Category: Beyond Madison Avenue
Summary: Every year for the past 13 years, toilet paper has experienced its 15 minutes of fame in the form of the Annual Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Contest.
Presented by Cheap Chic Weddings, this year’s 13th annual contest received more than 1,500 wedding dresses made entirely from toilet paper, glue, tape and thread.
Could China be Abercrombie & Fitch’s best bet for the future?
The struggling clothing brand and its kids’ line launches this month on China’s Tmall, the huge online shopping center operated by Alibaba Group, a sign that the company is pushing for a piece of the world’s biggest e-commerce market.
Abercrombie, trying to boost sagging sales, has changed its image from tacky, ’90s teenage-sex brand to something more hipster-friendly that nods to its 125-year-old heritage (think sports and hunting), with a renewed focus on fabrics and fit. But the transformation is proving harder to pull off in the U.S. than in mainland China, where Abercrombie launched just three years ago and where consumers are still getting a feel for it. While China has only 10 physical locations, it’s gaining steam there instead of losing it, while in the U.S., Abercrombie is closing 60 stores this year.
Half an ad has been enough to comprise a digital “view” according to the industry’s Media Rating Council for the past three years, but the group may consider toughening its oft-maligned standard to require every single ad pixel displays.
That would close some of the “viewability” gap between the industry standard and the much stricter requirements of enormous ad buyers including Unilever and GroupM.
They would effectively align on display ads, where GroupM already demands that 100% of an ad shows on-screen for any amount of time and the Media Rating Council has required 50% to appear in view for at least one second. And it would get them closer on video. GroupM needs every pixel of a video ad to appear on-screen for at least half the purchased time or 30 seconds, whichever is longer, and requires consumers to press play. MRC requires half of a video ad to be in view for at least two seconds before it calls it “viewable.”
Staying small minded. Credit: iStock
I’ve always hated that expression, “Good problem to have.” When heard by those less fortunate, it’s hard to imagine a more pretentious statement. Get over yourself. But admittedly, the phrase has found its way to my lips more than once recently only to be choked back and replaced with something like, “Yeah man, things are good.” Oh, the humanity.
No matter how many sneers it evokes, agency growth can still be a legitimate problem, and as the stakes rise, one that needs to be handled with the utmost care. As independent shops succeed and grow bigger, they are often in danger of losing touch with the intimate, unique culture that defines them. There’s no script for handling these types of things as every business is different, but there must be gut checks and guard rails, no matter what the cost, to keep the good times rolling.
Snapchat’s augmented-reality hot dog has started an obsession.
It might not look like much, and its dance moves aren’t even all that, but it is ahead of its time. It’s so advanced, Snapchat hasn’t even gotten around to selling the creature or building one for brands. It is the first character that uses the company’s 3D “World Lens” technology, which renders the bopping brat as a fully formed creature inside the Snapchat camera. People can walk around it, filming it like it was really there.
While Snapchat continues pushing its augmented reality studio to release new project after new project, Facebook, Apple and Google are working as fast as they can to catch that dancing dog, which debuted earlier this month. And there’s nothing frivolous about this augmented arms race.
Jeffrey Bewkes, a quiet defender of CNN who has delivered Time Warner high returns, plans to leave the company if a merger with AT&T is approved.
“Dunkirk,” a World War II movie directed by Christopher Nolan, found an audience despite being considered a more serious film than usual summer fare.
Despite the pledge, some in the nation’s third-largest city worry that The Sun-Times, now partly owned by trade unions, will veer from its tradition of covering them aggressively.
“We pride ourselves in bringing the very best talent and resources to every client project, and these exceptional directors deepen, fortify and broaden our portfolio,” said Sarah Farrand, Executive Producer of KYLE nyc (www.kylenyc.com). “We’re thrilled to have them join our studio.”
Tyler is a director based in Los Angeles and New York. He frequently works in Europe and Southeast Asia. His body of work includes national and international campaigns for brands including Nike, Coke, Doritos and Clean & Clear, as well as cutting-edge independent work. Tyler’s show reel spans many product categories and aesthetic styles, but it was his years of work with beauty brands that made him a natural fit for KYLE nyc, which has a long history of working on beauty and personal care campaigns.
