In case you’re not attending or could care less about the 2013 CLIOs on May 15 at the Museum of Natural History in NYC, here’s a quick breakdown for you. A jury including W+K Entertainment president Bill Davenport and Wunderman EVP/chief creative officer Nick Moore have decided to bestow the award show’s highest accolade to the brands/agencies/people below. See if you agree or disagree and go here for more information.
· Hall of Fame, Design: Turner Duckworth, San Francisco
· Hall of Fame, Film & Print: DDB New York
· Hall of Fame, Audio: The Richards Group, Dallas
· Agency of the Year:Marcel Worldwide, Paris
· Agency Network of the Year: Ogilvy & Mather, New York
· Production Company of the Year: Biscuit Filmworks, Los Angeles
After spending nearly three years as group creative director on the Honda account at Santa Monica-based RPA, Jason Sperling is getting bumped up to ECD at the agency (where he also serves as a senior VP). Sperling joined RPA from TBWA\MAL in summer 2010 and has subsequently led creative on notable campaigns for the automaker including last year’s CR-V Super Bowl spot, “Matthew’s Day Off,” which we’re sure you’ve all seen a million times over at this point and most recently the Honda April Fool’s Day spot. As you probably know by know, RPA did maintain did lose a few pieces of the Honda biz a few weeks ago, but more importantly, retained creative duties for the brand, thus maintaining a relationship that’s lasted over a quarter-century.
During his five-and-a-half years at \MAL, Sperling was a key player in the long-running “Get a Mac” campaign for Apple and has garnered his fair share of Cannes Lions prizes, Clios and One Show Pencils.
If you don’t feel like watching the whole 3-minute Portfolio Night Boston clip from SapientNitro above, here’s a brief summary: A hipper-than-thou ad creative pitches a wealth of concepts to an agency head. The problem is, that this mustache-sporting creative’s ideas hinge on a litany of buzzwords and tech-y hoopla, which the agency head (OMG! Look at his CLIOs! Look at Cannes Lions!) shakes his head at. The creative is then escorted out of the building, and we see the words “Idea Before Everything” flash across the screen.
You’ve probably seen this execution done hundreds of times before, many times made by agencies that see these little vignettes as an opportunity to advertise themselves as shops that “get it.” They do so by making fun of whatever new ad trends are the talk of the town right now, making sure that the viewer (who is generally either an employee or someone who works at another agency, like you) knows that they don’t buy into bullshit hype and that their work is somehow pure. But, let’s be honest, does anyone really believe that? Has anyone won new business that way? Can any of you say that you never worked at an agency that unironically bought into these kinds of hype-driven executions this video mocks? Sure, it has to done, because that’s what clients want, but let’s not pretend that all of us have clean hands.
I guess what I’m asking for is that agencies who preach innovation to start marketing themselves in an innovative fashion. That, or how about we actually practice what we preach and don’t make creative that actually does hinge on whatever buzzword Mashable puts on their homepage (not going to happen). For the record, I’m not calling out SapientNitro in particular. I’m just tired of seeing this idea.
Today, the social network has unveiled the winners of its second annual Facebook Studio Awards, which honors the ad industry and its various socially inclined campaigns from the last year. Among those making the grade this year, as chosen by a jury that included familiar names from the biz such as Colleen DeCourcy, Nick Law, Jeff Benjamin, Tor Myhren and Rob Reilly, are Draftfcb and 360i, which earned the top Blue Award for their “Daily Twist” work for Oreo. Other winners include R/GA, which made the list twice, once for Nike work and the other for the intriguing “One Copy Song”Facebook app the agency developed for Swedish rapper, Adam Tensta, a year ago (it’s also up for a Webby this year).
Advertising Agency: Leo Burnett Dubai Creative Directors: Peter Bidenko, Nabil Rashid Art Director / Illustrator: Rafael Augusto Junior Art Director: Mahdy Elhosseny Copywriter: Sunny Deo Via [AdsOfTheWorld]
In perhaps the best spot since the passing of Steve Jobs, Apple and TBWA\Media Arts Lab’s latest for the iPhone, “Photos Every Day,” somehow mixes simplicity with more visually striking images than we’ve seen from the tech giant in quite a while.
