News
David&Goliath, Mirage Split After Less than Six Months
Well, we suppose this is the nature of the beast at times. After awarding agency of record duties to El Segundo, CA-based David&Goliath just last August, MGM Resorts’ Mirage Hotel and Casino has quickly changed course, moving its ad duties over to San Diego-based Experiences for Mankind (EFM). In a statement, a D&G spokesperson says, “After a few months, we both realized that their needs and our expertise were not the right match. We wish them well and will continue to service our other MGM clients, [New York-New York] and Monte Carlo as we have for the past 5 years.”
From what sources tell us, seeing as EFM’s focus in on PR and design (though it dubs itself a “cross-media” operation), said agency is the better fit for the Mirage, the Vegas Strip institution that has worked in the past with the likes of B&P Advertising and GSD&M. As for the EFM decision, Mirage VP of marketing advertising and marketing Traci Preus says in a statement, “The contract was awarded to EFM based on their proven strategic brand expertise, organizational detail, creativity and focus. EFM’s creative and analytics testing and reporting strengths allow us to focus, align and execute our key strategic priorities, increase share of voice and improve The Mirage brand awareness.”
EFM’s responsibilities for Mirage include both traditional and digital, with the first consumer branding campaign for the latter expected to launch in spring of this year.
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Monday Odds and Ends
-Robin Williams and Bobcat Goldthwait take Joe Pesci‘s place in BBDO New York’s latest spot for Snickers.
-IPG-owned GolinHarris promoted Judy Johnson, a 16-year vet at the agency, to newly created position of president of the Western Region.
-You’ve probably seen this aplenty by now, but we think David Ma and Nick Hugh Schmidt deserve a shout-out for their site, the “Creative Confessional.” link
-Tool and Under Armour have launched a site that determines if you can “Out Ray” Ray Lewis. link
-L.A.-based commercial production company trio films added comedy director Russell Bates to its roster.
-Former Comcast/NBCU EVP Beth Ellard joined the Ad Council as executive vice-president of media.
-San Francisco-based shop Heat has beaten out a few “other agencies” to nab a marketing campaign assignment for La Crema Winery. The campaign is expected to launch in May and will include digital, print, experiential, POS and trade development.
-FYI, the Art Directors Club has extended its deadline for all its 92nd Annual Awards advertising entries to this Friday, Feb. 1 at 11:59 PM EST. link
-Former Rock Paper Scissors editor Staci LeVan joined the roster of Cut+Run’s Austin office.
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Animated Furniture Dazzles at Sundance
The Sundance Film Festival wrapped up yesterday in Park City, Utah, and our pick for a breakout is Tony Donoghue‘s Irish Folk Furniture. The charming animated documentary (watch it below) follows the fate of 16 pieces of traditional folk furniture as they are repaired and return home. “In Ireland, old hand-painted furniture is often associated with hard times, with poverty, and with a time many would rather forget,” notes Donoghue, who worked for seven years at the Trust for Urban Ecology and the Natural History Museum in London before turning his full attention to filmmaking. When Irish Folk Furniture won the jury award for animation at the Sundance short film awards ceremony, he arrived at the podium carrying a pint. “The fact that I’m Irish and have this beer is completely coincidental,” Donoghue assured the audience.
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And Now, a Quick Big Fuel Update
Well, this was news to us when it first hit the Spy line today, but we’ve received confirmation that just before the new year, Publicis Groupe-owned Big Fuel welcomed a new SVP/executive creative director in Jon Resnik, who joins the agency after spending 18 months as ECD at Dachis Group. We’ve been told this is a newly created position filled by Resnik, a former screenwriter/producer who jumped into the agency world nearly 10 years ago when he joined up with Avrett Free Ginsberg as a senior copywriter. In subsequent years, the new Big Fuel ECD held senior creative positions at the likes of G2 and Schematic.
Along with Resnik’s hiring, spies are telling us that some cuts have been made at Big Fuel and from what we’re hearing from sources, there has been some fluid talent movement with the agency that’s just part of the transition of it being integrated into Starcom MediaVest Group.
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Ex-Deutsch L.A. Copywriter/’Brand Rapper’ Tells Us How to Get on ‘The Price is Right’
Six weeks after he vowed to lend his copywriting/creative services to those in L.A. who needed it on Christmas Day, Deutsch L.A. alum and “brand rapper” Jason Pickar is back with some more antics as our old friend gives us a simple breakdown of how to land on “The Price is Right,” with video proof to boot. Yes, the creative who was recently a scribe for Dr. Pepper campaigns among others while at Deutsch did indeed make it to the stage with Drew Carey as you can see above. Pickar isn’t bullshitting us when he offers one of several tips including, “Be chipper and enthusiastic.” Welcome to the life of a freelance copywriter, ladies and gents.
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Ravens, 49ers, and the Commercials that Define Them
We spend the weeks before the Super Bowl watching loops of highlights and anticipating how popular brands will use their four-million-dollar ad slots, but rarely do we do both at the same time. However, this year is special. After we’ve trampled on all obvious storylines—the retirement of Ray Lewis, Harbaugh genetics, Kaepernicking, etc.—the real clue to Super Bowl XLVII may come down to a pair of Visa commercials from five months ago.
