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Backlash

The New York Times says that tech giants’ concentrated power “resembles the divine right of kings, and is sparking a backlash that is still gathering force.” The Russian misinformation campaign through digital ads and content during the 2016 election campaign seems like a turning point. The Times says people are no longer looking at tech companies as saviors but as “threats.” And Silicon Valley is doing damage control. Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg went to Washington to do PR; in Pittsburgh, meanwhile, Google chief executive Sundar Pichai announced $1 billion in training for people whose jobs skills are out of date in the digital world. The headline in Wired: “Google offers help to industries it helps destroy.” The Silicon Valley brand isn’t what it used to be.

Misleading?

Continue reading at AdAge.com

Not even Pokmon Go was safe from Russian interference during the election.

The blockbuster mobile game was used as a propaganda tool by Russian groups that were active on other social platforms like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, according to a new CNN report.

Here’s how the augmented reality children’s game got dragged into U.S. politics and how it was connected to the rest of the misinformation on social media: A group called “Don’t Shoot Us” was started to promote racial justice issues such as standing against police brutality. The group established a presence on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and even Tumblr, where it encouraged people to join a Pokmon Go contest. The contest invited people to visit sites of police shootings, train the digital Pokmon creatures at those spots, and name their pet creatures in the augmented world after real-world victims of police.

Continue reading at AdAge.com

Sonos has created a large mural of 3D lips in Shoreditch to promote its voice-activated speaker SonosOne.

Backlash

The New York Times says that tech giants’ concentrated power “resembles the divine right of kings, and is sparking a backlash that is still gathering force.” The Russian misinformation campaign through digital ads and content during the 2016 election campaign seems like a turning point. The Times says people are no longer looking at tech companies as saviors but as “threats.” And Silicon Valley is doing damage control. Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg went to Washington to do PR; in Pittsburgh, meanwhile, Google chief executive Sundar Pichai announced $1 billion in training for people whose jobs skills are out of date in the digital world. The headline in Wired: “Google offers help to industries it helps destroy.” The Silicon Valley brand isn’t what it used to be.

Misleading?

Continue reading at AdAge.com

In case you forgot it’s Friday the 13th (and in October no less!), Farmers Insurance is here with a reminder: The Woodland Hills, California-based insurer is releasing a new digital campaign, “Stranger Claims,” highlighting the spookier aspects of actual insurance claims.

In one spot, “Revenge of the Sycamores,” trees destroy an old farmer’s house in a stormand hint that the scourge is possibly the price of trespassing on hallowed ground.

And horror enthusiasts can only imagine what goes down in “Dawn of the Deer.” In total, Farmers is running five claim videos, all around 45 seconds in length, and a 360-degree virtual experience on its site. The campaign will appear on social media, YouTube and through Facebook Canvas from Friday through Oct. 31.

Continue reading at AdAge.com

The chief executive officer of Samsung Electronics Co. is stepping down in a surprise resignation after decades at the company, saying the business needed new leadership following a bribery scandal that led to the imprisonment of its de facto chief.

Kwon Oh-hyun, who also serves as co-vice chairman, announced his retirement on Friday as the Suwon-based company reported record operating income of $12.8 billion on booming demand for displays and memory chips. He said the company faces an “unprecedented crisis” despite the financial success.

Kwon had emerged as the public face of Samsung Electronics after Jay Y. Lee, grandson of the company’s founder, was detained on corruption charges and then sentenced to five years in prison in August amid a scandal that brought down South Korea’s president. While the latest financial results show Samsung’s business units operating smoothly, that in itself may present risks for Kwon, said Park Ju-gun, who tracks corporate executives at CEOScore.

Continue reading at AdAge.com

Oath has become the latest, and largest, publisher to be certified for brand safety by Jicwebs.

It is more than just a coincidence that a series of media agency leaders have departed in seven days, writes Campaign’s head of media.

A round-up of adtech and martech news to keep you up to date.

Staff from the Engine-owned creative agency reveal 20-odd tips from 200-odd crits that have been given to people pursuing a career in advertising.