The Super Bowl stole most of the ad-related spotlight this past week, but that doesn’t mean every agency invested $5.5 million and up in the big game. Some had other moves to make, like a running back cutting around a defender to get to the end zone.
Now that the big game is over and the winning team is donning the mouse ears and headed to Disney World (which isn’t that far from Tampa, to be fair), it’s time to turn our attention to this week’s Revolving Door Roundup.
Adding a little twist, we’ll share a few fun/funky/weird Valentine’s Day stuff that landed in the ‘ol inbox.
But, first, some moves.
B-Reel
Independent creative agency B-Reel has hired Yujin Lee as the first executive creative director at its Los Angeles location. Lee will join B-Reel’s Los Angeles team and will be responsible for helping to shape and grow the studio. Most immediately, she will be working on State, one of B-Reel’s first in-house products.
“Yujin brings a rare blend of not only being able to generate big innovative ideas, but also hands on experience of shipping products from end to end. We’re thrilled to have Yujin at the helm of our creative team and apply her insightful approach to product design to our work,” said Mei-lin Robinson, managing director, B-Reel LA.
Lee was previously at R/GA and Nike Innovation Lab, where she drove new product categories.
Butchershop
Brand experience agency Butchershop has promoted three members of its leadership team to associate partner. They include Katherine Cambouris, global chief operations officer; Sara Cobaugh, head of strategy; and Ben McNutt, chief creative officer.
The moves are part of a restructuring by CEO and ECD Trevor Hubbard, who is looking to put more value and equities in the hands of employees.
“Katherine, Sara and Ben have tackled challenges with me that typically would only be faced by an ownership group. They have borne a great responsibility and helped build this agency practice,” said Hubbard. “I wanted to send a very clear message to my entire crew: we will create flexibility and provide new opportunities for investment in our collective futures.”
Cambouris and Cobaugh will become the agency’s first female partners, but Butchershop’s leadership team has been over 60% female for several years. The agency is also working toward greater parity in diversity, equity and inclusion and has launched programs like Equity for Equality (E2), which raises funds for arts, education, STEM, environmental justice and entrepreneurialism in the Black community, among other efforts.
Digitas
Digitas has elevated four women to senior roles. Michelle Tang has been promoted to CMO, Nicole Stanely to COO, Megan Jones to evp, head of media, and Alyse Schwartz to evp, managing director, Atlanta.
Tang was elevated from evp, head of new business and marketing for North America. She will oversee new business, marketing and communications for the agency.
23-year Digitas veteran Stanley was previously evp, global head of operations. Jones was most recently svp, group director, while Schwartz was previously svp, global client lead and managing director in Atlanta.
“I’m thrilled to announce the elevation of Michelle, Nicole, Megan and Alyse, four amazing leaders with a combined total of 42 years at Digitas. Each one is a superstar and together they will further strengthen our NA executive leadership bench and help set Digitas and our clients up for even greater success in the year ahead,” said Jodi Robinson, CEO, Digitas NA.
Gupta Media
Boston-based digital media agency, Gupta Media, has hired Pat Arnold as creative director, where he will helm the agency’s in-house creative shop, Verylike, and expand the suite of services offered.
Gupta Media has also hired Dylan Hackley as its first-ever director of marketing communications. Hackley joins from Powell Communications and will be responsible for leading a rebrand of the agency and revamping its internal and external communications.
M&C Saatchi
M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment North America has hired Robert Blair as associate creative director. He will support creative director Nicholas Rotondi in leading the agency’s creative strategy, production and design initiatives.
Blair was previously art director at Exposure America, and in 2014 he co-founded TXTbooks, an independent and self-produced publishing studio.
“Rob is well-versed in the intricacies and strategies of earned media, and how to build creative work that services our output,” said Rotondi.
McKinney
North Carolina-based McKinney has named Chandra Guinn as executive director of diversity, equity and inclusion, a new position at the agency. In the role, she will help create greater diversity, enhance belonging, and provide clarity about equity inside and outside the organization.
