Intuit TurboTax Names R/GA Its Lead Creative Agency

IPG creative agency R/GA has won Intuit TurboTax’s business, following a creative review that began in March. Intuit brands include Intuit TurboTax, Credit Karma, QuickBooks and Mailchimp. R/GA will work on increasing consumer adoption of TurboTax offerings TurboTax Live and TurboTax Full Service. To do this, it will take a full-funnel approach to strategy, spanning…

Behind the Scenes of the Technicolor Fiat Ad That Broke Every Rule in the Book

At the end of June, Olivier Francois, the CEO of Italian car brand Fiat made a bold declaration: “Fiat will no longer produce gray cars.” It was a brave statement, given the shade’s popularity among drivers in Europe. However, it was made even braver because Francois made the rallying cry sitting inside a Fiat 600…

Unilever Says the ‘Jury Is Out’ on Generative AI, For Now

With 400 brands to sell across 190 countries to millions of consumers, Unilever certainly recognizes the potential generative AI tools such as ChatGPT or Dall-E could play in helping it produce ads that shift products at scale. At any given time, the Ben & Jerry’s owner has around 300 applications of AI supporting its supply…

British Airways’ 500 Unique Billboards Wins Outdoor Grand Prix at Cannes

CANNES, France — British Airways’ “A British Original” campaign has been awarded the Outdoor Grand Prix at Cannes Lions. The work was the first created for the brand by London-based Uncommon Creative Studio and featured 500 unique print, digital and outdoor executions. Each nodded to the box-ticking question most travelers happen across when booking a…

La-Z-Boy Taps Colle McVoy to Refresh the Brand for Modern Audiences

Minneapolis agency Colle McVoy has been selected by La-Z-Boy, the nearly century-old furniture company, to help lead a refresh of the iconic brand. The agency will provide strategy, design, public relations and influencer marketing to reposition the La-Z-Boy brand from one of nostalgia to a more active, dynamic and distinctive brand for modern audiences. La-Z-Boy,…

This Grumpy Teddy Bear Won’t Share Ed Sheeran’s Hot Sauce

Close your eyes and think of a hot sauce brand. What do you see? Skulls and crossbones? Flames and grim reapers? Red Peppers? What about a teddy bear? In the first spot to promote his Tingly Ted’s hot sauce range, “a dip designed to make you smile, not sweat,” musician Ed Sheeran is teamed up…

With Workers TikToking on the Clock, Brands Rethink Employee Advocacy

On April 4, LA-based TikToker Melanie Moradi posted a Gucci unboxing video, unveiling the generous uniform set the designer brand bestows on all its new employees, herself included, to her 13,500 followers. Set to Lil Pump’s “Gucci Gang,” the short clip showed two huge shopping bags, filled with olive green blouses, blazers, shoes and leather…

With Workers TikToking on the Clock, Brands Rethink Employee Advocacy

On April 4, LA-based TikToker Melanie Moradi posted a Gucci unboxing video, unveiling the generous uniform set the designer brand bestows on all its new employees, herself included, to her 13,500 followers. Set to Lil Pump’s “Gucci Gang,” the short clip showed two huge shopping bags, filled with olive green blouses, blazers, shoes and leather…

How an Army of Creators Is Helping Bose Modernize Its Marketing

Jim Mollica has roots in media, with tenures at giants like Viacom and Disney under his belt. Now as chief marketing officer (CMO) at audio business Bose, his day to day looks a little different–selling high-end sound products instead of media slots around SpongeBob SquarePants. What has remained the same, though, is an obsession with…

Dove’s Latest Campaign Turns Its Back on TikTok’s Bold Glamour Filter

TikTok’s new Bold Glamour filter has been downloaded more than 16 million times since it launched last month. Dove is taking a stand against it and the unrealistic beauty standards it perpetuates in an influencer-led campaign from Ogilvy and David. Part of the long-running Dove Self-Esteem Project, the #TurnYourBack effort kicked off March 9 with…

Let’s Talk About Brand Podcast: Branding Boldly With Robin Albin

No, you don’t have to invent something totally brand new and different to have an impactful brand, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to buck trends and chart your branding path sometimes. As founder and brand strategist at Sherpa/Creative Catalyst, Robin Albin has helped create unique brand positioning and voices in a variety of industries. In…

3 Lessons Brands Can Learn from Funko’s $36 Million Merchandise Dump

On March 1, toy brand Funko–rarely the sort of company that makes national headlines–made national headlines with a single paragraph buried in its fourth quarter earnings report. After delivering what was already bad news (a quarterly net loss of nearly $47 million), the company announced that it would be “managing inventory levels to align with…

Unwrapping Durex and Diesel’s Unexpected Collaboration

Diesel earned its brand provocateur status through decades of surprising stunts and taboo-busting ads, and its latest collaboration with Durex shows it’s not stopping now. The Renzo Rosso-founded fashion house rose to fame in the ’90s for creative like “Kissing Sailors,” which showed two men locking lips, and billboards that depicted the Virgin Mary wearing…

As Axel Springer Expands, Its US Identity Remains a Question

The German media company Axel Springer SE announced plans in February to shift its commercial focus toward the U.S. and its lucrative advertising market. But it will need to more clearly define its identity and the value of its portfolio of publishers in order to realize its goals, according to interviews with media buyers and…

Adweek Podcast: Building a Brand With Jess Zafarris

On this week’s very emotional episode of Yeah, That’s Probably an Ad, Adweek managing editor of creativity, creator economy and DEI Shannon Miller is joined by managing editor for marketing and agencies, Jameson Fleming, and special guest Jess Zafarris on her last day as Adweek’s director of audience engagement. Over the last three years, Jess…

A Fresh Look at B-to-B Marketing Through Social-Colored Glasses

For decades, b-to-b brands have formed their visual identity and logos based on “professional” tones and styles. We’ve all seen them: blue or red text splashed on a plain white background with minimal additional color, often devoid of any personality or flair. Appropriate for a corporate audience? Sure. Effective in attracting today’s social-first audience? Not…

Adidas’ Head of Global Marketing Vicky Free Departs

Vicky Free has left her role as global head of marketing at Adidas, Adweek has confirmed. Free was appointed to lead the activewear brand’s marketing team in January 2021, tasked with telling “compelling consumer brand stories” that would drive commercial success. She arrived at the company’s headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany after 20 years leading marketing…

With Little Marketing Budget but Lots of Moxie, How Stuckey’s Is Plotting a Big Comeback

In the Autumn of 1968, Truman Capote–the novelist famed for bestsellers including Breakfast at Tiffany’s and In Cold Blood–decided to do something decidedly below his social rank: He took a cross-country road trip. More surprisingly still, he persuaded model and socialite C.Z. Guest to come along. Giddy with the spirit of adventure, the pair motored…

Eurostar’s Marketing Chief on Putting the Star Back in the Brand

Global hotel, airline and vacation rental brands are all poised for a 2023 bounce in travel. Rail companies, too, are preparing for a resurgence of train travel. According to the 2023 Pinterest Predicts survey, pins related to train travel were up significantly from Sept. 2020 to Sept. 2022: Inter-railing Europe aesthetic: +105% Train trip aesthetic:…

Ford Has No Desire to Be the ‘Apple of the Automotive Industry’

When Tesla launched in 2003, its mission was to “to accelerate the advent of sustainable transport by bringing compelling mass market electric cars to market as soon as possible.” Fast-forward almost 20 years and every major car manufacturer has entered the ring, from Volkswagen to Toyota, Peugeot to Ford. EV sales now account for 10%…