Marketing news

• Tushy unveils first-ever campaign in hopes of convincing Americans that bidets are cleanlier than toilet paper

  08-05-2017 23:53
  
  Miki Agrawal, the founder of “period-proof” underwear brand Thinx who recently stepped down as chief executive amid allegations that she fostered a culture of harassment and substandard pay, is now busy trying to get her bidet brand Tushy off the ground via a campaign that explains why bidets are more hygienic and eco-friendly than toilet paper. 
  Tushy hit the market in 2015, but according to a brand spokesperson, this is its first-ever campaign. Created in partnership with agen
  
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• GE takes viewers through its process in digital series

  08-05-2017 23:23
  
  General Electric (GE) has launched a nine-part digital video series, “GE in The Wild,” to take people behind-the-scenes of GE’s processes.Following “Tested” host Adam Savage and “Innovation Nation” correspondent Alie Ward, the duo learns what the brand does, what it produces the company's innovations. In the first episode, the duo goes to check out additive manufacturing, which is a type of 3D printing. With designers, engineers and more, this episode ta
  
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• Here are the top 5 messages from platforms at NewFronts this year

  08-05-2017 23:15
  
  We’re halfway through NewFronts, the two-week extravaganza the IAB promised would include “presentations from media powerhouses and digital innovators featuring big name celebrities, innovative storytelling and groundbreaking video experiences”.
  And while it has certainly included at least some of those elements, a few distinct themes have also emerged. Here are the top five messages from digital platforms to advertisers at NewFronts so far:
  1. You can trust us
  The New Yor
  
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• New Kona Beer campaign uses the laid back island perspective in ongoing Dear Mainland series

  08-05-2017 21:46
  
  With brands from Domino’s to Miller Lite leaning in to tech, Kona Beer is taking a different approach as its ad campaigns tend to encourage people to turn off the devices and get out and enjoy life.  
  The company, working with Duncan Channon, began their "Dear Mainland" campaign last year, where islanders showcase the benefit of a relaxed attitude towards life, including technology. The hope was that viewers will get the message to stop spending so much time on their devices and
  
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• News Corp technology veteran Marc Frons is promoted to chief technology officer

  08-05-2017 20:47
  
  News Corp announced today that Marc Frons has been appointed chief technology officer, a role he has served in an interim capacity since October 2016. Frons joined Rupert Murdoch's News Corp in 2015 as senior vice president and global head of mobile platform and deputy head of technology. He was named interim chief technology officer after Paul Cheesbrough left to become chief technology officer at 21st Century Fox.
  Previously, Frons was chief information officer and chief technology office
  
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• Kiip debuts 'open garden approach' to help brands target mobile users

  08-05-2017 20:30
  
  Kiip, an outfit more commonly known for helping developers "reward" mobile gamers, is furthering its offering in the adtech space, launching a data licensing product that will help brands further hone their ad campaigns on such devices using proprietary first-party data.
  Dubbed Moments Data Stream, the launch of the latest offering lets advertisers target mobile app users with over 100-plus audience segments based on the bank of audience data the startup has been able to build since launching in
  
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• Coach is acquiring Kate Spade for $2.4bn

  08-05-2017 19:28
  
  Coach has announced that it has officially acquired rival handbag maker Kate Spade in a $2.4bn deal.
  The deal comes after months of speculation that the two New York-based fashion brands would tie the knot. 
  In a statement, Coach said that it will focus on preserving Kate Spade’s brand independence and retaining key talent to ensure a “smooth transition” to Coach’s ownership. 
  “Kate Spade has a truly unique and differentiated brand positioning with a broad
  
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• Instagram unveils #HereForYou mental health awareness campaign

  08-05-2017 19:23
  
  Instagram has chosen to shine a light on mental health issues, launching a campaign which aims to underline the people sharing their mental health stories on the platform.
  The Facebook-owned company's #HereForYou project seeks to encourage users to use the hashtag to open up about their own struggles with mental health and kickstart a global conversation.
  "Every day on Instagram, we see people share their mental health journeys and connect with communities of support," said the app's c
  
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• Impero agency hires Imagination creative content lead, Lara Groves

  08-05-2017 18:16
  
  Lara Groves, who led creative content for Ford Motor Company’s experiential activity throughout Europe at integrated agency Imagination, joins independent creative digital agency Impero as the company’s lead creative. 
  Groves is the latest addition to Impero’s 100% all-female creative team and will work across the agency’s portfolio of existing clients, including The O2, Primark, Beefeater Gin and Lindt Chocolate, while helping to build Impero’s creative capabi
  
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• Sign up to our webinar on how AI will transform knowledge worker capabilities

  08-05-2017 18:15
  
  It has been said that machine learning will alter radically the utility of all enterprise software. We are entering a major technology inflection point.
  Think about it in terms of previous technology revolutions: The age of steam created the industrial revolution by replacing the power of man and beast with the significantly greater power of coal. The age of information processing increased the capabilities of workers in knowledge, clerical excellence and bureaucracy, but were replaced by compu
  
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• Heineken top marketer: brands do have a role in achieving social change

  08-05-2017 17:57 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Heineken has defended the beer brand's recent social experiment, arguing that brands can have a role in facilitating difficult discussions.
  
