News
Skahan Returning to CP+B
Sources familiar with the matter confirm that Brian Skahan, who has spent nearly two years serving as EVP/CTO/managing director of what was Publicis Modem and is now Publicis Kaplan Thaler, is heading back to his old stomping grounds at Crispin Porter +Bogusky. During his three-and-a-half year stint at the Boulder-based agency, Skahan served as VP/creative technology director and led development teams for clients including Microsoft and Domino’s.
CP+B would not officially comment on the matter, but from what we’re hearing, Skahan is just one of a handful of staffers who are boomeranging back to the agency. We’ll try to get title, start date, but in terms of the latter, we’re hearing that Skahan will assume his new role at CP+B within the next couple of weeks. Prior to CP+B, the tech exec worked at Digital Pulp. We’re certain that we’ll have more updates soon.
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Friday Morning Stir
-Fort Collins, CO-based craft beer brewer New Belgium Brewing has appointed Vizeum US as its strategic partner for media planning.
-Pinterest analytics platform Curalate has announced a partnership with digital company, ePrize. link
-While Creativity seems to post every time Droga5 (or BFG9000 for that matter) sneezes, shuffles its feet, picks its nose, etc., the trade has some bigger news, mainly that Ted Royer has been named CCO of Droga’s New York office.Yep, we’re the old man waving a cane and yelling at a cloud. link
-Radio Shack has welcomed T3/GSD&M alum Jennifer Warren as its new chief marketing officer. link
-A trip to the loo will never be the same thanks to LG (above). link
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In Brief: D&AD Judging Week, Six-Second Films, Remade Relaunch, Smart Textiles
Sagmeister & Walsh’s “Now is Better” project, seen here installed at the Jewish Museum, will be included in the 51st D&AD Annual and is up for a Yellow Pencil. (Photo: David Heald)
• On Monday a 192-member jury of leading creatives and designers began the business of judging the 51st D&AD Awards. As you await today’s installment of nominations and “in-books” in categories such as branding, graphic design, and art direction, page through the first five decades of excellence in visual thinking with D&AD 50, new from Taschen.
• The Tribeca Film Festival organizers recently announced its first six-second film competition, challenging amateur and pro filmmakers alike to make cinemagic with the bold, new, yet Super 8ish medium of Vine. The festival’s director of programming has narrowed down the approximately 400 entries to this shortlist. A jury consisting of director Penny Marshall, Vine-loving actor Adam Goldberg, and the team from 5 Second Films will have the final say on the winners, which will be announced next Friday.
• Transform the leather jacket languishing in the back of your closet into something that doesn’t scream “Wilsons Leather circa 1998″ with Remade USA, designer Shannon South‘s freshly relaunched custom service that repurposes individual vintage leather jackets into new one-of-a-kind handbags, through redesign and reconstruction.
• And speaking of textile innovation, on May 1, New York’s Eyebeam presents “Smart Textiles: Fashion That Responds,” a panel that will bring together a diverse group of designers and scientists working in cutting-edge textile research and production–think nanoparticles, circuit boards, and clothing that’s more responsive to changing needs and conditions.
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Thursday Odds and Ends
-Interbrand has welcomed Scott Christie has creative director of its Toronto office.
-Five-year Droga5 vet Sarah Thompson has been promoted to CEO of the agency’s New York office. link
-L.A.-based brand strategy/agency Oishii Creative has appointed Sterling Hawkins head of consumer experience & biz dev and Luca Giannettoni as creative director/designer.
-Jose Canseco does a Reddit AMA and we’re not sure how we feel after. link
-In its first-ever TV ad campaign, Durham, NC-based Cree promotes its new LED light bulbs with the help of Raleigh agency Baldwin& as well as The Wire/Fringe/Lost alum Lance Reddick. The spots will break during the start of the NBA playoffs this Saturday.
-Here’s how a recent Nissan Sentra spot you may have seen would work better as a Vine. link
-Digitas Atlanta sends its love to Boston. link
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Jony Ive, Michael Kors, Ed Ruscha, Wang Shu Among Time 100
Two of of the seven 2013 Time 100 covers, which feature portraits by Mark Seliger.
