Hasta La Creative!

Classic women’s retail chain Talbots has chosen MullenLowe to handle a rebranding campaign set to launch this fall.

The IPG network’s Boston headquarters will handle strategy, creative development, media planning and PR for the integrated effort designed to re-establish Talbots’ position in the struggling retail market.

MullenLowe will use its “hyperbundled service offering” to grant its newest client “high levels of consumer engagement and an unfair share of attention in the marketplace.”

“Talbots has undergone an incredible transformation and achieved momentum throughout the last five years, and now we feel it is time to bring our creative expression and campaign strategy to the next level,” said svp of marketing Deborah Cavanagh, who added that MullenLowe’s “challenger mindset” facilitated “a strong understanding of our authentic brand mission and distinct brand voice.”

The company, established in Massachusetts in 1947, was acquired by private equity firm Sycamore Partners in 2012. That firm has been on a buying spree, picking up such retailers as Hot Topic, Belk, Coldwater Creek, The Limited and Nine West.

A recent Bloomberg feature characterized managing director Stefan Kaluzny as a Wall Street contrarian, calling Talbots his “most conspicuous deal” and highlighting the fact that the $193 million acquisition led to a sixfold return based largely on a decision to focus more exclusively on the chain’s target audience: older women with income to spare. It’s unclear whether Sycamore’s decision to go all in on a struggling industry will prove successful in the long run.

Talbots’ last agency review came 10 years ago, when it picked Publicis as AOR after a decade with Arnold. And the company is in comeback mode. According to the Kantar Media, Talbots spent just over $11 million on measured media in the U.S. last year; its 2015 marketing budget was a fraction of that total at less than $200,000.

The fall campaign will coincide with the client’s 70th anniversary and aim to present a new face of Talbots to the public.

“Our MullenLowe team is excited to be working with an amazing group of new leaders at Talbots who are driven to transform perceptions of the brand and to deliver an inspiring message to their audience,” said MullenLowe svp and group account director Rebekah Pagis. “We’re proud of the work we’ve developed together and sure that the market will be surprised by the spirit and confidence of the modern Talbots brand.”

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Have you ever heard of Embraer?

That’s OK, we hadn’t either. But CP+B just won the global business of what the press release calls “the world’s third-largest aircraft manufacturer.” The Travel Observers blog placed it fourth on that list more than a year ago, but we’re not quibbling.

Anyway, the Brazilian company picked CP+B as its new global AOR after a big review. The MDC Partners network’s Miami and São Paulo offices will handle the business across broadcast, social, and media buying/planning.

This makes sense because, in case you missed it, the Miami location is now under the purview of CP+B Brazil by way of CEO Vinicius Reis and CCOs Marcos Medeiros and Andre Kassu.

In his statement, Reis explained why this new partnership makes sense:

“As we cultivate this new creative corridor, what better partner than Embraer, a massive global brand based in Sao Paulo with a large footprint in Florida, and aspirations to raise its profile in the US as well as around the world.”

“Nearly 50 years after our first flight, Embraer is driven more than ever by our dreams and passion. So, we could never partner with an agency other than CP+B,” added the client’s head of global marketing and branding Allan Macintyre. “Like us, CP+B has this unshakable belief that there is always a better solution.”

The size of the account is unclear, as is the review lineup. But it’s not quite true that Embraer could never partner with another agency: the company has recently worked with Mintz+Hoke of Avon, Connecticut.

The company’s most recently featured video is less an ad than a product demo.

As first reported by Adweek yesterday, Airbnb has launched its first global creative review since 2014. This means the world’s second most value “startup” will part ways with TBWAChiatDay, which has handled the account since that September.

According to Kantar Media, Airbnb spend approximately $65 million on measured media domestically last year.

TBWAChiatDay’s work for Airbnb included a “Belong Anywhere” campaign in 2015, an OOH campaign that angered San Francisco residents, a tie-in with Disney’s live action/CGI Jungle Book and last year’s “Live There” campaign calling on viewers to stop traveling like tourists.

