CPG Marketer Acosta Files for Bankruptcy

Sales and marketing agency Acosta, Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware on Dec. 1 in a deal with creditors that will convert $3 billion of debt into equity. The Jacksonville-based company, which has worked with major brands like Campbell’s, Coca-Cola, Kellogg’s, Kraft Heinz and other leading consumer goods brands, argued that several factors–both…

DoorDash and White Claw Are Among the 20 Fastest Growing Companies

It’s 2019 and the Gen Zers are Ok Boomer-ing en masse online and reportedly on the streets. Meanwhile, media has deemed Gen X a “so-so” mess and claims the millenials are doomed. Needless to say, it’s been tough for generations to make peace with each other this year, considering we’ve spent most of it pointing…

Classic Blue Is Pantone’s 2020 Color of the Year

Pantone believes a familiar color will take the spotlight in the first year of the new decade: Classic Blue. The color standards and forecasting company announced the hue, officially named Pantone 19-4052, as the Color of the Year for 2020 on Wednesday. The reveal marks a bold switch from 2019’s Living Coral and other brighter…

The Classic VW Beetle is Already Cut Out in This Goodbye Campaign

Imagine the kind of legacy one would have to build in order for even its mere silhouette–ostensibly, the vaguest of likeness–to be instantly identifiable. For example, Alfred Hitchcock and the original Charlie’s Angels lineup have two of the most famous profiles in pop culture. It’s not just about being distinctive, but possessing the longevity that…

Facebook Sues Chinese Firm Over Cloaked Ads and Hacked Accounts

Fraudulent ads are an ongoing problem for social media platforms, but crackdowns can be difficult. However, Facebook announced it’s escalated one of those battles to a lawsuit. On Thursday, the social network announced legal action against China-based ILikeAd Media International Company, as well as a marketer and developer working for the firm, over malware created…

Hal Lawton Leaves Macy’s, Taking Omnichannel Expertise to Tractor Supply Company

Macy’s announced today that Hal Lawton, president of the 161-year-old retailer, is resigning, effective Friday. After two years with Macy’s, Lawton will be taking over as CEO of Tennessee-based Tractor Supply Company. “Hal has made significant contributions to the business over the past two years, including improving the Macy’s operational cadence. Hal also helped us…

Casper CMO Jeff Brooks Jumps to Insurance Startup Lemonade

After two years with mattress industry disruptor Casper, chief marketing officer Jeff Brooks is leaving to join insurance startup Lemonade. He’ll be taking charge of Lemonade’s in-house creative agency, which was announced over the summer. “Lemonade doesn’t look, sound or act like a traditional insurance brand, and that’s the recipe for building something special and…

Pringles Created a Ridiculous, Questionably Effective Way to Put Chips in Gamers’ Mouths

Gamers know the experience when they are deep into a session and really want a snack but can’t bear to take their hands away from the controller for even a second. To satisfy even the most focused of gamers, Pringles created the Hunger Hammer, the perfect gag gift for the holidays. The brand and agency…

MDC Partners Forms New Agency Network With Doner at the Helm

MDC Partners is combining seven of its agencies into a new network led by Detroit-based Doner, marking the latest shake-up under chairman and CEO Mark Penn’s leadership. Called Doner Partners Network, the North American entity includes its namesake agency plus six of the holding company’s specialist shops: brand strategy agency KWT Global (formerly Kwittken); PR,…

Giphy’s 2019 List of Top 25 GIFs Is Full of Positivity

With billions of GIFs floating through platforms like Twitter, Slack and Facebook every day, it’s hard to figure out which ones were the most popular in 2019. Giphy, the online database for over 10 billion GIFs and stickers sent each day, revealed the 25 most viewed GIFs this year that include famous faces like Lizzo,…

Shutterstock Predicts ‘Maximalist’ Hues Will Dominate Marketing and Creativity in 2020

The visual world is about to take a bold turn toward “maximalism and saturated hues,” according to Shutterstock’s 2020 Color Report. Contrasting with the bright neon tones of the stock image provider’s last two reports, 2020’s color palette will feature three deeper hues: lush lava, aqua menthe and phantom blue. “It’s a huge difference, and…

Serta Brings Mattress Comfort to New Sneaker

Serta is giving consumers a chance to experience the feeling of a mattress on the soles of their feet. The mattress and bedding company has partnered with hip-hop artist and producer DJ Clark Kent to release a limited-edition sneaker called the iC1. The cool blue and white sneaker, which has a foam insole, was created…

Meet the McNificients in Dutch Happy Meals, Inspired by Superhero Kids

The bravest people in our world are often the smallest. Too many people know a child who was forced to confront an inhumane disease. These children are the closest figures humanity has to superheroes, and bringing their stories alive, comic-book style, is the new campaign for the Ronald McDonald House Charities. “McNificents” is a series…

Hostess Brands Acquiring Canadian Voortman Cookies for $320 Million

Hostess Brands announced Monday morning that the Twinkies maker will be acquiring Voortman Cookies, a Canadian cookie and wafer company, from Swander Pace Capital for about $320 million. Hostess expects to close the transaction early next month. “Voortman is a leading brand with a well-defined consumer position that complements and extends the growing Hostess portfolio…

The Starbucks “PIG” Cup: A PR Nightmare or Opportunity?

After a photo of an Oklahoma police officer’s venti hot chocolate–labeled “PIG”–went viral on Thanksgiving, a Starbucks barista was fired and a local police station is working with the coffee chain to organize a “coffee with a cop” event. “It happened at the worst possible time for them,” said David Johnson, CEO of Strategic Vision…

You Don’t Have to Tickle Him if You Don’t Want To

Two decades ago, toy inventor Ron Dubren heard giggles coming from a playground. It was a bunch of kids tickling one other. Inspired, Dubren created Tickles the Chimp. Tickles didn’t make it very far, but after Tyco Preschool combined Dubren’s invention with a Sesame Street licensing deal, the toy became Tickle Me Elmo–so popular that…

Here’s Why Ads That Celebrate Eating in Secret Work

Chances are you’ve come across this scenario in a commercial: A woman, weary from the demands of modern life, finds a quiet place to recharge by indulging in a pint of ice cream or bag of chips. The moment she’s alone and able to pop off the lid or tear open the packaging, the exhaustion…

Skipping Sales—The Other Way to Do Black Friday

Black Friday started as one standalone day. Then came Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday, and Small Business Saturday. Stores started opening on Thanksgiving. And suddenly, Black Friday deals were dropping online nearly a full week before the day itself. But even as Black Friday madness has grown, some brands have managed to remove themselves from the…

If Gen Z Consumers Are So Digital, Why Do They Like Paying With Cash?

It’s an article of faith among marketers that members of Gen Z (the age cohort that’s now between 4 and 24 years old) are digitally savvy. They are “tech natives,” we’re told. It’s even said that millennials (whom we were hailing as digital natives only yesterday) are now asking Gen-Z for tech help. This “most…

It’s 2019, and Nordstrom Is Still Betting on Brick and Mortar

2019, like the past several years before, hasn’t been the strongest for brick and mortar retail. But for Nordstrom, it’s been a year of brick and mortar highs, with the highest of those coming in October when it opened its much-anticipated New York City flagship store. The space, which sits near Manhattan’s Columbus Circle, just…