Marketing news

• Paramount Network’s American Woman and NowThis collaborate on female-driven Wikipedia edit-a-thon

  23-05-2018 21:23
  Paramount Network’s drama American Woman and social media news platform NowThis launched a female-driven edit-a-thon on Wikipedia, an effort in response to the revelation that 16% of editors on the open-source encyclopedia identify as women.
  The campaign featured the drama’s co-executive producer Kyle Richards, star actor Jennifer Bartels, and cast, and were joined by a panel of industry experts that included Women in Tech founder Sarena Bahad, Nasa
  
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• US Creative Work of the Week: Grant Thornton comically shows what happens when you don't listen to clients

  23-05-2018 19:41
  Grant Thornton continues to bring the humor in its ads, as is the case with the next phase of its 'Obvious Change' campaign featuring a bartender who really doesn't listen to customers' drink orders.
  The spot, by Gyro Chicago/Denver focuses on the importance of listening to clients rather than upselling them. In the spot, a woman asks a bartender at an airport lounge for a very simple vodka soda. As the bartender mixes the drink, she asks if the woman wants pickle juice then proceeds to make a f
  
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• Ad of the Day: Irish comedians unite to urge voters to 'Be Our Yes' at abortion referendum

  23-05-2018 18:13
  A group of Irish comedians unable to vote in Friday’s (23 May) Irish referendum on legal abortion have come together to urge those with a poll card to ‘Be Our Yes’.
  The online film features Irish actors and comedians such as Chris O’Dowd, Ed Byrne and Father Ted creator Graham Linehan, as well as the half-Irish Katherine Ryan, Jimmy Carr and Roisin Conaty – all of whom cannot get to the polls as they have been living outside of the country for more than 18 months.
  I
  
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• Is M&S a victim of its own strengths?

  23-05-2018 17:56 via campaignlive.co.uk
  It's one of the most respected an beloved names in the UK - but Marks & Spencer's continuing woes are proof that maintaining a strong brand is a complex operation.
  
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• ‘Yippee-ki-yay, movie lovers’: Atom Tickets’ debut spot stars Anna Faris in one-liner free-for-all

  23-05-2018 17:51
  Movie ticketing platform Atom Tickets launched its first-ever brand campaign with the hope of connecting friends who love entertainment.
  The spot, starring Anna Faris of Scary Movie fame and directed by Friday Night Lights' Peter Berg, was timed to launch in time for summer movie season — which used to be Memorial Day weekend, until Marvel’s slate of movies extended what we consider blockbuster season.
  Deutsch created the campaign for the Fandango rival, which features Faris utilizin
  
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• Just Eat brings in former EasyJet marketer Peter Duffy in new chief customer role

  23-05-2018 17:49
  Just Eat has hired former EasyJet marketer Peter Duffy as its first chief customer officer, just days after revealing that Barnaby Dawe has stepped down as CMO.
  Duffy was previously chief commercial officer of EasyJet but left in January as part of a management overhaul which saw his role dropped and the introduction of a chief data officer. He was at the airline for almost seven years, joining as marketing director before being promoted to group commercial director and then chief commercial off
  
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• TV Ad Spend Weekly: Uber CEO is 'forward' looking in new spot

  23-05-2018 17:13
  Brands continue to invest heavily in above-the-line content, and television is still seen as the place brands want to be. Each week, in partnership with Kantar Media, The Drum looks at which brands have been investing the most on newly-launched creative on US national broadcast and cable TV.
  Advertisers spent a total of $908m on national TV during the week of May 14, an increase of 8% compared to the previous week. Spend on new advertising also saw an uptick, reaching $136m, an increase of
  
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• IBM to speak about its Blockchain project with Unilever at Campaign's Breakfast Briefing

  23-05-2018 16:58 via campaignlive.co.uk
  We are pleased to announce that Campaign's Breakfast Briefing on Blockchain: Myth vs Reality will feature a presentation from IBM about its work with Unilever.
  
