Quentin Bell (right) was highlighted in a campaign highlighting the stories of trans people.
In celebration of International Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31, Strands for Trans is collaborating with LGBTQ+ safe space Phluid City and advertising agency Terri & Sandy to launch “Gender Euphoria: A Global Celebration,” the first-ever virtual reality event celebrating transgender rights.
“Gender Euphoria” will help raise funds and awareness for Strands for Trans, the global network of trans-affirming barber shops and hair salons that recently earned its official 501 c(3) nonprofit certification. The virtual space will live on after the event as the Strands For Trans’ Global Community Center, hosted via the VSpace platform.
The virtual event will include appearances from the actor Billy Porter and DJ Lina Bradford. Virtual attendees can also peruse an exclusive psychedelic avatar collection debut by Phluid City and engage with educators, artists, performers and influencers including social media star Nykita Joy and trans educator Rey Resendez. The event will also feature an art installation from Chella Man, professional beauty tutorials and product demos and giveaways.
Filmmaker and LGBTQ+ advocate Daniella Carter has teamed up with GLAAD and Brooklyn-based ad agency SpecialGuest to challenge the media’s coverage of the transgender community through authentic stories. “GLAAD Southern Story Bank” is a series of six videos created to help journalists tell accurate and inclusive stories about trans people and those living with HIV.
Also launching on the International Transgender Day of Visibility, the campaign highlights the stories of trans people and those with HIV across the South, an area of the country with increasingly strict laws targeting trans people. The videos show each activist’s story, including that of Quentin Bell as shown below, and echo the theme that transgender people are people who want justice, education, healthcare and safety in their communities.
“People within the media have a powerful platform to share stories of trans people in their own communities and region,” activist Barbara Smith, who works with GLAAD, said in a statement. “We invite journalists to access these resources and stories to understand what the trans community is experiencing when harmful policies are discussed, and to introduce them to sources to include their experiences and reflect their realities as well.”
James Nicholas Kinney, chief people officer at Media.Monks, launched the Advertising Alliance for Mental Health, which aims to increase mental health awareness and overcome the stigma surrounding mental health. The AMH is a platform to provide free mental health resources and support, with a special focus on professionals in the creative and advertising industries.
The platform can be implemented for daily use, including personal, company or agency-wide applications. It offers programming such as expert advice, online support groups, coping strategies and self-help tools.
The AMH is supported by a group of industry leaders on its board of advisors, including Marlice Johnson, partner, brand consulting and head of DE&I North America at Ogilvy; Jason Rosario, chief diversity, equity and inclusion Officer at BBDO Worldwide; and Walter T. Geer, chief experience design officer at VMLY&R.
Miami-based Alma has appointed Ana Bermudez as senior VP and managing director. Bermudez will oversee the agency’s brand, leading new business, expanding the agency’s capabilities and overseeing special projects. The role had been vacant since 2014.
As the lines between multicultural and general audiences in the U.S. continue to blur, Bermudez will be a key part of bridging the gap between campaigns that encompass both. “For a very long time, the industry has overlooked multicultural agencies to produce groundbreaking and universal work,” Bermudez said in a statement. “America is undeniably multicultural, and the industry still has some catching up to do.”
Bermudez previously worked at Alma as group business director from 2013 to 2015. She has more than 20 years of experience and was most recently head of brand management at 72andSunny. She has experience working with brands including Verizon, Zoom, Smirnoff, McDonald’s, Comcast and Trojan, among others.
Independent performance marketing agency Tinuiti hired Jeremy Cornfeldt as its first president. Cornfeldt joins from Brainlabs, who hired former Essencemediacom exec Adam Potashnick as his replacement. Prior to that, Cornfeldt served as the U.S. CEO of Dentsu’s iProspect.
“Jeremy has extensive experience in building agencies through new business, organic growth, and mergers and acquisitions, not to mention his work in broader media and TV,” Tinuiti CEO Zach Morrison said in a statement.
Glow hired Maggie Walsh as head of strategy and Roshmond “Sum” Patten as creative director. Walsh was strategy director at Anomaly, and Patten has worked at companies such as Stampede Management, Cashmere, loftSeven and Precious Metals Creative.
Talent, entertainment, sports and marketing company UTA hired Lauren Probyn Aouad as its first marketing executive within its Entertainment & Culture Marketing division. Based in Atlanta, Aouad will be focused on creating new partnerships with brands at the intersection of entertainment and advertising.
Creative content and production company SuperBloom hired two new leaders for newly created roles on the heels of the launch of two new offerings called SuperBloom Social Studios and SuperBloom Branded Entertainment. Carsten Pruijs joins as head of content management and Elizabeth Lefler, who previously served as head of content management, was elevated to head of operations
San Francisco-based agency Feld Advertising hired Jon Sklaroff as its senior digital manager, a newly created role.