“We are proud of the marketing programs we have developed together with Chiat over the last three years, including the global Live There brand platform,” Airbnb CMO Jonathan Mildenhall told Adweek. “This platform helped Airbnb reach even more people and bring them into the Airbnb community.”

“As a global hospitality company at a pivotal moment in our trajectory, we are seeking a partner agency that takes us closer to unlocking the creativity of our community, in which content and product are inextricably linked,” he added. “We are engaged in a global pitch, inviting the participation of a handful of diverse agencies to identify this new partner that will help us achieve our next phase of phenomenal growth.”

Does that sound like crowdsourcing to you guys? Sounds like crowdsourcing to us.

Airbnb hinted at such an approach this past September, when it turned to content-sourcing company MoFilm for its “Airbnb Holiday Ideas Contest” soliciting concepts for a holiday campaign.

“Our partnership with Airbnb has been transformative,” a TBWA spokesperson said in a statement. “We’re proud of the body of work we’ve created over the past three years, especially the ‘Live There’ global campaign, adding another iconic brand platform to an illustrious list that includes Apple’s ‘Think Different,’ Gatorade’s ‘Win From Within,’ and Adidas’ ‘Impossible Is Nothing.’ We’re also proud to have helped drive Airbnb’s evolution from a remarkable challenger business to a leading global brand during our partnership. We wish them continued success.”

As you all know, Shea Moisture and its new AOR VaynerMedia ran into trouble this week when Black Twitter registered its disapproval of the first ad in the brand’s new campaign.

The issue, as blogger and marketer Marie Denee explained to Adweek, wasn’t that the new spot featured two white women. It was that the brand’s longtime customers—the vast majority of whom are African American—felt dismissed.

As Denee put it, an ideal campaign would have featured a variety of women in all the spots rather than creating one clearly aimed at a white audience. She specifically referenced Grey’s recent Pantene ad, which celebrated black women and said “the climate was very unfavorable” to release such a campaign at a time when both Shea Moisture and Carol’s Daughter have been accused of “whitewashing.”

The company has been playing defense, and now its marketing team has directly contacted some of the influencers who made their opinions clear on social media.

They’ve also been calling out VaynerMedia, which has yet to respond publicly to the controversy.

I cringed watching the @SheaMoisture commercial created by @vaynermedia, & I’m a black ADPR pro. @garyvee, do you have any POC on your team?

— Erica Smith (@MrsEricaSmith) April 25, 2017

Hey @garyvee why do you think #SheaMoisture recent FB campaign created with @VaynerMedia missed the mark with its core customer base?

— Manestream Beauty (@ManestreamBeaut) April 26, 2017

I certainly did not expect to read that @garyvee‘s @VaynerMedia helped @SheaMoisture create the ad. #Branding #Marketing #Advertising https://t.co/Dl5DJpxfnM

— Brian Laung Aoaeh (@brianlaungaoaeh) April 25, 2017

@garyvee the black delegation would like answers abt this @SheaMoisture ad. Was this a @VaynerMedia project? Your cookout invite is at risk. pic.twitter.com/GgoVfysx6h

— Arsha Jones (@arshajones) April 25, 2017

@garyvee Look, the black community loves you. But I’m having a hard time believing @VaynerMedia was behind this @SheaMoisture ad.

— Arsha Jones (@arshajones) April 25, 2017

Earlier this week, Richelieu Dennis, CEO of Shea Moisture parent company Sundial Brands, talked to Fast Company about what he’s learned from the experience.

He said:

“The people who are unhappy here aren’t necessarily saying they don’t like white women. What they are saying is, for decades they’ve been underserved and white women have plenty of products on the shelves and advertising aimed at them, and that we should keep our focus on our audience, and not lose that focus just because we’re broadening our audience.”

It’s very close to what the brand’s loyalists said. But according to several of the people who tweeted about the campaign, members of Shea Moisture’s marketing team have been reaching out to them directly to explain what happened.

The response has not been universally positive.

Shea Moistures DM to me.. where is the personal attack? why just message me? THE ENTIRE USA is confused by your ads and not just black folks pic.twitter.com/Ao34X07ypB

— Rachel Stewart (@RStewartJewelry) April 27, 2017

@RStewartJewelry @LifeByDesi They messaged me to. I wasn’t impressed. One of them thought that ad was fine and they need to be FIRED.

