Advertising news

• Plus-sized retailer Avenue plans to close all 222 stores

  14-08-2019 23:47
  Another plus-sized women’s retailer will be closing its doors.Avenue Stores LLC, owned by private-equity firm Versa Capital Management, has decided to shutter all 222 of its retail locations, Hilco Merchant Resources said in a statement announcing the closures. The company, which operates in 33 states, has hired Hilco and Gordon Brothers to oversee inventory sales.Versa, Avenue, Gordon and Hilco didn’t reply to requests for comment. Calls to stores in New Jersey, New York and Florida
  
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• Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy's threats might boost the brand, but at what cost?

  14-08-2019 23:23
  Sports media company Barstool Sports has always leaned on its defiant and polarizing nature to grow its brand, led by the example of its provocative founder Dave Portnoy, and its latest stunt is proving that its rambunctious style works on its audience. But at what cost? Experts say Barstool Sports could still be in legal trouble and, at the very least, provoke anger from the very individuals it covers, even if it doesn’t do harm to its fanbase. In a series of tweets to his nearly 1 m
  
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• Former Kia exec Saad Chehab takes over marketing at VW of America

  14-08-2019 22:39
  Volkwagen is changing its U.S. marketing leadership just two months after launching a new campaign. VW announced today Saad Chehab, who led marketing at Kia Motors America from early 2017 until he resigned in late June, will take over as VW of America’s senior VP for VW brand marketing. His appointment is effective Aug. 19.Chehab replaces Jim Zabel, who is leaving VW effective today. Derrick Hatami, executive VP for sales and marketing for the VW brand, is also departing.Zabel was part of
  
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• How to perfect your pitch

  14-08-2019 21:41
  You’re a small agency and you’ve managed to secure an office visit from a leading global marketer like Procter & Gamble. They’ve arrived. Now it’s time to deliver your credentials presentation and make your pitch. This is a rare opportunity, and the stakes are high. What happens during the next 90 minutes will go a long way toward determining whether your agency has a shot at landing the account. Unfortunately, this is where a lot of smaller agencies tend to misc
  
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• 5 things every small agency can do to win big business

  14-08-2019 21:41
  You’re a small agency and you’ve managed to secure an office visit from a leading global marketer like Procter & Gamble. They’ve arrived. Now it’s time to deliver your credentials presentation and make your pitch. This is a rare opportunity, and the stakes are high. What happens during the next 90 minutes will go a long way toward determining whether your agency has a shot at landing the account. Unfortunately, this is where a lot of smaller agencies tend to misc
  
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• Four Loko teases ‘the hardest seltzer in the universe’: Marketer’s Brief

  14-08-2019 21:26
  Welcome to the latest edition of Marketer's Brief, a quick take on marketing news, moves and trends from Ad Age's reporters and editors. Send tips/suggestions to [email protected] of the factors driving hard-seltzer popularity, experts say, is that they are “sessionable,” meaning their relatively low alcohol content is conducive to all-day drinking. But several brands are now testing that thesis with seltzers whose ABV clocks in well ahead of the average light beer. Last week Na
  
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• Walmart reports ad delays as it brings services in house

  14-08-2019 20:38
  Some brands are experiencing delays in the deployment of their Walmart ad campaigns due to what the big-box retailer is calling unexpected glitches as it moves the work of serving advertisers to an in-house team. Previously Walmart had been using Triad, an outside agency, to manage advertising on its website. A Walmart spokeswoman confirmed the delays, but says that the retailer is working closely with the advertisers to inform them of any problems. No campaigns have been canceled, the spok
  
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• The Toyota Supra gets a sexy pin-up poster in Road & Track

  14-08-2019 20:25
  Welcome to the latest edition of Ad Age Publisher’s Brief, our roundup of news from the world of content producers across digital and print. Joining us late? Here’s the previous edition.Driving force
  The September issue of Hearst Magazines’ Road & Track includes a cool little bonus for subscribers: a sexy pin-up poster of the Toyota Supra. It’s basically a fold-out (29.5" x 21.25") advertisement that’s double-sided—a yellow Supra on the front, a red o
  
