Smoothie King chooses Barkley
Smoothie King named Kansas City, Missouri-based independent agency Barkley as its agency of record. It was not immediately clear which agency previously held the account.
Barkley will be responsible for brand and creative strategy for the global franchise company.
“Barkley thinks about brands in a refreshingly different way–and we love that,” Smoothie King CMO Marianne Radley said in a statement. “There was just so much that really resonated with the way we operate here at Smoothie King.”
Barkley has made a name for itself as a brand-building agency known for its out-of-the-box strategy, design and activation for brands such as Motel 6, Dairy Queen and Planet Fitness, which it won back from Publicis last summer. Barkley’s first project for Smoothie King is expected to launch in April.
Alaska Airlines hires VaynerMedia
Alaska Airlines named VaynerMedia Los Angeles as its U.S. media agency of record following a pitch. Haworth Marketing+Media previously held the account, though it was not clear whether it took part in the pitch.
Alaska Airlines chose VaynerMedia for its approach that follows market signals to inform media placements. To that end, the agency will work closely with Mekanism, Alaska Airlines’ creative agency of record.
“VaynerMedia’s approach allows for us to truly understand consumer attention, enabling us to activate in spaces that are most strategic for the brand,” Lisa Buckley, managing director at VaynerMedia Los Angeles, said in a statement. “We are looking forward to bringing our prowess to further drive relevance and business results for Alaska Airlines.”
The first major campaign, which focused on Alaska Airlines’ Care Coalition, kicked off in the Bay Area during the Super Bowl. The company made a deliberate decision to focus on regional media buys during the Big Game to foster a better connection with its customer base, Eric Edge, managing director of advertising and marketing, told Ad Age last month.