Agency news you need to know this week

It’s been a relatively quiet few days for those not attending the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity this week. But, believe it or not, there are still pockets of activity beyond the French Riviera. Cactus promotes Swedish culture Swedish outdoor apparel maker Fjällräven has 98% brand recognition in its home country. But that’s not the case in North America, where only 13% are familiar with the brand. To address that gap, the company turned to Cactus, a creative agency based in Denver. Cactus launched a campaign targeting the North American market called “Sweden’s Best Kept Secret” centered on one simple concept: Fjällräven does outdoor gear the Swedish way, humbly crafting products to maximize use and minimize impact. The first iteration of the campaign, focused on Fjällräven’s trousers, aims to highlight why Swedish pants are superior, with phrases including “Experience pants from a country with more hiking trails than highways,” and “Sweden is one of the happiest countries in the world…their pants must be doing something right.” “When you get down to why someone would buy Fjällräven over another brand, Sweden is the reason,” Jeff Strahl, senior creative director at Cactus, said in a statement. “‘Sweden’s Best Kept Secret’ anchors us in our differentiator.” Joan rounds out its executive leadership team Indie agency Joan has appointed two executive creative directors. Mohamed Diaa joined after most recently holding the same role at Ogilvy, and Joan Group Creative Director Theo Gibson was promoted to ECD. Both roles are new at the agency. Diaa will lead the agency’s global eBay business, while Gibson will spearhead other key accounts, including cookware brand HexClad, which named Joan its creative agency of record in May. They will report to Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer Jaime Robinson. “I wanted absolute fucking legends leading our work, and that’s exactly what Diaa and Theo are,” Robinson said in a statement. “They’ve proven they can make game-changing work, and in their new roles they have far more freedom to express their creativity than ever before. Gloves off, let’s go.” At Ogilvy, Diaa oversaw accounts including Samsung, Zippo and Perrier. Diaa and Theo complete the agency’s new leadership team, which also includes CEO and Co-Founder Lisa Clunie, Head of Account Management Alexandra von Puttkamer and Head of Strategy Kristin Van Note, among others. ICYMI: Agency highlights from the Croisette Seven months after acquiring Gut, global tech and digital consultancy Globant Globant is making the agency the centerpiece of a new agency network dubbed Globant Gut Network. The network, spearheaded by Globant Chief Brand Officer Wanda Weigert, will combine Gut with Globant’s other shops, including Habitant, Ad_bid, KTBO and Vertic. Independent agency Tombras unveiled its “Impossibly Smart Billboard” campaign during the Google Creative Lighthouse Luncheon at Cannes on Wednesday. The inititiave, which turned PODS, the portable storage trucks, into real-time digital billboards capable of auto-generating ads, offered a peak into how AI can be applied creatively in advertising. Speaking of AI news, Havas announced it will invest 400 million euros, or more than $428 million, in the technology over the next four years. Media.Monks also launched AI tools developed alongside Adobe, including Brand Model Practice, which uses Adobe GenStudio to develop customized AI-generated content systems for brands. Cannes Lions coverage See all of the Grand Prix winners here Top 5 Grand Prix campaigns

Agency news you need to know this week

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