Hasta La Creative!

Not long ago, possession meant holding something in your hand. Over the past two decades, a series of disruptors created a digital society, where the most salient feature is the ability to copy. But soon, every industry will face the blockchain disruption — a new paradigm where ownership of digital material can be transferred without making a copy. What will this world look like?

Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin provide a clue. Without blockchain technology, Bitcoins could be counterfeited as easily as copying computer code. The critical breakthrough of blockchain technology is the use of a consensus mechanism, across multiple entities, to create an immutable, distributed ledger — a transcript where rules can be transferred, but never altered. This is how Bitcoin allows strangers to transfer electronic cash without middlemen.

Bitcoin is only one application of blockchain technology. According to one study, 15% of banks and 14% of financial market institutions intend to implement full-scale, commercial blockchain-based services this year, and those adoption rates are expected to reach 65% within three years. Meanwhile, the FDA and IBM’s Watson Health are exploring ways to use blockchain to build a patient data exchange to create an audit trail of all transactions on an unalterable distributed ledger, and in the process transform the meaning of accountability and transparency in healthcare.

Continue reading at AdAge.com

Ivan Pollard is leaving his post as senior vice-president of Coca-Cola North America as the brand continues to restructure its senior marketing team.

How worried should agencies be about the encroachment of management consultancies on their turf?

TV advertising is changing along with technology, which is giving everyone plenty of new terms with which to enlighten or obfuscate. Forget TV sets, for one thing. There are connected TVs, digital video players, smart TV apps, streaming devices and wired gaming consoles. Figuring out how to connect with TV viewers through all these prisms can confuse even the most seasoned media buyer.

“There are 600 classes of devices,” said Eric Hoffert, senior VP of video tech at ad tech provider AppNexus. “The inventory is on the big screen in the living room, delivered digitally over IP. Publishers can activate their connected TV inventory on Roku, Android, Xbox, Apple TV.”

As the ad industry takes on an ever more digital focus, even veterans of traditional TV need to know how to speak the new language, said Tal Chalozin, chief technology officer at video ad platform Innovid. “A lot of people are coming from broadcast TV and the terms are new for people,” Chalozin said.

Continue reading at AdAge.com

When Walmart reports first-quarter earnings May 18, it could yield plenty of signs about what’s really happening in the market and how the giant retailer’s reactions will affect the broader world of brands. Here are four big questions brand marketers should hope get answered in Walmart’s pre-recorded earnings call.

Can Walmart continue the positive momentum? Despite growing slower than Amazon — like just about everyone else — Walmart has been improving top-line results over the past two years. It delivered an upside surprise on comparable-store sales growth the prior quarter, its fiscal fourth. This was driven largely by supermarket-size Neighborhood Markets and more aggressive pricing. Walmart’s beat came even as grocery-price deflation (fueled in part by Walmart) ended rival Kroger Co.’s 13-year streak of quarterly comp growth. But last quarter was tougher for everyone.

Was Walmart a victim or a cause? Many retailers — and marketers who supply Walmart — have sung the blues about last quarter. Walmart’s results should show whether it was a fellow victim or a cause. It’s likely both.

Continue reading at AdAge.com

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Syoss

It is common practice among our target audience to simply shake the dandruff off their shoulders instead of treating it thinking that if you can’t see it then it’s not there. We set out to show them that turning a blind eye to this problem will actually accumulate it and not get rid of it.

Advertising Agency:TBWA/RAAD, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Chief Creative Officer:Walid Kanaan
Executive Creative Director:Fouad AbdelMalak
Creative Director:Manuel Bordé
Art Director:Oswaldo Sá, Pedro Velasquez
Copywriter:Leonardo Konjedic
Head Of Art:Claudio Campistó
Head of Client:Joe Lahham
Account Lead:Ola Ibrahim
Account Executive:Ruba Moadad
Producer:Alia Fakha, Rouba Asmar
Illustrator:Estilo 3D

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Feel Clean

Your best friend all cleaned up.

Advertising Agency:Seven, Blumenau, Brazil
Creative Director:Juliano Tejada
Art Director:Giba Bittencourt
Copywriter:Arthur Webber
Illustrator:Alopra Studio
Photographer:Istock

Media
Ministry Of Health

To remind people how important it is to get vaccinated and stay protected, the Ministry of Health installed a small alert throughout the streets of São Paulo.

Advertising Agency:CC&P, Brasília, Brazil
Creative Director:Mauricio Oliveira, Fernando Freitas
Art Director:Luciano Crisp, Gustavo Andrade
Copywriter:Mauricio Oliveira

The network promoted reboots of “Roseanne” and “American Idol,” as well as a musical based on “The Little Mermaid,” during its presentation to advertisers.

Brittaney Kiefer is not lovin’ the new McDonald’s ad.