-OKRP new creative lead, executive creative director Aubrey Walker, helmed this holiday campaign for the Illinois Lottery featuring Claude the Hamster (video above).
“Claude is really a love story that is ideally suited for the time we live in with its many issues we all face as well as our resilience and optimism,” Walker said in a statement. “The Lottery challenged us to find a creative way to share the magic of the holidays and our team really got inside that moment of joy you have when gifted a Lottery ticket and the idea that anything can happen. All of that is captured in the final frame when you see Claude’s face light up when he sees the ticket in his cage.”
-PR firm Lambert invested in Houston-based 9thWonder in a joint venture expanding capabilities for both entities.
“We’re refocusing on why clients need us, getting back to the reason we formed 9thWonder – to narrow the gap between the pressures CMOs face and the resources available to them. One critical area where the gap is widening is diversity,” 9thWonder CEO Jose Lozano said. “Clients need to do a lot more than check the social responsibility box. They need to take a committed, complete, integrated approach to supporting difference and developing business with all the constituents in key consumer communities. That’s a tall order. With Lambert as a partner, we can fulfill a lot more of it.”
-Columbus, Ohio-based agency The Shipyard acquired Sacramento independent agency Mering.
–Adam Gerhart succeeds Nick Emery as Mindshare global CEO, following Emery’s, uh, incident, and subsequent October ousting.
–Havas New York hired Dan Lucey from Joan as its new CCO.
-Airbnb appointed Droga5 as its creative agency of record.
-Coca-Cola’s global agency review may come down to data.