Articles from AdWeek Advertising and branding

Primary tabs

Net Income Falls at Interpublic

Net income fell at Interpublic Group last year—both in the fourth quarter and for the full year—despite revenue gains in each period. Revenue grew 3 percent in Q4 to 2.12 billion and 2 percent for the year to 7.12 billion, compared to the same periods in 2012. On an organic basis, revenue rose nearly 4 percent in the quarter and about 3 percent for the year. That said, net income for the year slid to $259.2 million from $435.1 million in '12. And for the quarter, net income fell from $313.3 million in '12 to $193.1 million in 2013.

This Catchy Jamaican Bobsled Song Is Timed to Match the Track at Sochi

Have you been waiting for someone to come up with a Jamaican Bobsled Team reggae song synced with the course in Sochi, fitting the exact shape of the racetrack with all its twists and turns? Well wait no more, because Draftfcb New York and the Jamaica Tourist Board have done just that. According to Draft, "If you press play at the exact moment the Jamaican Bobsled Team starts its run down the actual racetrack in Sochi on Sunday, you'll have your very own authentic soundtrack to one of the most anticipated moments of the Winter Olympics." The song's got a catchy groove—"To the right!

Velveeta Explains What to Do With That Cast-Iron Skillet You Carry Around Everywhere

You have a weird, ineffable obsession with your cast-iron skillet. You carry it with you everywhere like a safety blanket. You believe like it could make you feel joy, but it does not, because something is missing. Velveeta appeals to the kitchenware creeper segment with a new pair of spots from Wieden + Kennedy for the brand's Cheesy Skillets dinner kits.

Draftfcb S.F. Wins Trulia

Draftfcb San Francisco is the first creative agency for real estate search site Trulia, following a review initiated last August. Seven other shops were in the consideration mix with the finalists down to Draftfcb, CAA L.A. and Mekanism S.F., per sources.  The marketer has also hired Kira Wampler as its first chief marketing officer. Wampler, previously vp of product and marketing at Lytro, a light-field camera start-up, is  charged with launching the 9-year-old company's first national marketing campaign.

Ad of the Day: Don't Watch This North Face Video If You're Even Mildly Afraid of Heights

It's just kind of weird helping your friend do something that you know could potentially lead to his death." So says videographer and climber Cedar Wright, as the camera pans over a graveyard in the Mexican town of El Portrero Chico. It's January 2014, and Wright is in Mexico to watch his friend, the famous climber Alex Honnold, attempt a free-solo ascent—i.e., climbing without a rope—of a terrifying 2,500-foot limestone wall known as El Sendero Luminoso. If all goes well, Honnold will have started the year by completing one of his most ambitious free-solo climbs to date.

Adweek's Top 5 Commercials of the Week: Feb. 7-14

It's Valentine's Day, and marketers have been tugging at your heartstrings all week with candy-coated, cute appeals. Also, the Winter Olympics continue to prove excellent fodder for major brands. All of this week's top ads focus on those two events, with the exception of one spot in which moms get jiggy over Hostess discounts. Watch our picks for the week's five best commercials below, and vote for your favorite. If your favorite from the week isn't shown here, tell us in the comments.

P&G Ads Are Taking Olympic Gold and Facebook Users Love Skiing

Here comes the Olympics data. AceMetrix today unveiled numbers that bode extremely well for Procter & Gamble, which takes the top three spots in its Top 10 rankings for Winter Games TV spots. The ratings (see below) are dominated by packaged-goods, though United Airlines makes an appearance with its "Hopes of a Nation" commercial. The results are based on a sample of 500 consumers, while weighing attributes such as persuasion, likeability, relevance, desire, etc.

Angry Birds Maker Hatches In-Game Video Ad Plan

Angry Birds is getting ready to introduce in-game digital video ads in an expansion of its advertising products that the company will unveil soon, according to Michele Tobin, Rovio’s head of advertising. Tobin told Adweek today that the company’s games provide premium inventory for video advertising from brands. “We’re rolling out new video products in Q2 that will be built into the gameplay of a number of games,” Tobin said.

Ad of the Day: Coca-Cola Brings U.S.-Russia Olympic Rivalry to Space

Have you heard the one about the astronaut and the cosmonaut watching hockey together in the International Space Station during the Olympics? The American team scores against the Russian team, and the cosmonaut spills his Coca-Cola in zero gravity. But then he and the astronaut work together to slurp up all the free-floating droplets before they can reach havoc on the vessel's electronics—because, cue fantasy, Coke brings everyone together.