Mikey likes them

The folks at WorkInProgress have been, well, making progress.

The shop has been named creative agency of record for Mike’s Hard Lemonade across its three brands: Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Mike’s Harder Lemonade and Mike’s Hard Lemonade Seltzer. The assignment is another feather in WIP’s cap following the win of Domino’s last fall. Havas was Mike's prior agency.

WIP has already done an inaugural ad for the brand featuring the attorney who made the viral rounds after inadvertently and hilariously appearing as a cat on Zoom video call.

Mike’s also named Haworth Media for planning and buying, while retaining MSL for PR and Epsilon for shopper marketing.

WIP, by the way, was last year’s Small Agency of the Year in the Silver category for 11-75 employees, which brings us to ...

Small wonders

It’s time to enter the Ad Age Small Agency Awards. Yes, we know it’s been a hard year. But that’s what will make the 2021 awards even more important. The pandemic has tested the creativity, flexibility and strength of shops big and small, allowing them to discover just what they are made of. This is your chance to tell the stories of agencies that found ways to pivot in the pandemic, double down on business or simply overcome headwinds such as layoffs and client cutbacks. Enter here. Deadline is April 27, and mark your calendars for August 2-4 for our virtual Small Agency Conference, which features an array of keynotes, firesides, panels and peer-to-peer sharing geared specifically to the needs of small agencies.

Dispatch from Texas

After our story yesterday on Lone Star State agencies coping with the brutal effects of the polar vortex, we received a sad email from Lana McGilvray, who runs new Purpose Worldwide and whose husband DJ Stout, runs Pentagram.

Pentagram’s Austin office "was totally lost yesterday due to the storm. DJ (my husband) and I were headed to the office yesterday to try and warm up with my daughter and 86-year-old father-in-law as we were worried about them in the cold with no access to heat or electricity, and heard there may be electricity near the office. As we arrived, the ceilings were ‘raining,’ the roof had caved in, art was falling from the walls and there was about a foot of water on the floor. Twenty years worth of Pentagram books, magazines, etc., were damaged or lost,” writes McGilvray. “I moved here from New York City 20 years ago. We’ve never experienced anything like this. The loss of Pentagram is heartbreaking.”

The crisis that shops like Pentagram have been going through has not gone unnoticed in the greater ad community. Howie Kleinberg, president of New York’s GLOW, contacted us with an offer to help out shops in the Texas area who might want an assist with production or other duties until they get back on their feet. Texas agencies in need can reach him at [email protected]. 

And speaking of community ...

The Community has appointed creative veteran Kash Sree as executive creative director, to lead the agency’s Verizon partnership.

Sree’s career spans 30 years as a creative leader at numerous top agencies around the world, including BBH New York, Gryo Pereira & Odell, JWT and Wieden+Kennedy, where he made a splash with celebrated Nike work including the Grand Prix-winning “Play” campaign.

Sree will report to Founder and Chief Creative Officer Joaquin Molla. Along with spearheading the agency’s creative vision for Verizon, he will also work to champion diverse creative talent and leadership at the agency. 

“Kash’s work speaks for itself,” Molla said in a statement. “He has a strong point of view, and he’s always been fearless in his pursuit of creativity. Kash is willing to take a stand for great work, and that’s exactly what we love about him. I have no doubt that Kash will challenge us and bring his leadership and creativity to continue to make the work, and the community, better.”

Fallon’s new leadership trio

Fallon has elevated three execs to top leadership roles. Managing Director Kara Buckner is stepping up to agency president, while Nikki Baker and Leslie Shaffer, former exec creative directors at the agency’s New York office, are now co-chief creative officers across both agency offices in Minneapolis and New York. 

Over the past year, the trio has led new work for brands including Walmart, KeyBank, American Home Shield and Back Market. In their new posts, they will be responsible for leading the agency through the client and cultural challenges that have emerged during the pandemic while addressing the shifting media environment. Matt Garcia will continue in his role as managing director in New York, after joining from Publicis Groupe partner agency Rokkan last summer. All four will report to CEO Rocky Novak. 

All’s OK at AKQA

AKQA has named former SpaceX Design Director Hillary Coe as principal of experience. Though she will be based in the agency’s San Francisco office, she serves as part of its North American Leadership team and will work across all U.S. studios. 

In her previous post, Coe provided design and human experience leadership at SpaceX in collaboration with NASA. Prior to that, she served as a creative director at Google.

The agency has also appointed product design veteran JoRoan Lazaro to lead the creative team at its New York studio. Lazaro’s experience spans more than two decades, during which he served in leadership roles at Elephant, BBH, Havas and The Barbarian Group. 

