Morning Update: Gawker to pay Hulk Hogan $115m; XBox slammed for go-go dancers; movie Presidents for Chrysler; is JWT Mad Men?
Hulk Hogan Awarded $115 Million in Lawsuit Against Gawker
Hulk Hogan may not be affiliated with the WWE anymore, but the pro wrestler pinned down Gawker Media on Friday.
Following two weeks of court proceedings, which included testimony about genitalia, how young is too young to publish a sex tape, and when Hulk Hogan stops being Hulk Hogan and starts being Terry Bollea, the six-person jury, four women and two men, awarded Hogan $115 million in punitive damages. The jury came to the decision after six hours of deliberations.
“Mr. Bollea is exceptionally happy,” said his lawyer David Houston. “This is not only his victory today, but also anyone else who’s been victimized by tabloid journalism.”
Xbox apologizes for go-go dancers at Game Developers’ Conference party
It”s one step forward, two steps back for inclusiveness in the games industry. Xbox head Phil Spencer had to apologize Friday after attendees of a Microsoft-sponsored party at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco were greeted with dancers dressed as school girls.
“It was unequivocally wrong and will not be tolerated,” said Spencer in a statement. “I know we disappointed many people and I’m personally committed to holding ourselves to higher standards.” Several Twitter users captured video and photos of the dancers at the Xbox developer-focused party Thursday night.
https://youtu.be/uqxYphJx1bs
Ad Age: Two Presidents Talk March Madness in Chrysler’s Latest Work
Martin Sheen and Bill Pullman reprise their roles as president of the United States in the new Premium to the People election-themed campaign from Chrylser, via Wieden & Kennedy Portland.
Sheen returns as President Josiah Bartlett from Warner Brothers’ acclaimed series The West Wing, and Pullman once again portrays President Thomas J. Whitmore from Independence Day, whom he’ll play again in the film’s sequel this summer. The two appear in a pair of spots, where they happen upon each other on the road, driving Chrysler 200 and 300 models.
Ad Week: Agency CEO’s Downfall Leaves Ad Industry Questioning If It’s Truly Left the Mad Men Era
Facing accusations that he made frequent jokes about rape, Jews and African Americans, JWT’s global CEO resigned this week, marking an abrupt reversal by his company—and sparking an industrywide moment of reflection.
The allegations that Gustavo Martinez often mocked women and minorities left many wondering if Mad Men’s portrayal of leering, intolerant ad executives in the 1960s truly was an artefact of a bygone era or a lingering reality hidden under a veneer of diversity and inclusion. To be clear, the case against Martinez and his agency is far from over.
Mumbrella Asia: Ad blocking: who are the winners and losers?
Here’s the deal: pay $3.64 a month and the internet would be completely free of ads. No banners, no sponsored search, zero tracking and no pre-rolls. eMarketer estimate that $70 billion was spent on digital advertising in APAC last year. When this is spread across 1.6 billion internet users it is just $3.64 per month.
With the rise of ad blocking why not apply a subscription to the whole internet and leave the ads to TV and print? Companies like Spotify and Netflix have built multi-billion dollar businesses based on giving users access to content on demand without the annoyance of advertising. Even Google recognises that YouTube would be a much nicer place without advertising through its ad free subscription service, YouTube Red.
