The A.P. Plans for Computers to Write Corporate Earnings News

Articles based on companies’ quarterly reports are quite formulaic, and The Associated Press says that automating the process will free up its staff.



Cult Favorite ‘Community’ Is Saved From Cancellation by Yahoo

The sitcom, which ran on NBC for five seasons, will return for at least 13 more episodes on Yahoo Screen.



So Why Is AshleyMadison Featuring Hillary Clinton in a Billboard, Anyway?

Should we expect better of AshleyMadison.com? Definitely not. But while this isn’t the first time the adultery website has used a politician’s past to promote its ideals (heck, it’s not even the first time they’ve used someone in the Clinton family) this billboard is particularly questionable.

The tagline for it doesn’t even really make sense: “Harder Choices … lead to AshleyMadison.com.” Oh hey, they’re playing off her book title. Cheeky, but what are they trying to say? Hillary Clinton hasn’t cheated on Bill, as far as we know, which puts her in quite a different situation than most of the politicians featured in the site’s ads. So what choice are they referring to?

In an interview with MyFoxChicago, site CEO Noel Biderman danced around the answer, saying that it’s less about Hillary than about how the decision to have an affair is “not an easy choice. People, women in particular, don’t come to affairs lightly. They try to explore alternatives within their relationship. They try everything. For many, it’s a last-ditch effort before, maybe, separation.”

But he also acknowledged that Hillary was being featured because she’s a “survivor of infidelity.” Is that supposed to be flattering? Hillary Clinton is a lot more than an adultery survivor, and to continue pulling from the the same ’90s scandal is worse than offensive; it’s boring. 



This Shark Week Teaser Is a Chum-Tossing Celebration of Carnivorous Delights

Just watching Discovery’s Shark Week will make you feel like you’re skiing on two great whites while a mermaid clings to your leg.

Behold the resplendent CGI overkill of this internally produced Discovery Channel spot, featuring different kinds of sharks leaping around our chum-tossing “King of Summer.” You’ll have to watch two or three times to catch all that’s happening as he drives his great whites into a sea of seals, seagull snacks and fleeing penguins.

The mustachioed hero basks in the carnage, a look of unadulterated glee on his face. And then the mermaid winks at us. It is cheesy for the sake of cheese, and it’s blood in the water for Shark Week fans.



The Proper Sneaker

« The Proper Sneaker » est une vidéo très visuelle signée Loren Denis (représenté par Same Production) qui questionne ce qu’est une basket dite « classique ». La réponse est évidente : une basket qui résiste aux temps et aux tendances doit être simple, avec un design minimaliste et faite en Italie avec de bonnes matières.

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Ex-Subaru of America CMO Resurfaces as CEO of LotLinx


Dean Evans, former chief marketing officer for Subaru of America Inc., is the new CEO of software company LotLinx Inc., the company said today. He joined the company last week.

Mr. Evans, 45, who left Subaru in May, succeeded Jason Knight, who headed LotLinx since December 2012. Knight has remained with the company as COO. Mr. Evans said in an interview with Ad Age’s sister publication Automotive News that LotLinx approached him a few months ago while he was at Subaru.

“It’s really exciting to go from a corporate job to a smaller company,” Mr. Evans said. “I’ve been assessing the business model, the go-to-market plan and the new growth strategy.”

Continue reading at AdAge.com

FTC to L'Oreal: Stop Claiming Skin Cream Alters Genes


The Federal Trade Commission has reached a proposed settlement with L’Oreal USA requiring the beauty giant to stop running ads that claim that some Lancome and L’Oreal Paris products “target the genes” of users.

“It would be nice if cosmetics could alter our genes and turn back time,” said Jessica Rich, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, in a statement. “But L’Oreal couldn’t support these claims.”

L’Oreal USA Chief Communications Officer Kristina Schake said in a statement that the company already had stopped running ads with the claims in question, “as the company constantly refreshes its advertising.”

Continue reading at AdAge.com

Twitter Buys Apps Ad Specialist TapCommerce, Extending 'Off-Twitter Strategy'


Twitter said Monday that it had struck a deal to acquire its purchase of TapCommerce, a two-year-old startup that automates buying for app advertising. The price was around $100 million, according to a person familiar with the deal.

The acquisition comes on the heels of Twitter’s purchase of Namo Media, a company focused on native mobile ads, on June 5. Last September, Twitter acquired the mobile-ad exchange MoPub for $300 million.

With these deals, Twitter is focusing intently on bulking up in programmatic ad technology and expanding its mobile advertising reach and repertoire. Richard Alfonsi, Twitter’s VP-global online sales, called this its “off-Twitter strategy.”