Visa launched their NFL Fan Offers campaign in the fall, giving football fiends the chance to win prizes like Super Bowl tickets or a hangout session with John Madden. To promote the program, Visa ran two significant commercials: one for the Baltimore Ravens, and one for the San Francisco 49ers. With respect to DVR, you may be vaguely aware of NFL Fan Offers, because FOX and CBS ran the commercials so many times each Sunday that I was almost ready to petition for the “Can You Hear Me Now?” guy to come back in their place.
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We Hear: Cuts at Zimmerman?
Suddenly, Zimmerman’s been all up in our radar as we’ve now received a handful of tips that the Omnicom-owned, Fort Lauderdale-based agency cut some staff last week. When we inquired, Zimmerman offer the ol’ “no comment” on the matter, though spies are saying that approximately 25 staffers were let go. If true, the news comes just days after we reported that the agency’s EVP/chief growth officer Ryan Linder was out (and joined Doner this month). We’re hearing some fellow EVPs have been affected by last week’s alleged cuts, and if we’re able to extract any further info from the Zimmerman camp, we’ll let you know.
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Audi’s Super Bowl Spot: Let’s Get Some Ass at Prom!
Audi and VB+P are traditionally all about appealing to consumers’ inner-adolescent with their Super Bowl ads. Remember when vampires were a big deal? Audi remembered, so they put vampires in their Super Bowl spot last year. However, as the Twilight film series has ended, Audi and VB+P are telling a bit more of a timeless story with this year’s installment, “Prom (Worth It).”
We open on a classic American pastime, a young lad about to go to prom who, judging by his lack of date, is a loser. His dad, in a surprising move, allows him to take his sleek Audi A6 to the big dance. This isn’t the only unrealistic part of the spot, as the boy ends up making out with his crush and getting a shiner from her boyfriend. It’s not exactly the kind of bold move I support, especially as the boy doesn’t seem to ask permission from his female victim. But, according to Audi, who cares? He took what he wanted, and was rewarded. There’s nothing more American than that.
The campaign, which uses the #BraveryWins hashtag, doesn’t seem to be targeting suburban high-schoolers like the protagonist in “Prom,” and instead aims at fathers who are fearful that their spawn may never get any action. In any case, it’s cute enough to be a crowd-pleaser, but I hesitate to think that this will be one of the Super Bowl’s most talked-about ads. Credits after the jump.
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In Brief: RIP Balthazar Korab, Copycat Construction, Elbaz Maquillage, Ballet Buzz
Balthazar Korab’s 1988 photo of the Sydney Opera House.
• Architect turned photographer Balthazar Korab has died at the age of 86.
• Elsewhere in legendary architectural photographer news…be sure to pick up a copy of Ezra Stoller, Photographer, new from Yale University Press. The book’s co-authors, Erica Stoller and Akiko Busch, will discuss how the man, the myth, the photos on Wednesday evening at the New York School of Interior Design. Purchase tickets here.
• China is fast making EPCOT-style ersatz architecture a national style, but to what ends? Edwin Heathcote considers copycat construction as in his Financial Times review of Bianca Bosker‘s Original Copies: Architectural Mimicry in Contemporary China (University of Hawaii Press).
• Lanvin’s Alber Elbaz is bringing his trademark brand of whimsy to cosmetics. His collection for Lancôme debuts in June. Comment dit-on madcap?
• “Symmetry and balance can be the best friends of lust and tenderness.” And other lessons from Brancusi‘s “The Kiss,” as revealed by Nicholas Fox Weber for ARTnews just in time for Valentine’s Day.
continued…
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Here’s Yet Another Quickfire Super Bowl Q+A, This Time with a Carmichael Lynch Exec
Our pre-Super Bowl coverage rolls along as we bring you yet another quick Q+A with an agency exec, this time with Carmichael Lynch’s Joe Germscheid, who’s been with the Minneapolis-based IPG agency since 2009 and currently serves as partner/director of consumer engagement.
1. What ads are you most looking forward to this year?
Since so many of the ads have been released already, I’d have to say I’m looking forward to the way the public reacts to a few, instead of the ads themselves. For example, we’ve all seen the Mercedes teaser with Kate Upton. Since so many people got in a tizzy about it and really thought it was their actual ad, I wonder what the buzz will be when they see a completely different one with no car wash? (Hint, only we will notice – no one else will care!).
2. Is the ever-increasing Super bowl ad cost really worth the price?
Yes. Where else are you going to get 111 million people to watch the same thing all at once and hardly anyone using a DVR? P.S. the cost isn’t $4 million yet, maybe next year.
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Monday Morning Stir
-RIM is reportedly rolling out its “biggest marketing campaign in its history” as part of a push for its Blackberry 10 OS. The campaign kicks off with a Super Bowl spot. link
-Havas Worldwide has promoted its New York managing director of social platforms Sarita Bhatt to director of global strategy.
-Former Innocean senior creative Shawn Wood has joined Jacksonville, FL-based full-service agency On Ideas as a creative director.
-Real estate firm Coldwell Banker promoted CMO and five-year vet Michael Fischer to chief operating officer.
-VW can charm dogs just as well according to a new spot from DDB and Tribal Amsterdam (above).
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
