Most Clicked 4A's SmartBrief Stories
1. McDonald's rejects obesity study proposal
4A's SmartBrief | May 25, 2012
McDonald's voted down a proposal by the advocacy group Corporate Accountability International to take up a study of the chain's impact on childhood obesity. Only 6.4% of shareholders voted in favor of it. CEO Jim Skinner argued that McDonald's advertises responsibly and has voluntarily made healthy-choice menu changes. CAI has been a consistent foe singling out McDonald's, recently asking them to dump Ronald McDonald and trying to get hospitals to end contracts with the restaurant. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (05/24)
2. NHL playoffs score record ratings on strength of Stanley Cup-focused campaign
4A's SmartBrief | May 24, 2012
An intensive social media and marketing campaign called "Because It's the Cup" has successfully helped to lure in casual hockey fans and boost National Hockey League playoff ratings to record levels during the first two rounds. Research for the campaign, from Draftfcb in Chicago, found that while many casual fans could not name players from specific teams, all knew the name of the league's famous trophy. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (05/23)
3. Skinnygirl's first national spot teaches ladylike drinking
4A's SmartBrief | May 25, 2012
Beverage World Publications Group (05/24)
4. Agency featured in "The Pitch" creates ad calling for more diverse industry
4A's SmartBrief | May 24, 2012
New York Times (tiered subscription model), The (05/23)
5. Ex-marketer CEOs are influencing agency reviews
4A's SmartBrief | May 29, 2012
Some corporate chief executive officers -- many of whom have marketing backgrounds -- are lately starting to participate in, rather than simply rubber-stamp, agency reviews. Recent appearances include Meg Whitman during Hewlett-Packard's review, NASCAR's Brian France, Southwest Airlines' Gary Kelly and top execs from Kohler and American Eagle Outfitters. "Corner office involvement in ad reviews also reflects the reality that after years of cost cutting and growing through acquisitions, corporations are leaning on marketing to drive organic growth," writes Andrew McMains. Adweek (05/28)
6. Saatchi & Saatchi reshuffles New York management team
4A's SmartBrief | May 23, 2012
Saatchi & Saatchi reshuffled its management team in New York recently. The ad agency moved London-based executive Tom Eslinger to New York, and added responsibility for Latin America for New York chief strategy officer Claudine Cheever. Adweek (05/22)
7. Spot sharing surpassed a billion in the first quarter
4A's SmartBrief | May 23, 2012
The social sharing of commercials is up from 773 million views in English-speaking countries in the first quarter of 2011 to more than 1.3 billion in Q1 2012, according to Visible Measures. The automotive industry was the biggest beneficiary of the trend, with more than 266 million shares, followed by community/activism ads (194 million) and apparel and accessories (130 million). eMarketer (05/23)
8. Sources: Marriott Hotels & Resorts is undergoing advertising review
4A's SmartBrief | May 25, 2012
Marriott International is said to be holding a review of its advertising for Marriott Hotels & Resorts, according to unnamed sources who spoke to AdWeek. The brand has been working since 2003 with current agency Mcgarrybowen, and annual media spending is put at around $15 million. Joanne Davis Consulting is managing the review. Adweek (05/24)
9. Visa's social media Olympic push requires worldwide nod
4A's SmartBrief | May 29, 2012
Will Visa be able to gather a global crowdsourced cheering section? The company used a panel of former Olympic athletes and a collection of agencies to inform its "Cheer" marketing platform for the London Summer Olympics. Visa had pledged to top all other sponsors in socializing the games. "We threw down the gauntlet ... early on, that we will make this the most social games for us and for any other sponsor so far," said Kevin Burke, global chief marketing officer for core products. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (05/28)
10. Wieden scores Grand Effie for "Imported from Detroit" campaign
4A's SmartBrief | May 25, 2012
Wieden+Kennedy took home the Grand Effie for its "Imported from Detroit" campaign for Chrysler from a group of 10 finalists for the honor at the 44th annual Effie Awards. Other finalists included BBDO's "Convincing youth not to text" for AT&T and Ogilvy/MEC's "The life improvement store" for IKEA. W+K ultimately won out because, according to judges, the campaign "sold the product, the category and the city." Adweek (05/23)
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