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• Omnicom combines global experiential units to tackle rise in live branded activations

  23-05-2018 16:34
  Omnicom has launched a connected collection of Omnicom experiential agencies including Auditoire, DoIt!, GMR Marketing, Luxury Makers, and TRO.
  The new offering, called Omnicom Experiential Group, consists of 1,600 employees in 29 offices across 16 countries and five global hubs in Milwaukee, London, Paris, Sao Paulo and Shanghai.
  Collectively, over 65,000 activations on average have been created per year, and receive over 1bn physical and digital engagements.
  Leading the charge f
  
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• Channel 4 launches £1m diversity award as it looks to change the portrayal of women in ads

  23-05-2018 16:19
  Channel 4’s Diversity in Advertising Award is back for a third year, with the theme for 2018 focused on the portrayal of women.
  The brand that best responds to the broadcaster’s brief will receive £1m of free air-time.
  In the wake of the #MeToo movement and recent focus on the gender pay gap, Channel 4’s head of agency and client sales and commercial marketing, Matt Salmon, says the broadcaster wants brands to address female stereotypes, objectification and the sexualisat
  
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• M&S looks to unify brand and culture after profits decline

  23-05-2018 15:57
  Marks & Spencer (M&S) is looking to bring its business back together under “one brand, one set of values and one culture” as it prepares for a digital-first future, after posting a steep decline in annual profits for the year ending 31 March.
  Following a difficult trading period, the retailer has seen pre-tax profits drop 62.1% to £66.8m, down from £176.4m the previous year, while more than 100 store closures over the next four years are set to cause more dis
  
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• M&S spent less on marketing in 2017 but promises to put focus back on branding for year ahead

  23-05-2018 15:45
  Marks and Spencer (M&S) marketing investment dropped by £11m (or 6.8%) over the past 12 months. But after a shuffle of its marketing division, the retailer’s boss has promised that a focus will be put on attracting a younger generation of shoppers.  
  M&S’ profits for the year ending 31 March dropped off a cliff, down 62.1% to £66.8m, down from £176.4m the previous year.
  “The first phase of our transformation plan, restoring the basics, is now
  
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• Pick of the week: BBC's World Cup campaign sets a new creative standard

  23-05-2018 15:06 via campaignlive.co.uk
  Other World Cup ads pale in comparison to the beautiful embroidered animation from the BBC.
  
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• Kids sell cars for Kia citing no gimmicks, just good deals

  23-05-2018 14:47
  A couple of cute kids are helping to sell cars they can’t even drive in a new summer sales season campaign by Kia.
  Kia Motors America has launched a national integrated marketing campaign that states the obvious reason why consumers should consider Kia – that the cars are ‘America’s Best Value.’ Traditional sales techniques – including free donuts, showrooms stuffed floor-to-ceiling with balloons, and in-your-face sales people – are replaced with the two
  
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• How to bag Channel 4's £1m Diversity Fund: advice from Maltesers and Lloyds

  23-05-2018 14:35
  Landing Channel 4’s annual Diversity Fund  requires full commitment to a “brave” idea and the ability to embrace tighter timescales in pitch and production, according to past winners Maltesers and Lloyds.
  Channel 4 today (23 May) announced the brief for the 2018 Diversity Fund – a prize of £1m free airtime for a TVC that explicitly addresses diversity – would ask advertisers to focus on how women are portrayed.
  Maltesers and AMV BBDO won the fir
  
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• Accenture Interactive launches programmatic unit in response to 'significant' client demand

  23-05-2018 14:29 via campaignlive.co.uk
  Accenture has taken another big step into the agency space by launching a programmatic media planning and buying unit.
  
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• Just Eat appoints former easyJet marketer Peter Duffy as chief customer officer

  23-05-2018 14:28 via campaignlive.co.uk
  Just Eat has appointed Peter Duffy as its top global marketer after Barnaby Dawe confirmed he was leaving the food delivery platform earlier this week.
  
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• Boiler Room combines curated content and live events with launch of new platform

  23-05-2018 14:18 via campaignlive.co.uk
  Music broadcasting platform Boiler Room has announced the launch of 4.3, a streaming platform with curated content supported by multi-faceted events that combine screenings, live music, installations and DJ sets.
  