“Photos Every Day” takes us outside of Apple’s infinite environment of white space and Helvetica and into the great outdoors, which may be the first time Apple’s ever done that to my recollection. However, I’m young, so correct me if I’m wrong here. The spot highlights one of the iPhone’s greatest, if overlooked feature: its 8-megapixel HD camera. Now, in this day an age, every phone on the market is a camera-phone, as has been the case for nearly a decade now. However, the iPhone’s camera is, and probably will continue to be, a step up from every Nexus or HTC phone on the market.
This is Apple’s way of saying, “Hey, remember this thing? We have the best, and, unlike Siri, it’s actually one of our features that you’ll use constantly for just about everything.” Add to that Instagram, which began as an iPhone exclusive and still works best with iOS, and you have yourself some simple, yet beautiful. Credits after the jump.
With Portfolio Night 11 drawing nearer, we’re starting to receive an increasing amount of content from agencies who are either hosting or just celebrating the fact that their city’s taking part in the annual global recruiting/review event. We’ll try to keep the coverage to a minimum since we actually have no stake in PN 11, but a few entries have caught our eye over the last week or so including Doner’s tribute to Eminem and 8 Mile.
The latest interesting submission comes to us from Sid Lee New York, which is serving as Big Apple host for this year’s event. As mentioned in the headline, the agency has decided to create a speed dating atmosphere for creatives complete with speed-dating style tables (with tablecloths) and chairs), ’90s-style name tags (whatever those look like), ’90s dating videos playing on a projector (think those old “Great Expectations” commercials), breath mints, disco ball, a car keys bowl for creative directors to leave business cards and even a photo/”kissing” booth. Considering the ’80s-style promo above (with a track that sounds like M83) and the disco ball, though, we’re not sure what decade Sid Lee is exactly waxing nostalgic about. Whatever the case, the agency will try to play Cupid in its NY PN 11 installment, which takes place at the Art Directors Club on May 22 in Chelsea. Get full info here.
Sources familiar with the matter have confirmed that Gary Scheiner, who’s spent nearly the last four years serving as managing partner/chief creative officer at Rosetta, is leaving the Princeton, NJ-based interactive agency, which of course was acquired by Publicis Groupe two years ago. Scheiner joined Rosetta in the newly created position of CCO from TBWA\Chiat\Day, where he spent two years working out of the New York office as ECD of the latter agency’s WorldHealth unit. No word yet on his reasons for leaving, when his last day or where he’s headed to next, but we’ll let you know if and when we hear more.
During his career, Scheiner also spent a decade as creative director at MRM prior to joining up with Draftfcb to serve as an EVP/ECD.
Now that Creature has offered its twist on window shopping during the holidays, the Seattle-based agency returns with another outdoor effort of sorts, which it’s dubbing “You Were Here.” Celebrating the clash between “vanity and voyeurism,” the shop has adorned its storefront window with what seems to be a two-way mirror not unlike one you’d see in any interrogation during a cop drama. Well, just as you’d imagine, Creature’s eyes are on you as well and by using two laptop-controlled cameras complete with motion-sensing programs, the agency captures the various passersby and posts the images to a Tumblr site.
As Creature explains, the goal of “You Were Here” is to not only gain attention from pedestrians, but play up the fact that many of those wandering by have no idea what the hell the agency does. We’re not sure if this somewhat invasive, but fun effort makes it any clearer, but enjoy the show if you’re in the neighborhood while it lasts.
On Monday night, Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul hit a 15-foot bank shot as time expired to put his team up 2-0 over the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the NBA playoffs. You should have seen it—it was really cool.
