Advertising Age

Latest Ad & Marketing News

News \ Creativity Pick of the Day

London Olympics 2012 Ticket Designs Unveiled

Ticket designs for the London Olympics, designed by IPG's brand consultancy FutureBrand, have been revealed.

Meet the Woman Behind ABC's Apple-Themed 'Duets' Promo

The "Duets" commercial is an "homage" to Apple's famed "1984" ad, said Marla Provencio, ABC's new chief marketing officer.

JWT Appoints a Pair of Chief Creative Officers in New York

Ryan Kutscher, who previously served as a creative director at CP&B, and Matt MacDonald, who's been executive creative director at JWT, New York, have been named co-chief creative officers of the network's flagship New York office.

Global News

Proposed J-V in China Won't Help Chery Much After Over-Expanding

Given Chery Automobile Co.'s close ties to the Chinese government, the company has a good chance to win approval for a joint venture with Jaguar Land Rover in China but, after Chery's reckless expansion, that won't help much.

MediaWorks \ Trending Topics

Fox Dominates TV Check-In Chart With 'Glee' and 'House'

Finales and approaching finales boosted social TV standings for shows such as "House," but "Gossip Girl" missed the chart despite its season sendoff.

Global News

Infiniti Moves Global HQ to Hong Kong From Japan

MediaWorks \ Special Report: TV Upfront

Vote: Which New Broadcast Comedy Will Get Canceled First?

MediaWorks \ Special Report: TV Upfront

Forget Network Promises: Social Media Has Already Made Its Upfront Verdicts

CMO Strategy

There's a Message to Marketers in Facebook's IPO Slide

News

FTC: Pom Ad Claims Violated the Law

blogs \ DigitalNext

How Brands Should Evaluate Startups

News

See the Spot: Samsung Turns to David Beckham to Promote Galaxy Note

MediaWorks

The Huffington Post Wants to Help Brands Create Their Own Content Sites

The Cable Show

Cable Opens Fire on the Hopper, Dish's New Commercial-Killer

News

Brand Z Study: IBM Leapfrogs Google as No. 2 Global Brand

More From Ad Age

Digital

A Week After CEO's Ouster, Everyone Has an Opinion on Yahoo

Scott Thompson "was a terrible CEO for Yahoo," venture capitalist Fred Wilson said at TechCrunch Disrupt.

MediaWorks \ Special Report: TV Upfront

Vote: Which New Broadcast Drama Will Get Canceled First?

There are many promising shows on the networks' new schedules, but not every freshman series can succeed. Tell us which drama you think will get the ax first.

The Cable Show

Comcast and Nielsen to Start Testing Commercial Ratings for Tablets

Comcast reached an agreement with Nielsen to begin testing commercial measurement for iPads and mobile devices starting this summer, the cable operator told Ad Age at The Cable Show in Boston.

Global News

Ogilvy Is First Into Myanmar With Stake in Local Shop Today Advertising

Ogilvy & Mather has acquired a stake in a Myanmar advertising agency, giving the WPP Group shop a head start in the resource-rich southeast Asian country that has been largely shut off from commercial development.

News

University of Oklahoma Ad Students Pitch Cameroon Tourism Strategy

As part of the college's Advertising Account Planning course, a class of 19 students was tapped to pitch recommendations on how the country could boost tourism.

News \ Creativity Pick of the Day

For Chewing Gum Client, Ageisobar Creates a Chewable Pencil

Chewing gum gets an upgrade with this brilliant product-design stunt out of ageisobar Sao Paulo for Gang Chewing Gum.

Agency News

Saatchi & Saatchi Merges With Digital Shop Duke in France

In an attempt to net more business, Publicis Groupe is taking two of its key agencies in France and combining them into a single entity called Saatchi & Saatchi Duke.

columns \ Small Agency Diary

Want to Inspire Your Staff? Push Them Out of the Office for a Day

The ad industry has long hours, tight deadlines and many thankless moments. How can agency managers inspire their staffs?

columns \ The Media Guy

Facebook Investors Are 'ZUCKERS!' (Says Murdoch Tabloid)

It's a schadenfreude moment for Rupert Murdoch, who snatched up MySpace for what then looked like a bargain, $580 million, and sold it for $35 million.

MediaWorks

'Mad Men' Recap: Harry Krishna

Harry's adventure with Mother Lakhsmi aside, Don and Joan's work marriage poses one of the show's biggest questions.

Digital

WPP's Group M Taps Buddy Media for Facebook Ads

Advertising on Facebook has gotten a bad rap of late, but Group M, the media-buying unit of ad giant WPP, is licensing technology to make it easier for clients to spend money there.

MediaWorks

House Beautiful Lets Readers Post to Pinterest From Print

House Beautiful is letting users post photos from its print edition directly to Pinterest using smartphone apps, the latest effort by a magazine to make print more interactive.

CMO Strategy

A Code of Honor for All CMOs to Follow

Will years of ethical neglect bring about a day of reckoning for CMOs? Or will we pledge to truth and authenticity?

News

Despite Shaky Start, JC Penney Stands Firm on Reinvention Plan

JC Penney lost $163 million in the first quarter. Sales skidded 20%; traffic slowed 10%; conversion and average customer spending both fell 5%.

Digital

To Deliver For Wall Street, Facebook Must Convince Madison Avenue

The social network went public with huge buzz, but it's closing stock price and GM's statement that it was pulling its ads, raised a question for investors and for advertisers: Just what should they expect from Facebook?

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