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Mcgarrybowen Fills President's Role With Insider

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 05/19/2014 - 21:18

Mcgarrybowen, after searching outside for an executive to lead its New York office, went for a longtime insider instead. Tom Sewell has worked at the agency since 2008, most recently as executive managing director on Verizon. He now becomes president of New York. As office chief, Sewell fills a vacancy created by the September 2013 exit of New York CEO Bill Borrelle for Pitney Bowes.

Tired of That Cramped Airplane Seat? How About This Incredible Three-Room Cabin Instead?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 05/19/2014 - 18:43

At one time or another, I think we've all wished that air travel was less like being crammed into a cattle car and more like being crammed into a one-bedroom apartment. Well, Etihad Airways has made the latter a reality with The Residence, a three-room premium cabin (with shower!) on its Airbus A380 that costs something like $43,000 per trip to reserve. A personal butler and chef are factored into that price, by the way, which is why it's roughly the down payment on a nice house. But that's the price one must pay for that high-roller Elvis lifestyle.

AMV BBDO's David Abbott Dies at Age 75

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 05/19/2014 - 18:24

David Abbott, one of the most highly respected figures in modern British advertising, died Sunday at the age of 75. Known for his grace in writing as well as in professional character, Abbott was a founder of London’s Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO which created famous, award-winning campaigns for clients like Volvo, The Economist, Sainsbury’s, Ikea, Chivas Regal, Yellow Pages and the RSPCA.

Cruzan Rum Wants You to Slow Down, Which Means No Speed Dating or Speed Chess

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 05/19/2014 - 18:11

If you've been settling into a slower pace of life with Kona beers but want to move on to something stronger, Cruzan Rum might be right for you. Building on last year's campaign, themed "The Don't Hurry," the brand illustrates that its version of relaxation isn't constricted to the kooky metaphorical island from which it hails. Nope, it's all about a state of mind—and whether you're speed dating or playing chess, you've got to kick back and savor life (and rum).

Ad of the Day: Classic Film Characters Marvel Over Samsung's Curved TV

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 05/19/2014 - 17:47

It's one of the oldest, hoariest tricks in the book: using snippets of dialogue from films and TV shows out of context, so the characters appear to be surprised or impressed by something you're promoting—that cable movie marathon this weekend, or next week's DVD release. Cheesy as it is, it still works, particularly when it's done well. And this Samsung spot—from 72andSunny, director Rian Johnson and Oscar winning cinematographer Claudio Miranda—certainly has its moments.

Wieden + Kennedy Wasted This Client's Money on Awful Ads, but That Was the Point

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 05/19/2014 - 15:48

Hiring a fashion designer to make a T-shirt for a rat. Sponsoring a soccer team best known for its embarrassing losses. These seem like particularly odd ways to spend an ad budget. But when the product is a new TV show that forces traveling celebrities to find entertaining ways of getting rid of cash quickly, it's actually pretty fitting as marketing.

Mad Men Stars Pose for Vintage-Style Product Ads in 'For Your Consideration' Campaign

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 05/19/2014 - 15:22

AMC serves up a fun Emmy Awards campaign for Mad Men, casting its stars in print work that has the look and feel of classy period advertising from the Sterling Cooper era. Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner and The Martin Agency helped craft the well-realized ads, which capture the flavor of the show with a credible '60s vibe, and mark the first "For Your Consideration" effort the series has ever done. "In the past, we’ve campaigned for Mad Men by letting the show sell itself," says AMC marketing chief Linda Schupack.

This 8-Minute Ice Cream Ad, With a Lesbian Love Story and Lily Allen, Is the Sweetest Ever

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 05/19/2014 - 13:05

You might want to grab a snack and get comfortable, because Cornetto's newest ad is an eight-minute short film that is totally worth the watch. As with its other long-form ads, the ice cream brand takes a back seat to a bigger story. In this case, it's a love story. Between the storyline, the style and Lily Allen's narration and cameo, it feels a bit like a softer-and-sweeter Judd Apatow movie, and I kept waiting for a Zooey Deschanel appearance. Directed by Lloyd Lee Choi for the U.K.

Brands Are Measuring Content All Wrong

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 05/19/2014 - 05:12

If you’re reading this, chances are that you work in content marketing and aren’t sure that you’re measuring a campaign’s success in the smartest possible way. For 20 years, the digital publishing world has been beholden to the pageview, an imperfect metric that fails to tell you what actually happens after a user arrives. And as brands have rushed to create their own content in recent years, they’ve inherited this reliance on the pageview. As a result, brands are gauging success with tools that aren’t capable of providing actionable feedback about content or audience.

What's Slaying the All-American Burger?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 05/19/2014 - 00:43

Could the hamburger, the long-reigning, all-American favorite, finally be toast? Beef burgers made their name as a workingman’s meal during the Great Depression—before evolving into the symbol of American corporatism and cultural hegemony that they have become. The Economist, singing the praises of the burger, once called it “a symbol of the reassuring predictability, the pre-packaged straightforwardness, the sheer lack of pretension of American life.” But move over, burger—chicken is having a moment.