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• How to reinvent a well-known brand

  14-08-2019 19:43
  Most B2B marketers can only dream about having nearly 100 percent awareness among their targets.  But what if that awareness is limited to one aspect of your business, how do you broaden perceptions without losing the essence of what made you famous in the first place? This was the challenge Lorraine Barber-Miller faced when she arrived at ADP about a year ago. Dominant in payroll for seven decades, ADP has expanded its offering significantly in the last 10 years but awareness of this fact
  
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• Verb co-founders on their early forays in advertising—and why they shouldn't be 'put in a box'

  14-08-2019 19:36
  Verb Co-Founders Shannon Simpson-Jones and Yadira Harrison both got the advertising bug at very young ages, working in sponsorships and promotions before even graduating high school. The two sit down with Ad Age to discuss how their early experiences evolved into long-lasting, successful careers at our 2019 Small Agency Conference in New Orleans."When I was probably in middle school or high school, I was on the recreation parks league board, as a junior board member, and I wa
  
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• WeWork plans to ramp up marketing spend as it goes public

  14-08-2019 18:59
  Consumers can expect to see a lot more WeWork ads in the future. The 9-year-old real estate brand, which rents out co-working spaces, filed paperwork Wednesday for its initial public offering. In the filing, filled out by parent company the We Company, WeWork wrote that it expects to lay into more “traditional” marketing as it strives to move beyond the word-of-mouth referrals that have built up its reputation in recent years. In the past, such referrals from existing members have ke
  
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• Kristen Stewart fronts the September Vanity Fair

  14-08-2019 18:45
  As part of Ad Age’s continuing media coverage, here’s the start of our annual survey of fall magazine covers, which have begun hitting newsstands and subscribers’ mailboxes. We’ll be adding to this post daily, so keep coming back.Remember “Twilight”? Let’s ... not. In its September cover story, Vanity Fair’s Durga Chew-Bose profiles Kristen Stewart, the female lead of the now-decade-old vampire-flick franchise, who has moved on to starrin
  
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• Pitch Update: Lucozade and MoD book agency meetings

  14-08-2019 18:32 via campaignlive.co.uk
  Holland & Barrett is also reviewing.
  
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• All the latest production moves, hires and partnerships: August 14, 2019

  14-08-2019 18:28
  Brazilian director Douglas Bernardt has joined the U.S. roster at Stink Films for commercials and music videos. Bernardt’s short film “Bluesman,” for Baco Exu do Blues’ eponymous album, won the Grand Prix in Entertainment for Music at the Cannes Lions, as well as the Grand Prix at Ciclope Latino 2019. His commercial work includes projects for Fiat, Corona, and Samsung.L.A.-based production company Fancy Content has added comedy director Amit Mehta to its roster
  
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• Shake Shack CMO is eager for the chain’s ‘next-generation veggie product’

  14-08-2019 18:27
  While Jay Livingston’s favorite order at Shake Shack is a chicken sandwich, fries and a coffee shake, he knows plenty of customers are eager for more veggie options.That’s why, as the company’s first chief marketing officer, he’s hopeful for what he dubs the chain’s “next-generation veggie product.”Brands such as Impossible Burger and Beyond Meat are generating plenty of buzz and partnerships with the likes of larger chains including Burger King and Carl
  
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• The Specialist Works wins £9.7m AO.com media account

  14-08-2019 18:12 via campaignlive.co.uk
  Independent agency succeeds MediaCom Manchester.
  