Today Time revealed its annual selection of the 100 most influential people in the world, and while we remain suspicious of any list that includes both Christina Aguilera and Elena Kagan, it’s difficult not to enjoy the logistical wonder that is the Time 100 issue. On newsstands tomorrow, the massive editorial effort commissions a diverse group of notable figures—many of them Time 100 alumna—to write a paragraph or two about the chosen influencers. And so this year we get Richard “I know a thing or two about building spaceships” Branson on SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk, Claire Danes‘s clear-eyed look at the uniquely vanity-free and shameless (and hilarious) Lena Dunham, and Michael Bloomberg‘s cliché-ridden paen to Jay-Z, who emerges as a 21st century Gatsby who gets the girl (she also made the Time 100) and the American Dream.
Notable art and design world figures that made it onto this year’s Time 100 include Apple’s Jony Ive, Michael Kors, who joins the likes of Uniqlo honcho Tadashi Yanai and Facebook Queen of Lean Sheryl Sandberg in the “Titans” category; artist Ed Ruscha, who Richard Lacayo likens here to “a SoCal Magritte;” 2012 Pritzker laureate Wang Shu; and Jenna Lyons, executive creative director of J. Crew. “Whe has made fashion relatable,” writes fashion designer Prabal Gurung of Lyons. “Being fashionable doesn’t mean being trendy; it means having a sense of style. Jenna has made J. Crew more than a brand or a company–it’s a philosophy that believes in style.”
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Ignite Consolidates Ad Duties at McCann NY
Another McCann-related p0st, you say? What the hell. Well, it looks like Houston-based Ignite Restaurant Group has gone all in with McCann Erickson, handing its full brand advertising duties to the New York office, which picked up AOR duties for its Joe’s Crab Shack chain last November. Apparently, the spot you see above for Joe’s helped spur the move. In a statement, Ignite CMO Robin Ahearn says, “The positive feedback from ‘100% Shore’ and the great working relationship we’ve developed with McCann led to this consolidation. Our goal is to drive frequency with our current guests and introduce our restaurants to new guests across the country. McCann is helping us do just that.”
As far as Ignite’s new move, McCann NY is now serving as AOR for Romano’s Macaroni Grill brand and will handle strategy responsibilities for Brick House Tavern + Tap. From what we’ve been told, there was no review. Instead, McCann NY asked for an opportunity to present ideas for the Romano’s Macaroni Grill business and Ignite gave a thumbs up, awarding Brick House strategy in the process.
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Publicis ECD Essig Heading to TBWA C\D New York
Sources familiar with the matter confirm that Perry Essig, who’s been with Publicis for well over five years and most recently served as EVP/executive creative director out of its New York office, is leaving the agency for a gig a TBWA\Chiat\Day NY. From what we’ve been told by sources, Essig is moving to Chiat NY, effective May 1, to serve as global creative director on Accenture, which awarded TBWA its global AOR duties nearly two years ago. During his five-year stint at Publicis, Essig served as EVP/ECD on the Citi business (you might remember this spot that’s still been making the rounds) among other things.
Prior to Publicis, Essig served as partner/senior copywriter at Ogilvy on AmEx and Kodak among other accounts and has also served as an ACD at Arnold.
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Mark Your Calendar: Dwell on Design
Mere months stand between you and Dwell on Design, a veritable feast of modern design in the form of thousands of products, oodles of presentations, modern home tours, and demonstrations galore. This year’s ideas- and inspiration-fest takes place June 21-23 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Among the highlights in store for the eighth Dwell on Design is a keynote address by architect and product designer Michael Graves (have you tried his tweezers?), who will share his insights on universal design and design’s direct influence on quality of life, and a series of panels–featuring speakers from organizations such as the Getty Conservation Institute, MOCA, LACMA, and Architecture for Humanity–tackling issues in the areas of design innovation, sustainable design, and the business of design. This year’s show also features the first Dwell on Design artist-in-residence, Tanya Aguiñiga. The Los Angeles-based furniture designer, craftsperson, and community activist will create a living exhibition of upcycled furnishings that after being displayed on the show floor will be donated to local shelters.
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JWT ATL Copywriter Bloom Heading to Moxie
We’re checking with the Moxie camp on exact titles/start date, but for now, we’ve received confirmation that Rob Bloom, who has spent the last two years as a senior copywriter at JWT’s Atlanta office, is joining up with, yep, fellow ATL agency Moxie Interactive.
From what we’re hearing, Bloom is reuniting with his old JWT Atlanta partner-in-crime, art director Ryan Taylor at Moxie and that both will assume the role of ACD at the latter agency. During their time together at JWT ATL, Bloom and Taylor worked on accounts including Quaker State, U.S. Virgin Islands, SCANA Energy and the Marines. If you care, you can check out an interview with the pair about a certain SCANA project from last year here. Prior to JWT, Bloom served as a copywriter at the likes of Atlanta-based IQ Interactive.
