Here's everything you need to know about the last 24 hours in advertising, in case you blinked.
Buzzing on Adweek:
Get to know the Adweek Blog Network
Nine popular sites (including AgencySpy, PRNewser and SocialTimes) previously owned by Mediabistro and purchased by Adweek's parent company in 2014 are now the core of the new Adweek Blog Network. (Adweek)
AT&T's Lily steals the spotlight
People love improv actress Milana Vayntrub as the quirky sales assistant Lily in AT&T's latest ads. Because of her success in the spots, AT&T and BBDO will make even more this year. (Adweek)
$1.5 million loss? Or a big visibility win?
A furniture chain in Ohio sparked some online mockery when it said it would lose $1.5 million on a college football promotion, but the store execs tell Adweek it was all worth it. (Adweek)
Brands share tips on #5WordsToRuinADate
From Sony and JBL to Chick-fil-A and Arby's, brand Twitter accounts just couldn't help but join one of Twitter's hottest hashtags. And some of the jokes weren't too bad. (Adweek)
Droga5 gives Adweek the grand tour
Adweek's U.S. Agency of the Year, which recently traded in a Midtown address for a space on Wall Street, gave Adweek a look inside its impressive new digs. (Adweek)
Rob Lowe loves his DirecTV spots
Lowe has starred in five DirecTV spots, with five more on the way. Here's what he loves most about the role and the bizarre characters he portrays: (Adweek)
Doritos gets a spoof it probably won't like
A lot of people have jumped at the chance to create their very own "Crash the Super Bowl" spot for Doritos, but this particular parody might not sit well with the brand. (Adweek)
Around the Web:
Martin Sorrell shares career advice
In a new Influencer post for LinkedIn, Sir Martin Sorrell shared seven important characteristics that his agency looks for in new hires. (LinkedIn)
TurboTax and ESPN go programmatic
ESPN recently jumped into selling TV ad slots programmatically, and TurboTax was the first to test it out during a 1 a.m. slot for SportsCenter. (The Wall Street Journal)
Angry Birds launches first global campaign
Rovio's Angry Birds will partner up with Burger King to launch the game's first global TV ad campaign. (The Drum)
Shock Top will sponsor Tough Mudder
For the next two years Anheuser-Busch InBev's Shock Top beer will sponsor Tough Mudder, the grueling, 12-mile obstacle course. (Bloomberg)
Bacardi confirms new CEO
The brand confirmed Mike Dolan as Bacardi Ltd.'s official CEO after he was hired on a temporary basis back in May. (The Wall Street Journal)
Cadbury upsets a lot of people
The Cadbury Creme Egg is a bit of an Easter tradition in the U.K. (think Peeps to the U.S.), but when the brand changed the Dairy Milk chocolate casing to a normal chocolate casing fans of the candy were not pleased. (Quartz)
Havas launches LuxHub
The agency just launched LuxHub, a special group to work on media for luxury brands which will be headed up by Isabelle Harvie-Watt in Milan. (Media Post)
Pizza Hut gets in on the gluten-free trend
Beginning Jan. 26, the pizza chain will sell gluten-free pizzas at roughly 2,400 of its locations, making Pizza Hut the first company to serve a "certified" gluten-free pizza. (Buzz Feed)
Industry Shake-Ups:
S.C. Johnson shifts agencies
S.C. Johnson has shifted its global communications planning business out of Maxus and into PHD. (Adweek)
We Are Social expands
The social media shop just scored Old Navy as a new client and announced it would be opening an officer in San Francisco to accommodate west coast clients. (Agency Spy)