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• Channel 4's next Diversity in Advertising Award calls for original portrayals of women

  23-05-2018 14:11 via campaignlive.co.uk
  Channel 4 will give its next Diversity in Advertising Award to a creative idea that challenges the portrayal of women in media.
  
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• Omnicom launches Experiential Group to create 'unmatched global offering'

  23-05-2018 14:07 via campaignlive.co.uk
  Omnicom has announced the launch of Omnicom Experiential Group, a connected collection of Omnicom experiential agencies that includes UK-based TRO alongside global agencies Auditoire, "DOIT!", GMR Marketing and Luxury Makers.
  
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• M&S CEO: restructure will not mean the end of brand campaigns spanning clothing and food

  23-05-2018 14:04 via campaignlive.co.uk
  Despite a recent organisational change that saw the marketing leadership divided between its food and clothing & home businesses, Marks & Spencer is still "one brand", chief executive Steve Rowe has insisted.
  
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• Ex-Karmarama quartet launch new integrated creative and media agency Wax/On

  23-05-2018 14:04 via campaignlive.co.uk
  A group of Karmarama alumni have joined forces with MC&C Media to create a new agency which aims to "reinvent" the partnership between media and creative agencies.
  
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• US Creative Works: featuring Ogilvy, Barkley, We Are Unlimited and more

  23-05-2018 14:00
  Welcome to The Drum's US Creative Works, supported by Workfront. Dedicated to showing the best creative work in North and South America, we give our readers the chance to decide which work features as our 'Creative Work of the Week'.
  Scroll through the latest work, then click through to the Creative Works site and see what stands out. For project information, creative credits and more, click on the project to expand to full screen and click on the stars to vote.
  To submit work for our
  
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• Olivia Browne departs Grey London

  23-05-2018 13:49 via campaignlive.co.uk
  Olivia Browne, the managing director of Grey London, is leaving the agency without a job to go to.
  
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• British Council appoints Flow Creative to design teaching app

  23-05-2018 13:15
  The British Council has appointed Flow Creative to design an education gaming app for teachers encouraging creative thinking and collaborative skills, following a competitive pitch.
  The mobile enabled game will be initially launched in India, and used by teachers as a training tool. The app contains real world teaching scenarios, designed to give teachers the confidence and skills to encourage modern working practices such as team work, problem solving an creativity. 
  Karl Doran, creative d
  
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• Gaming firm Bethesda appoints Think Jam to handle PR

  23-05-2018 13:03
  Entertainment marketing agency, Think Jam, has been appointed by Bethesda Softworks® to handle its PR business following a competitive pitch. 
  Think Jam will be tasked with publicising titles within the software publisher’s portfolio of games which includes the Elder Scrolls®, Fallout®, DOOM®and RAGE®.  . Bethesda Softworks, part of the ZeniMax Media family of companies, is a worldwide publisher of interactive entertainment software.
  Mark Robins, sen
  
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• The unnerving Trivago woman has vanished from posters

  23-05-2018 13:00
  The now infamous Trivago woman, aka Australian actress Gabrielle Miller, is taking a hiatus from the brand’s latest OOH ad push. 
  Miller has been the brand’s ambassador since 2015, but her “crushing ubiquity” reached fever pitch last summer when London commuters were left “unnerved” by all-encompassing campaign on the capital’s underground network.
  I see the @trivago woman more than I see my missus at the moment pic.twitter.com/TrYmRir9il
  
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• Accenture hunts media budgets with dedicated programmatic ad buying unit

  23-05-2018 12:59
  After muscling in on the creative agencies' turf, management consultancy Accenture has now sealed its entry into the media buying space with the launch of a 'Programmatic Services' unit.
  The division will comprise three core offerings; programmatic consulting and in-housing, media strategy and activation capabilities and, finally, ad tech implementation and support.
  Accenture said that the consulting and in-housing offering would “help advertisers take back control of their media capabilit
  
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• Viagra makes one man dance again for Pfizer in first terrestrial TV ad for the drug

