Hasta La Creative!

-The BMW M4 CS takes on the Nürburgring in JWT Atlanta’s latest for Pennzoil, “Escaping The Ring” (video above).

-Mcgarrybowen hired Patrick Lafferty as U.S. president.

-Yuengling selected Laughlin Constable as its new creative agency of record.

-Sherwin-Williams appointed mono as creative agency of record for its Valspar, Krylon and HGTV Home brands.

-Moneysupermarket is dropping Mother as its creative agency and launching a review.

-The New York Times folded its programmatic team into its larger ad sales team.

-Boutique luxury hospitality company Auberge Resorts Collection entered into a creative partnership with New York-based creative & technology agency King & Partners.

-OOH agency Grandesign hired Ginny Deitchler as director of client engagement.

JWT New York launched a new “Live Grand” campaign for Grand Marnier, the first since Campari’s acquisition of the brand, centered around a spot directed by Joseph Kahn, best known for directing music videos for the likes of Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears and Katy Perry.

The spot, which will run on broadcast and digital, opens on a formal party with guests politely mulling about. “With Grand Marnier, you dare to put a twist on the traditional,” the voiceover begins, as the guest pulls a crank opening the ceiling and letting the rain in. As he leads guests into the cognac basement, color runs down from paintings to stylize their drab outfits and the real party gets started.

It’s a certainly an odd setup but the spot attempts to make up for its lack of logic with style (including designs from Sonia Rykiel by Bjork and Lady Gaga stylist Edda Gudmundsdottir.) We really can’t condone the destruction of fine art, though.

“‘Live Grand’ is about the journey of taking a good experience and transforming it into a grand one,” Kahn said in a statement. “I was inspired by the deep, rich heritage of Grand Marnier, the brand aesthetic, and the creative license to submerge viewers in a fantastical world that plays into the rich Cognac and bitter orange cues found in this iconic French spirit.”

“Joseph Kahn has built a brilliant career defined by originality and a disdain for convention,” added Campari America vice president, marketing Melanie Batchelor. “We knew immediately that he was the perfect fit for Grand Marnier. With ‘Live Grand,’ we’re inviting the world to join us in celebration – while reintroducing this beautiful blend of Cognac and exotic bitter orange to a new generation of stylish and sophisticated spirits drinkers.”

Sherwin-Williams Consumer Brands Group has selected Minneapolis-based independent agency mono as creative agency of record for its Valspar, Krylon and HGTV Home brands following a review. Mono will be tasked with creating integrated campaigns for the three brands and has already starting working on them. “We are thrilled to partner with an agency that is…

You know who’s lazy? The “Dreamers,” according to White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly.

Also, the people who aren’t making the most of the many opportunities earned by traveling with Delta!

The latest spot in the brand’s “Keep Climbing” campaign from Wieden + Kennedy New York urges viewers to consider the fact that they’ll never get anything if they wait around for it to just land in their laps.
As in previous ads, Oscar winner Viola Davis delivers a voiceover so compelling that we don’t even really care what’s she’s paid to promote. Spontaneous trips to Thailand? Sure!

“Runways” argues that there opportunities for adventure everywhere as long as you choose to use them. Call it an improvisational approach to travel.

This may well be true if you’re in your ’20s or your ’60s. But if you’re 38 with a newborn? That’s a totally different story.

CREDITS

Agency: Wieden+Kennedy New York
Client: Delta
Title: “Runways”

Executive Creative Director? – ?Karl Lieberman
Creative Directors? – ?Jaclyn Crowley, Sean McLaughlin, John Parker
Copywriter? – ?Garrick Sheldon
Art Director? – ?Toliver Roebuck
Executive Producer? – ???Cheryl Warbrook
Edit producer agenc?y – ?Dom Tunon
Account Team? – ?Liz Taylor, Jacque Parrish, Lauren Smith
Brand Strategy Director? – ?Sean Staley
Director of Social Strategy? – ?Jessica Breslin
Social Strategist? – ?James Williams
Head of ?Integrated ?Production? – ?Nick Setounski
Business Affairs? – ?Carla Curry, Lindsey Timko, Brit Fryer
Project Manager? – ?Jason Pelton, Ashlea Ramirez
Traffic Manager? – ?Sonia Bisono

Production Company? – ?Iconoclast
Director? – ?Megaforce
DP? – ?Arnaud Pottier
Executive Producer? – ?Valerie Romer
General Manager? – ?Charles-Marie Anthonioz
Producer? – ?Cathy Hood
Production Supervisor

Editorial Company? – ?Rock Paper Scissors
Editor? – ?Mikkel Nielsen
Post Producer? – ?Lisa Barnable
Post Executive Producer? – ?Eve Kornblum
Editorial Assistant? – ?Alex Liu

VFX Company? – ?The Mill
VFX Lead Flame? – ?Keith Sullivan
Colorist? – ?Sofie Borop
Senior Producer? – ?Collin Moneymaker / Luis Martin

Sound Studio? – ?Sound Lounge
Sound mixer? – ?Tom Jucarone
Sound Designer? – ?Adrian Aurelius (Ballad)

• Read more about Pepe the Frog creator sues Infowars

Unilever jumps into the snack business

Unilever is out with Growing Roots, an organic, vegan, gluten-free snack brand set to support urban farms in the United States by pushing 50 percent of profits to urban farming initiatives.

The introduction comes after Unilever, back in 2015, joined a public-private partnership to create six urban farms in New York. The farms have generated about 32,000 pounds of organic produce, and Unilever has since expanded the effort into Los Angeles, Houston, Miami and Chicago, it says. “Seeing the transformational impact urban farms have in communities, we created a brand from the ground up to help fulfill and extend that mission,” Matthew McCarthy, VP of foods at Unilever North America, said in a statement. The snacks are made from ingredients including coconut, corn and seeds. ShopRite stores in the Northeast have the 4-ounce packs starting this month and Unilever plans to expand distribution throughout the year, including with Amazon Fresh and Amazon.com.

Continue reading at AdAge.com

Mayim Bialik has always wanted more out of her career than just acting. TV audiences know her as The Big Bang Theory’s Amy Farrah Fowler (who is engaged to Jim Parsons’ Sheldon Cooper in the show) or as the star of NBC ’90s sitcom Blossom; on top of that, she’s also a neuroscientist in real…