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Innocean USA Hires a Chief Growth Officer

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 02/17/2014 - 11:00

Chad Saul is getting grounded again. After more than a year of working at a holding company (MDC Partners) and consulting, Saul this week joins Innocean USA as chief growth officer, a new position. Saul, who before MDC worked at Deutsch LA, Team One and Arnold, said he missed being in the trenches of an agency. At MDC, he provided pitch support to agencies such as 72andSunny but wasn't connected to any one shop.

Cruise Operators Are Partnering With Brands to Help Rebuild Their Reputations

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 02/17/2014 - 04:50

The cruise-ship business has faced rough seas in the past year or so. From the Norwalk stomach virus to passengers falling overboard to last year’s memorable “Poop Cruise,” the floating vacation needs a PR boost. Over the past several weeks, that’s exactly what ship operators have been trying to do—by luring land-based brands aboard. These partnerships (such as Carnival’s Dr.

These 3 Toy Lines Toy Tried Hard High But Failed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 02/17/2014 - 04:28

The road most connected toy lines have traveled is ... well, let’s just say it’s paved with good intentions. A sampling of valiant efforts: Take Teddy Ruxpin. In 1985, a company called Worlds of Wonder introduced a teddy bear who told stories from recorded audio tapes while moving his eyes and mouth. It was a runaway hit that holiday season. Nine months later, Smith Barney and Dean Witter co-managed WoW’s IPO. Not quite a year after that, the company bought $92 million worth of debt against the 1987 holiday season.

Will Video Game-Toy Hybrids Save the Industry or Eat It?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 02/17/2014 - 04:11

Until recently, your kid’s brain has been the best place to stage battles between Spider-Man and Skeletor. But technology has made this a brave new world, and digital architects have built a whole new arena. Gaming has come to toy town.  Photo: Vasava Good timing, too. The domestic toy industry flattened in 2012 and actively declined 1 percent in 2013 to $16.3 billion, according to market analysis firm the NPD Group. But one of the few categories growing—by a whopping 70 percent year over year, if you believe Activision—was the interactive toy market.

TBWA Recasts Again Atop Its Creative Department in L.A.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 02/16/2014 - 17:31

For the second time in as many years, TBWA is recasting at the top of the creative department of its largest office, according to sources. David Kolbusz, a partner and deputy executive creative director of Bartle Bogle Hegarty in London, is in advanced talks to share the top creative role at TBWA\Chiat\Day in Playa del Rey, Calif., sources said. Plans call for him to partner with Stephen Butler, one of the office's three ecds.

Havas Reports Flat Revenue in 2013

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 02/14/2014 - 19:14

Havas, blaming the company’s performance in North America, said 2013 revenue was $2.4 billion, and fourth-quarter revenue came in at $703 million, which was slightly down from the year-earlier period. The Paris-based holding company said full-year organic growth rose 1 percent and, in the fourth quarter, increased 1.6 percent.

Univision Adds 'La Fabrica' Division to Its Video Portfolio

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 02/14/2014 - 19:01

Univision is launching a digital arm called La Fabrica, a Spanish and English-language initiative that will produce original Web video series. While Boris Gartner, vp of La Fabrica, told Adweek that brand sponsors were lined up, he wouldn't disclose names. However, his team's first program, Medicina Desconocida (translates as Strange Medicine), has six 23-minute episodes already live, and 15-second pre-roll ads for Kmart appear before each video.