— Arsha Jones (@arshajones) April 27, 2017

@RStewartJewelry wow!!!! They DM’d me last year when I was speaking on this…they are not serious at all! pic.twitter.com/xN5Cf3YYUA

— UKafrolista (@UKafrolista) April 27, 2017

Despite continuing to be very active on Twitter, Gary Vaynerchuk has yet to respond to all these mentions.

.@SheaMoisture took all the heat for that commercial that they did w/ @VaynerMedia. I really hope it was a wake up call for both. care more.

— LOVEvanka ? (@LOVEvanka) April 26, 2017

One user went so far as to share a picture of the agency’s purported account team.

@SheaMoisture …and this is vaynermedia. The people hired for the media campaign project. pic.twitter.com/ui4o47USQX

— Winter (@wintermachelle) April 26, 2017

Shea’s PR firm also has not commented on the (still alleged) direct messaging efforts by its marketing department.

Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) appointed Dino Bernacchi to the newly-created position of chief marketing officer for U.S. operations, effective May 1.

In the role, Bernacchi will be based out of the company’s Irvine, California headquarters and report to MNAO president, CEO and global CMO Masahiro Moro. Bernacchi will be responsible for overseeing Mazda’s brand communications in the U.S., “examining every touch point that affects a customer’s interaction with Mazda, from the earliest discovery phase of new-car shopping, through the research and purchase, to ownership and ultimately through to repurchase, and developing an overarching strategy to deliver clear, precise, consistent messages that support the Mazda Premium brand vision,” according to a press release.

Vice president, marketing Russell Wager will continue overseeing external communications and report to Bernacchi.

“The need to hone our company’s focus as a provider of exceptional customer experiences at every touchpoint with our brand, through our communications, with our vehicles and handled by our network of Mazda dealerships, has never been more clear,” Moro said in a statement.

“As customer tastes and expectations change, and Mazda moves itself to a new, more premium, position in the industry, it is critical that Mazda be laser-focused in our approach to how we tell our proud brand story at every touchpoint in the customer’s journey with us,” he added. “Dino’s leadership experience in doing exactly that in the past is why he is perfectly suited for this role at Mazda.”

Bernacchi arrives at Mazda with over 23 years of marketing communications experience, most recently serving as director of U.S. marketing for Harley-Davidson Motor Company. His previous experience includes stints at General Motors and Campbell Ewald, where he helped manage the Chevy business.

WPP’s Garage Team Mazda has handled U.S. advertising duties for the brand since 2010. The agency recently welcomed Erich Funke as chief creative officer, following the departure of former CCO Harvey Marco, who led the unit since its 2010 inception, last fall.

FCB New York recently won a review to continue its relationship with The Food and Drug Administration Center for Tobacco Products.

This decision means another 5-year contract worth $625 million. The official winner was True North Communications, an IPG unit consisting of FCB, Initiative, Rescue and Society. All were incumbents on the business, though we don’t know which other agencies were involved in the review (which began with a December RFP).

Someone who may or may not be an IPG employee apparently leaked the news, which first appeared in PR Week last Friday.

“We’re honored and thrilled to be continuing—and deepening—our relationship with FDA,” said FCB New York CEO Karyn Rockwell in a statement. “Tobacco use is the leading, yet preventable, cause of death in the U.S., and we know that awareness and education play a key role in helping people to make the right decisions that will positively change and impact their behaviors.”

Since originally winning the business in 2012, FCB’s most notable work has been the “Real Cost” campaign, which the FDA’s own research claims has prevented some 350,000 11-18-year-old Americans from smoking. You may remember last month’s “Little Lungs” PSA.

As before, the agencies involved will work on an integrated campaign combining research, creative, social, media strategy, partnerships, etc. in efforts to reach the general market of young people in addition to targeted groups like multicultural teens, LGBT and “rural at-risk youth.”

“The FDA is investing in a number of public education campaigns, such as The Real Cost, Fresh Empire, and This Free Life to help educate the public—especially youth—about the dangers of tobacco products,” a client spokesperson told PRWeek.