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• Diageo looks to ‘close the circle’ between content and sales with Amazon tie-up

  08-05-2017 17:48
  
  Diageo Reserve has inked a deal with Amazon as part of wider moves to ‘close the circle’ between content and sales and introduce its brands to new audiences.
  The five-part travel series World Class List follows aspiring musician and drinks enthusiast Carey Watkins. Watkins explores the best of what to see, do, eat and drink in Sydney, Taipei, Barcelona, San Francisco and Mexico City. Guiding him on his journey are some of the world’s top bartenders, who will explain how to make
  
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• Make mine a double Captain Morgan with a dash of Rio: trio of captains star in ad for rum brand

  08-05-2017 17:31 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Diageo has hired a motley crew of captains - sporting, naval and otherwise - to star in the latest ad for Captain Morgan rum.
  
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• Blippar unveils augmented reality banner ads that 'spur deeper consumer engagement'

  08-05-2017 17:31
  
  One year since Nintendo and Niantic’s mobile gaming hit Pokemon Go put augmented reality (AR) on the tongue of many leading marketers, Blippar has developed what it claims is the industry's first augmented reality rich media ad format.
  In short, the tech company has developed banner ads that can open up into AR placements that allow users to explore 360 degree environments – a feature that Forbes is reporting has been taken advantage of auto brands.
  The feature can leverage smar
  
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• Seven steps to picking perfect clients

  08-05-2017 17:21
  
  Most days in an agency you will hear someone bemoan ‘they are a nightmare’, followed by a frustrated ‘why can’t they just X’. They are talking about a client and in this sentence, X equals ‘behave like we want them to’.
  The frustration for agencies is that clients are the one thing we can’t do without, but also the one thing we cannot control. So what would make a perfect client?
  In our eyes, the attributes we like to see include:
  •  
  
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• Ad of the Day: Beck’s tells Germans that ‘You make it legendary’ in YOLO-endorsing campaign

  08-05-2017 17:17
  
  Serviceplan Campaign International has unveiled its first work for AB InBev’s Beck’s, which promotes the beer as an ideal companion to ‘legendary’ moments such as festivals, campfires and surfing trips.
  Created at the agency’s House of Communication in Hamburg for Becks’ German audience, the ‘You make it legendary’ campaign will encompass TV and cinema spots, POS marketing, online activity and experiential marketing at festivals. The ad, which was
  
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• Sinclair Broadcast Group purchases Tribune Media for $3.9bn as Fox sits out bid

  08-05-2017 16:54
  
  Sinclair Broadcast Group is buying Tribune Media for about $3.9bn, it was announced today (8 May). 
  The deal was made possible, Bloomberg reports, after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted last month to ease a limit on TV-station ownership in the US.
  The purchase will bring together America’s largest TV network, Sinclair Broadcast Group, which beat 21st Century Fox to land the deal. Sinclair already has 173 local news stations, while Tribune has 42. Their combined operat
  
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• Step Into My Office: Red Bee's Andy Bryant on new business ethos and the importance of customer service

  08-05-2017 16:44
  
  ‘Step into my Office’, is a series of interviews powered by The Future Factory and The Drum Network, which investigate the details behind the office door. The Future Factory is a lead generation and growth consultancy that spends one day per week working from their clients’ workplaces, getting under the hood of agency life, ambitions and culture among all its idiosyncrasies and charm.
  This month Andy Bryant, managing director of content and design agency Red Bee, disc
  
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• Eurosport builds excitement for sports coverage with mock Hollywood movie trailer

  08-05-2017 16:40
  
  Eurosport has created a mock Hollywood style film trailer as part of its marketing efforts to promote its upcoming summer of sport.
  The 'Fuel Your Summer' spot promotes Eurosport’s broad portfolio of sports across cycling, tennis, athletics, swimming, football and motor racing.
  The promo stars athletes who will feature in its coverage over the coming months including tennis champion Roger Federer as ‘the Artist’, Tom Kristensen as ‘Mr Le Mans’, Eric Cantona as the &
  
