Morning Update: David Beckham’s new H&M ad; WashPo ramps up Instant Articles; Pepsi’s mute spokesman; Al-Jazeera preps job cuts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bAVPWf5t94
Campaign: H&M launches Adam & Eve/DDB’s Beckham campaign
H&M has released its first ad created by Adam & Eve/DDB, a trailer for a longer film featuring David Beckham and the American comedian Kevin Hart.
In the 30-second ad Beckham receives a phone call from his agent who tells him that Hart wants to come to stay with him to prepare for the part of Beckham in I Beckham, a fictional movie about the former footballer’s life.
Poynter: The Washington Post will publish every story on Facebook’s Instant Articles
The Washington Post on Tuesday announced that it’s joining the growing list of news outlets that are publishing stories as part of Facebook’s Instant Articles program, with a twist: Every story published daily by the newspaper will be available on Facebook.
“We want to reach current and future readers on all platforms, and we aren’t holding anything back,” Fred Ryan, the publisher of The Washington Post, said in a statement. “Launching Instant Articles on Facebook enables to give this extremely large audience a faster, more seamless news reading experience.
The Guardian: Al-Jazeera expected to cut hundreds of jobs
Al-Jazeera is expected to cut hundreds of jobs worldwide as the Qatari-owned broadcaster looks to make savings in the face of a falling oil price and a possible radical change in investment strategy.
The surprise move will not only see an estimated 800 to 1,000 staff go – almost one quarter of the total workforce – but could presage the emir of Qatar reducing the state’s commitment to the news media group that was supported by his father. The news organisation has been a hugely successful way of maintaining influence in the Arab world and beyond.
Mumbrella Asia: ‘It’s more fun of the Philippines’ campaign violated procurement rules finds state auditor
Questions have been raised about how a government department awarded an assignment for one of Asia’s most successful tourism ad campaigns in recent memory.
According to the Philippines’ audit commission there was irregularities in the way the tourism authorities assigned their ad agency for a P1.2 billion (US$26 million) project that led to the hugely popular and highly awarded ‘It’s more fun in the Philippines’ campaign.
In a 2014 report released over the weekend, the government’s Commission on Audit said that tourism advertising contracts were not put out to public tender, and were renewed and extended by an amount larger than stated in the original contract. This violates Republic Act 9184, better known as the procurement law, the audit body pointed out.
Techcrunch: French Music Streaming Service Deezer Files For IPO
French music streaming service Deezer has filed for IPO on the Paris-based stock exchange Euronext. Planned to take place at the end of the year, the company isn’t disclosing how much it hopes to raise or its expected valuation.
However, Bloomberg reports that the transaction could value Deezer at €1 billion ($1.1 billion), meaning that the company will become another European unicorn (or Eurocorn, as we like to say around these parts).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzTCPx_fsPs
AdAge: Pepsi Hooks Up With Marshawn Lynch — and BBDO, NY
Pepsi-Cola is getting back together with BBDO, New York in the U.S., at least for one ad.
The Omnicom agency is behind a new spot featuring Seattle Seahawks star Marshawn Lynch that plays off his notoriously evasive approach with the media. The ad was quietly posted on Pepsi’s YouTube page last weekend and has since garnered some media attention, and more than 720,000 views.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ck6y7t2ktdo
The Drum: Under Armour’s first global football spot stars Manchester United’s Memphis Depay
Sports apparel brand Under Armour’s first global football campaign features star players such as Manchester United’s Memphis Depay and Tottenham Hotspur Academy’s Cameron Carter-Vickers as well as young up-and-coming players from all over the world.
Called ‘Slay Your Next Giant,’ the video aims to drive home the brand’s message that an athlete’s journey is just as important as their destination.
