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Ice Cube on Coors Light, Burger King and Gay Marriage

Ice Cube agrees with Jay-Z: He's cool with gay marriage. "I've had people in my family, myself and a lot of my ancestors have been victims of discrimination. So I don't want to discriminate on nobody," he said.

columns \ Small Agency Diary

The Big Problem With 'The Pitch': It Portrays an Outdated Business Model

"The Pitch" can be fun to watch, but it portrays an outdated business model.

News \ People & Players

People on the Move: Gill Duff Named President-CEO of BBDO, Atlanta

Also on the move this week are David White, Kimberly Lau, Deborah J. Mignucci, Michael Alex and the management team at Chick-fil-A.

MediaWorks \ Special Report: TV Upfront

See Previews for Eight New NBC Shows, From 'Revolution' to 'Guys With Kids'

Watch extended trailers for J.J. Abrams' "Revolution," the new Matthew Perry series "Go On," and six more of NBC's bets for the new season.

News

Skechers Pays $40 Million to Settle Toning Claims

David Vladeck, director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection, said the settlement is probably the largest to date in terms of cash paid to consumers.

MediaWorks \ Special Report: TV Upfront

Turner Takes Stake in Funny or Die, Will Manage Site's Ad Sales

MediaWorks

How (and When) to Measure ROI in Real Time

Agency News

'Working Not Working,' a New Way to Discover (and Hire) Freelance Creatives

Agency News

University of Phoenix Chooses Arnold As Lead Creative Shop After Review

MediaWorks \ Special Report: TV Upfront

CBS Shifts 'Two and a Half Men' to Thursday

blogs \ DigitalNext

Why Facebook Isn't Screwed When It Comes to Auto Marketing

columns \ Small Agency Diary

When Big Ideas Come from Small Companies

CMO Strategy

Delete Creativity? That's Bad for Business

blogs \ DigitalNext

Social Sharing Data Vampires: They Vant to Suck Your Data

From Around the Web

NPR

Pizza Delicious Bought An Ad On Facebook. How'd It Do?

What happened when two guys who sell pizza out of a window in New Orleans decided to buy a Facebook ad -- and what it says about the state of social-media advertising.

Picked by Natalie Zmuda

Search Engine Land

Google Launches Knowledge Graph To Provide Answers, Not Just Links

Hinted at for months, Google formally launched its "Knowledge Graph" today. The new technology is being used to provide popular facts about people, places

Picked by Kunur Patel

TechCrunch

Want To Reach Light TV Viewers? Put Ads On YouTube, Says YouTube

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: The children are our future.

Picked by Nat Ives

U.S. News

Nordstrom in Fashion with Social Media, Mobile Tech

Nordstrom taps social media and mobile tech to meet customers where they are.

Picked by Natalie Zmuda

Consumerist

Chiropractor Who Gave Skechers Such A Great Quote Is Also Married To A Skechers Staffer

Among the many pieces of evidence in the FTC's $40 million settlement with Skechers over deceptive advertising for toning sneakers is one claim about a supposed "independent" clinical study.

Picked by Natalie Zmuda

Reuters

Vatican, Benetton settle dispute over pope kiss ad

Italian fashion firm Benetton has agreed to make a donation to a Catholic charity to end a legal dispute with the Vatican over an advertisement that showed Pope Benedict kissing an imam.

Picked by Natalie Zmuda

NYT DealBook

China Flexes Its Regulatory Muscle, Catching Google in Its Grip

Google might have pulled out of China. But China is having the final word on Google's biggest and perhaps most strategic deal to date - its proposed $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility.

Picked by Abbey Klaassen

Thewrap

LAT Shutting Down Sunday Magazine

Citing the downturn in the print industry, LA, Los Angeles Times Magazine will cease production on June 3 in favor of a quarterly.

Picked by Nat Ives

Poynter

New USA Today publisher Kramer's theories about newsroom evolution

New USA Today Publisher Larry Kramer hasn't had a newspaper job since 1991, but he's thought about newspapers ever since.

Picked by Nat Ives

WSJ

GM to Stop Advertising on Facebook

General Motors plans to stop advertising on Facebook after the auto maker's marketing executives determined their paid ads had little impact on consumers, a disappointing development just days ahead of Facebook's expected initial public offering of stock.

Picked by Kunur Patel

More From Ad Age

News

JC Penney Plans Ads to Better Explain Its New Pricing Strategy

JC Penney's marketing is entertaining consumers and building the brand but isn't doing the "hard work" of communicating the new pricing strategy, said CEO Ron Johnson.

