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Morning Update: South Park takes on ad blocking; Spotify to give 6 months parental leave; Subway’s Jared jailed for 15 years

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Adweek: South Park Hysterically Satirized Ad Blocking and Sponsored Content

South Park’s 19th season has been unusually strong, thanks to a season-long storyline involving topics like political correctness and gentrification. “Sponsored Content,” last night’s episode of the Comedy Central hit, was one of its best yet in 2015. Show creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone hilariously took on several of the issues advertisers have been grappling with, including ad blocking and sponsored content.

In the episode, the elementary school’s new principal, PC Principal, informs the student editor of the school newspaper, Jimmy, that he can no longer distribute the paper in school until the content is pre-approved. Jimmy refuses and instead delivers it door to door, to the delight of parents who are finally able to enjoy news stories that aren’t obstructed by ads.

The Guardian: Spotify to offer staff six months’ parental leave on full pay

Spotify is to offer staff up to six months’ parental leave with 100% pay as part of a global policy it says recognises the importance of “a healthy work-family balance”.

The Swedish company, which launched its music streaming service in 2008 and now has 75 million users, will backdate the policy so that every one of its 1,600 worldwide employees with a child born after 1 January 2013 will be eligible.

Workers will also enjoy a “welcome back!” programme so that returning staff can “ease back into their job with the ability to work from home, on a part-time schedule and with flexible hours”. Parents at Spotify will be able to take their leave up to the child’s third birthday.

Sydney Morning Herald: Jared Fogle, former face of Subway, gets 15 years for child porn

Subway Restaurants’ former spokesman Jared Fogle was sentenced to 15 years and eight months in prison, three years more than the maximum sought by the government, after pleading guilty to child-pornography charges in a deal that imposes lifetime supervision on the fallen sandwich pitchman.

His sentencing Thursday in Indianapolis federal court largely ends a scandal that shook the sandwich shop chain, which benefited from its long-running “Eat Fresh” campaign but has struggled of late with declining sales.

Fogle shot his first Subway commercial in 2000 and became a prominent figure with ads highlighting a personal story of losing weight on a diet primarily consisting of the chain’s sandwiches.

Creativity: More Weirdos Emerge in Droga5’s Latest Ads for Scion

Back in September, Scion and Droga5 debuted the “Weird, Right?” campaign with a trio of spots featuring James Franco,Jaleel White and a car dealership inflated tube guy at the wheel of the car, highlighting its various features in odd ways.

The brand debuts a pair of new ads, directed by Smuggler’s Randy Krallman and featuring two more sets of oddballs appreciating the car.

AdAge: Google Shopping Gets Big Mobile Redesign Amid Consumer Turn Toward Apps

Consumers who use their mobile phones to search for products via Google Shopping might now forget they’re using a browser instead of an app.

Google introduced a number of design changes Thursday to its shopping section that are meant to cater to a mobile-first audience, including a new layout, faster browsing and information such as inventory levels for specific items at nearby retailers.

The move comes as an increasing number of users are turning to apps to start searches instead of smartphone browsers. People spend about 88% of their time on smartphones using apps, according to ComScore. That chews away at demand for Google’s web search, especially when consumers use an app like Amazon’s to check prices or read product reviews.

Mumbrella Asia: MediaCorp’s eDM to clients offering to make an ad for US$9,680 riles agencies: ‘We’re funding them to undercut us’

Singapore’s public service broadcaster MediaCorp has raised hackles among agencies for approaching their clients and offering low-budget ad-creation services.

An eDM from a production agency boss, shared in an email titled “This is what MediaCorp has been sending our clients…” features an offer from MediaCorp’s digital parenting platform SmartParents to produce a “brand collaboration video” for S$13,800 (US$9,680).

MediaCorp eDM to clients

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