Hasta La Creative!

Minneapolis-based independent agency Periscope appointed Chris Hiland as executive vice president, director of media and engagement.

Hiland joins Periscope from BPN, where he has served as Chief Growth Officer since February of 2014, following a year and a half as Chief Strategy Officer. Before BPN he served for a year as Chief Client Officer with Geomentum, after two years as Geomentum’s president, media networks. That followed nearly two years as CFO with Ipsos, following over eight years with Jack Morton Wordwide in varying roles including vice president, managing director and vice president, director of finance and operations. 

“Media isn’t about connecting TV to digital anymore; it’s about connecting people to an experience,” said Periscope CEO Liz Ross. “The word ‘digital’ will soon disappear altogether, and clients are looking to visionary media leaders like Chris Hiland to find solutions in this changing media ecosystem. We are thrilled to have Chris’ expertise as one more resource we can use to help our clients succeed.”

Periscope also appointed Kathy Umland as director of creative services. She joins the agency from Martin Williams, where she has served as director of creative operations for ten years. Before Martin Williams she spent 22 years at Carmichael Lynch, as manager of creative resources and then director of creative services. 

Both appointments follow the arrival of Peter Nicholson from McKinney in March as the agency’s first Chief Creative Officer. CEO Liz Ross joined the Minnesota shop four months prior, after serving as global CMO for IPG Mediabrands. 

Martin Williams has unveiled its holiday campaign for Mall of America, focused around a 30-second broadcast spot entitled “Sparkle.”

The spot highlights all the different finds visitors can pick up at Mall of America, with an emphasis on women’s clothing and jewelry. Set to a “modernized” version of “Carol of the Bells,” the spot intersperses shots of models showing off different clothing, jewlery, makeup, etc. with messages like “Always elegant,” “Always stunning,” and “Always festive,” ending with the tagline, “Redefine your holiday.”

A print campaign running in newspapers regionally and nationally in magazines focuses on the message that Mall of America offers “More choices than anywhere else in the nation, all under one roof,” while additional support is provided by six different OOH executions. Additionally, Martin Williams created a Digital Buyers Guide for Mall of America, which will be released on a microsite on Black Friday. The campaign follows a rebranding effort from the agency for the Bloomington, Minnesota retail complex in April.

“The Mall of America has so many options to fit anyone’s need or mood,” said Laura Terry, SVP and chief marketing officer of Martin Williams, in a press release. “No matter what people are looking for, the new holiday television spot reminds them that there is always something new and fun at the mall.”

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Minneapolis-based agency Martin Williams recently completed a rebranding effort for Mall of America, the nation’s largest retail complex in Bloomington, Minnesota.

“Mall of America is in the process of expanding and rebranding itself to reflect its vast and unique experience,” explained Tom Moudry, CEO and chief creative officer, Martin Williams. “We’re really excited to have been chosen to be part of this effort.”

The new television campaign focuses on the excitement possible from the array of experiences found at Mall of America, crafting two separate “best day ever” type narratives from the perspectives of visitors, while avoiding the use of the word “mall” — which we’re guessing is a key component of the rebranding campaign. Both spots are created to show a dizzying whirlwind of different experiences at Mall of America, with a short-attention span let’s cram everything in series of events that’s exhausting just to watch. The narrator has to talk really fast to even keep up. “A tiring day spending hundreds of dollars (at least) at Mall of America could get you laid” seems to be the message behind “Couple,” which ends with the line, “Who needs date night when there’s date day?” Okay, so that may be reducing things a bit, but there’s definitely the suggestion that a day at the mall cramming in countless shopping and dining experiences can spark some romance. Positioning a mall as romantic is a hard sell, to say the least, but Martin Williams does a passable job with that premise.

“Girls” meanwhile, shows Mall of America as the perfect place for a girls day out, which makes a bit more sense, although the execution comes off as a bit stereotypical. What do girls do at the mall? Get a crush on a bag; try on jeans, jeans, jeans; find some guys, ditch some guys; eat something and don’t remember what it’s called. (At times things get a bit insulting.) At least they ride the rollercoaster a couple of times for good measure. Both of the 30-second spots end with the “Always new” tagline, emphasizing the ever-evolving nature of the 4.2 million square-feet complex housing over 520 stores. Check out “Girls” below and stick around for some behind-the-scenes footage, along with credits, after the jump.
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