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• NatWest says ‘pride’ is returning to the brand as it launches diversity push

  08-05-2017 16:19
  
  NatWest has launched a new campaign celebrating the diversity of modern cricket, as it looks to tie up its brand values with its cricket sponsorship.
  NatWest has inked a new deal with the England and Wales Cricket Board [ECB] to become principal partner following a 36-year association with the sport.
  The ‘Cricket has no boundaries’ campaign is primarily out-of-home, with billboards featuring inspirational messages that utilise inspirational figureheads such as Ebony-Jewel Rainford-Br
  
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• Twitter partners with Dunnhumby to woo FMCG brands

  08-05-2017 16:12 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Twitter is attempting to boost its transparency with advertisers by partnering with data giant Dunnhumby, to help FMCG brands quantify how spend on its social media platform impacts sales.
  
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• ‘Be true to yourself’: Beyond the Brief featuring Monica Bouldin, R&R Partners

  08-05-2017 15:59
  
  (Editor's note: Beyond the Brief is a collaborative project celebrating 100 years of the 4A's and their members. See the industry pros we're featuring here.)
  Los Angeles is known for having its share of stars, but in the advertising community, very few shine as brightly as R&R Partners’ VP Monica Bouldin.
  Bouldin joined the team at R&R early in 2016, but not without almost 30 years of experience cooking up ideas all over the marketing communications spectrum. The Cal State-Ful
  
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• America’s Heartland - ignore them at your peril

  08-05-2017 15:57
  
  The small but very vocal consumer that makes up 14% of our nation’s population in small towns or rural areas is flexing its spending power and influence. 
  This Heartland of America was pivotal in electing our current president, and that fact alone is Exhibit A for how important this group is for marketers.  While this segment of our society is often overlooked and sometimes completely ignored by corporate marketers, these folks have shown they shouldn’t be ignored.
  There is
  
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• ITV's gory John Hurt obit breached broadcast rules

  08-05-2017 15:36 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  ITV News breached Ofcom's broadcasting rules after showing gory movie footage of the movie Alien during an obituary for the actor John Hurt that aired on a Saturday morning.
  
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• Vox pop: Should brands like McDonald's act as creative crusaders? (part 2)

  08-05-2017 15:25
  
  In last week's editor's overview, our editor Stephen Lepitak talks about the recent McDonald's street artist scandal where the fastfood giant illegally used New York street art in their most recent advert. It has since received huge backlash from the business and arts worlds alike.
  “I don't believe we see many true acts of bravery in this business any more but I have to admit some admiration for MullenLowe Boston president Geoff Cottrill for doing what most agency chiefs nev
  
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• Oreo is asking fans to dream up its next oddball flavor

  08-05-2017 15:00
  
  Oreo is taking a page of out of Lay’s playbook for its latest campaign. In similar fashion to Lay’s popular ‘Do Us A Flavor’ promo, Oreo is asking fans to come up with its next cookie flavor for a chance to win $500,000 and “unprecedented” access to some of the brand’s top-secret creations. 
  The contest comes as Oreo, which has become known in recent years for coming out with bizarre limited-edition flavors like Watermelon and Swedish Fish, launches
  
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• MailOnline expands brand video player to mobile

  08-05-2017 14:38 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  MailOnline is expanding its recently-launched sponsored video player to mobile as it hopes to woo advertisers with a new viewability guarantee and cheaper rate.
  
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• Citi gets Katy Perry on board for its Double Cash card promos

  08-05-2017 14:31
  
  Credit card giant Citi has had plenty of success with its Double Cash ads. It’s “Date” ad, where two people after a date are honestly saying that they will ignore each other’s attempts to reconnect, is particularly humorous. More TV spots and digital creative highlighting the disparity between what people say and what they actually mean through every day scenarios has connected with consumers, even winning a 2017 Effie Award.
  The campaign positioned Citi Double Cash as a
  
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• Google is making a play to own the smart home, but can it echo Amazon’s early triumphs?

  08-05-2017 13:00
  
  A new ad campaign from Google Home aims to showcase how the personal assistant can turn a house into hands-free haven, but amid the competition can the tech giant take ownership of the connected home?
  Google urges people to ‘Be more at home’ in its first UK campaign for its personal assistant. The creative, devised by 72andSunny Amsterdam, looks to lean into the many ways in which Google Home can help people be more present every day in a world where a lot of time is spent chin-down
  
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• Accenture buys The Monkeys

  08-05-2017 12:54 via campaignlive.com
  
  Acquisition of the Australian agency yet another signal that consultancies are bolstering their creative credentials.
  
