Agency Execs Create Fake Website Selling Bulletproof Kids’ Clothes to Highlight America’s Gun Problem

What would you think as a parent if you came across a website selling bulletproof vests–some stamped with smiley faces and rainbows–for school-aged children? Would you find it absurd, or would you consider buying the armor for your kid? A group of agency employees created a fictitious site, Bulletproofjunior.com, that sells (or rather wants people…

4 Women in Retail Explain Their Frustrating Experiences in the Industry

At almost every type of conference, there’s a room full of rose gold light, filled with comfortable chairs, candy and panels full of powerful women that you’ll find candidly speaking about their experience as leaders in the industry. It’s known as The Girls’ Lounge, run by the company The Female Quotient. 25 years in the…

Publicis Groupe Takes a Hard Pivot Toward Consulting With 3-Year ‘Sprint to the Future’ Plan

Before CEO and chairman Arthur Sadoun took the stage today in front of shareholders in London at Publicis Groupe’s first investor day since 2013, the company unveiled its “2020: Sprint to the Future” plan, detailing the three key areas of growth the industry’s third largest global holding company will focus on over the next three…

Cynthia Nixon Becomes the Latest Star of a New Kind of Political Advertising

Something is changing in our politics–waves of resistance that ebb, then spike when called upon. One such spike happened in our last round of elections: New Jersey Republican politician John Carman, who shared a meme on Facebook criticizing the Women’s March in January, lost his seat to Democrat Ashley Bennett–driven to run, for the first…

Samsung’s Cheil Expands Its In-House Content Marketing Divisions to the U.S.

Cheil North America today announced that it’s taking its content marketing units, which first launched in Toronto in 2014, to the United States. Cylndr Productions will open shop in Ridgefield, N.J., while Cylndr Content Agency will serve Cheil clients from offices in New York and Durham, N.C. “In this social age, brands need a distinctive…

Uber Suspends Self-Driving Tests After Autonomous Car Kills Pedestrian

A self-driving car operated by Uber struck and killed a pedestrian in Tempe, Ariz. Sunday night in what is being described as the first reported fatal car crash involving an autonomous car. According to Tempe Police, the car was in autonomous mode when it struck 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg, who was walking outside of the crosswalk….

Facebook Debuted 3 New Ad Products for Retailers at Shoptalk

On Monday, Facebook reinforced its focus on retail brands at Shoptalk in Las Vegas with its introduction of three new advertising tools. Last September, the social network added the ability for retailers to build custom audiences of Facebook users who have previously made offline purchases from retailers, as well as to create lookalike audiences to…

JWT Eliminates the Worldwide Chief Creative Officer Role

J. Walter Thompson Co. today announced that it is eliminating the position of worldwide chief creative officer. Matt Eastwood, who has held that position since July 2014, will leave to “pursue other interests,” according to the agency’s statement. “We are reimagining the future of the agency,” Tamara Ingram, JWT Worldwide CEO, said in a statement….

Sony Debuts Virtual Reality Mapping Technology in Groundbreaking Music Video at SXSW

Sony closed out its week-long activation at South by Southwest with some fluffy clouds, a cash bar, special musical performances and a new type of virtual reality experience. The second half of Sony’s activation, which ran from March 15-16, concluded with the debut of artist Khalid’s “Young, Dumb and Broke” VR music video. For the…

Golin Calls on Agencies to Support Female Creatives in New #MeToo Push ‘Have Her Back’

Golin, an integrated agency spanning public relations, digital and content, partnered with The 3% Conference, SheSays and EvolveHer today to launch a campaign calling on agencies to “Have Her Back” in the wake of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. The effort begins with a powerful video and website tied to a twofold mission: supporting female…

Nike Reshuffles Marketing Leadership Amid Reports of ‘Behavior That Is Inconsistent With Our Values’

An internal memo sent to staff today by Nike chairman, president and CEO Mark Parker announced several major changes to the athletic-wear giant’s marketing department while also mentioning an investigation into unspecified behavior within the organization. In the biggest move, Trevor Edwards, a 25-year veteran of the organization whom many saw as Parker’s potential heir,…

AARP Unexpectedly Taps a Spoken Word Artist to Reach a New Generation

AARP isn’t strictly about retirement. And it’s not just for Baby Boomers, either. A new campaign from the 60-year-old organization and its agency of record Grey New York reminds us that the time has come for Generation X to enter its fifth decade–and my, how the time files. The work also takes a notably different…

Why the Meal Kit Market Is Probably Overheated and Overhyped

Meal kit companies promise to make consumers’ lives easier by eliminating the drudgery of grocery shopping and meal planning, but they also pitch themselves as friendly kitchen companions who can make cooking more exciting and accessible. With chef-crafted recipes and seasonable ingredients that are healthier and ethically sourced–thereby eliminating waste and enhancing sustainability–the world would…

Dos Equis Keeps It ‘Interesante,’ Just Without the Man Himself, in First Ads by Droga5

Watching the new campaign for Dos Equis, viewers may notice one very conspicuous thing missing … well, two things if you count his famous beard. The beer brand’s first major campaign since moving its account from Havas Worldwide to Droga5 last year contains no trace of The Most Interesting Man in the World, or the…

AB InBev’s Breckenridge Brewery Celebrates Colorado in First National Campaign

Breckenridge Brewery is launching its first national ad campaign in its 28-year history. Founded in 1990 in Breckenridge, Colorado as the state’s third craft brewery, Breckenridge Brewing expanded two years later with a manufacturing facility in Denver and is now headquartered in a 12-acre Littleton, Colorado location. AB InBev acquired Breckenridge Brewing in late 2015,…

Dog Dies on United Flight After Employee Forces Kennel Into Overhead Compartment

It’s hard to believe United could have a worse year than its last, but just a couple months in, 2018 is already shaping up to be a PR disaster for the airline–and this time, bad decisions proved to be fatal. The New York Post reported on Monday night that a dog died onboard a United…

Former Figure Skaters Spin Around the Living Room in Ikea’s Beautiful Tribute to Aging Gracefully

One wouldn’t normally think of Ikea as a brand dedicated to helping people enjoy the golden years. But a new campaign does just that while creatively highlighting a series of products from the Dutch-based conglomerate’s Belgian division. The beautifully staged spot stars two actors who just happen to be former figure skaters (an older photo…

New Motorola Spots Encourage Us to Take a Hard Look at Our Smartphone Habits

It’s happened to all of us at one time or another. We’re trying to inch forward at the checkout or get through a door, retrieve our bags at the airport or simply move down the sidewalk and–wham–we smack into some nitwit (often, we have more colorful terms) standing there frozen, eyes glued to a smartphone….

McDonald’s Expands Relationship With Omnicom, Signing Content Collective as Entertainment AOR

Nearly two years after consolidating its advertising business with Omnicom, McDonald’s has further expanded the relationship by choosing the holding company’s Content Collective division as its entertainment and content marketing agency of record. The decision followed a competitive six-month review process involving several other unnamed holding groups. It also marks the first time the fast…

5 Years After Publicis Merger, DigitasLBi Rebrands as Digitas and Adopts a New Mission Statement

Five years and one month ago, Publicis Groupe merged its Digitas and LBi networks, forming DigitasLBi. Today, the global digital agency officially dropped the LBi from its name and will now be known simply as Digitas. “In the last five years, we’ve worked seamlessly as a global network focused in mission, purpose and culture,” Digitas…