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Arnold Worldwide Brands Volvos for ‘Real People’
Shots fired! According to this new car spot from Arnold Worldwide, Volvos are for real people, but Mercedes-Benzes are for snooty women of the 1% who preen at themselves in rearview mirrors. This is some good, clean class warfare, automobile-style, and luxury brands better watch out.
A few years ago, a Volvo was a boring car for people who needed affordable transportation. Now, the price hasn’t changed much, but the image has shifted slowly. It’s not that crazy to think that someone with enough money would pick a Volvo over a Benz. And the new spot tugs at the right cords of today’s economic realities to make the comparison seem not only feasible, but preferable. There are also a few campaign teasers on Facebook that flesh out the appeal of Volvo as “luxury for real people,” including: If your dog has a wardrobe, the Volvo s60 probably isn’t for you. Now they’re going after snobby women and people who dress up their dogs! More shots fired, Volvo. I’m in. Credits after the jump.
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
McCann Goes on Promotion Spree
Twas a busy day at camp McCann as the Worldgroup has made several promotions within its leadership ranks. Among those getting a bump-up are Michael McLaren, formerly MRM East president and global client solutions director, who has now been made president of MRM’s worldwide operations.
While we’re on the MRM front, Hank Summy, who joined McCann from Sapient in fall 2011 to serve as president, North America, will now serve as president, commerce at the former agency. Meanwhile, current MRM EVP/chief technology officer, North America Andy Jacobs (pictured) will add global responsibilities to his CTO role. Taking over as president at McCann New York will be one Chris Macdonald, most recently chief executive at the agency’s London office. Speaking of McCann London, while Macdonald crosses the pond, Rob Doubal and Laurence Thomson, who served as co-ECDs in said office, will be moving up the ladder to serve as co-presidents/chief creative officers. Get all that? Good.
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Thursday Morning Stir
-Digitas has promoted Barbara Goose and Douglas Ryan to president of Boston/Detroit and Chicago/San Francisco, respectively. link
-St. Louis-based Paradowski Creative is the new AOR for Monsanto’s ongoing America’s Farmers advocacy campaign and key engagement program called “Farm Mom of the Year.”
-According to Nielsen’s Global AdView report, worldwide ad spending rose 3.2 percent to $557 billion. link
-B-Reel and Lowe Brindfors have launched their third interactive web game for Magnum Ice Cream. link
-Omnicom has reported that Q1 profits are flat while it experienced 2.9 percent revenue growth in the same period. link
-Former Martin Agency SVP/group account director Steve Sanders has joined match action, a unit of shopper marketing agency Match Marketing Group as VP of development.
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Quote of Note | John Maeda
“It all began at Graham Hill Elementary School in southeast Seattle, when my third-grade teacher, Ms. Horita, told my parents at a parent-teacher conference that I was good at two things: math and art. My father, a Japanese immigrant, owned and operated a tofu store for 27 years in the Chinatown International District. The day after the meeting, he proudly announced to one of his tofu customers: ‘John is good at math.’
At the time, it signaled something to me that he left out the art part; I just didn’t know what. In hindsight, it was my first experience of the prejudices that cling to accomplishments in the arts, and a catalyst for me to push for the power of interdisciplinary thinking.”
-Rhode Island School of Design president John Maeda, writing in his recent Seattle Times op-ed on the RISD-led “STEM to STEAM” initiative to add Art and Design to the national agenda of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education and research in America. Maeda and the initiative will be honored next Friday in NYC with a Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Award.
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Mark Your Calendar: Inside 3-D Printing
Put on your rapidly prototyped dress (the one pictured is the work of fashion designer Iris van Herpen) and get the inside scoop on the technology that Wired editor-turned-robotics entrepreneur Chris Anderson recently described as having the world-changing potential of the first desktop publishing tools at Inside 3D Printing, the first business to business conference and expo to delve into the present and future impact of 3D printing. The two-day confab gets underway on Monday, April 22 in NYC, with tutorials and seminars that will give you a blueprint for how to invest and utilize 3D printing in the coming years. Score a DIY discount of 20% off the Gold Passport by entering UnBeige3D at registration–purchase by Sunday to get an additional $200 in savings.
