How's this for an online racket? Surreptitiously grab information from Facebook to create tens of millions of profiles labeling people a "jerk" or "not a jerk" and then charge people $30 to revise their online profiles.
ZenithOptimedia predicts that global ad spending will rise 5.5 percent to $537 billion in 2014, up from $509 billion in 2013. The estimated growth is a reflection of the global economy’s improvement, as well as the adoption of programmatic buying and the rise of mobile advertising, according to the media agency group. Recurring events—including the Winter Olympics, the World Cup and the mid-term elections—will also boost the global ad spend for 2014.
A British supermarket has turned to a superhuman director to radically shift gears in its advertising. Waitrose's new campaign from BBH London is its first to focus on the grocery chain's culture and values as an employee-owned business. Looking for an emotional, cinematic approach, BBH brought in Tom Tagholm, the Park Pictures director whose triumphant "Meet the Superhumans" ad for the 2012 Paralympic Games won the Film Craft Grand Prix at Cannes last year.
Over the past few years, beauty has remained a consistent high spot in the often-rocky landscape of women’s magazine advertising. This month, Hearst is taking full advantage of the category’s strength with its new “Beauty Unbound” initiative, the company’s first major cross-title content and advertising push. "If you look at our number one editorial category across the company, it’s beauty,” said Hearst Magazines president, marketing and publishing director Michael Clinton, noting that titles as diverse as Woman’s Day, Seventeen and Elle all include beauty coverage in every issue.
The second of TBS’ historic Final Four telecasts, a white-knuckle battle between No. 8 seed Kentucky and the No. 2 Wisconsin Badgers, put up record numbers, making it the all-time most-watched non-football sporting event on cable.
David Kolbusz, the Bartle Bogle Hegarty creative leader that TBWA\Chiat\Day tried to recruit, has landed at Wieden + Kennedy instead. TBWA\C\D sought Kolbusz to help lead its office in Playa del Rey, Calif., offering to partner him with Steven Butler, one of three executive creative directors in the office. Instead, Kolbusz will become half of a creative leadership duo atop the Wieden's New York office; the other leader has yet to be named.
It’s not Google Glass’ nerdy aesthetics, somewhat douchey reputation or lofty price tag that will prevent a whopping 74 percent of Americans from donning the headset of the future—it’s concerns about privacy.
John Hegarty is an advertising icon, as co-founder and creative leader of Bartle Bogle Hegarty. And with that comes many honors, like getting inducted into the American Advertising Federation Hall of Fame. That happens on Monday night. Also, Hegarty has written a new book about—what else?—creativity. "Hegarty on Creativity. There Are No Rules" is blissfully concise and even fits into your coat pocket. As an Adweek public service, here are Sir John's five most provocative thoughts in the book: 1. Collaboration is great for sex, not so much for creativity.
AppNexus has hired former 24/7 Media CEO John Hsu as chief financial officer, adding another veteran of the ad tech world and signaling its ambitions to eventually take the company public. CEO Brian O’Kelley told Adweek that Hsu’s hire solidifies the leadership at AppNexus, a team that already includes people like Michael Rubenstein, who once helped run Google’s DoubleClick Ad Exchange.
The Digital Advertising Alliance today is releasing creative specs on how the little blue ad marker should be used and displayed on mobile ads—the next major step in extending the DAA's ad choices program to mobile. The blue triangle-shape icon is the cornerstone of the DAA's ad choices program, a visual prompt that allows consumers to opt-out of behaviorally targeting advertising. In the past two years, DAA member advertisers have served up more than a trillion online ads with the icon.