I used to go fishing on fishing trips to Minnesota with my grandfather. It was a big deal to go away for a week, stay in the camper, and catch a mess of Walleye. I’ll also never forget looking deep down into the clean, clear blue lakes of the region. Given my upbringing and current […]

The post Want A Participation Trophy? Fish For It. appeared first on AdPulp.

The popular sporting news property Bleacher Report recently named Johannes Leonardo as its creative agency partner after a review.

The site launched nearly 10 years ago in San Francisco, and it has survived as many rivals in the crowded and intensely competitive world of sports journalism failed. (RIP, Grantland.)

One source tells us that the review also involved the New York offices of Anomaly, Mother and Droga5, with the latter going up against JL in the final round.

Reps for those two agencies declined to comment. Bleacher Report’s head of PR confirmed that the company is working with Johannes Leonardo but did not elaborate on the nature of the relationship.

We currently have no official information about the work or the size of the account. Most non-legacy media companies are not large media spenders; Bleacher Report, however, was acquired by Turner Broadcasting System for $170 million just under 5 years ago and later developed the “industry-leading 5 star rated Team Stream app.” Its advertiser page claims 60+ million “unique visitors”, calling itself “the 2nd largest digital sports site on the planet” behind ESPN.

The property began as “a citizen journalism site for sports” and announced its Series A funding round and “public launch” in February 2008. Since then, it has abandoned the user-driven content model, hired several veteran journalists and evolved into more of a traditional multimedia source for sports news, footage and hot takes. In 2011, Adweek readers voted it their favorite sports media brand.

B/R celebrates one decade in business later this spring.

The New York office of MullenLowe recently won a review to become global creative agency of record for Mount Gay Rum. Moving forward, it will be handling all campaigns to promote the Barbados-based, Rémy Cointreau-owned liquor brand.

In recent years, Ogilvy and New York’s Our Man in Havana have produced work for the brand, which can legitimately claim to be the world’s oldest active rum facility (but not one of the 10 biggest selling brands, according to various listicles).

The account is somewhat minor. According to Kantar Media, Remy spent less than $200,000 on measured media promoting Mount Gay in the U.S. in 2015.

But the parent company wants to expand its rum’s share of the market compared to big . In 2013, production company Radical Media discussed rebranding Mount Gay at The One Show’s Creative Week, noting that they aimed to “position the brand in a more premium space.”

Reps for MullenLowe and Rémy Cointreau declined to comment on the relationship.

According to the party who first shared the win with us, it symbolizes MullenLowe New York’s newfound ability to “compete and win against all the big boys” thanks to its new management.

We’ve yet to find a party who will confirm that—but we are pretty sure the phrase “big digital transformation assignment from a high end retail/e-comm player” refers to MullenLowe beating out several hot shops to win E*Trade earlier this month.

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Heineken USA selected Omnicom’s Red Urban as its lead digital and social marketing agency. The client formerly worked with a roster of agencies on digital and social media marketing assignments including creative AOR Publicis, Havas, 360i, We Are Social and Nomades.

Red Urban, which currently has offices in Toronto and Amsterdam, will open a new location in New York to service the client, whose brands include Heineken, Heineken Light, Tecate, Amstel, Dos Equis and Strongbow hard cider. According to a release, the office is a “bespoke solution which will also draw upon a number of agencies and partners.”

“We could not be more thrilled to partner with Heineken here in the U.S. and create something new, bespoke and innovative for them,” Red Urban group business director Emilio Rosas said in a statement. “The landscape is changing rapidly and we believe this fixed and flexible model allows us to respond at the speed of the marketplace with the right talent at the right time!”

“With Red Urban at the helm, and the ability to leverage Omnicom digital and social capabilities, we look forward to taking Heineken’s consumer centric strategy to the next level,” Omnicom Digital CEO Jonathan Nelson added.

Heineken USA chief marketing officer Nuno Teles cited Red Urban’s “fantastic track record for developing winning programming” in the selection, adding, “we look forward to partnering together across our portfolio of premium import beers and ciders.”