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• NYT launches ‘The 1619 Project’ to examine the legacy of slavery in America

  14-08-2019 17:59
  In August 1619, as colonist John Rolfe wrote at the time, “twenty and odd Negroes” who were captured and taken from Angola arrived on the Virginia coast; they were promptly sold to wealthy English landowners, setting the stage for the American slave trade for centuries to come.To recognize the 400th anniversary of the arrival of those first Africans in what would become the United States of America, The New York Times is launching what it’s calling The 1619 Project, a
  
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• Barbarian names R/GA's Steven Moy CEO

  14-08-2019 17:00
  Barbarian, the creative digital agency backed by Cheil Worldwide, is bringing on Steven Moy from Interpublic Group’s R/GA as its new CEO, effective immediately.Moy, formerly executive vice president and chief technology officer of R/GA, replaces Cathy Butler, who became CEO of Organic, the self-proclaimed digital-interaction agency within Omnicom Precision Marketing Group, in March. Butler joined Barbarian in 2017 to help inject new life into the agency, which at the time, was dealing
  
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• Disney tasks Luke Bradley-Jones to launch Disney+ in Europe

  14-08-2019 16:53 via campaignlive.co.uk
  Bradley-Jones joins as as SVP, direct-to-consumer, and general manager for Netflix rival Disney+.
  
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• Disney appoints Sky's Luke Bradley-Jones to launch Disney+ in Europe

  14-08-2019 16:53 via campaignlive.co.uk
  Bradley-Jones joins as as SVP, direct-to-consumer, and general manager for Netflix rival Disney+.
  
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• Macy’s tanks after forecast cut, signaling department store woes

  14-08-2019 16:41
  Macy’s Inc. stock plunged this morning after a worse-than-expected second quarter underscored investor fears that the teetering department store industry is slated for more pain ahead.The retailer, the first of its peers to report earnings, slashed its profit outlook for the year—and it warned that the cut doesn’t even take into account the next round of Chinese tariffs, some of which will hit as soon as Sept. 1.The shares fell as much as 17 percent in New York Wednes
  
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• VMLY&R names Wayne Best chief creative officer of New York

  14-08-2019 16:04
  WPP's VMLY&R has poached Wayne Best to be its chief creative officer of New York, reporting to Jason Xenopoulos, the CEO of New York and co-chief creative officer of North America (alongside John Godsey).Best joins from Interpublic Group's McCann New York where he was co-deputy chief creative officer on the Verizon account. During his time there he created notable campaigns such as "First Responders"—of which a recent iteration reunited 11 NFL players and one N
  
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• Pick of the Week: Paddy Power's unbranding exercise is on the money

  14-08-2019 16:01 via campaignlive.co.uk
  By subverting a norm, the bookmaker has ensured that the absence of a logo on a football shirt will be forever associated with its brand.
  
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• What buying beer and choosing the next president have in common

  14-08-2019 16:00
  Storytelling is as old as basic human interaction and never more relevant than when employed during a modern American presidential campaign. A candidate’s ability to captivate viewers, Twitter followers and the connected public with an effective story will be what separates winners from losers now through November 2020. Conveying wonder, wisdom and delight through storytelling is what delivers results in the form of voters staying home or turning out -- never mind making a specific choice
  
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• Puma 'prescribes' workouts to test LQD Cell trainers

  14-08-2019 13:45 via campaignlive.co.uk
  Brand offers fitness experience while testing new trainer technology.
  
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• Have the ASA's gender rules gone too far?

  14-08-2019 13:40 via campaignlive.co.uk
  VW and Mondelez are the first companies to fall foul of the ASA's new gender stereotype ban.
  
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• CBS and Viacom are back together and Facebook is curating brands for Kohl's: Wednesday Wake-Up Call

  14-08-2019 12:49
  Welcome to Ad Age’s Wake-Up Call, our daily roundup of advertising, marketing, media and digital news. You can get an audio version of this briefing on your Alexa device; sign up here. CBS and Viacom are merging
  After much anticipation, CBS and Viacom finally agreed to a merger yesterday, and Ad Age’s Anthony Crupi has what to look out for as a result of the deal.The merger—which will bring together the CBS, Showtime, MTV, Nickelodeon and Paramount Pictures
  
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• Turkey of the Week: Galaxy jumps on the self-care bandwagon

  14-08-2019 12:44 via campaignlive.co.uk
  The message of this ad is problematic.
  
