God bless the seeds his hands let fall ... for the farmer, he must feed us all.

This is the closing line from Amelia E. Barr's poem "The Farmer," written by the British immigrant and prolific writer after observing farm life in Texas in the late 1800s. It's a galvanizing piece of work, a reminder to a rapidly changing America that whoever you are—king or poet, doctor or soldier, lord or merchant, craftsman or beggar—you'll need to eat, and this responsibility rests on the shoulders of farmers. 

Now it's the anchor for an ad from Land O'Lakes.

Created by The Martin Agency, "The Farmer" recites Barr's poem as picturesque scenes of American agriculture, shot by a National Geographic team, flick across the screen. 

The result is a reclaiming of our agricultural roots, mingled with something sad and nostalgic. After all, how many of our childhood's sun-drenched wheat fields remain? 

The ad ends, "Land O'Lakes: Farmer-owned since 1921." 



The spot's job is to tell viewers that Land O'Lakes does more than churn table butter. It's also a farmer-owned co-op that's nearly 100 years old, and is a major butter and cheese producer in the country—one that boasts few detours between the farm and your table. 

Agriculture.com likens "The Farmer" to RAM's "Farmer" ad that aired during the 2013 Super Bowl, in which agricultural photos illustrated Paul Harvey's 1978 speech by the same name. Land O'Lakes CMO Tim Scott uses an interview with Agriculture.com to absolve the brand of possible cries of "Copycat!" 

"I enjoyed that commercial, as did most, but ["The Farmer"] was never intended to be used outside our own walls," Scott tells the site. 

It turns out The Martin Agency found Barr's poem by chance. Inspired by its beauty, Scott and his team asked for an accompanying video they could use in internal meetings.

"It was never intended to be shared with the broader public," Scott says. "But when we saw how it resonated with our employees and members, the decision was made to share the video more broadly." 

CEO Chris Policinski hopes the ad will "showcase our owners' rural values, their hard work and the vital role they play in all of our lives"—but those who grew up in cities may feel inclined to dismiss it, observing that farming is no longer a romantic, self-sustaining profession.

That's mostly true. In many cases, farmers are forced to sell land to developers, creating urban deserts where you can't find fresh produce at all—but also widening the disconnect between city-dwellers and farming folk. (This ironically makes us more likely to waste food, which aggravates the challenge of supply and demand that so haunts food growers.) 

But farming has never really been all that romantic. Being, as Barr wrote, a partnership with sky and earth, sun and rain (not to mention economics), it's a relationship that can be characterized only by volatility. 

When Barr wrote "The Farmer," rural life had already lost many of the charms we attribute to history. Most Americans still lived in rural areas in 1900, but urban sites were growing faster. A drought in the late 1800s drove many homesteaders into debt, forcing farmers to build alliances and even try forming a political party. (It didn't work out.) 

The agricultural revolution was also in full swing, with new technology (and hybridized corn!) completely disrupting established ways of life—paving the way for farming that looks a lot more like the creepy, cyberpunkish dystopia of Chipotle's "The Scarecrow."

With all this in mind, Barr's poem isn't so much a romance as a warning: "And men may rise, or men may fall/But the farmer, he must feed them all." 

We are often lulled into believing our urban professions are more meaningful or important than the "country work" so many of our ancestors left behind. But most of us can't grow our own food—indeed, most would die if "the farmer" weren't scrambling for ways to keep us alive. It's a critical lesson, especially in times as fraught and strange as these.

"The Farmer" debuted last week and will run in its entirety over a series of college bowl games, including the Music City Bowl, Orange Bowl, Outback Bowl, Cotton Bowl and Sugar Bowl. Online, it will run through the end of January. 

Check out the 60-second cut of the spot below, along with the full text of Amelia E. Barr's "The Farmer."



The Farmer

The king may rule o'er land and sea,
The lord may live right royally,
The soldier ride in pomp and pride,
The sailor roam o'er ocean wide;
But this or that, whate'er befall,
The farmer he must feed them all.

The writer thinks, the poet sings,
The craftsmen fashion wondrous things,
The doctor heals, the lawyer pleads,
The miner follows the precious leads;
But this or that, whate'er befall,
The farmer he must feed them all.

The merchant he may buy and sell,
The teacher do his duty well;
But men may toil through busy days,
Or men may stroll through pleasant ways;
From king to beggar, whate'er befall,
The farmer he must feed them all.
The farmer's trade is one of worth;
He's partner with the sky and earth,
He's partner with the sun and rain,
And no man loses for his gain;
And men may rise, or men may fall,
But the farmer he must feed them all.

God bless the man who sows the wheat,
Who finds us milk and fruit and meat;
May his purse be heavy, his heart be light,
His cattle and corn and all go right;
God bless the seeds his hands let fall,
For the farmer he must feed us all.

CREDITS
Client: Land O'Lakes
Agency: The Martin Agency

Four years ago, we started to wonder—what would shopping look like if you could walk into a store, grab what you want and just ... go? 

That's how the ad for Amazon Go begins. Released late last year, it promises an idyllic grocery store experience in which you no longer have to queue and fiddle with your wallet to pay for pork loins and cereal. Everything happens automatically, and the goods are delivered to your door. 

In case you don't remember, here it is: 



The video is filled with cutesy touches that follow shoppers who emanate peace and serenity, unencumbered by ghastly lines, payments and remembering the damn reusable bags. 

There's been much ado about that technology since. But if you're rolling your eyes, you're not alone. French grocery chain Monoprix and agency Rosapark have released a video that follows Amazon's ad nearly line by line ... to show people it's been delivering on Go's promise for a while now.

Scenes from the original are repeated, down to the last à la carte indulgence ... with two cents added in a French accent. To get a sense of how tightly Monoprix cleaves to Amazon's script—the better to overturn it—here's the first line: "Over 10 years ago, we were wondering—what would shopping look like if you could walk into a store, grab what you want and just go?"

Seriously. They could've just sent this directly to Amazon and kicked off with, "We've got six years on you, losers!" 



It also highlights the pretentiousness of all that tech-vaunting. Amazon compared its Go technology to what you'd find "in self-driving cars"—a magical mix of "computer vision, deep learning algorithms and sensor fusion" that culminates in something it calls "Just Walk Out" technology. 

"We had a vision," Monoprix's narrator says. "We learned about our customers' needs and combined those learnings with Monoprix DNA. We call it human technology." 

The message comes across loud and clear: Where Amazon is all bells and whistles, Monoprix is actually in the business of the grocery shopping experience, listening to people who already shop there. 

And it didn't even have to make an app for it.

We like the snark, but it's hard to gauge what Monoprix is actually conveying to customers. It oscillates between suggesting it's been doing this longer, and positioning Livraison à Domicile+ (the service's name, which translates to "Home Delivery Plus") as an upgrade from, well, normal home delivery. 