“Every industry needs to have a light shined on it. And advertising crosses industries and has the potential to reach far and wide; to support and contribute and to elevate our consciousness around the questions of equity and justice,” said Guinn. “I wanted to come into a new role in a space that was rich with opportunity to make a difference.”
Guinn comes to McKinney from Duke University, where she was director for the Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture.
TBWA\Chiat\Day LA
Creative agency TBWA\Chiat\Day LA has been named agency of record for three new clients. They include the Behr Paint Company, biotech company and vaccine manufacturer Moderna, and food manufacturer Schwan’s Company.
Erin Riley, president, TBWA\Chiat\Day LA, said: “We are looking forward to flexing uncommon creativity and uncommon rigor to help create not incremental, but truly disruptive growth for our client partners.”
The agency also announced several new hires, including Jennifer Payne, diversity, equity and inclusion lead, and Caleb Jensen, executive creative director across key accounts, including Gatorade and new business.
WB+TDP
Warshaw Blumenthal and Turbo Dog Productions, which recently united to form WB+TDP, will provide illustrations for The Advertising Club of New York’s creative awards competition, the ANDY Awards.
Through creative agency Pereira O’Dell, WB+TDP will be creating the illustration art for the juried competition.
“We are honored WB+TDP has been chosen to support the Ad Club of NY and the ANDY Awards, a celebration of the ideas that inspire the next generation of creatives and shape our industry,” said Andrew Kessler, founder of WB+TDP.
WPP
WPP has acquired Brazilian digital innovation and software engineering company, DTI Digital. The acquisition is in line with WPP’s objectives to expand its presence in the faster growing areas of experience, commerce and technology. In particular, the move looks to strengthen WPP’s capabilities in supporting its clients’ end-to-end digital transformation objectives in Brazil and beyond.
WPP CEO, Mark Read, said: “Our clients are looking for fully integrated solutions that combine creativity with cutting-edge technology to help them adapt and respond to the rapidly shifting business environment. I am delighted to welcome DTI Digital to WPP and look forward to working together to deliver transformative results for our clients.”
DTI was founded in 2009 and employs 800 people. Its client list comprises some of Brazil’s largest national, multinational and global companies, including Vale, Localiza, MRV, FCA, Gerdau, Serasa Experian, Hermes Pardini, Pottencial, BS2, Anima and Bayer. Brazil is the largest market for WPP in Latin America.
Valentine’s Day
A&W via Cornett
The inventor of the bacon cheeseburger (not verified), A&W brings lots of love—from Cornett—by being the QSR diplomat of sorts. Instead of chicken sandwich wars, they want to make Chicken Tender Lovin’ with a suite of offbeat gifts based on the brand’s chicken tenders.
There’s a body pillow.
Some lip balm that tastes like chicken tenders. We won’t judge, but we’re thinking, “ew?”
It’s all snapped together with a groovy anti-chicken sandwich war poster.
Chemistry
Every Valentine’s Day, agency Chemistry shows love to their clients. This year, they’re extending a rose to “all the lonely companies out there who are sad they don’t have any ‘Chemistry’ with an ad agency.” The schtick? Billboards and a hotline (1-844-LUV-4-CHEM) with pre-recorded marketing advice.
The Dodo
PUPPIES! KITTIES! OTHER ANIMALS! The Dodo put together “Pick of the Litter,” a pet adoption matchmaking tool on its website to spread the love of pets.
Alone on Valentine’s Day? The love of your life is waiting — adopt someone like Max with Pick of the Litter, a new adoption matchmaking tool from The Dodo: https://t.co/Numxidn6nn pic.twitter.com/88qwW5gaZV
— The Dodo (@dodo) February 10, 2021
Noosa Yogurt via BSSP
Here come the TikTok stars! Matty Benedetto of Unnecessary Inventions creates a new collection of inventions that will offer fans seven ways to (checks press release) “love Noosa EVEN MORE!”
Here’s the first one: The Yoguzzi.
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