Agency News

Bel Brands Puts Creative Account Into Review

Chicago-based marketer is looking primarily at shops there. DDB was invited but chose not to participate in the review.

MediaWorks \ Special Report: TV Upfront

Univision Upfront Opens With Sofia and Closes With Shakira

"I might work somewhere else, but this is where I live," said "Modern Family" star Sofia Vergara, who got her start on the network.

MediaWorks \ Special Report: TV Upfront

Preview Five New Fox Shows, From 'The Mindy Project' to 'Ben and Kate'

See the trailers for new Fox series including "The Following," a serial-killer drama starring Kevin Bacon that Fox hopes will become "our next '24.'"

MediaWorks \ Special Report: TV Upfront

See Photos From Fox's Upfront at New York's Beacon Theater

Zooey Deschanel and Mindy Kaling appeared together, amplifying the adorkability.

Digital

GM Cuts Facebook Ad Spending, But Ford Steps on the Gas

The pullout points to Facebook's biggest challenge: Though most consumer brands see the social network as a way to connect with consumers, opinions are mixed on the value of advertising there.

MediaWorks \ Special Report: TV Upfront

See Photos From NBC's Upfront at Radio City Music Hall

NBC's upfront presentation to media buyers put some of the network's biggest stars on stage: the revolving chairs from "The Voice."

MediaWorks \ Special Report: TV Upfront

Watch the Previews for 10 New ABC Shows, '666 Park Avenue' to 'Nashville'

Check out extended trailers for shows such as "666 Park Avenue," a multifamily version of "American Horror Story"; and "Nashville," about a fading country star.

Watch the Video

Ross Levinsohn Lays Out His Vision for Yahoo (Before He Became CEO)

Special Report: Best Places to Work 2012

Allen & Gerritsen Tops Ad Age's Best Places to Work List

What's better than topping Ad Age's Best Places to Work list? Easy: topping it two years in a row.

Full Article

Mr Youth Is No. 2 on Ad Age's Best Places to Work List

This is Mr Youth's second year on Ad Age's Best Places to Work list, and a culture where people are close to the work has contributed to that accomplishment.

Full Article

Tris3ct Is No. 3 on Ad Age's Best Places to Work List

Independent Tris3ct has been growing more than 50% for three consecutive years, not only in headcount but also in new business.

Full Article

Big Spaceship Is No. 4 on Ad Age's Best Places to Work List

The staff enjoys revenue sharing for revenue-generating intellectual property, as well as outings to local bars and sporting events.

Full Article

Eric Mower & Associates Is No. 5 on Ad Age's Best Places to Work List

Collaboration is everything at Syracuse, N.Y.-based Eric Mower & Associates. It can be seen throughout the agency's infrastructure, employee orientation and strategic approach.

Full Article

Red Door Interactive Is No. 6 on Ad Age's Best Places to Work List

In a loft with views of downtown San Diego, the Padres' ballpark and the bay, employees at Red Door Interactive operate under tenets like "share," "exceed" and "100% jerk-free."

Full Article

Read More Special Report: Best Places to Work 2012
Special Report: Agency A-List

Agency of the Year McGarryBowen Proves Solid and Reliable Beat Fast and Furious

McGarryBowen is turning heads for solidly proficient work appreciated by its clients and a new-business record envied by nearly everyone in the industry. And with a staggering 60% growth in revenue in 2011 it's a clear pick for Ad Age's Agency of the Year.

Full Article

Droga5 Is No. 2 on Ad Age's Agency A-List

The 5-year-old agency, with 120 employees and two offices, is sweeping awards shows and nabbing clients ranging from Amstel to Prudential with its avant-garde thinking.

Full Article

BBDO Is No. 3 on Ad Age's Agency A-List

In 2011, BBDO won every global pitch it participated in and about two-thirds of its U.S. pitches. Revenue is up 15%, while globally, revenue has increased 18% to an estimated $2.4 billion.

Full Article

Razorfish Is No. 4 on the Ad Age Agency A-List

Digital-agency acquisitions rarely result in the kind of success this shop has had since landing at Publicis Group in 2009.

Full Article

72andSunny Is No. 5 on the Ad Age Agency A-List

72andSunny's approach is far more democratic than that of most agencies, and an understanding prevails that a great idea can come from anywhere, not just the creative department.

Full Article

Alma Is No. 6 on Ad Age's Agency A-List

That knack for matching Hispanics' passion points with online efforts helped Alma's digital revenue soar 300% last year. Overall, revenue grew 10%. Last year alone, the agency succeeded at bringing home 10 new accounts.