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Tips Are Appreciated (and Anonymous)
If we’ve heard it once, we’ve heard it a thousand times: “I could tell you this Big Design News, but then I’d have to kill you.” Now you can give us the scoop and skip the messy task of plotting murder, thanks to our handy “Anonymous Tips” box nestled in the menu bar at right, just below the search box. Simply type in your news—design happenings, movements of the Revolving Door, a bit of gossip, a designer’s hidden talent, or any newsy, design-y morsel—and click “Send.” And for those not inclined to clandestine tipping, we’re still just an e-mail away.
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Advertising Jobs: Draftfcb, Hacker Group, Mullen
This week, Draftfcb is hiring a management director with digital expertise, as well as an account executive with broadcast production. Meanwhile, Hacker Group is seeking an associate creative director, and Mullen is on the hunt for a copywriter. Get the scoop on these openings and more below, and find additional just-posted gigs on Mediabistro.
- Management Director w/Digital Expertise Draftfcb (Chicago, IL)
- Account Executive w/Broadcast Production Draftfcb (Chicago, IL)
- Associate Creative Director Hacker Group (Seattle, WA)
- Copywriter Mullen (San Francisco, CA)
- Group Account Director T3 (New York, NY)
Find more great advertising jobs on the AgencySpy job board. Looking to hire? Tap into our network of talented AgencySpy pros and post a risk-free job listing. For real-time openings and employment news, follow @MBJobPost.
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Wednesday Odds and Ends
-Portland, ME-based VIA Agency has been named AOR for Republic Wireless, which relies on wifi networks and charges $19/month for unlimited data, talk and text minus a contract. Damn, we’re on the wrong plan.
-The Cannes Lions crew has announced its final five juries for categories including Film Craft, Design and Media. link
-VFX/design studio MPC has added Chris Bernier as VFX supervisor/CG lead. link
-Seattle shop Radarworks is involved with a new campaign promoting Acer and Paramount’s co-marketing partnership for the upcoming flick, Star Trek Into Darkness (one spot above, see the other work here).
-Google’s third city pick for Fiber service is reportedly Provo, Utah. link
-Twitter’s latest pitch to advertisers involves “keyword targeting in timelines.” link
-In case you missed it last week, McDonald’s and Arnold have both apologized for a recent Big Mac ad effort. link; link
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Yes, Maybe Chat Lines Do Serve a Purpose After All
The folks at Toronto-based agency Blammo, which in recent times has showcased Canadian ad players and gave us a kooky Halloween campaign for Arby’s, now induces a little shudder with this effort for a chatline company called QuestChat. Don’t let the hot and heavy fool you as the end result is not, uh, the gratifying one you’d expect, the buildup can be considered both sensual and amusing or all/none of the above. Take your pick and enjoy the 3am ad while we refrain from pulling out several stereotypical/cliched jokes from the bargain basement of comedy. Credits after the jump.
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Burlington Coat Factory Biz in Review, Who Knew?
We truly had no idea the creative account was in review for retail chain Burlington Coat Factory, where we’ve bought our share of oversized jackets and what not back in the day for half the price. But apparently, it is so, and from what we’re hearing from sources in the know, Silver+Partners–aka, the Eric Silver-run, New York-based shop formerly known as Amalgamated–is in the mix. S+P would not comment on the matter and we’ve yet to hear back from BCF, which has worked most recently with Cramer-Krasselt.
From what we’ve been told, though, C-K hasn’t worked with the brand for the past three months and only did project work involving concepting creative but did not produce actual creative, which was handled in-house by the client. This leaves us a bit confused considering that in 2008, it was reported that Burlington Coat Factory awarded the agency its creative duties following a review. Whatever the case, C-K was invited to participated in BCF’s current review, but declined. While spies are saying Silver+Partners is taking on the biz, we’re hearing that it’s yet to be awarded. We’ll keep you posted.
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Op-Ed: When Tragedy Strikes, Silence is Golden
We’ll spare the preamble and just let you read this piece sent to us from Heidi Modarelli-Frank, VP, client social strategy at Cleveland-based agency, Marcus Thomas.
The world has learned to turn to social media when tragedies unfold. Whether it’s a school shooting, a hurricane or the senseless bombing of the Boston Marathon earlier this week, we’ve learned to turn to social media within the immediate hours of the event for news and information.
We want facts. We want to know if our friends and families are okay. We want to know that WE are safe. If we are directly affected by the tragedy, social media can play a critical role in helping us learn where to go, where to get help.
But I can assure you, as the facts are unfolding, we don’t want or need to hear from brands that have nothing to do with the tragedy. I don’t need to know that may favorite ice cream brand’s hearts are with the victims when I don’t even know how many victims there are, or if someone I know is a part of it.
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