Do you remember a viral craze called “the ice bucket challenge?” It was truly a charity campaign for the viral social media age. Every celebrity, semi-celebrity and wannabe celebrity participated (including one Mark Zuckerberg). Most brands also found a way to join in the generous fun. Yet, while the effort won two highly coveted Gold…
The practice of rhino poaching has increased 9,300 percent since 2007. Three rhinos are killed for their horns every day–and if something isn’t done to help save them, the endangered species is expected to be wiped out of the wild within 20 years. That’s according to the Council of Contributors, a nonprofit started by activist…
Director Alma Har’el, one of the 39 women Adweek selected for our second annual Disruptors list, founded the non-profit Free the Bid in 2016 to push for more diversity behind the camera when it comes to directing ads. It seems to be working–Har’el explained that the number of women directors hired for commercial jobs has…
In a blog post on Monday, Google took a bite out of bail bond services. The company announced that starting in July, it will prohibiting ads from bail bond service companies across all of its platforms. “Studies show that for-profit bail bond providers make most of their revenue from communities of color and low income…
What does it mean to be a disruptor? For Adweek, it means women who are leading the charge in demanding more diversity, inclusiveness and gender equality in their industries. We spotlight 39 outstanding women doing just that in this week’s issue and our cover star truly exemplifies all of those traits. On this week’s episode…
Today, 360i–Adweek’s Breakthrough Media Agency of the Year–announced the appointment of Raig Adolfo as its new chief strategy officer. Adolfo, currently the head of brand and business innovation strategy at FCB’s New York office, is preparing to join the Dentsu Aegis-owned network in June and replaces predecessor Lee Maicon, who left for McCann in March….
When attendees of the NRA’s annual convention came to Dallas, they came face to face with 24 victims of gun violence. Inspired by student activists at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Dallas-based freelance creative director Susan Levine took action, using the convention as an ideal opportunity to “pull off something a bit disruptive, in a…
China’s ambitions in artificial intelligence are insatiable. Wary that the Middle Kingdom is trailing the United States (the current leader in the field), government officials outlined a blueprint last summer to make the country the world’s uncontested AI power in the next decade. By a host of metrics, China is already tilting the scale. AI-related…
If vaping has reached epidemic levels among teenagers, as public health officials have declared, it’s not too tough to see where the roots of the problem may lie, the FDA said this week in yet another crackdown on e-cigarette marketing. The agency warned more than a dozen manufacturers, distributors and retailers that they’re endangering kids…
Deadpool 2 opens in just over one week, and its titular smartass anti-hero is already inescapable. In the last couple of weeks alone, he could be seen starring in odd Celine Dion music videos and announcing his new job as creative director for a certain tequila brand. He even appeared in mock ads during Lebanon’s…
GroupM unveiled its 2018 “State of the Digital” report, which predicts where people worldwide are expected to consume content in the coming year. And for the first time, the WPP network sees online surpassing every other vertical–linear TV, print and radio–in terms of where people will choose to spend their time with media. The study,…
Volvo is working with Google to make Google services standard in its in-car Sensus infotainment system, including Google Assistant, Google Maps and the Google Play Store. According to a release, the first Android-based system will launch “in a couple of years from now.” As cars get smarter, the competition for the car’s main screen heats…
Nestl? is growing its coffee business. The company has just inked a $7.15 billion deal with Starbucks to market some of its products globally–well, outside of Starbucks’ coffee shops. The deal is pending regulatory approval. Should it make it past regulators–the companies expect the deal to close by the end of 2018–the brands will work…
With temperatures in the Northeast already reaching well into the 80s this past week and Memorial Day just a few weeks away, malt beverage brand Mike’s Hard Lemonade launched a campaign priming viewers for the summer. The brand continues to target males aged 25-29, a demographic it has previously had trouble reaching. “Happiness is ultimately…
Weedmaps, a cannabis directory platform, doesn’t want the general public to walk away with wrong nuggets of information around marijuana. So, it plans on continuing its “Weed Facts” campaign over the next few months with new statistics and studies around legalization. The campaign, which started in 2016 with a few billboards, each highlighting five different…
On Kentucky Derby day, home of “the fastest two minutes in sports,” there’s plenty of downtime at the Churchill Downs venue between thoroughbred races, and sponsors like Coca-Cola, Budweiser, Ram and Woodford Reserve plan to pack in more brand activity than the event’s seen in its previous 143 years. New partner Corona will take advantage…
It’s tough to shock pest control pros, who are accustomed to spending most days up to their elbows in creepy crawlies. But trot out a hungry werewolf raiding a fridge, a ghost squatting in a man cave and a killer clown mixing cocktails, and even this seasoned worker needs a moment to compose himself. That’s…
Last summer, Ikea took advantage of the growing fan base for ASMR, or autonomous sensory meridian response, videos on YouTube with a 25-minute video of a woman smoothing sheets and whispering about various products. Now, Applebee’s is looking to tap into that audience with a 60-minute video featuring “soothing grill sounds” with imagery of chicken,…
Nike is working to address its cultural problem. In recent weeks top executives, including marketing veteran Trevor Edwards, have left the company amid reports of “behavior that is inconsistent with [the company’s] values.” Last weekend, The New York Times published an investigation into what exactly that culture was allegedly like and how working for the…
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