In a way, both positions are true, partly because the service is so vague that not everyone knows all the rules: Monoprix does offer free home delivery—in certain stores, once you've spent over 50€ (about $52), and apparently only if you're pregnant, disabled or holding a store card. 

You may be charged a negligible packaging fee (1€). Some stores may charge an extra 5€, and the website specifies it won't deliver frozen products, certain fresh ones, or items that are "exceptionally heavy." 

A separate register manages these purchases. You do have to wait in line—watching, bleary-eyed, as a cashier rings up each item. Delivery sometimes happens within the hour (as the narrator promises) but usually within about three (which the website—and experience—verify). 

Here's where that special "Plus" comes in: People can, if they wish, opt to pay the delivery guy at home if they don't want to pay in-store. But it's unclear who knew about that perk before today, or even whether all participating home delivery stores offer it. 

With all this in mind, it's hard to like the ad, which rings defensive and deceptively simple—more a message to Amazon than to customers. It also sheds unintended light on the hole Amazon is threatening to fill in the first place: That "more human touch" Monoprix claims to have mastered is actually not a commodity yet, but it could be if retailers get nervous enough.

Amazon may have global resources, lots of technology and piles of investment cash. But Monoprix already has the stores, the customers and (yes!) a home delivery service that works reasonably well. So instead of hyping it up—and throwing sand at some brand that isn't even on the ground yet—Monoprix could focus transforming on Amazon Go's promises into a universal standard, well before the latter opens house on French soil. 

Because we don't doubt that Monoprix has a good handle on what people want. The danger is in focusing too much on a potential competitor (a strategy that historically tends to fare poorly) and not seizing the opportunity to just be better.

Ad agencies earn the bulk of their revenue from well-established clients with the size and name recognition required to spend millions on marketing in a given year.

But an increasing number have ventured into more entrepreneurial territory, and mcgarrybowen recently became the latest to do so with mbForge, a "division dedicated to growing startups." The Dentsu shop announced the launch of this new unit by way of its first official client, alcohol delivery service Drizly.

"We have to grow clients, not just promote them like we did before," said the agency's chief integration officer Phil Gaughran, who described mbForge as an evolution in the way mcgarrybowen approaches its accounts. "We are not a tech-first company, so from our perspective it was about engaging with a community [of entrepreneurs] that has high importance but not marketing expertise." The pitch, then, is to provide up-and-coming tech-focused businesses with the services of a creative agency whose client roster includes more traditional brands like JC Penney.

Gaughran also said that mbForge differs from other recently-announced entrepreneurial projects like the Publicis90 competition, WPP's sporty Courtside Ventures and R/GA's Start-up Academy. Mcgarrybowen only considers venture capital-backed companies currently in the seed, series A or series B funding rounds for potential partnerships—and unlike other agencies, it does not look to own or absorb these businesses.

"We are not an incubator … we're not looking to take [clients] in-house and make them part of mcgarrybowen," Gaughran said, calling mbForge a space for experimentation with new business models. "We see it as a testing ground for us," he added. "Revenue share on sales is a model we look at with couple of clients, and equity is another. It's a good model for how we can adapt to changes in the ad industry. Soon enough, the idea of billing by hour is going by the wayside."

Reade Maier, a 22-year-old member of mcgarrybowen's new business team, first presented the idea for mbForge after last year's CES conference. At the event, one host asserted that "90 percent of these companies here today will be out of business in a year" while "the other 10 percent will become the next Facebook or Google."

"Failure is part of the business now, and you're going to learn from each iteration," said Gaughran, but mcgarrybowen has confidence in the viability of Drizly. The company, which calls itself "your online liquor store," aspires to be the alcohol delivery equivalent of Uber or Airbnb, but currently lacks the brand awareness required. After launching in San Francisco and closing its B round of funding, Drizly looks to expand with the help of a new mcgarrybowen campaign led by the copywriter/art director team of Bridget Kelly and Liv Pedersen under the tagline, "There is always a reason to drink."

The digital, OOP and print work ran throughout the holiday season in New York, Boston and Denver.

Agencies have retained small-scale clients for years, but Gaughran believed 2016 was the time to act aggressively as more businesses moved away from agency of record-style relationships. "We have to change; there's no other constant left in the industry," he said. "[mbForge] could even be a recruiting tool."

Several companies beyond Drizly have signed with mbForge, and a small number of mcgarrybowen staffers work exclusively on the startup division in the New York office with employees based in San Francisco, Chicago and other locations pitching in.

"I think 'startup' is a buzzword," Gaughran said in summarizing the philosophy behind this new effort, "But it would be to our detriment to ignore the ways they think and function. You can't just protect legacy and market share anymore."

 

CREDITS

Agency: mbForge/mcgarrybowen
Client: Drizly

Chief Creative Officer: Matthew Bull
Senior Copywriter: Bridget Kelly
Senior Art Director: Liv Pedersen
Experience Design: Marta Fieweger
Chief Integration Officer: Phil Gaughran
Forge Lead: Reade Maier
Senior Print Producer: Vanessa Peneda
Senior Project Manager: Meredith Murphy

You've heard about all sorts of gaps that put women at a social disadvantage—like the wage gap and thigh gap, not to mention the pink tax. But have you heard of the investment gap?

That's the gap that Sallie Krawcheck, Bank of America's former global wealth and investment management president—and one of the biggest female names on Wall Street—hopes to address with her new company, Ellevest.

Ellevest is a robo-advisory that hinges on the notion that current investment offerings are poorly tailored to the specific needs of women: We live longer, our salaries peak faster, we're more likely to get smaller raises and take career breaks, and—topping things off!—we're also more risk-sensitive.

Much of this is outlined in "Invest Like a Woman," a debut ad created by Revere (Edelman's in-house creative agency) that launched Tuesday: 



Krawcheck's been laying down the bricks for Ellevest for a while. In 2013, she purchased 85 Broads, a women's networking group and former Goldman Sachs alumnae network, and relaunched it as the Ellevate Network in 2014, using it to build an index fund for "the 400 top-rated companies in the world for advancing women." Today it also offers leadership training, educational resources and networking services. 

And she's historically been resistant to what she calls the "pink it and shrink it" approach for woman-focused business (think "beautifully smooth" Bic pens, or lady cars with eyeliner-inspired headlights).

"Typically, my reaction to 'for-women' businesses has been to bristle a bit. And to immediately assume that it must mean a 'pink it and shrink it' approach, heavy on 'financial education' of the remedial kind. This is despite the research that shows that women are as good, or better, investors than men across the spectrum, whether as hedge fund investors, as mutual fund investors or as individual investors," Krawcheck wrote in 2015's "How I Got My Business Idea" on LinkedIn, where she explains how she decided to launch Ellevest.