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• TV is not dying – it’s lies, damn lies and bad media statistics

  08-05-2017 12:51
  
  It’s the first rule in propaganda: If you want people to believe a lie, then just repeat it over and over again.
  For some 15 years, marketers have been subjected to constant reports that commercial TV will soon 'die'. They started by blaming TiVo and commercial skipping before moving to cord-cutting  millennials who prefer Netflix and then citing the reported swing today of advertising dollars from offline to online. Call me crazy, but ad-supported television still seems to be ar
  
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• Adidas sets aside rivalry to congratulate Nike and Eliud Kipchoge on Breaking2 attempt

  08-05-2017 12:46
  
  Nike may have come up short in breaking the two-hour marathon barrier, however Eliud Kipchoge’s astonishing time still surpassed all expectations and even led to rival Adidas paying its respects for helping the Kenyan run the distance faster than any human has ever done.
  The Olympic marathon gold medallist ran the 26.2 miles around Monza F1 racing track in two hours 25 seconds, shaving over a minute and a half off Dennis Kimetto’s world record time at the 2014 Berlin Marathon.
  While
  
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• James Corden returns for Confused.com's foray into car finance comparison

  08-05-2017 12:17
  
  James Corden returned to screens as the ambassador of Confused.com to underline its new service offering car finance comparison.
  In his third ad for the company, by Karmarama, Corden celebrated the finance comparison tool used by his mate Brit Johnny, much to the "dismay" of a car dealer.
  The company's motoring products include MOT and service comparison, car buying and selling, tyre comparison, and both petrol and parking price comparison tools.
  Video of Confused Runnin
  
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• Creative Work of the Week: Mr Pant-tastic works his magic for AMV BBDO and Tena Men

  08-05-2017 12:13
  
  AMV BBDO and Tena Men’s ‘Mr. Pant-tastic’ has won over The Drum readers to be crowned this week’s European Creative Work of the Week.
  The campaign teaser, which introduces a new male incontinence product that looks like regular underwear, continues the brand’s mission to normalise the taboo subject.
  Featuring Tena Men’s charismatic spokesperson Stirling Gravitas – the man who’s always in control – the campaign pastiches the glossy ads of bran
  
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• Harry Lang: Consumers use the dark web to avoid brands, and we have to accept it

  08-05-2017 12:05
  
  Every social media-savvy adult is aware that Google, Facebook, Amazon and their ilk are not so much service providers as weapons-grade data miners.
  Their ability to understand, target, retarget and exploit their users means that consumers are left seemingly powerless to their glittery charms. They seem to know what we want before we do – and then handily serve it through an ad or pop-up with a one-click Paypal link just at the instant we’re ready to buy.
  The social networks are parti
  
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• Labour pledges to ban junk food ads on TV before watershed

  08-05-2017 10:50 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Labour has announced it will ban the advertising of food high in fat, salt and sugar before the 9pm watershed if the party wins power next month.
  
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• Creative works featuring ODD, Born + Raised, BETC Paris, B&B Studio and more

  08-05-2017 10:50
  
  Welcome to The Drum Creative Works, in partnership with Workfront.
  As always this section is dedicated to showing the best creative work and gives you, the reader, the chance to decide which work we feature as our 'Creative Work of the Week'.
  We've now introduced our new five-star voting system. To vote for your favourite, make sure you click on the stars. The winner be chosen based on the average rating and the number of votes cast. Voting closes on Monday 15 May.
  For projec
  
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• Weedy security sees Debenhams lose data for 26,000 Flowers customers

  08-05-2017 10:22
  
  Debenhams has become the latest retailer to fall prey to hackers after it suffered the loss of account data for as many as 26,000 customers of its Flowers website.
  An attack conducted between 24 February and 11 April against third party e-commerce platform Ecomnova saw personal data including payment details, names and addresses all exposed to hackers.
  News of the cyber breach prompted Debenhams to contact all affected customers by email and letter to advise them of what to do next although this
  
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• BT signs programmatic deal with Rubicon Project

  08-05-2017 10:17 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  BT has signed on to use Rubicon Project's technology to internally manage its programmatic sales across multiple platforms in both open and private exchange marketplaces.
  
