Newspapers, even in their mostly digital guise, don’t make that much use of advertising. A shame because, despite the inevitable antipathy between rough-hewn journalists and slick ad folk, there have been some good partnerships over the years. One such still ...
Read More »Botticelli’s Venus gets a naff makeover in disastrous Italian tourism campaign
Italy’s tourism ministry has launched a €9m travesty of a campaign that reimagines Botticelli’s Venus as a mini-skirted “virtual influencer” and includes stock footage of a Slovenian vineyard. Venus is pictured taking a selfie in an empty St Mark’s Square ...
Read More »A brew for boomers: Beck’s Brazil targets 70+ drinkers
Anti-ageism may be gathering force in the ad industry. Beck’s has now introduced a new 70+ beer, suitably packaged in a silver-grey can and made with a new formula that caters to pensioners’ palates. The accompanying campaign by AKQA shows ...
Read More »Tech clients lead to tough Q1 2023 for Interpublic
Interpublic’s organic growth went into reverse in Q1 2023, down 0.2% with revenue of $2.18bn, a 2.3% decrease on 2022. It’s worth emphasising that the ad holding companies measure organic growth in slightly different ways, important when the difference between ...
Read More »WPP Q1 growth lags Publicis and Omnicom
WPP posted just 2.9% organic growth in Q1 2023, way below Publicis on 7.1% and Omnicom with 5.2%. Havas posted 1.1%. WPP points out that if it measured organic growth the way Omnicom does the growth rate would have been ...
Read More »AA/WARC: Adspend hit the buffers in late 2022 – 2023 recession looms
UK adspend rose 8.8% to hit £34.8bn in 2022 according to new Advertising Association/WARC figures but forecasts have been slashed to predict just a 0.5% rise in 2023. 3.9% growth is forecast for 2024 for a total of £36.3Bn. The ...
Read More »Honda motorbike’s pan-Euro drive is all about the men (and women), not the machines
If you’re in the market for a motorbike, VCCP Spain’s new campaign might well persuade you to look at a Honda. “Without you, it’s just a road” focuses on the fun of riding, and the buddies and lovers you can ...
Read More »Droga5 NY takes New York Times out of the echo chamber
What do chatbot fantasies, chocolate lava cake, basketball, aeroplanes, bare feet, forest fires and sneakers have in common? To find out, you’ll have to watch Droga5’s new “More of life brought to life” campaign for The New York Times. The ...
Read More »McCann’s Smart Plants mix horticulture with wellness
House plants became very popular during the pandemic lockdowns, particularly with millennials on social media, and lots of D2C retailers popped up to meet demand. One of those businesses is Plant Drop, which now – thanks to McCann London – ...
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