Burger King's Whoppertunity; Hulu's Binge Ads: Friday's First Things First

Welcome to First Things First, Adweek’s new daily resource for marketers. We’ll be publishing the content to First Things First on Adweek.com each morning (like this post), but if you prefer that it come straight to your inbox, you can sign up for the email here. There's a Burger King-themed Apartment in Belgium—And You Could Live There Burger King Belgium is on the lookout for someone whose legal name is Whopper—the "other Whopper," if you will. And if they succeed in finding that person, they've got a Whopper-themed apartment above a new Burger King restaurant in Leuven, Belgium, all ready to go. It's all in an attempt to make Burger King, which has only been in Belgium for two years, more of a household name. The lucky winner (Whopper) will be announced Dec. 18, and will receive free rent for a year at the "Home of the Other Whopper." Read more: The apartment features Whopper-themed furniture and decor, but the kitchen is utterly useless. Hulu’s Binge Ad Format Rolls Out With 3 Brand Partners Hulu is trying to make binge watching your favorite show a little more enjoyable if you're subscribed to its ad-supported service. Its binge ad format will cut the final ad breaks of a show down from typically 90 seconds to 15, and before the third episode of a binge, the advertiser will offer either an ad-free episode or some kind of coupon code for a product. The format is still in beta testing—only three advertisers will run ads using the format initially—but Hulu expects to roll this product out to all advertisers in the second half of 2020. Read more: Hulu provided a video of the format to show advertisers how the binge ads work. Despite Betting on Aerie, American Eagle’s Margins Decline on Markdowns Even though Aerie has successfully positioned itself as the antithesis of Victoria’s Secret, the brand's third quarter performance has raised some red flags. The retailer’s gross profit margin dropped, as did its operating income. The brand is blaming weaker demand for some of its apparel goods led to higher markdowns. Those markdowns mean smaller margins. Analysts think the brand might be acting too fast in the name of expansion. Read more: Retail reporter Richard Collings breaks down American Eagle's third quarter performance. 72andSunny Loses Multiple Top Creatives First, Justine Armour, ecd at 72andSunny in New York, moved to Grey New York as CCO. Then, another prominent creative at 72andSunny jumped ship, but Los Angeles ecd Keith Cartwright's next gig is unclear. Under Armour's leadership at 72andSunny New York, the agency created Halo Top’s darkly humorous “Ice Cream For Adults” campaign, as well as Smirnoff’s global “Infamous Since 1864” film. Cartwright is best known for his role as a founding member of the Saturday Morning collective, which debuted “The Look,” a powerful followup to P&G’s multi-award-winning “The Talk” ad. Best of the Rest: Today's Top News and Insight Deloitte Digital's Alicia Hatch on the Value of Role Models Condé Nast Beefs Up Leadership Team JPMorgan Chase Promotes CMO Kristin Lemkau to CEO of New Division Bonobos Founder Andy Dunn Is Leaving Walmart in Early 2020 Twitter Begins Preparations for the 2020 Presidential Elections in the U.S. Ad of the Day: Martinelli’s Wants You to Avoid a Regrettable Morning After in New, All-Too-Real Campaign [kickout id="1"] For those who enjoy a tipple or two, the night (or day—we’re not judging) may start out as a casual affair. Just a tiny bit of cheer, then it’s time to hang it up for the day. But when it comes to celebrating this time of year, that first drink could turn a happy event into a night to regret. To remind people that there is another way to celebrate, Martinelli’s Sparkling Cider launched a cheeky campaign that, in some cases, may feel all-too-real. What Do Employees and Employers Need to Consider About Remote Working? Katie Tankersley, product marketing director, GTM, Outbrain Remote work is amazing but it's not for everyone—one of the pros of remote work is the ability to power through your day with little (in person) distractions and, of course, the flexibility. But one of the biggest cons is that you're usually the last to hear the office news (aka, gossip!). If you're someone who must be in-the-know on latest updates in the office, remote work may not be best for you. Barbara Kittridge, evp, business development, Havas Media NA You have to become your own master of IT and not allow any challenges with your company's preferred IT platforms to interfere with your work efficiency. Make sure you are comfortable trouble-shooting so nothing gets in the way of your productivity. Josh Kelly, managing partner, FINE Don't rely entirely on passive, asynchronous communication tools. Proactively connect with people 1:1 via phone, Slack, or whatever means you have. It adds color and depth to the things you're working on, and also just makes you feel more engaged than just monitoring channels, attending group meetings and other less direct mechanisms.

First Things First

Burger King's Whoppertunity; Hulu's Binge Ads: Friday's First Things First

Plus, behind Aerie's struggles

Jameson Fleming

Kathryn Lundstrom

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Jameson Fleming

Kathryn Lundstrom