Charles Schwab to Buy TD Ameritrade for $26 Billion

Charles Schwab is acquiring TD Ameritrade for $26 billion, the online brokerage companies announced this morning. Under the agreement, TD Ameritrade stockholders will receive 1.0837 Schwab shares for every TD Ameritrade share, a 17% premium over the 30-day volume weighted average price exchange ratio. “We have long respected TD Ameritrade since our early days pioneering…

Dunkin’ Lights a New Marketing Fire With Candle Collection

It’s no longer time to make the doughnuts–this holiday season, it’s time to smell the doughnuts. Dunkin’s newest merchandise drop isn’t a white-label clothing line or a new pair of running shoes. Instead, the coffee and doughnut company partnered with Homesick Candles to create three limited-edition candles for the holidays. Justin Unger, director of strategic…

Under Marketing Chief Bruno Cardinali, Popeyes Is Eating Its Rivals’ Lunch

Prepping for the most significant new product launch in 30 years at Popeyes, Bruno Cardinali traveled to the chain’s Louisiana home turf, steeping himself in the area’s famous Cajun cuisine and hospitality. David Williams for Adweek Cardinali, who joined as head of North American marketing in March, says he wanted to “get to know the…

These Stellar Media, Marketing and Tech Execs Helped Make 2019 a Standout Year for Their Brands

Staying ahead of the curve as a major company has never been easy, but the pace of change these days is downright breathtaking, and the stakes have never seemed higher. All the more reason to shine a light on the people who work tirelessly to deliver not just in the near term but with an…

Infographic: 22% of Americans Will Be Heavy Buyers of DTC Brands

More shoppers will buy from direct-to-consumer brands. Purchases are expected to grow in the next few years as Americans cut down on traditional retail in favor of DTC companies–especially in health, wellness and beauty (35%). Diffusion’s annual Direct-to-Consumer Purchase Intent Index revealed consumers are still committed to buying from DTC brands, but maintaining their attention…

Tesco Driver Careens Through History Delivering Groceries in Centennial Holiday Ad

A shared love of holiday treats transcends the bounds of the space and time–quite literally–in a new Tesco holiday ad with a sci-fi twist. The 90-second spot follows a delivery truck driver who finds himself hurtling through various decades of British history via a series of time warps, placating the shocked inhabitants of each era…

WeWork Names Former Publicis CEO Maurice Lévy as Interim CMO

In an all-staff meeting today, WeWork announced that former Publicis CEO Maurice L?vy will be joining the beleaguered real-estate company as interim chief marketing and communications officer, according to reports from Bloomberg and Business Insider. According to reports, company executives also announced that SoftBank’s Ralf Wenzel and Mike Bucy will be joining WeWork as chief…

Can a Reindeer With a Diversity Agenda Topple the Christmas Elf From His Shelf?

To hear Adam Reed tell it, the whole thing started when he realized that Elf on the Shelf was “going to scare the crap out of my daughter.” It was three years ago, and Reed’s daughter Peyton had just been born. When winter rolled around, he wanted to start a holiday tradition that she’d remember….

Microsoft’s ‘Changing the Game’ Campaign Wins Responsibility Grand Prix at Epica Awards

AMSTERDAM–McCann New York is rounding out the 2019 awards season with yet another win, taking home the responsibility Grand Prix at the Epica Awards for Microsoft’s “Changing the Game” campaign. The effort showcases the brand’s Xbox Adaptive Controller, a device that makes it easier for people with disabilities to play video games. The campaign, which…

Fantasy and Reality Blend Beautifully in Melodramatic Telenova Ad

Beto and Elena meet cute. The hunky heartthrob picks the shy young gal on a couch, and sparks fly. From there, the two are so smitten with each other that they can barely stand to be apart. But when tragedy strikes Elena, Beto’s out of his mind with worry. Can his love save her? Of…

The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show Is Officially Canceled

The sun has officially set on the Victoria’s Fashion Show–the lingerie retailer’s annual event has been canceled, according to an executive with Victoria’s Secret parent company L Brands In an earnings call on Thursday, L Brands’ chief financial officer and evp Stuart B. Burgdoerfer confirmed the months-long rumor that the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show (typically…

Nielsen Names Jacqueline Woods as CMO of its Global Connect Division

Nielsen Holdings has announced that Jacqueline Woods will be joining the company as chief marketing officer of its Global Connect division, which provides CPG manufacturers and retailers with data insights on consumer trends. “I am humbled and excited to join the team, as we begin to create the next chapter of Nielsen Global Connect’s brand…

WeWork Lays Off More Than 2,000 Employees

WeWork may have gotten a bailout after its IPO debacle but troubles continue for the coworking giant, which announced today that it has laid off 2,400 employees. Rumors that massive layoffs would hit WeWork surfaced earlier this week, though those predictions had put the number of employees who would lose their jobs as high as…

Ghost Signs, Bygone Ads Painted on Buildings, Are Fading Away—Should We Let Them?

Take a walk through any city, and you’ll spot bygone advertising on buildings, walls and in alleys. Usually, you’ll come across it when a building’s outer wall sees sunlight for the first time in decades when a building next door gets torn down. It might be the name of the hardware store that used to…

PayPal Acquires Honey for $4 Billion

In its largest acquisition to date, PayPal is now the new owner of Honey Science Corporation. PayPal acquired Honey for $4 billion and will now gain access to the company’s shopping capabilities to track prices on products, try different promotional codes and more. Honey’s 17 million active users will now join PayPal’s more than 300…

An Inside Look Into How TikTok Could Attempt to Win Over Influencers

Contrary to what TikTok might tell most of its content creators, it appears a select few might be paid to join the short-form video service. A quick Google search conducted by Adweek yielded what appears to be a recent brief from influencer-focused agency Upfluence, laying out a proposal by which TikTok would attempt to recruit…

Applications Are Open for Adweek’s 2019 Media Agency of the Year

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… for media agencies. Of course, we mean it’s time to submit applications for Adweek’s 2019 Media Agency of the Year. Last year, Initiative, OMD and Essence rose to the top through a combination of outstanding work and savvy moves. While 2019 may not have met the “mediapalooza”…

Epica Awards’ Longtime Book Editor on How Creativity Keeps Changing

A jury of advertising journalists from around the world is convening in Amsterdam this week to select the best ads of the year–an honor distinct for two reasons. It’s the only show judged by an impartial jury, meaning no brands or agencies vote. And it comes at both the end and the beginning of awards…

Can You Tell Which of These Adweek Headlines Were Written by AI?

Artificial intelligence researchers have made strides in teaching machines to understand and produce natural-sounding language in recent months, suggesting the potential for vastly improved predictive text tools, chatbots and writing aids–but also stoking fears of fake news and spam on a massive scale. Those concerns spurred research group OpenAI to initially dumb down the public…

Cannabis Delivery Service Eaze Is Rolling Out a Data Platform

As the CBD industry continues to mature, with ecommerce platforms opening up to merchants, the broader cannabis category–slated to reach $30 billion in sales by 2023–is undergoing a similar wave of change. In order to better serve cannabis brands and dispensaries, a cottage industry of payment processors, compliance services and point-of-sale companies has sprung up….