Measurability Over Magic? Heineken CMO Urges Marketers to Bring the Joy

PALM SPRINGS, Calif.–What ever happened to the magic, people? As the CMO of Heineken USA, Jonnie Cahill has more data about consumers and tools for how to reach them than ever before. He’s tuned into the latest developments in programmatic advertising, and he’s steeped in media mix, awareness and impressions, just like marketers across every…

Gap Inc. CEO Art Peck Is Stepping Down

Fifteen years after joining the company, Art Peck is stepping down from his role as CEO of Gap Inc. as well as from the company’s board. Robert J. Fisher, Gap Inc.’s chairman of the board, will step into the role as interim president and CEO. Fisher is part of the founding family behind Gap Inc.,…

5 Mantras for the Modern Marketer From Walgreens’ Global CMO

PALM SPRINGS, Calif.–Within 8 minutes of ordering Neosporin and Band-Aids, a consumer in Virginia had those items in hand, delivered by drone from a nearby Walgreens to his home. Your move, Amazon. It was no stunt–drone delivery is part of a pilot project the drug store chain launched this fall aimed at “redefining convenience,” said…

Laura Fegley Joins OKRP as Chief Creative Officer

O’Keefe Reinhard & Paul, the Chicago-based creative agency better known as OKRP, has appointed Laura Fegley as chief creative officer. Fegley takes on a role previously held by Matt Reinhard, who founded the agency seven years ago alongside CEO Tom O’Keefe and president Nick Paul. Reinhard will now step into a growth and innovation role…

Swizz Beatz on Remaining Authentic, True to His Roots and Why He’s Just Getting Started

PALM SPRINGS, Calif.–Kasseem “Swizz Beatz” Dean is more than just a producer these days. He’s an artist, a collaborator and a man with a vision who’s determined to remain authentic to his roots and leave a positive legacy for artists. Dean closed Brandweek in a fireside chat with Adweek’s chief brand officer, Danny Wright. Dean…

How Target Taught Fashion Designers That Plus Sizes Were a Profitable Idea

PALM SPRINGS, Calif.–Twenty years ago, Target turned heads in the fashion realm with a then-novel idea: Approach high-end fashion designers and talk them into creating capsule collections that wouldn’t just sell exclusively on the big-box retailer’s racks, but also sell for reasonable prices. Within a few short years, the list of designers willing to suspend…

Kroger Launches New Brand Positioning and First Work From New AOR DDB New York

PALM SPRINGS, Calif.– At the beginning of the year, Kroger announced it was looking for its first-ever creative agency of record (AOR) to help unify messaging across its core nameplate and the several brands it owns across the country. In July, the nation’s second-largest retailer, with more than $120 billion in sales, revealed that it…

Infographic: From Early to Late Stage, Online Video Ads Provide a Lift

We all know online video works. Content is king. Customers use video throughout the entire journey. Online video drives the early stages of the purchase journey, with a 24% lift in ad recall and a 9% lift in purchase intent. But a new study from Google and the 4A’s found key performance metrics were high…

Nutter Butter’s Origin Remains a Mystery in Spite of Its Decades of Staying Power

A kid plays on a swing, contemplating his afternoon snack. His co-star, an animated character in Nutter Butter’s 1973 television commercial, is the spitting image of Willy Wonka, the beloved Gene Wilder version, though some viewers have noticed touches of Uncle Sam. With an earworm jingle and a breezy backdrop, the spot serves a memorable…

Photos: Convergence TV Summit with Leading Minds

As connected TV usage continues to skyrocket, linear and digital viewing is blurring like never before. New streaming services are rapidly accelerating the evolution of the TV industry. At the Convergent TV summit, Adweek editors spoke with the innovators and leaders at the forefront of this transformation. Kelly Abcarian, gm, Nielsen Advanced Video Advertising Group;…

Remembering Gert Boyle, the ‘Tough Mother’ of Columbia Sportswear

On the morning of Nov. 3, Columbia Sportswear lost its pioneering maverick of a mother, the tough and sharp-witted chairwoman Gert Boyle. She was 95. The first woman inducted into the Sporting Goods Association’s Industry Hall of Fame in 2003, Boyle was affectionately known as the “First Lady of Oregon” and widely revered as a…

Why Music and Musicians Are a Marketer’s Best Weapons

With a microphone in hand (instead of a ball), Drake manages to sell out basketball arenas all over the world. Despite the selling power he and his peers in the music industry have, brands haven’t paid as much attention–or advertising dollars–to musicians, particularly in comparison with the money invested into professional sports. It may seem…

Why This Small New York Agency Bought Barton F. Graf’s Computers

Gone but not forgotten, Barton F. Graf may have held its own funeral but its legacy lives on–and so do its computers. Mojo Supermarket, an independent New York agency launched last October by Droga5 vet Mo Said, acquired Barton F. Graf’s computers as an homage to the agency with a desire to continue making the…

Shopify Rolls Outs Email Marketing for Merchants

Nine months after breaking up with Mailchimp, Shopify is moving on and saying hello to a new love: Shopify Email. The ecommerce platform giant, which just reached 1 million merchants, is rolling out Shopify Email, its own email service provider (ESP) to select merchants; it will be more widely available next year. It’s yet another…

E-Cigarette Brands Are Continuing Marketing Efforts Following Juul’s PR Crisis

A public perception crisis around electronic cigarettes seems to have materialized overnight, triggering a variety of responses from the industry. News of vaping-related hospitalizations began circulating in August while teen use continued to trend upward. Juul Labs’ share of the e-cigarette market fell to 64% as of Oct. 5, compared to over 72% of dollar…

Former Amazon Marketing Chief Mike Benson Named Grand Brand Genius for 2019

PALM SPRINGS, Calif.–Mike Benson, the Amazon Studios’ erstwhile head of marketing whose creative drive and dynamic leadership helped create some of the most colorful experiential marketing of the past year, has been named Adweek’s Grand Brand Genius for 2019. Benson accepted the honor Monday night at Brandweek, the magazine’s annual colloquium that draws the marketing…

Target’s First Loyalty Program Failed. Here’s How It Built a Better One

PALM SPRINGS, Calif.–Target CMO Rick Gomez described the company’s new loyalty program, Target Circle, as the product of learning from previous missteps. The retailer rolled out Target Circle earlier this year, and the company claims it’s now of the country’s fastest-growing loyalty programs, with 25 million sign-ups in the first four weeks. But this wasn’t…

Contemporary Dancers Show a Younger Side of Banana Republic

In Banana Republic’s holiday campaign, not a single word is spoken. Instead, the clothing brand attempts to relay the magic of the season through a series of whimsical dance vignettes. The spot is the centerpiece of the Gap Inc.-owned brand’s holiday push and will run on Hulu, YouTube, Vevo and other video platforms, as well…

Facebook’s First Corporate Logo Is All About Differentiating the Company From the Platform

It’s a new era at Facebook: On Nov. 4, the tech giant unveiled its first-ever corporate logo, a wordmark meant to represent the company as a whole, including all of its subsidiaries–among them Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp and Oculus–as well as, of course, the social media platform. Facebook CMO Antonio Lucio said the idea of creating…

McDonald’s CEO Resigns Over Alleged Relationship With Employee

After four years as McDonald’s CEO and president, Steve Easterbrook is out, the company announced on Sunday. Easterbrook was ousted for allegedly demonstrating “poor judgement” and engaging in a consensual relationship with an employee–violating company policy in the process, according to The Wall Street Journal. Easterbrook acknowledged the relationship in an email to his employees…