Morning Update: Sorrell urges newspapers to use paywalls; Kraft’s Star Wars packed ad; Tributes to Razorfish CEO Tom Adamski
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7roF7YNzAgs
AdWeek: Kraft Got a Record Haul of Star Wars Memorabilia Into This Mac & Cheese Ad
Brands are getting major Star Wars fever ahead of the December release of The Force Awakens. But none has gone for sheer volume quite like Kraft, which breaks a new ad Monday featuring what the marketer says is the largest Star Wars memorabilia collection ever seen in a TV commercial.
The spot, from Crispin Porter + Bogusky, is a nice way to illustrate what’s being sold here: Special boxes of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese (with Star Wars-shaped pasta) that feature character portraits of Yoda, Darth Vader, R2-D2 and C-3PO. The boxes are being positioned as collectibles themselves—an assertion that’s slightly more credible since individual boxes show only half a face, meaning you need at least two boxes to make a full face.
The Guardian: Martin Sorrell on newspaper digital ad slowdown: ‘paywalls are the way to go’
Sir Martin Sorrell has said that the slowdown in digital newspaper advertising growth is proof that publishers should have paywalls.
Speaking at the Society of Editors conference, the WPP chief executive said that a range of factors are contributing to clients reassessing the efficacy of digital ad spend levels, which will make it difficult for publishers solely relying on digital advertising income.
“I personally believe that paywalls are the way to go,” said Sorrell. “If you have content that has value consumers will pay for it. You have to get your mind around the fact that digital [advertising] is going to be less profitable. If that [economic reality] is what you are moving into you’ve got to make cost adjustments. [And] be much more free thinking and flexible about how to make revenue.”
AdAge: A Month Into VW Scandal, No Sales Meltdown
Not too bad, all things considered.
That’s what Volkswagen dealers say about the brand’s U.S. sales momentum as its diesel emissions scandal enters its second month.A Savvy Branded Content Player Unveils A Spooky New Campaign
The inability to sell diesel vehicles because of the stop-sale order is taking a toll, but dealers say they have yet to see an exodus of customers from their showrooms as heavy dealer and customer incentives provide a floor under sales.
The Drum: Ad execs pay tribute to Razorfish CEO Tom Adamski, who has died at age 43
CEO of Publicis Groupe’s Razorfish Global Tom Adamski has died after a battle with cancer at 43 years old.
Adamski was a seasoned digital marketer who held a number of leadership roles within the Razorfish Global network throughout his career.
Publicis CEO Maurice Levy said: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of Tom Adamski. Tom was an important part of the Publicis family for many years, serving as a member of the P12, and left a significant mark on the Groupe. While we mourn the loss of Tom, we honor his joie de vivre and the inspiration he was day after day.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC-e1z2q2IU
Mumbrella Asia: ‘I’m glowing so much I should take a pregnancy test’ says Bollywood actress Genelia Deshmukh in ad for Olay
Genelia Deshmukh is fronting a commercial for Procter & Gamble skincare brand Olay in which the Bollywood actress and new mother declares that her skin now glows so much after using the product that her husband has advised she take a pregnancy test.
The ad, created L&K Saatchi & Saatchi, introduces the idea that people have a “skin age” and Deshmukh’s was older than her actual age before using Olay Total Effects creams.
The ad ends with the line “Olay, your best beautiful.”
Campaign: Why Twitter is leading brands astray
These days, the spotlight is on Twitter in a big way. In a dizzying two weeks they have announced the appointment of new chief executive Jack Dorsey, the launch of Moments, 8 per cent staff layoffs and signalled an aggressive push to commercialise the platform.
But as the micro-blogging portal starts its reinvention, they should also look at fixing the basics. Because at this moment, the fundamental demographic information marketers rely upon for effective targeting and measurement are demonstrably inaccurate and that’s a problem. Let me explain.
On other social platforms, such as Facebook and LinkedIn, users are asked to input some basic demographic information, including age and gender. While still subject to user errors and unreliability, such data tends to be highly accurate and marketers achieve good results.
DigiDay: Inside Global Radio’s plan to put Europe’s audio ad spend on a par with US
Global Radio, home to popular U.K. stations including Heart and Capital, is on a mission to make buying audio advertising simpler across Europe.
In particular, it wants to see music streaming services and radio networks in Europe play a more prominent role in media plans, as they do in the U.S. where music streaming service Pandora is the fourth-largest mobile ad business after Facebook, Google and Twitter.
So at the Internet Advertising Bureau’s Upfronts in London, Global revealed a plan to extend its digital audio ad exchange (Dax) to 18 European countries.