Ellevest itself launched in mid-2016, during TechCrunch Disrupt New York. Krawcheck, who acts as co-founder and CEO, raised $10 million in Series A funding for the company, which includes Andera founder Charlie Kroll as COO and Sylvia Kwan as chief investment officer, as well as people who've worked at Vogue.com, Thrillist, Weight Watchers and a number of fintech startups.

It also boasts a list of impressive supporters, including Venus Williams (who talks about it here), Mellody Hobson, venture capitalists Theresia Gouw and Sonja Perkins, and more—who poured an additional $9 million into the company. 

After watching the ad, we opened an Ellevest account to gauge how it works. The platform lets you define an investment strategy based on goals—like saving for a home or office, retirement, a trip or your kids' education. It provides recommendations for how much to auto-invest each month, how long it will take to reach your goal, and tells you plainly whether you're on or off track.

The cost for managing your portfolio is about 0.5% of your balance per year (not including ETF fees).

The service obviously hasn't been around for very long, but it's already made headlines outside of Krrawcheck's interviews. Stories range from pat explanations about how Ellevest works to whether it actually makes sense for women.

It's probably hard to know the answer to that unless you've used Ellevest for a while, and too little time has passed for anyone to really make that call. But we did talk to Krawcheck about her platform and its positioning. Check the interview out below. 

AdFreak: Tell us why women need a woman-oriented investment strategy.
Sallie Krawcheck: Actually, for years, I argued that women did not need their own investing platform. I had seen too many marketing programs for women that talked down to them, so I thought the concept was vaguely insulting. But the very fact that the gender investing gap exists—and that it can cost professional women hundreds of thousands, or even millions—of dollars over their lives is clear evidence that something is "broken" and something different is needed.

Dig a little deeper, and you'll note that the investing industry and most of its tools have been created by men, for men. So the "gender-neutral" investment industry implicitly defaulted to men's product preferences and men's financial characteristics—trading to outperform a market index, for example, or investing media that strongly resembles sports media. Another one: The industry symbol is a bull—a phallic symbol if one ever existed.

At Ellevest, our "for women" is not just a marketing angle. Instead, we calculate financial goal targets based on women's specific characteristics, such as their longer lifespans for retirement (really important) and a salary that tends to peak sooner than men's (also important ... and frustrating).

Other features are based on the hundreds of hours we conducted to "co-create" Ellevest with professional women: She wants to make trade-offs among her financial goals (like changing the timeline on each or how much she contributes, and having the others adjust). She also wanted a highly customized investment portfolio, constructed for her, rather than the "have one of five investment portfolios" of the first generation digital advisors.

Can you share a personal story that illuminates this need?
I never really considered myself much of a feminist until I left Wall Street. I did all the right things—such as put together gender-diverse teams—but feminism wasn't deep in my bones.

It wasn't until I took some time off and had some space that I realized that the investing industry has been, frankly, "by men, for men," and that historically kept women from achieving their financial goals.

The aha moment came one to me one morning, when I was applying my mascara, and I realized that the retirement crisis is actually a woman's crisis: Women live longer than men yet retire with less money. While most solutions to the retirement crisis focus on tax increases and entitlement cuts, this insight means another possible solution is to get more money into the hands of women.

From there, noting that something in the existing investing offerings isn't working was the next insight. And, given my career on Wall Street and the investing industry, I figured it was almost my responsibility to work to close this "gender investing gap."

Another insight, after a rough 2016 for the advancement of women: We all know money is power. And women won't be equal with men until we are financially equal with men. Getting more money into the hands of women is good for women, but it's also good for their families, for the economy and for society.

What target market do you hope to reach?
The Ellevest target client is the professional woman who either has her own money or has agency over her family's money. She is among the 75 million women in the U.S. workforce who want to take financial control and is looking for a straightforward way to achieve her dreams on her own terms. She is comfortable with an online experience.

Why a robo-advisory model?
Because it's the future. It is my belief, from my experience, that Ellevest can provide a more tailored investment portfolio for our clients than an individual can, by harnessing the computing power of technology. And the 24-hour nature of its availability is also something that we're seeing that women appreciate. We're busy, so wedging our engagement with our finances into the traditional industry's 8am to 5pm hours of operation has been another barrier for us.  

In addition to Ellevest's proprietary algorithm taking into account factors like women's longer lifespans and unique salary curves, we also employ technology to let her know when she's on- or off-track for achieving her goals. We monitor each client's progress, automatically rebalance her portfolios as needed, adjust it over time to reduce risk as she gets closer to achieving her goals (to increase her chances of achieving them), and alert her if she falls off-track at any point.

This last one tested best among Ellevest's features; who doesn't want to know if you're off-track and what to do to get back on?

How do you keep a robo-advisory woman-oriented as it scales?
We actually welcome both men and women as clients, though really speak more directly to women. (For men, we project that they earn more and die sooner!) I would note that women are not a niche market; they are 50 percent of the population that has historically not invested at the same rate as men do. There are countless investment offerings that implicitly target men, so why not one that is talking to and serving that other 50 percent?

How do you account for women's higher sensitivity to risk while also accounting for longer lifespans and lower compensation?
First of all, I would note that our research shows that women are not more risk-averse than men; they are more risk-aware. That means that they want to understand the risk they are taking, and not in terms like standard deviation.

I would also note that other advisers ask a client how comfortable they are with risk, but the research is pretty clear that no one really knows the answer to that question (only after a downturn do they really know). At Ellevest, we completely rethink risk by looking at how much risk the client can afford to take, not wants to take.

If someone is young and only has a retirement goal, they can afford a good deal of risk (to try to get the greater return that this has historically meant); if someone doesn't have an Emergency Fund yet and wants to have a child in three years, they can't afford much risk at all. This is true even if their other financial characteristics are the same. As a fiduciary (we put our clients' interests before ours), we think it's important that we provide this risk budget.

In addition, as mentioned, Ellevest alerts clients when they are off-track on their goals—something other advisers don't typically do—and provide guidance on existing 401(k) and other retirement accounts. Ellevest continuously monitors a client's investment portfolios, changing their composition as she moves closer to achieving her goals, and works to give her a 70 percent likelihood of reaching her goal target (the amount of money Ellevest suggests she'll need for her goal, or the number she customized) or better.

Not many other advisors approach it this way, but this 70 percent is higher than others.

How do you see the platform evolving over the next five years?
We'll see! We really are serious that we are "co-creating" this platform with our clients, so we'll go where they take us. I personally reach out to each new client via email, so we are getting an amazing amount of feedback from them, every step of the way. Even women who say the platform is not for them for some reason are sending in feedback, because they tell us they want us to succeed!

Will investors like Venus Williams be helping promote the service or appearing in future promotions?
We don't have any plans for it at this time.