Continue reading at AdAge.com

Former Grey Execs Launch The BAM Connection

A pair of former Grey executives — Rob Baiocco and Maureen Maldari — officially launched The BAM Connection today in Brooklyn with “the tenacious pursuit of creativity through simplicity” as their mission statement. Located at 20 Jay Street, in the middle of the tech mecca Dumbo, The BAM Connection launches with a list of clients that includes Terlato Wines, The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association and Wrangler Western Jeans, and will also be an active member of The Ad Council.

“The world of marketing is way overcomplicated,” explains Baiocco. “And all that complexity sucks the life out of ideas, gets in the way of speed, and strangles creativity. Simplicity liberates creativity. And from there, the ideas just explode outward.”

“When you’ve lived, and fought that complexity everyday, you know how to eliminate it,” added Maldari. “And I’ve gotta believe clients will rejoice because they must be exhausted by it.”

The BAM Connection hinges their approach on what they call “The One Shot Answer,” which they define as “one short, compelling phrase that nails your brand meaning, then directs and connects all your communications.” Baiocco and Maldari think the approach will appeal to those growing tired of the traditional agency model. (more…)

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Monday Staffing Roundup

-Director James Rouse (above) joined the ranks of production company The Corner Shop mere days after the Harvey Nichols ‘Sorry, I spent it on myself’ spot he directed won a Grand Prix at Cannes Lions. Rouse-helmed campaigns for Marmite and VW also earned awards (a Gold Lion and Three Bronze Lions, respectively); his first feature film Downhill saw release in 2013.

-Los Angeles creative agency Mistress added two new partners to its roster: Boris de Malvinsky and Hartmut Heinrich will be co-MDs of the shop’s first European office in Hamburg and run “dedicated entity” Mistress.tech from Germany and LA. de Malvinsky worked at Germany’s largest agency Jung von Matt before joining kempertrautmann, and Heinrich was a partner at global strategy consultancy Vivaldi Partners Group.

Meredith Xcelerated Marketing hired Dawn Furey as SVP, Head of Social, effective immediately.

(more…)

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Gaming Ads Are the Biggest Thing Around…If You Ask Sony

There is no real breaking news here. Advertising for video games has only grown more prevalent with the launch of interactive gaming as top brands aim for a little word-of-mouth love, real-time sharing and a larger piece of the consumer pie.

However, this story from Business Insider is news: Sony has spent $59 million on PS4 advertising … in the past five months alone.

Moreover, the company succeeded in its efforts to trample Microsoft’s marketing campaign, which only spent $34 million within the same time frame.

(more…)

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Hawthorne Direct Reintroduces :DentalPlans

Full-service brand response agency Hawthorne Direct has launched a new campaign rebranding entalPlans, “the largest dental savings plan marketplace.”

The result of “an intensive creative and customer insight research process performed by entalPlans over the past year,” the campaign includes a television spot and branded videos, as well as a new logo, tagline, and iconography. Their approach is perhaps a little too shaped by the insight research, as the video stretches well beyond the two minute mark in an attempt to squeeze in information. That the video is a bit on the dry side to begin with makes the extended duration a bit of an ordeal to sit through, although you may be glad you came across it if you are in fact in the market for a dental plan.

“The challenge of helping a company communicate their offerings while driving response is one that our team at Hawthorne excels at,” said John Pucci, chief creative officer at Hawthorne Direct. “This endeavor was made much more rewarding by the willingness of the entalPlans team to work closely with us as an active, engaged partner. Our goal here was to develop a contemporary TV campaign that would bring new life to the entalPlans brand. The commercials were created to be simple and uplifting. The look, feel and tone of the new brand are translated across all of the commercials and videos that Hawthorne created.” Stick around for credits after the jump. (more…)

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Makemove – the creative matchmaking app based on your geolocation

Makemove is a creative & digital peoples “dating app” , if you will, where you can find people with ideas or skillsets, near you. Like Tinder meets Linkedin. Like 4square meets portfolio sites! Like Grindr and … Oh no it’s not like Grindr at all.

Adland: 

Lady Gaga Isn't Pushing Blu E-Cigs After All, Brand Says


Is Lady Gaga really going to be the next pitchwoman for Blu e-cigarettes?

That’s what Jacob Fuller, CEO of Blu U.K., told British newspaper The Telegraph over the weekend. “In the U.S., Blu is working with Lady Gaga on a video with Blu in it,” he said. “It’s a global video that’s going to allow us to piggyback on that brand exposure in the U.K.”