Like Smith’s award-winning work as an ad agency ECD, his work as a director is also known for poetic storytelling that tugs at your heartstrings. It was while working as an agency creative that he discovered his favorite place was on set. Since launching his directing career, Smith has directed spots for Cheerios, Yoplait, Spectrum and Ruby Tuesday, as well as the Cannes-Lion winning PSA titled “The Talk.” Because of his long history in the advertising world, Smith loves collaborating with agencies and clients to create digital films and commercials that not only move audiences but achieve practical objectives.
Paragas moved to Lubbock, Texas after escaping martial law in the Philippines. As a way of expressing her unique cultural background, she explored music, film and art. Her work spans commercials, documentaries, narrative films and branded content. The roots of most are in the stories of real people. She’s directed campaigns for Time Warner, Playtex, Covergirl, American Airlines, Hertz and Proust.com, the latter a first place-winner in Google’s TV for All Contest. Her feature-length background includes “Brooklyn Boheme,” a documentary for Showtime, and two other projects currently in pre-production. One, an innovative documentary called “The Three Lives of David Wong,” and the other a feature length narrative called “Yellow Rose.”
Nisinson is a director from New York City. He’s directed projects for brands like Beats and AT&T, in addition to his innovative work teaming musicians and brands, such as Timberland and J. Cole. Nisinson seeks to create stunning visuals and tell meaningful stories through honest collaboration and an excitement that can best be described as a cross between your fun uncle and your English teacher.
“I think in Eden, Peter, Diane and Andrew we’ve found some exceptional storytellers who fit very naturally into the vibe and personality of our expanding KYLE family,” said Mintus. “I’m excited about the contributions they’re going to make to our work, our culture and our clients.”
About KYLE nyc
KYLE nyc is an award-winning creative production and post company based in New York’s Flatiron District and founded by Tina Mintus. They thrive on collaboratively guiding your project from concept to delivery. Combining top-notch talent with personal service, they provide a boutique experience with a mellow vibe. They look forward to helping you tell your next story. Proudly W/MBE certified. See and learn more about them at http://www.kylenyc.com
In an open letter, prominent women at the British broadcaster called for quick action to reduce the pay gap with men.
The newspaper strip “Arctic Circle” will focus on global warming this week to coincide with the sequel to the documentary “An Inconvenient Truth.”
Twenty years after their mother died, Prince William and Prince Harry talk about their memories in “Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy,” on HBO.
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Bozoma Saint John, the marketing star who’s worked with Beyoncé, Apple and more, brings humanism, Instagram savvy and Chanel to the beleaguered brand.
Omnicom’s dedicated McDonald’s shop has expanded its creative department again.
Three months after hiring Toygar Bazarkaya, formerly of Havas, as chief creative officer, We Are Unlimited named Max Geraldo and Bruno Guimaraes as executive creative director and CD, respectively.
Geraldo moves over from FCB Chicago, where he was SVP, ECD working on projects like the pro-bono Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence. The Brazilian native had previously worked in FCB’s Sao Paulo office, moving stateside in 2015 after working on the Nivea Solar Sun Charger and other such award-winning projects.
“Max is the real deal,” said Bazarkaya’s statement. “His ability to think beyond specific channels is unique. He’s a true pro problem-solver that will go the distance to create innovative products if needed.”
He then added, “Bruno is also very talented.” What is he, sliced bread??
Guimaraes, who is also Brazilian, most recently worked at DigitasLBi’s Chicago office. While there he contributed to projects like Miller Lite’s 2016 beachfront sunscreen booth, which looks kind of familiar. He also previously spent time in the creative departments of FCB Chicago, Ogilvy New York and Sao Paulo’s AlmapBBDO.
“I am excited that our new agency model of Unlimited and McDonald’s, as one of the most iconic brands, allows us to attract the best in the business,” said Bazarkaya. Geraldo alone has won more than 50 Cannes Lions, including 20 over the past two years.
While FCB Chicago lost one ECD this week, they gained another in Avital Pinchevsky of Leo Burnett.
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