In case you thought April Fools' was only about fake products and glaringly obvious gags, here's a nice palate cleanser.
Viral filmmaker Casey Neistat continues to milk brand marketers for a personal travel allowance in his new clip for J. Crew's Ludlow Traveler suit, which he wears around the globe while offering vague tips on "how to travel in style." The video shows Neistat and his dorky haircut doing all sorts of fun stuff in the suit, from impressing local ladies with bike tire maintenance, surfing and snowboarding in business attire. He also digs some random holes in the ground at one point.
YouTube is going all out for April Fools' Day today, revealing which outlandish trends will go viral for the remainder of the year—based on the premise that YouTube itself masterminds the site's biggest viral videos, trends and memes, like Gangnam Style, the Harlem Shake and Rebecca Black's "Friday." "Here at YouTube HQ, we write, shoot, and upload all of the world's most popular viral videos. Here's a sneak peek at what you'll be watching in 2014," the site says. The trends include: • Clocking: The new planking! Hold your arms in the shape of the time in a public place.
The company formerly known as ING Financial is rolling out ads that tout its new brand name—Voya Financial—and set the table for a new campaign later this year. The new ads, from lead agency BBDO in Atlanta and digital shop iCrossing, arrive as the financial planning player undertakes the ardous process of changing everything from its email addresses to sales and marketing collateral. By this time next week, the old ING moniker will be no more.
The company formerly known as ING U.S. is rolling out ads that tout its new brand name—Voya Financial—and set the table for a new campaign later this year. The new ads, from lead agency BBDO in Atlanta and digital shop iCrossing, arrive as the financial planning player undertakes the ardous process of changing everything from its email addresses to sales and marketing collateral. By this time next week, the old ING moniker will be no more.
IDEA: Makeup ads have a hard time being authentically inspiring, complicated as they are by issues of vanity and manufactured beauty. But Dermablend is different. The brand's corrective cosmetics are used by people with mild to severe skin conditions, and so its advertising can be unconflicted—even empowering. This isn't about vanity; it's about freeing oneself from ridicule and living a normal life. New ads for the Vichy brand from Agence Tuxedo underscore this in a remarkable way.
Richard Christiansen first learned about selling during a “vaudeville” upbringing on an Australian farm that, in the wake of a drought, lured Japanese tourists with attractions like sheep racing. Outback life was isolating for Christiansen, but it also fueled his fascination with pop culture—which would eventually lead to roles as creative director at magazines like Benetton’s Colors, Milk and Suede.
Despite the fact that women drop a cool $300 billion on auto repair each year (and buy 65 percent of all new cars), the automotive business is still pretty much a boys’ club—except, lately, for Pep Boys. The 90-year-old auto parts and service chain recently commenced the “Road Ahead,” a rebranding initiative aimed at making stores more accessible and service-oriented.
JWT, amid the exit of North American CEO Peter Sherman, is expanding its leadership team in New York. Lynn Power, former president of Arnold in New York, is joining the WPP Group agency as managing director. As such, she'll share responsibilities with the current md, Claire Capeci. Both will report to new global president Gustavo Martinez.
Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.), chairman of the House ways and means committee and the lawmaker pushing tax reform, won't seek re-election, putting one of the most powerful positions in Congress in play.