You know what’s even cooler? The fact that Chris Paul finally met his long-lost brother who we learned existed during the holiday season. Finally, State Farm and agency Translation’s sick little experiment, which included separating twins at a young age and documenting their lives for over two decades in the name of insurance, is coming to an end. Finally, Chris Paul can be at peace. And, finally, Cliff Paul has enough money to quit his job at State Farm once an for all, pursuing a new career of professional moocher.
However, having established a reputation for inhumane cruelty, don’t count out the possibility that Translation isn’t done toiling in the lives of the brothers Paul. Sure, they may have reunited the twins, but that doesn’t mean that before the NBA Finals, Cliff is “accidentally” run over by an uninsured driver. I’m just saying, if Blake Griffin shows up to Cliff’s funeral wearing an argyle sweater in a few months, don’t be surprised. Credits after the jump.
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While we’re on the Digitas tip, it looks like our sources were spot-on a couple of weeks ago when they told us that Carl Fremont, who left the aforementioned agency after a dozen years of service, was headed to MEC. Truth be told, Fremont has indeed joined the WPP/GroupM media unit as its first-ever global chief digital officer. MEC global CEO Charles Courtier says in a statement, “Hiring Carl is an essential step in the continued growth of MEC globally. Carl’s mix of skills has made him one of the leading digital specialists in the industry; he is uniquely qualified to help us navigate and develop the future of our business.”
Fremont will assume his global CDO post in May and continue to work out of New York. As we’ve mentioned before, prior to his time at Digitas, the exec spent 16 years at Wunderman, leading direct media efforts for clients including AmEx, Citibank and AT&T. In his new gig at MEC, Fremont will serve on the agency’s executive committee, as one would expect considering his title.
A few folks from Cali-based 72andSunny led by strategist Mike Jacobson are trying to show their support and give something back to some of Boston’s finest who first responded to last week’s marathon bombings with an effort called “This One’s On Us.”
With the help of online fundraising site gofundme, the 72 crew tells us, “We’re partnering with EatBoston to give gift cards from Boston’s restaurants and bars to the men and women who put their lives on the line for the city they love, and to help us all feel safe again.” The monetary goal is $10,000 with all proceeds going to those who responded and as of now, a few hundred dollars have been raised in two days. If you’d care to donate and help out, go here for more info.
We can chalk this up to coincidence that Huge has certainly been on our radar today. Now, we’ve received word in the form of a memo from those in the know that a couple of the agency’s vets are splitting to “start something new.” From what we’ve been told, the announce was made internally today that partner/global creative director Joe Stewart (pictured) and partner/user experience Felipe Memoria, who worked out of the L.A. and NY offices, respectively, are leaving the agency after seven years.
Stewart will continue working with his crew in L.A. as he transitions out over the next month or so and the global creative team will continue to be led by Conor Brady, who joined Huge last fall. As for the UX portion, longtime Huge staffer Michal Pasternak will continue leading said department’s team out of New York.
On another note, the Brooklyn-based, IPG-owned shop has started to cement its operations in Atlanta by hiring Ant Farm co-founder/Nurun alum Michael Koziol as its managing director in the 404 while appointing Derek Fridman, a SapientNitro alum who’s spent the last year at Huge, to serve as GCD in said office. As for Stewart and Memoria, who are in the process of “fleshing out” plans for their new company, you can read their lengthy, heartfelt farewell after the jump.
Yes, the babies are back, though not the way you’d imagine in a new effort for Evian from BETC and directing crew, We Are From LA. In their sequel to the sequel to “Roller Babies,” the 2009 campaign that garnered multiple awards as well as 45 million hits within months of release, the parties involved push the Danone water brand’s “Live Young” mantra via a bit of self-reflection if you will.
In a statement, Jerome Goure, VP of marketing for Danone, says, “The babies embody ‘Live Young’, the evian mantra, and remind us that we are all youthful in our own, unique way. Babies are also the ultimate symbol of natural purity, exactly what evian water is. This is why we are so excited to continue this iconic campaign in a fresh and entertaining way.” You can’t buy that kind of spiel with a Dasani bottle, kids. Look for an Android “Baby & Me” app that BETC created with B-Reel come mid-May.
