer: Platinum
Art Buyer: Tina Castro, Daniel Gonçalves
Account Manager: Juliana Nascimento
Account Supervisor: Mariana Mozzaquatro
Planner: Lia Bertoni
Media: Alexandre Ugadin, Tiago Silva, Rachid Antun
Agency Producers: Vivi Guedes, Manoela Estellita
Creative Technologist: Marcio Bueno
IT director: Gerson Lupatini
Production Company: Piloto
Film Director: Dani+Chalabi
Sound: Dafne Music
Advertiser’s Supervisor: Tatiana Ponce, Lilian Cruz, Ana Borges