CREDITS

From Ellevest:
Marketing - Marc Karasu, Rebecca Stern, Phoebe Assenza
Design - Melissa Cullens

From Revere: 
Account – Megan Goode, Katy Koesy, Deidre Campbell 
Strategy – Amanda Kleinberg, Gigi Downs
Creative – Alena Cason, Kristen Kusterer, Karyn Pascoe, Chris Perry

Production – Jennifer Carter-Campbell, Erin Fitzsimmons, Julie Casso – Mustache Agency

It's Jan. 4. Are you already on the verge of scrapping your New Year's resolutions?

Well, Chevrolet just launched a campaign on Facebook designed to keep you on track—and in a broader sense, portray the General Motors nameplate as a valued partner on the road of life.

"A new year offers all of us the clean slate we need to tackle the personal challenges in our lives that are so often pushed to the side as family and work priorities consume our time and energy," Tim Mahoney, chief marketing officer, Global Chevrolet, tells Adweek. "I, like so many who have made resolutions this week, could use a little help and encouragement achieving those goals."

Developed by Facebook Creative Shop in association with agencies The Story Lab and Commonwealth//McCann (with Carat handling media), the push takes a two-pronged approach.

First, the team deployed Chevrolet Co-Driver, a free automated chatbot that lives within Facebook Messenger. It lets users share tips and encouragement and access expert advice to keep them motivated.

Along with employing the bot to foster a sense of community—and, hopefully, tie users more closely to the brand—Chevy also harnesses the power of long-form storytelling, following five diverse subjects who are seeking to achieve various goals. These include conquering fears of heights and water, competing in a new sport after suffering a debilitating injury, training to climb Mount Everest and learning to dance.

 
"We had the tall task of finding real people with real stories and audacious resolutions," says Keenan Pridmore, head of Facebook Creative Shop Studio. "We used social media, friends of friends, neighborhood communities and clubs and even contacted local coaches and therapists to ultimately find our featured heroes."

Chevy tailored VR experiences to help each subject visualize achieving their goals. And each stars in his or her own 360 video on Facebook. For example, the clip below features Denna, a young woman learning to compete as a rower after a hockey injury confined her to a wheelchair:



"Beyond the initial 360 video for each hero, we'll follow their journey within Facebook Canvas units that will act as multimedia journals, giving a glimpse into the challenges and progress as they seek to achieve their goals," Pridmore says. "This campaign will wrap up March 1. It will culminate in a final anthem video where we hope to celebrate all of our heroes having accomplished their bold resolutions."

Factor in the Co-Driver bot, and it's clear that Chevy's really going all in on the resolutions concept, using the Facebook platform to achieve scale.

"By connecting the experience on Facebook and Messenger, you don't just watch an inspiring campaign, you can take part in it," says Mark D'Arcy, vp and chief creative officer of Facebook Creative Shop. "This is a great example of marketing for people, not at people. And while it's early days for Messenger, I hope we'll see more and more examples like this that are designed to have value for people first."

It's a novel strategy, extremely well realized, and in line with the trend of car companies positioning themselves as purveyors of more than just reliable transportation to take us from Point A to Point B. (Though really, isn't that the whole point of their existence?)

On the other hand, there is a disconnect that makes the whole thing feel like a stretch. Why would Chevy care about helping folks keep their resolutions? Maybe the company just wants to sell cars.

The videos—targeted based on Facebook users' particular likes and interests—are legitimately inspirational and compelling. Still, in our oversaturated digital landscape, with users constantly bombarded and quickly distracted, will such content flit past like pretty scenery on a long drive?

"The storytelling and use of technology were composed to ensure continuity throughout," Pridmore says. "At the beginning of the year, we'll introduce our five people and start their journeys using 360 video. As they progress, we'll update via Facebook Canvas units and then see the campaign close as they accomplish their goals via a unique use of vertical video. Throughout, people will be able to use the messenger bot to help achieve their own resolution. It's our hope that this story arc, combined with the variety of uses of the Facebook's creative canvases, will keep the audience engaged and involved throughout."

CREDITS
Client: Chevrolet
"New Year. New Roads"
Developed by: Facebook Creative Shop
The Story Lab: Lead agency
Commonwealth: Creative agency
Carat: Media Agency

It's a new year! And Secret's "Stress Test" is back, this time with a scenario that's all too familiar for agencies, marketers and entrepreneurs.

Two separate ads feature Ash and Emma, a pair we meet as they step into an elevator, preparing for a pitch. This plays out in a rapid-fire Q&A, laced with tension, determination and a clear expectation of some sexist pushback:

"Site visits?"

"1.2 million."

"Conversion?"

"6.4 percent!"

"I doubt you girls could pull that off."

"Got the data right here, sir!"

"Who came up with this business plan?"

"We did."

"Who coded this?"

"We did."

As the elevator rings open, they shoot each other a fiercely proud smile before walking out, heads up, like bosses. The ad concludes, "Ash and Emma's pitch adds two more girls to the boys' club."

We meet the pair again in "The Bear." Same elevator, and possibly the same client (or not). This time, the askee in the previous ad has become a cheerleader, pouring pep talk into her colleague as the latter stands braced, arms up and spread to receive the light.

"You are a bear. You dominate, you're brilliant, articulate. Yes, those numbers are correct. Yes, those projections are feasible—" Ding! Goes the elevator.

"Because you're killing it," she whispers sassily as they step into the lion's den.

This ad wraps with, "Major pressure moments need major sweat protection."

Like previous "Stress Tests," the work was created by Wieden + Kennedy, which scooped Secret up in 2015 without having to undergo a sweaty review.

The campaign kicked off last year with an ad where a young woman asks for a long-overdue raise. On its heels came a classic 'first I love you' (via text, natch), an adorable gender role reversal, and even the quiet tribulations of being a transgender woman.

These scenarios aren't unusual in real life, but it's only in the last handful of years that they've been so generously given voice in advertising—let alone by one brand. 

A Secret spokeswoman previously told us the campaign seeks to "highlight new roles millennial women are taking on in society," but the brand also hopes to illustrate the particularities of "stress sweat," which P&G claims is biologically different than physically induced sweat.

Ash and Emma convey both messages with intimacy, unity and humor. And, like their predecessors, they also make us feel like we're in on something. (A Secret!)

In "The Pitch" and "Bear," as in many of the campaign's previous ads, you get the feeling of being an insider, witnessing scenarios that are common—and wryly acknowledged—among women, but little seen nor discussed in mixed company.

This is partly because of how insidious bias can be: How do you explain the difference between an all-woman team and a male team slaving day and night over a pitch? Ash and Emma show it with levity—in addition to memorizing site traffic and conversion rates, they've also had to prep for what might be hiding between the lines.

At the start of Audi Spain's "The Doll That Chose to Drive," a row of Barbie-esque dolls in the pink section of a toy aisle apply makeup, perform ballet and push a baby stroller.