The claim alarmed anti-smoking groups, who fear that an endorsement from a high-profile celebrity with enormous appeal among teens and adolescents would encourage young people to pick up “vaping,” the term for inhaling nicotine-laced vapor from e-cigarettes. An e-cig habit could easily lead to teens trying and getting hooked on actual cigarettes, according to groups like Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

Continue reading at AdAge.com

Sultry Supermodel Lookbooks – Gisele Bundchen Fronts the Isabel Marant Fall 2014 Campaign (GALLERY)

(TrendHunter.com) The new Isabel Marant Fall 2014 campaign scores goddess Gisele Bundchen to be the front of its latest ads. When the supermodel and Brazilian bombshell is the face of a brand’s campaign you know…

Immersive Gaming Chairs – The X Rocker Interactive Audio Gaming Chair is a Gamer's Dream (GALLERY)

(TrendHunter.com) The X Rocker Interactive Audio gaming chair is one that’s designed to enhance the experience of playing games, listening to music and watching movies through sound. The chair is loaded with…

Aplicativo “revive” os tempos da fita cassete

Por maiores e mais legais que sejam os avanços tecnológicos, vez ou outra bate uma nostalgia de tempos mais simples e gadgets que exigiam muito mais esforço de seus usuários, mas ainda assim tinham lá o seu charme. Quem tem mais de 30 anos, deve ter gravado muitas fitas com suas seleções favoritas – uma verdadeira arte, como narra Nick Hornby em Alta Fidelidade.

Para quem tem vontade de reviver o clássico formato das fitas, existe um aplicativo para iOS chamado AirCassette, criado por uma startup finlandesa que oferece interfaces de fitas para dar ao menos o visual retrô às seleções musicais dos usuários, com direito às informações escritas com uma fonte que reproduz a letra de mão e bobinas rodando enquanto a música toca.

É pura perfumaria, sem nenhuma função real, mas ainda assim não deixa de ser divertido.

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Brainstorm9Post originalmente publicado no Brainstorm #9
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Diana McLellan, Gossip Columnist With an Ear to Washington, Dies at 76

The British-born Mrs. McLellan, who wrote for three Washington papers, gained a devoted readership by skewering the powerful in the nation’s capital.

BBH Names Morrison Head of Content Production, Mistress Launches Tech Arm and More


BBH New York has promoted Kate Morrison to head of content production. In the role, which is a new one for the agency, she will report to recent hire, Head of Integrated Production and Technology Carey Head. Morrison brings more than 10 years of production experience to the role. Prior to joining BBH earlier this year, she has produced work for agencies such as twofifteenmccann, Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners and 180 LA & Amsterdam as well as projects for Xbox, MINI, Under Armour and Rolex. She also worked on the 2014 Gold Lion-winning BBH NY film “Perfect Day” for Playstation.

Digital agency Essence has appointed Gannon Mooney to the position of creative director. Mooney was most recently a creative director at Seattle Wunderman Network. Prior to that, he served as creative director at both Blast Radius and Razorfish. He has worked with brands such as AT&T, Budweiser, Boeing, BP, Disney, General Mills, Intel, Microsoft, Netflix, Nissan, Starbucks and T-Mobile. He will join the agency’s Seattle location and report to Christian Juhl, who was recently appointed to global CEO.

Los Angeles-based agency Mistress has named Boris de Malvinsky and Hartmut Heinrich co-managing directors of Mistress’s first international expansion, Mistress.tech. De Malvinsky started his career working for Jung von Matt, later joining kempertrautmann as part of the original startup team in 2004. Heinrich was previously a partner at Vivaldi Partners Group, a global strategy consultancy, where he founded and developed the firm’s North German operations as the managing director. The pair will run Mistress.tech in Hamburg and Los Angeles. The new dedicated entity focuses on software and technological solutions for marketers and is a partnership between Mistress and Hamburg-based internet and software company freiheit.com.

Continue reading at AdAge.com

Ad-Fraud Operation Fools Detection Companies, Nets Millions


It’s a familiar story with a nasty twist.

A sizable ad fraud operation was recently discovered sticking websites running lucrative video ads inside nearly invisible windows and placing those windows on legitimate sites via dirt cheap banner-ad buys. This allowed the fraudsters to piggyback off the traffic of real sites.

Those behind the operation skimmed tens of millions of dollars from advertisers, according to online security firm Telemetry, which uncovered the fraud. And the twist: They got away with it for months, in part, by fooling a number of anti-fraud products into believing they were seeing something legitimate.

Continue reading at AdAge.com