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• Study finds more Hispanics than non-Hispanics view cannabis as beneficial

  14-08-2019 12:01
  Hispanic Americans are more involved than other Americans in promoting the legalization of cannabis, and more interested in the wellness and leisure-time uses of marijuana and CBD products in their lives, according to research from MRI-Simmons. MRI-Simmons surveyed 3,000 Americans online, fusing the results back to its Survey of the American Consumer, a national study that measures media choices, attitudes and behaviors of 24,000 Americans. The resulting National Cannabis Stu
  
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• Holland & Barrett reviews creative account

  14-08-2019 11:23 via campaignlive.co.uk
  It currently works with Pablo London.
  
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• IPA and ISBA question 'surprising and concerning' Mondelez and VW ad bans

  14-08-2019 11:13 via campaignlive.co.uk
  Rulings go beyond the 'letter and intent' of new rules on gender stereotyping, ISBA suggests, while IPA says they will cause 'confusion'.
  
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• Verizon to sell Tumblr to Wordpress parent

  14-08-2019 10:21 via campaignlive.co.uk
  Verizon is unloading the microblogging site for a "nominal" sum, six years after Yahoo paid more than US$1bn for it.
  
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• Facebook latest tech giant to admit to using human review of user audio conversations

  14-08-2019 10:02 via campaignlive.co.uk
  Fresh from settling a US$5bn fine with the US Federal Trade Commission for violating user privacy, Facebook is now in hot water for its audio review practices.
  
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• Uber appoints VP global marketing after cutting 400 jobs

  14-08-2019 09:55 via campaignlive.co.uk
  Thomas Ranese joins from Google, where he spent a decade.
  
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• 5 creative ideas for breathing new life into the sputtering auto industry

  14-08-2019 09:00
  Cars are amazing. Combine art, technology and utility, add a little personality, and over time you have a rolling piece of popular culture. Everyone in the car business should thank their lucky stars they get to work with such incredible and influential products.I grew up in Detroit, geeked out on cars and spent college summers doing hard labor on General Motors assembly lines. Working on a ton of car brands over the last 25 years, I’ve been a close observer of this fine business, and I be
  
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• Facebook Downplayed a Report on Contractors Transcribing Audio Clips From Its Users

  14-08-2019 03:55 via feeds.adweek.com
  Facebook took steps to downplay a report by Sarah Frier of Bloomberg that it has been paying outside contractors to transcribe audio clips from its users. A Facebook spokesperson said, "Much like Apple and Google, we paused human review of audio more than a week ago." The social network insisted that it never listened to...
  
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• No Co-Founders Are Left From Any of Facebook’s Major Acquisitions

  14-08-2019 03:15 via feeds.adweek.com
  And then there were none: Oculus co-founder Nate Mitchell, the last remaining co-founder of one of Facebook's major acquisitions, is leaving the company. Mitchell revealed his departure in a Reddit post, writing, "I have some bittersweet news to share with this community. After seven incredible years, I've decided to move on from Oculus/Facebook." He continued,...
  
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• Facebook Opened Up Its Spark AR Platform to Creators on Instagram

  14-08-2019 02:25 via feeds.adweek.com
  Facebook's Spark AR augmented reality platform for creators is out of closed beta on Instagram and available for use by all creators on the photo- and video-sharing network. The social network first revealed the move at its F8 developers conference in April, also introducing a new version of the platform at the time that supports...
  
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• This week's agency moves, hires and partnerships: August 13, 2019

  14-08-2019 00:08
  McCann Health promoted Hilary Gentile to global chief strategy officer, a new position for the agency. Previously, she was chief strategy officer for North America. She joined the agency 20 years ago and led the implementation of the Truth 2 Meaning strategic planning process and the creation of Future-Scape, a proprietary strategic tool.Endeavor hired Guy Schory as its first chief digital officer. Most recently, he was head of strategic initiatives at eBay and PayPal. He also held leadership po
  
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