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• TV executive exodus continues as BT’s head of television quits

  08-05-2017 09:56
  
  The UK television sector has witnessed another shock departure from its top table with the resignation of BT’s head of television and sport – the latest in a slew of executive departures from the industry.
  Delia Bushell arrived at BT three years ago with the task of dethroning Sky as the go-to broadcaster for sports programming, spending big to attain that goal including paying £1.2bn in March to successfully retain the rights to live Uefa Champions League matches.
  Bu
  
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• TBWA\Hakuhodo's subsidiary \Quantum launches Japanese startup studio in San Francisco

  08-05-2017 09:54
  
  \Quantum, which started as a division of TBWA\Hakuhodo, has opened its doors on the West Coast of America, taking the startup studio outside of Japan for the first time.
  The first overseas office also marks the launch of Quantum\Global, which will become the global subsidiary for the business. The new practices will be headed up by Inoue, who will now become president of the global business after leading \Quantum as a general manager since its launch.
  TBWA\Hakuhodo launched \Quantum in 2014
  
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• Movers and shakers: ITV, M&S, TSB, Initiative, Dentsu Aegis Network, and more

  08-05-2017 09:30 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Welcome to Campaign's weekly round-up of the hires, departures and promotions across the industry.
  
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• Labour pledges to outlaw junk food adverts during prime-time children’s shows

  08-05-2017 09:26
  
  Junk food ads aired during prime-time television shows popular with children such as Britain’s Got Talent, Hollyoaks and the X Factor could themselves be junked following a manifesto pledge by Labour.
  If elected the party has promised to establish a £250m per year fund as part of a multi-pronged strategy to promote a healthy lifestyle amongst the young that will also include investment in school nurses as well as the putative ad ban.
  Products high in fat, salt or sugar already face t
  
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• Snapchat, John Lewis, Disney: Everything that matters this morning

  08-05-2017 08:50
  
  Snapchat to publish its first earnings report
  Snap Inc. is scheduled to report its first quarterly earnings as a public company today, thereby giving investors the chance to dig deeper into the operation.
  Analysts expect the company to report revenues of $158.3m (£122m), a 308% year-on-year rise, according to Factset. And the market is anticipating daily active users – a key metric for Snap – to rise to 170 million from 158 million the quarter before.
  READ MORE: Facebook and Tw
  
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• Snap, Pret A Manger, Diageo: Everything that matters this morning

  08-05-2017 08:50
  
  Snap shares tumble 20% after disappointing growth
  Shares in Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, fell 20% after disappointing growth in the first three months of 2017.
  The first results posted since Snap’s IPO in March – the biggest in the US since 2014 – saw the company’s net loss reach $2.2bn (£1.7bn), due largely to costs associated with the IPO. Snap’s adjusted loss of $188.2m (£145.3m) was $10m (£7.7m) higher than expected.
  Compared to t
  
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• Havas, Netflix, Aldi: Everything that matters this morning

  08-05-2017 08:50
  
  Vivendi makes move to merge with Havas in €2.4bn deal
  French tycoon Vincent Bollore took the first step in his attempt to merge media giant Vivendi and advertising company Havas, two groups he controls through his family-run conglomerate.
  Vivendi said it was making an offer to buy Group Bollore’s 60% stake in advertising group Havas for €9.25 a share, a premium of 8.8% over Wednesday’s closing price, in a €2.36bn deal.
  The combined entity would represent more than &eur
  
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• Facebook, TfL and Arla Foods: Everything that matters this morning

  08-05-2017 08:50
  
  Facebook launches campaign to combat fake news
  Facebook is taking steps to help combat fake news during the UK general election, including a print campaign sharing 10 tips on how to spot it.
  Users are advised to look out for “catchy headlines in all caps with exclamation marks” and for “phoney lookalike URLs” among other things.
  As part of its fight against the spread of false information it will also delete tens of thousands of questionable accounts, as we
  
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• Apple, Dove and Instagram: Everything that matters this morning

  08-05-2017 08:50
  
  Dove introduce new bottles to celebrate body-diverse beauty
  Dove is introducing a set of limited edition Body Wash bottles that come in various shapes and sizes as a ‘celebration’ of body-diverse beauty. The bottles were created by Ogilvy London.
  “Every woman’s version of beauty is different, and if you ask us, these differences are there to be celebrated,” says Dove.
  “That’s what real beauty is all about—the unique things that set us apart from ea
  
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• Review recap: Airbnb, Alpen

  08-05-2017 08:27 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Campaign's round-up of accounts up for review across advertising and media.
  
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• Traditional media still has brand power in the digital world, says BBC, CNN and Discovery

  08-05-2017 08:20
  
  In today’s digital world, it would be easy to dismiss traditional media brands as clunker, even as they move online, compared to digital media darlings with sleek new platforms.
  However, speakers from BBC, CNN and Discovery on the panel “Traditional Media in a Digital World” would disagree, claiming that traditional media’s brand power is still unrivalled.
  “CNN’s extension into the digital age is keeping the promise of factual storytelling. I’ll say the
  
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