Multinational investment giant Morgan Stanley announced today that it is acquiring ETrade Financial Corporation in an all-stock purchase valued at $13 billion. According to a statement, the combination between the legacy financial services company and e-brokerage pioneer will “support the full spectrum of wealth,” increasing the balance and breadth of Morgan Stanley’s Wealth Management franchise…
There’s about to be a lot more M.M.LaFleur on the campaign trail. The women’s workwear brand, founded by Sarah LaFleur, Narie Foster and Miyako Nakamura in 2011, aims to provide “a more practical, inspired wardrobe” for professional women. And this week, the brand announced that it wants to extend that mission to the women running…
A new project from agency Eleven is pairing ancient spirits with Instagram selfies in hopes of boosting a version of Black History Month that traces all the way back to antiquity. The agency’s new Instagram filter superimposes the faces of various figures from the Yoruba religion and other traditional African cultures onto a user’s face…
Olay, the skincare brand owned by Procter & Gamble, will no longer retouch photos in its advertisements, it announced today at an event in New York City. The plan is to end all retouching in Olay’s advertising imagery–in print, digital, TV and out-of-home–by the end of 2020. Coinciding with the announcement is a release of…
The Circle is as endearing a story of social media that exists. It’s one where authenticity online triumphs over fraudulence, where catfishes have good reasons to fool you and first impressions give way to deeper connections. It’s a popularity contest, but one where the most real, genuine and generous participants are voted to the top….
Today, Nike announced a series of new internal leadership appointments, naming Heidi O’Neill as president of consumer and marketplace, Andy Campion as COO and Matthew Friend as CFO. These changes to Nike’s executive leadership are happening under the multinational athletic accessories and apparel retailer’s new president and CEO, John Donahoe, who recently stepped into the…
Salesforce partner and digital marketing agency Pierry is integrating within WPP’s Wunderman Thompson. The San Francisco-based agency, which was acquired by WPP in 2017, will rebrand as part of Wunderman Thompson while continuing to operate out of its current office. “The strategy of connecting our communications to the right audiences–and the audience of Salesforce–is critical,”…
Barbara Poma still recalls with vivid clarity the phone call that no business owner wants to get. Poma was away from her Orlando, Fla., home that day, June 12, 2016, and well into a mother-daughter group trip in Mexico to celebrate her daughter’s high school graduation. Her cell phone rang a few minutes after 1…
Between Brandless shutting down, Edgewell Personal Care backing out of its acquisition of Harry’s after the Federal Trade Commission sued to block the deal, Casper’s lackluster IPO and Birchbox laying off 25% of its global workforce, it hasn’t been the best week for direct-to-consumer brands. But, setbacks like these give companies and anyone in the…
Massachusetts is the latest state to crack down on San Francisco-based vape brand Juul, which has so far had a 2020 defined by morale-depleting scandals and costly lawsuits. Maura Healey, Massachusetts’s Attorney General, filed and publicly announced the suit against Juul and its ex-parent company Pax Labs Wednesday, alleging the company deliberately targeted minors in…
Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson today announced that Brady Brewer has been promoted to the role of CMO, according to a letter to the coffee chain’s employees. Brewer will report directly to the company’s COO, Roz Brewer, the letter added. The newly appointed CMO will lead the development and execution of the company’s marketing plans, as…
Organizers of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona announced today that this year’s conference will be canceled after more than two dozen companies pulled out due to concerns about the global coronavirus outbreak. Typically attended by more than 100,000 people, the late-February event has been the wireless industry’s biggest trade show for more than three…
IPG CEO Michael Roth said he is “very pleased” with the holding company’s “strong performance” for both the fourth quarter of 2019 and full year on this morning’s quarterly earnings call. The holding company reported 3.3% organic net revenue growth for 2019, beating its 2-3% target. In the fourth quarter, it experienced organic net revenue…
The stars have aligned: MDC Partners is bringing together five agencies to form a new collective it refers to as a “constellation.” Comprised of 72andSunny and CPB, production company Hecho Studios, digital agency Instrument, and strategy and design consultancy Redscout, the collective will provide services spanning creative, data, strategy, design, user experience, storytelling and media….
Travis Scott now has some artificial intelligence competition, thanks to a new experiment from digital agency Space150. The tech-focused creative shop has produced a song with lyrics and melodies generated entirely by a machine learning model trained on the rapper’s music. Complete with a music video starring a computer distorted deepfake of Scott, the track…
Adhesive stickers are one of those things that are everywhere without being noticed. That price you’re checking on an item at the supermarket? It’s on a sticker. The coffee shop door that tells you there’s free Wi-Fi inside? Also a sticker. And once you’re seated inside the coffee shop at a long table full of…
Brandless, once a direct-to-consumer darling brand selling grocery and other essential items, is shutting down. According to a report from Protocol, Brandless is laying off 70 people and keeping 10 staffers on to finish any remaining orders and explore any acquisition offers. A Brandless spokesperson confirmed the shut down to Adweek. “I’m proud of what…
Harry’s, the direct-to-consumer men’s and women’s shaving company, is now independent once more. Edgewell Personal Care, which owns the Schick brand of shaving products, had been set to acquire Harry’s for $1.37 billion, but the company is backing out of the offer after the FTC sued to block the transaction on Feb. 3. In a…
This year, Abercrombie & Fitch is taking another step to ensure it’s no longer the exclusive outfitter for the thin, popular girls and bronzed, muscular jocks that ruled your high school in the early aughts. The Ohio-based retailer is famous for its cozy cable knit sweaters, distressed jeans, in-your-face moose logo, the signature “aroma” of…
Birchbox, one of the earliest direct-to-consumer brands, is laying off 25% of its global staff. Many of the reductions will occur across Birchbox’s international offices in the U.K and Spain, with plans to move a portion of its U.K operations to Spain. However, in New York, 44 of its 94 employees will also be let…
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