Vayner Takes Heat for ‘Attractive Females and Models Only’ Cannes Invite Attributed to Third Party Company

An email invitation for a party hosted by VaynerMedia and Thrillist Media Group, featuring a performance by Wyclef Jean caused a swift backlash, thanks to the line “Please be aware that this specific list is for attractive females and models only.” It went on to request that “Ladies” seeking admittance to the party send “recent untouched photos and/or your Instagram/Facebook links for you and each of your additional female guest [sic],” adding, “once we have reviewed we will send you specific entry details.” Men, meanwhile were advised to “contact the PR departments of the respective sponsors” to request admittance. 
Vayner Cannes Party
A female ad executive told Adweek that she and two colleagues received the email yesterday. One of them then forwarded the email to industry veteran and women’s advocate Cindy Gallop, who shared the email on Twitter and wrote, “It’s 2016, @vaynermedia @thrillist. This is not how you party at @cannes_lions.”

The email was sent by an events company called iGetIn. One of the women who received the email called the number listed and was told the sexist requests were a “totally normal practice.” Sounds pretty sketchy.

Gary Vaynerchuck seemed genuinely shocked to learn of its nature and quickly responded with a video apology. In it, he claimed he was “mortified” by the email, but accepted responsibility as VaynerMedia CEO. Vaynerchuck also reached out to apologize to the executive who forwarded the email to Gallop.

A Thrillist spokesperson, meanwhile, wrote, “A third party promotions company sent this email without us knowing. We apologize to anyone who was spammed with this but it didn’t come from Thrillist or Vayner. The guest list for the party has been closed for some time and will not include anyone who replies to that email.”

A VaynerMedia spokesperson told Adweek that the agency was not directly involved in the hiring of iGetIn and that “the message  itself was not reflective of the company or its culture.” Adweek reached out iGetIn but has yet to receive a response. 

GE’s New Videos of Stuff Getting Smashed at Its Testing Facility Are Totally Mesmerizing

I don't care how cool you think your job is, because you will never be as awesome as the person at GE who gets to push the button that smashes the crap out of things with 100,000 pounds of pressure.

This series of videos from VaynerMedia, part of a new "#SpringBreakIt" campaign, feature ordinary objects like baseballs, rubber duckys, sea shells and pencils getting crushed and wind-blasted. The footage is downright fascinating and all done in the name of science. 

As the brand's Tumblr (with perfect little gifs) states: "On April 23rd we opened our laboratory doors to show the world how we test our advanced materials. When we know how materials melt, shatter and bend, we can make machines that don't."

Below are the two-minute teaser and individual videos showing things simply getting destroyed beyond all recognition. There are lots more in this playlist on GE's YouTube channel.

Watching this stuff getting smashed will have fewer consequences than getting plastered yourself on your lunch hour, trust me.




Pet Food Maker Gives Away ‘Collar Cams’ to Document Your Dog’s Day

There will be no question about who rummaged through the trash, shredded the sofa or butt-scooted across the carpet. The pet cam will tell all. But that's not really the purpose of this lightweight collar camera, the centerpiece of a digital campaign for Nature's Recipe pet food. The device is supposed to capture the world from your dog or cat's perspective, snapping photos so you can create an online scrapbook under headings like "So That's What My Shins Look Like."

The campaign, from JWT's Digitaria in San Diego, public relations firm Hill+Knowlton Strategies, media shop Starcom and social agency VaynerMedia, launched recently with online scrapbooks from bloggers and pet advocates. (Nonspoiler alert: there's lots of sky, trees and food bowls in a day in the life of a pet.)

From now until March, animal lovers can win their own collar cams and, possibly, a pet-friendly vacation as part of the "Nature's Recipe for Moments" contest. Or they could just end up with a bunch of pictures of the inside of their toilets.


    

Riding the Hashtag in Social Media Marketing

Gary Vaynerchuk, a social media marketer, pounces on any trend — tweeted or otherwise — in his quest to sell, sell, sell.