Another doll, frustrated with her dream carriage's inability to actually go anywhere, kicks a wheel off it and finds herself drawn into the mobility paradise of the blue aisle ... where she finds an Audi to take on a test drive. 

The ad has a bit of a Nutcracker quality, playing on the fantasy of toys coming to life after hours, and bears the promise of a happy ending when a little boy picks up both doll and car, and asks his mother if he can take them home. 

"But darling, they don't go together, do they?" she says, and lifts the doll out of her seat, placing her back in the land of pink. We wonder what the doll must be thinking, but her face is impassive, dutifully frozen for this human killer of dreams. 

Created by Proximity BCN with production by Post23, the animated short is an appeal to stop gender-based differentiation in toys—one effort among many over the last few years.

In 2012, Sweden's Toys R Us magazine started blurring the codes for gendered play. Last year, French supermarket Super U advocated for a "gender-free Christmas," following Target's decision to de-gender its own toy aisles. 

Brands like GoldieBlox approach the problem a different way—creating a typical "boy" toy for girls, while breaking the rules for how girls' toys are advertised.

"There is a growing trend for brands to communicate what they are all about and how they intend to improve people's lives," says Eva Santos, general creative director at Proximity.

"The Doll That Chose to Drive" is "the brand's way of helping to promote a more egalitarian social model ... starting with boys and girls, tomorrow's drivers," adds Audi Spain rep Ignacio Gonzalez. 

To inform its campaign, Audi looked to José Luís Linaza Iglesias, a professor of evolutionary psychology and education. On an accompanying website (in Spanish), Iglesias explains how play influences learning, future career choices and interests. Dolls, cooking toys and ponies aren't bad in themselves, but send a clear message about what traits we value in girls, while cars, action figures and construction sets for boys channel totally different interests.

Either way, gendering child's play limits the freedom to develop certain skills, binding the creativity that produces more dynamic adults. And according to Proximity, advertising also contributes to the divide, using familiar codes—like color and context—to reinforce it. 

The ad was made for the Christmas season and broadcast on TV, in theaters, on YouTube and across social, where it generated over 1 million views in three days. Limited-edition versions of the car and the doll were also given away at no cost. A hashtag, #CambiemosElJuego ("Let's change the game"), invited people to weigh in on the topic.

CREDITS

Agency: Proximity Barcelona
Product: Campaña de Branding - Navidad
Title: "The Doll That Chose to Drive"
Client: Audi España
Media: TV, Online, Cinema
Country: Spain

Creative Team
General Creative Director: Eva Santos
Creative Director: Carles Alcon
Copies: Neus Gimenez, Laura Cuni, Edu Escudero
Art Directors: Rodrigo Chaparreiro, Iván Aguado, David Casado
Client Services Director: Amanda Muñiz
Account Director: Patricia Miret
Account Supervisors: Laia García, Carla Franco
Strategic Planner: Patricia Urgoiti
Digital Producer: Lluís García
Producer, Director: Mercè Fernández
Audiovisual Producer: Diana Asenjo
Animation Studio: Post23
Director: Jordi Garcia
Art Director: Bor Arroyo

To celebrate its one-year anniversary, Mars brand goodnessknows—a bite-sized snack made with fruit, nuts and dark chocolate—has released the "Try a Little Goodness" campaign. Created by BBDO San Francisco, it's work that both lobbies for novelty while appealing to the sense of derring-do and reinvention that characterizes the new year. 

Each ad encourages real people to try new things—for the brand, that is. Those efforts, both thwarted and successful, constitute the content. 

In the 80-second "Try Acting" video, a troupe of hopefuls try their hand at acting for a goodnessknows commercial shoot. There's a buzz of excitement, and expected foibles, but the work also feels good-natured and fun. 



In "Try a Little Jingle," which lasts only 30 seconds, the brand serves as a test site for people who want to try writing jingles. This one is less about comedy than it is about the diversity of the musicians' styles, but it manifests the same well-meaning spirit. 



Each ad's conclusion ties back to the product: "Because every try is a step to being your best. Try a little goodness." 

The campaign does a nice job of supporting goodnessknows' novelty while conveying a sense of wholesome earnestness—a quality that also reflects the snack's ingredients. Each one is just 150 calories, and boasts no high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners. 

Instead, it emphasizes the cocoa flavanols in its dark chocolate, a brain-boosting ingredient around which Mars also happens to own 80 patents.

CREDITS
Client: goodnessknows (Mars)
Spots:  "Try a Little Acting", "Try a Little Jingle"
Agency: BBDO San Francisco
Matt Miller, Executive Creative Director
Steven Rutter, Executive Creative Director
Page Kishiyama, Creative Director
Timothy White, Creative Director
George Thorman, Art Director
Jared Johnsen, Copywriter
Patti Bott, Executive Producer
Vera Kacurova, Senior Producer
Jacqueline Djanikian, Business Affairs Director
Elana Shea, Senior Account Director
James Campbell, Account Director
Weina Cai, Account Supervisor
Divya Reddy, Account Executive
Mary FlorCruz, Group Strategy Director
Molly Gasch, Junior Strategist

Kerry Cavanaugh, Brand Director
Eric Epstein, Senior Brand Manager
Hana Hassan, Senior Associate Brand Manager

Production Company, Tool
JJ Adler, Director
Pete Koob, Editor
Cut & Run, Post Production 

LAS VEGAS—There's been much hand-wringing among marketers over the disruptive effects of rapid technological change. But the way Wieden + Kennedy sees it, if you've built a strong voice for a brand, new technologies offer fun new ways of making that voice heard.

Adweek caught up with four W+K execs at CES this week to talk about how the agency is exploring and experimenting with cutting-edge technologies—both for its clients and itself.

In the video above, Jonathan Minori and Maxwell Folley, who both work for The Lodge, W+K's in-house creative technology group, tell us about their work. We also hear from Jason Kreher, creative director on brands including Old Spice and KFC, and Jessica Monsey, who is heading up W+K's new publishing offering. 

Below, check out footage of the working Verizon phone W+K built in Minecraft, as well as the "Needybot" robot that The Lodge made. 

Until now, we could only imagine the awesomeness that would ensue if KITT and Michael of Knight Rider, Cliff and Norm from Cheers and Sesame Street's Big Bird starred in the same commercial.

But behold—a TV fanatic's crossover dream come true.

BBDO brings this fantasy landscape to life in "Everywhere," an immensely fun minute-long spot touting AT&T's service that lets users stream live and recorded DirecTV content across their mobile devices without it counting against their data caps.

Staged in grand style by director Tom Kuntz, who's worked on DirecTV campaigns before—included the famous "Cable Effects" ads—the new spot fairly bristles with TV and film references, cool cameos and familiar music cues.