Also on the move

Helen Lin, chief digital officer for Publicis Media, has been bumped up to chief digital officer for Publicis Groupe. Lin will now oversee digital strategy, partnerships, investment and negotiations, along with driving digital opportunities across the holding company. She will report into Dave Penski, global chairman for PMX and CEO of Publicis Media U.S.

Translation is broadening its team by adding Alison Hill as head of production and Joel Rodiguez as executive director of engagement planning, both reporting to President Ann Wool. Hill hails from Wieden+Kennedy, where she was a producer on accounts like ESPN’s SportsCenter, Bud Light, and Ford Motor Co. Rodiguez began his career at Translation as an intern in 2011 and is credited with building out the shop’s context planning department, which Translation says “taps into culture to elevate a campaign’s journey.”

Rahel Rasu has been named global chief communications officer at IPG Mediabrands, reporting to Global CEO Daryl Lee. “Rahel understands the power of culture and believes in communications that support our people, our clients, our brands and our values,” said Lee. “Her partnership across the organization will be invaluable as we continue to share our vision for a tech-supported but humanity-centered media future.” This is a homecoming of sorts for Rasu, who was senior VP, global communications at McCann Worldgroup, before joining Omnicom’s DDB Worldwide as head of global communications. 

From the 'we told you so' department

Back in September, we reported that WPP Group was in discussions to back the breakaway agency from R/GA led by the shop’s then Vice Chairman and Global Chief Strategy Officer Barry Wacksman, Global Chief Innovation Officer Saneel Radia and New York VP Executive Creative Director Mike Rigby. It took a few months, but the holding company has now confirmed it owns a stake in the new agency called Proto. Said WPP CEO Mark Read: “The Proto team has an incredible track record of delivering business and brand transformation for global clients. We’re delighted to be investors and partners in the new venture as it sets out to disrupt the traditional management consulting business.”

S4 goes green

Martin Sorrell’s anti-holding company, S4 Capital, has signed on with The Climate Pledge from Amazon and Global Optimism. The pledge, now with 53 signatories, commits companies to working toward net-zero carbon in their worldwide businesses with the goal of reaching the Paris Agreement 10 years early.

Celebrating Black History Month

Burrell Communications is honoring both Black History Month and its 50th anniversary with a new initiative, “50 Acts of Kindness.” The effort is the agency’s effort to give back to the community and express its gratitude to people, clients and supporters who have helped it thrive over five decades.

The first “act of kindness” is a surprise donation to Primo Center, which provides shelter, permanent supportive housing and other services to homeless families in Chicago. Other acts of kindness will be directed to groups such as 100 Black Men; My Block, My Hood, My City, faith-based organizations, local food banks and others providing crucial resources to communities in need. 

Meanwhile, up-and-coming talents at Goodby Silverstein & Partners are seeking to capture the diverse Black experience in the form of an Instagram and Facebook Stories game. Preach is played via an Instagram filter and consists of two rounds. The first is a “rapid fire” segment that asks players yes or no questions about the Black experience. They include “Have you ever been told you talk white?” “Has anyone ever touched your hair without asking?” and “Has anyone ever been surprised that you read books?”

The second portion, “Speak On It,” asks players to elaborate on more open-ended questions such as “What’s your unpopular opinion about being Black in America,” and “What’s the line between cultural appropriation and appreciation?”

The game was created by the GSP Black employee resource group, “BLK.” Junior Communications Strategist Josh German and strategist intern Ezana Ataktli led the project.

“Oftentimes it seems the narrative is that all Black people must have had the same life experiences, and while there are many that are widely shared across the community, there are also many experiences that aren’t and instead are much more individualized,” German said in a statement. “So to be able to provide a platform for Black people to voice and tell their story in a low-pressure environment is a really cool thing to be a part of.”

For more inspiring ideas, check out Ad Age’s Black History Month celebration of creative excellence.

Walking the walk

Hauppauge, New York-based Austin Williams has named the first recipient of its Opportunity Scholarship in Marketing/Communications in New Media, which is intended to assist minorities and students of color who want to go into advertising. Adrian Santiago, 19, a St. Joseph’s College sophomore, will receive $2,500 in tuition assistance, mentorship and a paid internship at the agency. “We’re thrilled to be helping students like Adrian and do our part to make advertising a more diverse industry,” said Eva LaMere, President of Austin Williams. “Every ad agency has an obligation to do something tangible that enables young people of color to pursue a career free from barriers. We’re walking the walk and we invite other agencies to do the same. We want this program to be replicated.”