-In an effort to revamp its digital operations and expand its U.S. presence, Stockholm-based integrated production company Acne has hired Jesper Palsson as CEO of its L.A.-based office. link
-Las Vegas-based agency SK+G has formed SK+G Asia Pacific, which will be based in Hong Kong.
-Carmichael Lynch and Moxie Pictures director Martin Granger take us inside the Tempur-Pedic “Innovation Lab” with two new spots (one above, second one here).
-As you may have read, following a “formal agency review,” McCann NY has taken over U.S. advertising duties on tequila staple Jose Cuervo, which as of today, is shifting over from Diageo to Jersey City-based spirits importer, Proximo. Gotham Direct, meanwhile, will handle media efforts for JC.
-So, is it the end of days for Blackberry (once again)? link
-The American Advertising Federation has announced its new board leadership for 2013-2014 including chair Wendy Clark, SVP/ Global Sparkling Brand Center, Coca-Cola. link
-Looking for some summer reading ideas from C-suite folks? Read a list after the jump if interested.
-Bi-coastal post-production shop NO6 has added editor Paul Plew to its roster. link
1) Nancy Hill, President-CEO of the 4A’s: Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn. A murder mystery set in the South in which a seemingly happy marriage goes awry when the wife turns up missing and everyone in town is under suspicion. Says Hill: “It’s the best twisty mystery thriller I’ve read in years.”
2) Elizabeth Lamont, VP, Marketing at La Prairie Inc.: “Looking so forward to reading Business is Beautiful written by a team of experts at global design firm Dragon Rouge. Since the fallback position so readily portrayed in media and society is the ‘ugly’ and the ‘failed,’ and the propensity to criticize is the first commentary offered, it’s a treat to spend time thinking positively.”
3) Tadji Ahkavan, Social Strategy Director, mOcean: “My number one reading project this summer is to finish Game of Thrones. I also want to get into Lean In by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg. Women need to pursue their careers – no excuses, sans cold feet, without ambivalence. Just do it, ladies!”
4) Tim Nelson, President of Tris3ct has already read How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer and distributed copies to everyone in the Chicago-based agency. The book references advancements made in neuroscience to explore how humans make decisions with different parts of the brain
5) Eric Johnson, founder and president of Ignited (www.ignitedus.com), only reads digital books. On his tablet are business books Rockefeller Habits by Verne Harnish and The Innovator’s Solution by Clayton Christensen and, for leisure, No Easy Day by Mark Owen
6) Kevin Meany, founder and CEO of BFG, is looking forward to reading Proof of Heaven by Eben Alexander and Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
7) John Tanner, EVP of Dragon Rouge, is eager to begin a book by fellow ad man Dave Trott (of The Gate in London) who wrote Predatory Thinking: A Master Class in Out-Thinking the Competition.