  23-05-2018 12:49
  Healthcare giant Pfizer has unveiled a playful and cheesy spot, showing how its Viagra Connect drug moves one man to dance after getting his love life back on track. 
  Promotions for medicines to treat erectile dysfunction are usually confined to the inbox spam folder, but the creative is set to be shown on Channel 4 on Thursday night (24 May) – marking the first time a spot for the drug has aired on UK terrestrial TV. 
  However, Pfizer says around 21% of men in
  
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• Absolut launches global interactive selfie campaign in airports with the help of JCDecaux

  23-05-2018 12:02
  Absolut has launched a ‘Global Selfie’ campaign to celebrate the launch of its limited edition ‘Absolut World’ vodka.
  The campaign invited travellers flying from Frankfurt and Singapore to upload a picture of themselves via Absolut.com/globalselfie with their name, age, city and recommend places they love eating, drinking and getting together with friends in their home city.
  The insider travel tips and selfies are then displayed on screens in terminals with flights depart
  
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• Ali Reed & Tony Roberts join Essence leadership

  23-05-2018 11:43
  GroupM owned data agency Essence has confirmed the hire of Ali Reed and Tony Roberts to join its leadership team, part of a concerted push into integrated media.
  Reed will serve as head of client services while Roberts joins as head of strategy, both serving Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
  Reed, who arrives from OMD UK where she served as client partner for Disney,  said: “Coming in to help write the roadmap for our client strategy at this juncture in Essence’s journey is an
  
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• Kantar Media names Louise Ainsworth as EMEA CEO

  23-05-2018 10:55
  Kantar Media has announced that Louise Ainsworth has been appointed chief executive of EMEA, effective June 25. 
  Joining directly from her present role as chief executive of Kantar Millward Brown, Ainsworth brings a wealth of experience in digital media, audience measurement, brand management and communications in tow.
  Andy Brown, global chief executive and chairman of Kantar Media said: "I am thrilled to welcome Louise to Kantar Media.
  "Her rich experience in digital and the changing media
  
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• Oyo continues its international expansion by entering China

  23-05-2018 10:25
  Indian online hospitality company Oyo has forayed into China to expand globally.
  As part of the expansion, Oyo has opened eight hotels and also hired around 60-70 employees to run the operations, as reported by Economic Times.
  The news follows Shanghai-based hotel group, China Lodging Group's decision to come on board as an investor in Oyo eight months ago. According to Economic Times, the SoftBank-backed Oyo received funding estimated to be around $10m.
  Oyo earlier also bought Chennai-base
  
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• High online marketing costs blamed for Tesco Direct downfall

  23-05-2018 10:24
  Tesco has blamed on elevated costs for online marketing and fulfillment for the closure of its loss-making Tesco Direct website, overshadowing 500 employees with a cloud of uncertainty.
  Best known for its grocery offer, Tesco had also vainly sought to challenge the likes of Argos and Amazon by branching away from food products to the likes of sofas, games and TVs. But it failed to make any headway toward profitability since the launch in 2006.
  Run in parallel with Tesco.com, the household goods
  
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• Amazon dismisses surveillance state concerns over police facial recognition tech

  23-05-2018 09:57
  Amazon has dismissed concerns raised by civil liberties campaigners over its sharing of facial recognition technology with US police forces, amidst concern that the technique could fuel growth of authoritarianism.
  A chorus of voices led by The American Civil Liberties Union have emerged in opposition to the hi-tech tie-up, which sees the ecommerce giant share a user guide for its Rekognition software - a proprietary technology employing Amazon’s cloud computing arm, Amazon Web Services.
  Am
  
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• Pink Dot celebrates a decade of promoting diversity and LGBT rights in Singapore with short films

  23-05-2018 09:08
  Pink Dot Singapore has launched three campaign videos to commemorate its 10th anniversary of advocating for diversity and LGBT rights in Singapore.
  The not-for-profit organisation also announced, at the launch of the 2018 event at TheatreWorks on Tuesday (22 May), that all its celebrity ambassadors for the past nine years will reunite to be its ambassadors this year and will appear at its annual rally on 21 July.Past @PinkDotSG ambassadors recount the past nine years, as the event celebrate its
  
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• Key takeaways from Mark Zuckerberg’s European Parliament inquisition