After a quick homage to Rocky, the ad tosses in nods to Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones, SportsCenter, Sex and the City and Seinfeld, among others. You'll want to watch the clip multiple times to take in everything that's going on:



"Our hope is that viewers will really begin to look at AT&T from a whole new perspective," Dave Brown, AT&T Entertainment Group director of advertising, tells Adweek. "The past few years have been really exciting when you think about where we are going and what we are now bringing to our customers. You can watch a blockbuster movie on your commute to work and we help make that possible. We want to bring a little bit of that wow we feel to our customers in a way that reflects this new reality."

David Hasselhoff as Michael Knight, Cheers stars John Ratzenberger and George Wendt and costumed Big Bird actor Matt Vogel filmed new scenes for the ad. Alas, they don't actually appear on screen together, but it's fitting that each gets a few frames in the spotlight as the story unfolds.

"We wanted to use shows and movies across the entertainment spectrum, from modern to classic, to really give the viewer the sense that everything is at your fingertips," says BBDO New York executive creative director Steven Fogel. "At the same time, it was important that the music be very recognizable and iconic, and that each piece work well as a part of the music track."

The spot smartly channels a basic giddy truth of media/pop-culture fandom. For many of us, elements of classic series and films—beloved scenes, infectious theme songs, snatches of dialogue and catchphrases—are constantly running through our minds. So, it's only right that we should be able to watch our favorites whenever and wherever we choose.

"David Hasselhoff literally flew in from Brussels on his day, turned into Michael Knight, shot, handed out 'Don't hassle the Hoff' T-shirts to the crew, and then immediately flew back," recalls Doug Fallon, also an ecd at BBDO New York.

Hoff … take us with you! (And let us do the driving for a while.)

CREDITS
Client: AT&T
Title: "Everywhere"

Agency: BBDO Atlanta, BBDO New York
Chief Creative Officer, Worldwide: David Lubars
Chief Creative Officer, New York: Greg Hahn
Executive Creative Director, AT&T: Matt MacDonald
Executive Creative Director, AT&T Entertainment Group: Steven Fogel
Executive Creative Director, AT&T Entertainment Group: Doug Fallon
Senior Creative Director: Rob Munk
Senior Creative Director: Mark Voehringer
Art Director: Kristin Clark
Copywriter: Matt Low

Group Executive Producer: Julie Collins
Executive Producer: Matt Nowak
Executive Music Producer: Melissa Chester
Junior Producer: Victoria Wills

Managing Director: Doug Walker
Group Account Director: Lesley Brown
Account Director: Khari Mpagazehe
Account Executive: Noelle Bough

Production Company: MJZ
Director: Tom Kuntz
Director of Photography: Matthew Libatique
President: David Zander
Senior Executive Producer: Eriks Krumins
Producer: Emily Skinner
Production Designer: Jahmin Assa

Editorial: Mackcut
Editor: Gavin Cutler
Assistant Editor: Pamela Petruski
Executive Producer: Gina Pagano

Mix: Mackcut
Sound Designer & Mixer: Sam Shaffer

Post Production: The Beauty Shop
Executive Producer:  Stuart Robinson  
Senior Colorist: Company 3 // Tim Masick
Senior Color Producer: Company 3 // Rochelle Brown
Visual Effects: The Beauty Shop // Method Studios
Creative Director/VFX Supervisor:  Method Studios // Doug Luka
Creative Director: Method Studios // Eduardo 'Alvin' Cruz
CG Supervisor: Method Studios // Ivan Guerrero
Senior Producer: Method Studios // Bennett Lieber
Lead Flame Artist: Method Studios // Mario Caserta

Music: Beta Petrol
Music by Beta Petrol
Composer: Rafter Roberts
Creative Director: Bryan Ray Turcotte
Executive Producer(s): Dayna Turcotte and Brent Asbury
Producer/Engineer: Andy Brohard

Media: Hearts & Science
President, AT&T: Ralph Pardo
Executive Director: Melissa Kimble

The Marketing Arm/Platinum Rye Entertainment
Managing Director: Matt Delzell
Senior Director: Kristen Hellwig
Director: Amanda Levine

Cast and shot list in order of appearance:
Rocky
Cheers (John Ratzenberger and George Wendt as Cliff and Norm)
Breaking Bad
Game of Thrones
SportsCenter
Sex and the City
Sesame Street (Matt Vogel as Big Bird)
Seinfeld
Psycho
Knight Rider (David Hasselhoff as Michael Knight and KITT as himself)
Back to the Future
Ghostbusters
Lead actor: Joel Kelley Dauten, star of the upcoming Showtime series I'm Dying Up Here

LAS VEGAS—Nick Offerman, noted actor and woodworker, is not exactly known as a high-tech pioneer. So, it shouldn't be too surprising that his appearance at CES this week turned out to have a significant plot twist. 

Offerman was enlisted to help unveiled a #DeviceLikeNoOther—one that was billed as "ultrathin, has unlimited memory and offers more meaningful ways to connect than ever thought possible."

But then came time for the reveal:



Yes, once again, American Greetings has crashed a tech conference to promote a decidedly analog experience—the sending of paper greeting cards. The brand, and agency MullenLowe, did a similar thing at SXSW last March.

The #DeviceLikeNoOther concept is also reminiscent of the fun Ikea "Bookbook" campaign from a few years ago that promoted the paper Ikea catalog as a high-tech device.

As part of its CES activation, American Greetings gave attendees the chance to customize limited-edition CES greeting cards with American Greetings illustrators and writers. Randi Zuckerberg was also on hand as another endorser.



"I was sincerely honored to be asked to represent the venerated sentiment-delivery system known as the greeting card by American Greetings," Offerman said. "In my family, we rely on cards to signify moments of great magnitude as well as just simple affection, a warm practice I am happy to share with my fellow Americans."

"Some people may think that instant digital messaging has replaced handwritten expression, like digital cameras did for film," added Alex Ho, executive director of marketing for American Greetings. "But consumers are now seeking ways to connect more meaningfully and differently with the people that matter most, which is why our category remains stable alongside the rise of smartphones, messaging apps and social media. American Greetings is at CES to celebrate that coexistence with digital technology."

LAS VEGAS—Like many agency creatives this year, Joe Corr and Corey Szopinski came to CES to soak up the leading edge of tech and see how CP+B's brands might benefit from it.

The agency's two executive creative technology directors—Corr holds that title at the Boulder office, while Szopinski leads tech at CP+B Los Angeles—spoke with Adweek about the dominance of automotive and voice technologies at CES this year. 

They also explained what makes their client Domino's such a force in tech, and how L.A.'s NBA2K client put tech to fascinating use through a partnership with Fitbit. 

RAPP has named Justin Thomas-Copeland as the new president of its New York office.