We truly had no idea the creative account was in review for retail chain Burlington Coat Factory, where we’ve bought our share of oversized jackets and what not back in the day for half the price. But apparently, it is so, and from what we’re hearing from sources in the know, Silver+Partners–aka, the Eric Silver-run, New York-based shop formerly known as Amalgamated–is in the mix. S+P would not comment on the matter and we’ve yet to hear back from BCF, which has worked most recently with Cramer-Krasselt.
Building on what we initially reported a month ago, C-K hasn’t worked with the brand for the past three months and only did project work involving concepting creative but did not produce actual creative, which was handled in-house by the client. This, like before, leaves us a bit confused considering that in 2008, it was reported that Burlington Coat Factory awarded the agency its creative duties following a review. Whatever the case, C-K was invited to participated in BCF’s current review, but declined. While spies are saying Silver+Partners is taking on the biz, we’re hearing that it’s yet to be awarded. We’ll keep you posted.
SEATTLE—There are rubber chickens hanging in the agency’s storefront-like window facing 5th Avenue in downtown Seattle. There’s a giant statue of Merlin greeting you at the door. There’s a jar full of white powder marked “cocaine” in the bathroom. The CEO’s office is decorated like a butcher shop, and the CCO’s office resembles a set piece from “Baywatch.”
But Cal McAllister and Ian Cohen, the “Headmasters” of Wexley School For Girls, insist the biggest misconception about them is, “People think we’re wacky, but we’re not.” After spending some time with them at their shop, I found out how right they are.
Between full-time and freelance jobs, I’ve probably experienced 50 or so agencies up close in my time. And I’ve known about Wexley’s work and office space for years. So I went to see Cal and Ian determined to learn why Wexley succeeds at what so many agencies try and fail to do: How can an agency successfully carve out a unique identity, build an unmistakable culture, and do great work? What’s the secret sauce here?
I’m not sure I learned the answer, and if I did they’d hate me for divulging it. But I learned a few things about Wexley that creatives — and agency heads — ought to know.
Wexley was started by two copywriters without a client. Which sounds crazy in the ad business, yet it totally makes sense once you consider the agency’s work and ethos. Prior to going to ad school, Ian worked in PR, and Cal was a journalist. With those backgrounds, I can see why they want their work, and the office itself, to be a topic of conversation and buzz. And while they do great commercials, the agency has done a lot of innovative event marketing, making it a point to dig deeper into a client’s business to find unique solutions. As a result, the agency positions itself as a “Fan Factory” that turns consumers into fans.
(Seattle, as I discovered when I moved here, is a soccer-crazy town. The Seattle Sounders — the team — and their fans have Wexley to thank for this.)
Now, making brand fans is a nice positioning for an agency. Lots of agencies make similar promises. So how does Wexley make it happen? As I learned, it takes more than just great ideas.
Unlike many creative people I know, even ones who own agencies, these guys know how to talk business on an intricate level. That struck me immediately when I first met Cal McAllister at the agency. He was coming out of a meeting, and his mind wasn’t on ads. It was focused on ROI. A prospective client looking for a 10x return on their marketing budget. That type of ROI, he said, was becoming an increasingly common request: “If I knew how to guarantee that, I’d do it myself.”
Having started their ad careers at smaller shops, Cal and Ian learned to make friends with their clients. It’s that basic understanding of business that’s part of the Wexley foundation. “I know how a sports team works, I know how milk gets on store shelves, and I understand how difficult it is to sell a burrito,” said Cal.
Another surprise, yet a logical one: Their work doesn’t tend to make clients nervous. Because before any work gets presented, there’s a lengthy research, planning, and briefing process (in which everyone at a client, up to the top management levels, signs off on the brief.) So by the time work gets presented, clients expect a great solution. Still, there’s always an element of surprise and delight. “We lose when we give clients what they want to see,” Cal said. “There is no safe version,” Ian added. “There’s the right version, and if there’s another idea presented, it’s also right.” Its work for Microsoft shows an ability to do great work for large, multi-layered clients.