  23-05-2018 08:45
  Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg continued his atonement tour yesterday (May 22) with its latest stop-off at the European Parliament where he faced (at times heated) questions from members of the Brussels-based assembly. The Drum highlights pertinent talking points for media observers.
  Under continued public scrutiny given the revelations over foreign interference in elections, fake news, and the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook chief executive Mark Zuc
  
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• Vivo urges fans to create moments in its global World Cup campaign

  23-05-2018 08:15
  Chinese smartphone brand Vivo has launched a global brand campaign to promote its sponsorship of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
  The “My Time, My Fifa World Cup” campaign is part of the brand’s six-year sponsorship deal with Fifa and aims to help the brand connect with young consumers around the world.
  The campaign, which was created by BBDO Hong Kong, will incorporate music and photography-related activations, which aim to showcase the camera and music features of Vivo phones, w
  
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• Amazon to buy 10% stake in Future Group to strengthen its offline presence in India

  23-05-2018 07:21
  Amazon is reportedly in talks to acquire a 10% stake, worth $500-600m, in Indian company Future Group as it readies itself to expand in retail.
  Future Group which currently owns brick and mortar retail shops like Big Bazaar and Easy Day is valued to be $6 bn (Rs. 40,872 crore) according to Factor Daily.
  The news comes after Amazon's rival Walmart acquired Indian e-commerce giant Flipkart.
  However, Amazon’s India business could be valued at $16 bn right now and is expected to reac
  
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• In the director’s chair: Wilkins & Maguire on creating heartfelt stories and the disconnect between quality and cost

  23-05-2018 06:14
  In the latest Drum series of ‘In the Directors Chair’, creative duo Wilkins & Maguire, famous for award winning documentaries including ‘Gypsy Blood’ and ‘Dogging Tales’, discuss how they have made a name for themselves in authentic stories.
  Past interviews have included The Sweet Shop’s Pierre Michel-Estival and D&AD Next Director-awarded Henry Busby.
  Who or what inspired you to be a Director? (or who are your creative heroes and why?)
  Leo - I w
  
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• Unsung Heroes - the area manager: Muhammad Haiqal, Foodpanda

  23-05-2018 05:45
  The Drum's 'Unsung Heroes' series is a celebration of the people in the industry who slog hard behind the limelight for their companies, brands and clients.
  As they are seldom in the spotlight for their contribution to the success of campaigns, and this is their time to shine.
  If you think of someone who deserves this recognition, please get in touch with Shawn Lim and nominate them. You can read the most recent feature, which looks at the role of the solutions architect, here.
  Wo
  
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• Storytelling in a universal language: how brands can leverage music to reach audiences

  23-05-2018 05:10
  It is passion. It is culture. It is love. It unites people and fights hate. It triggers memories and stimulates emotions. It's funny, heart-breaking and kind. That’s the power of music. Nothing compares with its capacity to embrace diversity, transcend borders, and bring different people together. That’s why people call it the world’s universal language.  The challenge for brands, filmmakers and artists is how to tell their story through music. It has been a core part
  
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• Bloomberg wins big at The Drum Online Media Awards 2018

  23-05-2018 00:44
  Bloomberg has scooped the Grand Prix at The Drum Online Media Awards 2018, for it's work on TicToc. It's also won the Editorial Innovation of the Year and Social Media Team of the Year categories. Bloomberg's TicToc is the first global news network built for Twitter. It provides 24/7 coverage of breaking news, live events and top and trending general news. 
  Judge and editor-in-chief, HuffPost UK, Polly Curtis said: "TicToc is a beautifully simple
  
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• Las Vegas highlights ‘Only Vegas Moments' in new campaign, featuring LGBTQ wedding and more

  23-05-2018 00:30
  Las Vegas is trying to move on from the tragic shooting of last year, introducing a campaign to appeal to the diversity of visitors, called ‘Only Vegas Moments.’ The push features a series of four digital short films and broadcast spots, that feature everything from a lesbian wedding to the things you can do as a solo traveler.
  The campaign’s cultural storylines reinforce the city’s identity as a purveyor of adult freedom and encourages visitors to embrace unique only-in-
  
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