Thomas-Copeland formerly served as senior vice president, global chief client officer, a position he held since joining the Omnicom direct-marketing agency's London office in January 2015. His new title will replace that of managing director in a change applicable across RAPP's North American network.

"Justin, a visionary leader, has fostered fantastic relationships with our global clients and done tremendous things for our international expansion and new business efforts in 2016," global CEO Marco Scognamiglio said in a statement. "Having Justin lead the New York team is a tremendously positive way to kick off 2017."

Asked about future plans for the agency's headquarters, Thomas-Copeland said his goals include ensuring the New York team is more outward-facing, client-focused and "connected operationally and strategically across the [RAPP] network … partnering with Omnicom."

He noted a definite evolution at the agency since his arrival in 2015 and said the New York office will be an integral part of future global expansion. "It comes down to great work and how we continue to drive that," he said.

Thomas-Copeland's promotion follows the December appointment of Scognamiglio as global CEO and the departure of RAPP New York managing director Rick Doerr in November. Scognamiglio had been serving as interim CEO following the resignation of former chief Alexei Orlov, who left last June in the wake of a discrimination lawsuit filed against him by onetime president Greg Andersen.

When asked how RAPP plans to move forward, Thomas-Copeland said, "Our strong people culture has always been part of our history; bringing people together to realize their potential and continue to learn. Culture is something that is born out of a focus on wanting the best for your people and the best for your clients."

Leo Burnett has hired Publicis Groupe veteran, consultant and venture capitalist Andrew Swinand to serve as its North American chief executive officer.

Swinand, who spent more than a decade in leadership positions at Publicis media agency Starcom MediaVest Group, succeeds Rich Stoddart, who has simultaneously served as global and North American chief executive at Leo Burnett since his promotion last January.

In an internal memo sent to all staff on Sunday, Publicis Worldwide CEO Arthur Sadoun called Swinand "a truly respected and thoughtful leader and a familiar face to many of us within Publicis Groupe," adding, "I truly believe in his ability to drive this transformation in North America for one of our biggest operations." The incoming chief executive ran P&G's Secret account at Starcom and later became president of that agency's Chicago office after working as an account supervisor at BBDO and an in-house brand manager with P&G.

In hiring Swinand, Leo Burnett also acquired his two most recent businesses: analytics software maker Ardent IO and startup incubator The Abundancy. According to Sadoun's memo, these two companies will act as natural partners in helping Publicis develop data-based "custom content" for its clients. Sixty employees from the two organizations will also become Leo Burnett Chicago staffers later this month.

"The challenge every brand faces is to get chosen. Thanks to our technology, it's possible to predict what people want so that brands can respond with experiences that are truly meaningful," said Swinand in a statement. "By combining our data-driven insights with Leo Burnett's award-winning creative capabilities, we will make Leo Burnett's HumanKind approach more powerful than ever before in helping our clients."

Swinand will report to Publicis Communications North American CEO Andrew Bruce while working closely with Stoddart (who will retain the title of global chief) and Judy John, who serves as both CEO of Leo Burnett Canada and chief creative officer of the larger North American organization.

Publicis looks to make 2017 a rebound year for Leo Burnett after its North American network lost the nearly $1 billion McDonald's account to Omnicom last August. Longtime client General Motors also put its GMC brand into review the following month after the Detroit offices of Burnett and DigitasLBi merged, forming the "Engage M-1" unit in order to more effectively serve the client. Leo Burnett will continue to partner with GM as Buick's agency of record even if it does not win the GMC review, though it did recently part with the chief creative officer who had been overseeing all global General Motors work since 2013.

In the memo, Sadoun positioned Swinand's hire as evidence of Publicis Groupe's efforts to "reinforce" the Leo Burnett organization while doubling down on its "Power of One" strategy. This consolidation-heavy approach has recently helped the holding company score new business in North America with USAA, Walmart and MillerCoors; the latter two wins occurred without a formal agency review process.

The iPhone 7 Plus takes such great portraits, everyone you run into on the street will want one—whether you actually know them or not.

Apples latest ad, which aired during NFL football this weekend and on Sunday night's Golden Globes, takes place in a Greek seaside town, where a young woman is visiting her grandma—or, in the local language, her "yia yia."

The younger woman snaps a photo of the elder. It draws such vocal praise that soon, everyone else in the cafe is clamoring for their own, sparking a chain reaction through the streets. Soon, she's capturing a parade of local characters—mailman, baker, fisherman, barber, priest—anyone who can get in front of her camera.



It's all to promote the "Portrait" mode on the smartphone's photo app, which uses the dual-lens setup on the iPhone 7 Plus's rear-facing camera to better measure depth, and sharpen the focus on the subject while blurring the background. It also falls, aptly, under Apple's "Practically Magic" tagline, the tech-heralding bit of pith that smartly evokes Arthur C. Clarke's oft-cited third law—or perhaps more accurately, leverages its evolution into pop mythology.

That "magic" is, here, as in other recent Apple ads, largely about the smartphone as a vehicle for better storytelling—vividly photographing an international trip, or crisply filming your daughter's part in the school play, or adventurously documenting a city during the darkest hours of the morning—all in ways that previous, lesser technologies couldn't handle.

While some of the brand's older advertising has also played with that creative impulse as a tongue-in-cheek vehicle to fame, the personal, more heartfelt positioning (even when humorous) perfectly leans into the psychology of what it's actually selling as upscale hardware in a mobile-driven, socially connected, image-saturated era—a more facile, flattering and arresting window between your life and the wider world.

While the new ad might risk seeming to poke fun at yokels who've never seen a camera before, its spirit is friendlier than that, if plenty contrived. Their vanity is the universal kind—everyone wants to look better than they might. And in this saga, the true hero is the young woman, who is burnishing, saving and sharing her experiences with rich personalities in a quaint locale—just like you might wish to do. 

Still, it's probably best you don't have to nail it in just one take.

For fans who didn't know that A-list movie star Drew Barrymore is shilling for a Weight Watchers-like program, surprise! And for those who didn't know she's playing a cannibal in her new Netflix show: double surprise!

As we mentioned last night, those two revelations—the first one's not exactly true, but the second definitely is—came via a new ad campaign that kicked off during Sunday night's Golden Globes for the upcoming black comedy Santa Clarita Diet. The 10-episode show, launching Feb. 3 on the prolific streaming service, also stars Timothy Olyphant, who plays Barrymore's real estate broker (non-zombie) husband.

The campaign also includes out-of-home billboards in major markets, print and digital ads, intentionally leans into the traditional tropes of weight-loss marketing. Bankable celebrity? Check. Testimonial-style spot about how great she feels? Check. Flattering shots of the star twirling around in a body-hugging outfit? Check.

But this spokeswoman isn't touting juice cleanses, point systems or green shakes. The first clue that this isn't a Jenny Craig ad comes fairly quickly in the 30-second spot.



