Bed Bath & Beyond is back 

Bed Bath & Beyond is looking to come back from the grave this Halloween week with a new national campaign meant to remind shoppers that the retail store has returned as an online-only retailer.

The home goods store filed for bankruptcy in April 2023 after several attempts to reboot its business. One of its more recent attempts was hiring the agency then known as Muh-Tay-Zik / Hof-fer to revamp its marketing in 2021. In June of this year, the retail chain was acquired by Overstock, which rebranded as Bed Bath & Beyond.

Now the retailer is working with Arts & Letters as the lead creative agency for its latest campaign, titled “An Icon Returns.” The spot features different people showing their excitement that the retailer is back and fully online. The spot also promoted a limited-time deal where shoppers can get 20% off their first item purchased—referencing Bed Bath & Beyond’s famous blue coupon.

The campaign will be featured in film, print, digital, out-of-home and more. Out-of-home elements were set up throughout New York City on Nov. 1. The effort includes billboards in Times Square and city bus wraps, a “full Penn Station domination” and taxi toppers coming in early December, according to a statement by the agency.

NVE Experience’s new leadership

NVE Experience Agency has hired its first chief creative officer. Shelley Elkins joins the agency after serving as the global chief creative officer of Jack Morton Worldwide. The agency also announced that Founder and President Brett Hyman will become CEO and that the role of president will not be filled. 

As part of other changes, Matt Molino, executive VP of strategy, becomes chief strategy officer; Cameron Huston, executive VP of production, takes the role of chief experiential officer; Jenny Bronstein, executive VP of business development, moves to chief business officer; and Danielle Draeger, head of people and community, becomes chief people officer. 

Their previous roles won’t be filled, according to a spokesman for the agency.

Coffee ‘n Clothes blog launches CNC Agency

Coffee ‘n Clothes, the brand that began as an Instagram hashtag, announced the official launch of its creative experience agency called CNC Agency. Ryan Glick launched Coffee ‘n Clothes as a coffee- and fashion-based Instagram account in 2014, which grew into a physical event space in New York City for brand popups and takeovers. 

CNC has been launched numerous campaigns over the last year, including an “IRL” Barbie Dream House to celebrate Forever21’s Barbie Summer 2022 and 2023 Collection, a mobile activation for the Netflix series “Love is Blind” and a Miami Happy House takeover for Aerie. 

The agency will focus on brand events that integrate real world and digital experiences. Staying true to its roots, it will work with retail, product and content creation with the goal of connecting to fashion-conscious consumers. 

WPP names chief people officer

WPP has appointed Lindsay Pattison as global chief people officer. Pattison had most recently been WPP’s global chief client officer, leading that company’s relationships with major clients since 2018. 

Pattison had taken an active role in developing talent at WPP, launching the Walk the Talk initiative to help develop senior women and sponsoring the Elevate program for Black female talent. 

“Lindsay is extremely highly regarded across the industry as a leader who can identify and develop top talent, and as a trusted partner to global clients,” WPP CEO Mark Read said in a statement. “She has a deep understanding of our business, people and culture, and her strong commercial focus will help to drive our future people strategy.”

Pattison succeeds Jennifer Remling, who is leaving WPP to be chief people officer at Warner Bros. Discovery. Pattison will work with Remling on the transition until they take their respective new roles in January 2024.  

Just Briefly

LG2 Toronto named Josh Stein as partner and its first chief creative officer. Stein was most recently chief creative officer at McCann Canada. 

Minneapolis-based independent agency Preston Spire hired Victor Kimble as its first chief marketing officer. Kimble has more than 13 years of experience in New York at Fallon, Deutsch New York and Ogilvy before moving to Minneapolis in 2011 and joining Periscope.

Global travel marketing and communications agency MMGY Global was acquired by private equity firm EagleTree Capital. The company was previously owned by private equity company Penninsula Capital Partners along with other shareholders including current and former employees, according to a statement by the agency.

New York-based agency Burns Group appointed a new CEO, current Chief Strategy Officer Chamie Baldwin, to succeed Jo McKinney, who wrote on LinkedIn that “the time has come for change” following 13 years at the agency.