Also important to the shop’s success, Cal said, is metrics. That a project has achieved its measurable objectives is crucial. Once a client sees that a campaign has been measurably successful, it proves the agency’s work truly works, and builds trust. And it seems to be paying off. In a business where there’s a lot of account shuffling, Wexley has gone from a mostly project-based shop to a mostly AOR-based shop in the past few years.
So what does Wexley hope the next few years will bring? Hopefully growth, and work with a higher national profile. What won’t change, Cal and Ian insist, is the promise they make to their employees. “We want to make this the best job they’ll have in their lives, doing the best work they’ll ever do in their careers,” Cal said.
With an outlook like that, it’s easy to see why an agency that’s a “Fan Factory” for brands has quite a few fans of its own.
It looks like Bill Waldner is finally taking the big creative chair at IPG-owned, West Hollywood, CA-based agency Dailey as he’s been recently been promoted from executive creative director to chief creative officer. Waldner has spent 16 years at Dailey, which works with several Nestle brands including Butterfinger, Baby Ruth and Crunch as well as Ford, Honda and IHOP. The new CCO has moved up the charts, taking the role of EVP/CD back in 2010 when IPG decided to align Dailey with Draftfcb and eventually moved up to his most recent role as ECD.
Along with Waldner’s appointment at Dailey, which last we remember was headbanging for the holidays, we’re hearing from spies that the agency has picked up the account for Nescafe’s single-serve coffee brand, Dolce Gusto as well as the biz for Houston-based NextEra Energy Resources. We’re checking with all parties involved. As for Waldner, prior to his lengthy stint at Dailey, the creative exec has worked at JWT, Chiat/Day and what was then FCB back in the day.
Yes, kids, it’s time to get those portfolios in shape as the annual Portfolio Night event is just a month away. The 11th annual installment of the recruiting/review event will take place simultaneously on May 22 in 24 participating cities around the world including Athens, New York and Tokyo. For the first time, Portfolio Night, which was founded by IHaveAnIdea, will be presented by the Art Directors Club, with this year’s theme being the “3-Hour Job Hunt” (promo video produced with 360i and starring IHAVEANIDEA founder/current ADC executive director Ignacio Oreamuno above).
Anyhow, tickets for the event are now on sale. Over the weekend, Tokyo celebrated its first time participating in Portfolio Night by launching the horror-themed promo below. Being fans of the genre, we just couldn’t resist.
To expand on what tipsters were telling us yesterday, yes, Marc Blumberg, currently president at MEPlusYOU–aka the agency formerly known as imc2–is turning his attention to his consumer shoe brand that he launched with his wife, Sharon. So, what does this mean exactly? Well, the folks at the agency echo what we’ve been hearing on the Spy line, mainly that the 16-year vet will be transitioning into a “key advisor” role at the agency so he can split time between his shoe venture and MEPlusYOU. In turn, Blumberg will be transitioning some of his agency responsibilities to current MEPlusYOU CEO, Doug Levy.
We’re still trying to get the actual name of the shoe company launched by Blumberg, which we’ve been told is “built on the principles of relationship era marketing and conscious capitalism.” Take that as you will. Along with Blumberg’s transition, MEPlusYou says that it’s made a key addition to its leadership team, which will be revealed in the next week or so. Update: Blumberg’s shoe company is called Chooze Shoes.
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After spending nearly three years as group creative director on the Honda account at Santa Monica-based RPA, 
Sources familiar with the matter have confirmed that 
While we’re on the Digitas tip, it looks like 
A few folks from Cali-based 72andSunny led by strategist 
We can chalk this up to coincidence that Huge has certainly been on our radar today. Now, we’ve received word in the form of a memo from those in the know that a couple of the agency’s vets are splitting to “start something new.” From what we’ve been told, the announce was made internally today that partner/global creative director 
It looks like 
To expand on what tipsters were telling us yesterday, yes, 