Hasta La Creative!

-Gravity Road tells the story of “A Valentine’s mix up” for Sainsbury’s (video above).

-LBB shares dogs of the ad world. This is officially the most important agency news item today.

-Mercedes-Benz appointed Publicis as its global agency network and digital agency partner.

-Omnicom appointed Torrey La Grange to the newly role of chief talent officer for its Global Clients Leaders (GCL) group.

-Fearless Girl will have a permanent home in New York.

-Dish Network selected The Richards Group as its new creative agency.

-Chobani CCO Leland Maschmeyer talks bringing creative in-house.

-Ogilvy Sydney promoted Jenny Mak to creative director.

-Indianapolis-based agency Young & Laramore welcomed a series of new hires: motion and experience designer Shaunta Bulter, designer Mitchell Brown, video content editor Sam Mirpoorian, community manager Taylor DeVault, associate account director Jacquline Hacker, marketing data analyst Wade Longstreet and Tyler Tillett.

Office Depot has awarded its global creative and media business to Y&R and Mediacom after a competitive review, according to multiple sources with direct knowledge of the business. One source said the win was part of a larger pitch by WPP. In the past, the holding group has formed agencies dedicated to specific clients like…

Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. tapped the head of Taco Bell as its next chief executive officer, turning to a fast-food veteran who drove growth with brash, indulgent dishes such as Doritos Locos Tacos.

Brian Niccol, 43, who had served as CEO of Yum! Brands Inc.’s Taco Bell division, will replace Chipotle founder Steve Ellsa dramatic changing of the guard that threatens to reshape the burrito chain’s culture. Ells, who will remain chairman, began Chipotle in 1993 as an alternative to fast-food restaurants and the company has derided the kind of fare that Taco Bell sells.

Investors applauded the move, sending Chipotle shares as much as 13 percent in late trading.

Continue reading at AdAge.com

In the four-plus months since the New York Times and The New Yorker broke news of sexual harassment and assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein, the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements have led to a discernible shift in our larger conversations about sex, romance and relationships. The change has already had a direct impact on the ad…

Amazon’s 2018 Super Bowl spot featured virtual assistant Alexa experiencing a very human problem of having to call in sick to work. While a humorous concept, it’s a fictional scenario based on a very real, growing trend: Virtual assistants now have names, genders and personalities to make them more relatable and to encourage consumer interaction….

LinkedIn just introduced a way to help its members avoid going through the interview process for jobs with salaries that do not meet their expectations. The professional network announced the rollout of Salary Insights, which will add estimated or expected salary ranges to open roles, getting the numbers either through salary ranges provided by employers…

Unilever Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Keith Weed has gotten tougher on big digital platforms but he’s not ready to go cold turkey on the Google-Facebook duopoly just yet.

His threat to stop doing business with media that “breed division in society or fail to protect children” in yesterday’s speech to the IAB leadership meeting isn’t an ultimatum with a firm deadline, he says in an interview with Ad Age. But he isn’t giving social media forever to make things right, either.

Think of it this way: Weed is also in charge of Unilever’s sustainability program. When Greenpeace sent folks in gorilla suits to scale the company’s London headquarters in 2008 over it using palm oil that led to deforestation, Unilever didn’t go cold turkey on producers who clear-cut rainforests overnight. Its goal is to use 100-percent third-party-verified sustainable palm oil by 2019, while steadily weaning itself off questionable ingredients in the meantime.

Continue reading at AdAge.com

Consumers may not be big fans of Snapchat’s redesign, but brands are another story.

Nascar says that since the app’s update, the number of viewers who watch its stories increased 80 percent. So while a number of users have revolted against the new Snapchatthere is a petition to go back to the earlier versionbrands are finding reasons to love the new look.

One of the biggest gripes from users is that it’s harder to find messages from friends while brands, publishers and influencers have a more prominent position on the platform. That helps explain why Nascar is attracting more viewers, according to Nick Cicero, CEO of Delmondo, a social analytics and data platform that works with Nascar and other publishers on Snapchat.

Continue reading at AdAge.com