Another Thursday, another update on the biggest moves happening in the agencies world. This week is a toss-up, featuring everything from a metaverse marketplace launch to a wildly successful tourism amplification partnership. Let’s dive in.
62Above
Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association named 62Above as its first agency of record. 62Above will be tasked with media planning and buying, as well as creating a campaign complete with digital assets, public relations services and social media distribution.
Boson Protocol
As it develops and scales its Boson Portal metaverse marketplace, Boson Protocol is partnering with brands like Cider, IKKS and Deadfellaz to sell physical products as NFTs and produce a Metaverse Fashion Week, taking place March 24–27. Brands have already seen success selling on the marketplace.
Curiosity
FreshDirect, an online grocery shopping pioneer and one of the leading grocery delivery services in the U.S., has named Cincinnati ad agency Curiosity its creative agency of record. The decision follows a multi-agency review, led by management consultant firm Mercer Island Group, that kicked off in November 2021. Curiosity joins media agency Tombra and PR agency Goodman Media International on FreshDirect’s team. FreshDirect is looking to strengthen its brand and continue to build market share, particularly in the New York City metro area. Curiosity is tasked with building a new brand strategy, positioning and campaign platform that will build an emotional connection with customers.
IAB
By the end of 2022, more than half the U.S. population will identify as a digital gamer, yet gaming is an underutilized and misunderstood medium that buyers can no longer ignore. To address the ever-growing advertising opportunities in gaming, IAB PlayFRonts is the first annual marketplace dedicated to showcasing the advertising and partnership opportunities in the sector. On April 5, at Convene in New York City, game developers, streaming platforms, ad tech enablers and creator agencies will present consumer insights and innovative ways that brands can drive incremental revenue, find new audiences, and create unique ad experiences in this evolving space.
Intermark Group
Life sciences service provider Red Nucleus chose psychology-driven marketing firm Intermark Group for a pitch to work on multistage research, design and marketing. Intermark Group will begin with bottom-up analysis of customer journey and stakeholder segmentation, which will lead into the development of a larger go-to-market strategy.
Karmarama
Accenture Interactive company Karmarama has extended its partnership with Honda U.K., marking an 18-year and counting relationship between the two. Karmarama will continue working to deliver brand marketing and demand generation campaigns across channels, as well as extend its efforts to support Honda’s Rugby Football Union sponsorship.
KSV
Women-owned agency KSV won three awards in the 2021 Muse Awards for its pro bono campaign for the American Forest Foundation. Beating out over 5,000 entries from around the world, KSV’s recognitions include gold winner for sustainability and the environment, gold winner for corporate social responsibility—pro bono and silver winner for non-profit video.
Labelium
Labelium’s high-engagement digital marketing arm, Labelium Play, is launching Nxtlvl, a division dedicated to integrating brands into digital gaming. The brand will specialize in brand integration, product insertion and virtual experiences within gaming platforms.
Liquid Agency and Qualtrics
Liquid Agency and Qualtrics have joined forces to create a single platform that measures brand, employee and customer experience. The partnership aims to help Liquid Agency clients align insights and experiences, unlock new growth pathways and accelerate the market.
Orange142
Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism renewed another five-year contract with digital agency Orange142, after reporting its previous five-year partnership resulted in a 100 percent increase in its overall tourism tax base. Over the next five years, the partnership aims to increase the Tennessee region’s new visitor base, party size and spend and length of stay, as well as expand to key markets including Chicago, Washington, D.C., Indianapolis and Tampa Bay, Fla.
Pariah
Full-service VFX and post-production studio Pariah launched publicly with founders Patrick Murphy and Glyn Tebbutt, alongside managing director Mark Tobin. The launch comes after the agency’s recent high-profile campaigns for Expedia and Gatorade.
Spurrier Group
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts named performance marketing and media agency Spurrier Group as its strategic media agency of record. Spurrier will manage the museum’s creative media executions for all exhibitions and related activities.
Stink Studios
Stink Studios expanded its presence in China with a new office in Shenzhen following a significant period of growth. The expansion was executed in response to market success and increased demand from Chinese tech companies for holistic creative services.
The Republik
Voltari Boat Co. named The Republik as its first agency of record, with expected billings of $2 million in 2022. The Republik will manage the brand’s advertising, event marketing, retail website development, design and public relations.
UM
UM, the global media agency network of IPG Mediabrands, has been named media agency of record for Eargo, a hearing-aid manufacturer that is on a mission to revolutionize hearing wellness for everyone. UM will lead media strategy, planning, buying, SEO and analytics for Eargo as it looks to improve the consumer experience at every step of the hearing care journey.
Wunderman Thompson
Global digital agency for retailers Wunderman Thompson Commerce launched a new optimization strategy for online businesses in response to predictive changes in the market. The product is an end-to-end social commerce capability that helps companies optimize social offerings with increased influence and reach, as well as improved customer engagement.