"I can satisfy all my cravings and eat whoever I want," says Barrymore. And though she's in-character as Sheila, a suburban mom, the ad never makes that clear. Only when she starts talking about eating "the food that deserves it" and dipping into a grisly bowl of fake flesh and eyeballs might viewers catch on to the real message.

When she asks if you're "ready to take your life to a whole new level of wow," with a crimson streak of blood dripping from her mouth, there's no longer any question that this is a tongue-in-cheek (literally?) ad for a twisted piece of entertainment.

The work was created by Los Angeles-based Stun, a creative agency, commercial and branded content production company that collaborated with Netflix for the debut of the new series from Better Off Ted creator Victor Fresco.

The comedy, which also features Nathan Fillion, is set in L.A.'s bedroom community of Santa Clarita, where Sheila goes through "a dramatic change," sending her loved ones' lives "down a road of death and destruction … but in a good way," according to Netflix's description.

There's also a new ad with Olyphant, which you can see below. 

Looking for procrastination candy? Netflix has launched the Flix Arcade, an 8-bit infinite runner game that's about as simple and uncomplicated as your fond memories of the '80s.

Created by The Glitch in Mumbai, India, the game lets you play Pablo Escobar from Narcos, Piper Chapman from Orange Is the New Black, Mike Wheeler from Stranger Things, or Marco Polo from Marco Polo—odd, given that the latter show was canceled in December. 

But points for nostalgia. We'll remember the good times.



Press the spacebar once to jump, twice to superjump. Music, settings and bad guys change based on the universe you select. Play Mike as the Demogorgon pursues him, or Piper as she hunts chickens in prison. 

Avoid bad guys and grab enough goodies for a Power-Up ... which usually involves a cool secondary force, like Hundred Eyes or Eleven, kicking ass on your behalf.

The game is being promoted on Netflix's Spanish and Indian social media accounts. Here's the video, which is almost funner than its subject:

Whether you choose to stick to your New Year's resolution or not, we're here to make sure you #DontStopRunning! https://t.co/YCiNFqh5A3pic.twitter.com/xbY2ZZw1AZ

— Netflix India (@NetflixIndia) January 3, 2017

Here's a PSA campaign that takes the idea of medium-as-message to a higher level.

Created for Uruguay's Association of Cannabis Studies, the out-of-home initiative features three posters printed on paper made from marijuana. Copy reminds the public about the dangers of operating a vehicle under the influence of pot, which Uruguay fully legalized for production and sale in 2013.

Each of the signs measures 5.6 feet high by 3 feet wide and carries the tagline, "If you smoked, don't drive." They sprouted just after Christmas in highly trafficked neighborhoods of Montevideo, and will stay on the streets for a few more weeks.

"We reasoned that if posters made out of pot gave you advice about safer driving, it was probably the most ideal way in which marijuana can actually be beneficial to someone while behind the wheel," says Juan Ciapessoni, co-founder and chief creative officer of The Electric Factory, which developed the campaign with outdoor ad firm JCDecaux.

Once the fibrous hemp was shredded, flattened and dried, the sheets were painstakingly hand-crafted, just as an artisan might create specialty papers from scraps of recycled material. A silk-screening process was used to apply the text. (Ciapessoni declined to reveal how much weed was used to create the posters, nor would he divulge its source.)

Sure, it's a gimmick to grab attention, but "the main objective of all of this is to make people understand how important is to be very responsible when driving," Ciapessoni says. "It was equally important for us to send a big message so that it will have meaningful social impact."

Oh, the signs are called "Potsters"—a pun that might be funnier if you're stoned. At least the work is less panicky than Colorado's drugged-driving PSAs from a few months back.

Note to vandals: If you're thinking of stealing the signs and, well, trying to smoke them—you're in for one huge bummer.

"It would be really funny, but not effective, because the process for producing the paper removed the psychoactive effect," says Ciapessoni. "So if someone smoked it, it would be like smoking a standard paper."

CREDITS
Client: Association of Cannabis Studies
Agency: The Electric Factory
Chief Creative Director: Juan Ciapessoni
Creative Directors: Federico Cibils & Gustavo Etchandy
Art Directors: Javier Gómez, Juan Diego Vispo
Producer: Milena Mariño
Film Production: The Electric Factory
Director: Piter Moreira
Executive Director: Federico Masini

When Kyrie Irving improvs on the court, it's like Questlove shredding a drum solo.

The two stars duet in a new ad from Nike and R/GA Los Angeles promoting the Kyrie 3 sneaker. The Cleveland Cavalier point guard dribbles, crossing over and changing tempo with dizzying precision, while the Roots drummer and frontman, nee Ahmir Khalib Thompson, throws off rapid-fire syncopations.

It's an impressive, brooding performance, a departure from the agency's goofier but plenty entertaining promos for previous versions of Irving's namesake footwear—like the Ky-rispy Kreme donut edition of the Kyrie 2. But the new ad still plays on a similar theme as previous campaigns, which emphasized the baller's "unexpected moves."



It's also a refreshing testament to the power of a simple idea, well executed. The thud of the ball bouncing on the floor blends with the thump of the kick drum, tightening the metaphor. These are two players at the top of their game, and even if it's hard to believe buying Nike's shoe will make you anywhere near as good as them, it's impossible not to stop and take note.

CREDITS
Client: Nike
Agency: R/GA Los Angeles
Directors: Matt & Mark Hoffman

Tyson Foods has awarded its U.S. media planning and buying business to Mindshare after a review that concerned marquee brands Jimmy Dean, Ball Park, Hillshire Farm and Tyson Brand.

The move amounts to a consolidation for the food giant, which has existing relationships with other WPP agencies including Ogilvy and Y&R.

"Our decision to appoint Mindshare was based, in part, on our intent to centralize agency resources through WPP," a company spokesperson wrote, adding, "Mindshare is the right media partner to support our ambitious growth."

IPG Mediabrands' BPN was incumbent on the business, counting Tyson as one of its largest clients. "Mindshare replaced BPN Worldwide Chicago," the Tyson spokesperson continued. "BPN had been our media partner for three years and made significant contributions to our growth. We value their contributions."

As a result of the review, IPG has moved to fold the BPN organization into Initiative, another media agency within its Mediabrands network.

"BPN will continue as an independent brand within IPG Mediabrands, however its operations in the U.S. are being aligned with and will report into Initiative," a holding company spokesperson said regarding the news. The BPN team in Chicago has already moved into Initative's offices, according to one party familiar with the matter.

The latest numbers from Kantar Media state that Tyson Foods spent just over $135 million on paid media in 2015 promoting the four brands involved in this review. The numbers for the first nine months of 2016 were more than 20 percent higher than the same total for the previous year, hinting at the growth mentioned in the client's statement above.