Full Article

Read More Special Report: Agency A-List
CMO Strategy

Hats Off to These 10 Forward-Thinking Clients

Here's a ranking of 10 forward-thinking executives, and some takeaways that may help you become a better client. And we included five to watch for the near future.

Full Article

Respect, Trust Key to Healthy Ad Relationship

Agency-client relationships are like a marriage. They can start to wear during the months and years ahead as the difficulties of daily life set in, but how you manage those things is what matters.

Full Article

Bacardi CMO Shares Agency Advice From Simon Clift

Bacardi Global Chief Marketing Officer Silvia Lagnado invited former Unilever CMO Simon Clift to talk to her team. Mr. Clift shared his major points with Ad Age. A few are listed here, along with observations from Ms. Lagnado.

Full Article

The Secret Behind the Long Union of Allstate, Burnett

How have Allstate and Burnett maintained their long partnership? To get some insights, Ad Age sat in on a late-December meeting and interviewed key members of the Burnett-Allstate team. Here is what we found.

Full Article

How to Be a Better Agency Client

Major marketers talk about their resolutions for making the most of their company-ad agency relationships

Full Article

Marketer Resolutions: PepsiCo's Jakeman Will Be Busy, Fit and Talkative

PepsiCo's Brad Jakeman has three tips for making your brand messaging creative and effective.

Full Article

Read More CMO Strategy
Special Report: Hottest Global Brands

William and Kate: Elevating the Royal Brand

William and Kate quietly leading the modernization of the British monarchy, a brand that has been reinventing itself since the first William sat on the throne in 1066.

Full Article

Majolica Majorca Sets Out to Prove Every Woman Can Be a Princess

Even the name of Shiseido's cosmetics brand aimed at young women is supposed to evoke a fairy spell.

Full Article

After Decades of Effort, Jagermeister Lands on Top 10 List of Premium Spirits

Jagermeister is No. 8 on Impact Databank's Top 100 Premium Spirits List this year, just behind megabrands such as Smirnoff, Bacardi, Absolut and Johnnie Walker, and ahead of better-known products such as Bailey's, Gordon's and Jim Beam.

Full Article

Racy Approach Brings Axe Full Control Sweet Victory in Latin America

Thanks to a 'Premature Perspiration' campaign out of Ponce, Buenos Aires, sales of Axe antiperspirants rose by 11.7% in Argentina, a striking performance for a brand that is already a market leader.

Full Article

Moshi Monsters Enter Real World to Become Global Marketing Marvel

The online social-gaming network that aspires to be a Facebook for kids, already has more than 50 million players around the world and one signing up every second, but it's just getting started.

Full Article

Rock in Rio Connects Music Lovers and Advertisers

This year's weeklong music festival, in late September, drew 700,000 people-55% of them from outside Rio-and a horde of marketers. The eclectic mix of headliners included Shakira, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Coldplay and Metallica,and Brazilian stars such as Milton Nascimento.

Full Article

Read More Special Report: Hottest Global Brands
Special Report: Marketer A-List

Marketer of the Year: Coca-Cola

It's a marketing model not just for mega multinationals looking to share best practices from around the world but also a case study for how upstart and mid-size brands, of which Coca-Cola has amassed many, can use creative stunts and strategic partnerships to get a lot done on a smaller budget.

Full Article

For Amazon, a Focus on the New Helps Push Sales of the Old

Like Walmart, Amazon.com sells food, clothing, media and electronics -- the old-school foundation of modern retailing. But Amazon keeps reinventing its business by coming up with new lines to sell, some of them tangible, some of them the stuff of imagination not too long ago.

Full Article

Kardashians Prove Family That Enterprises Together Stays Together

Out of a sex tape flourishes a brand that becomes the linchpin for three TV shows, a clothing boutique, books and a wedding whose rights sold for $17.9 million.

Full Article

Crown Deserves a Toast for Big Sales in Bad Times

In a year where big brewers continued to lose ground, Crown Imports stands out for one simple reason -- it is actually growing sales, overcoming a tough economy with aggressive advertising on Corona and new investments in surging smaller brands.

Full Article

With a Fearless and Willing to Fail Attitude, Diamond Foods Emerges as Powerhouse

Scrappy little snackmaker wins Big -- and aims to get bigger by scooping up Pringles.

Full Article

Humans, Not Tech, Define a PC-Free IBM

IBM's path to marketing success began strangely enough with a retreat from the very thing most consumers knew it for best -- the personal computer. Since the 2004 decision to divest the business to China's Lenovo and focus on business services and analytics, the IBM brand has never been stronger.

Full Article

Read More Special Report: Marketer A-List