Sponsors and Advertisers Demand Cultural Change at FIFA
“Once again, FIFA's sponsors have voiced their displeasure with the way the global soccer organization is handling its affairs amid an ongoing corruption scandal. Today, five key sponsors—Adidas, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Coca-Cola, McDonald's and Visa—sent FIFA a strongly worded letter demanding ‘independent oversight’ of the federation's reform process, stressing the urgent need for ‘cultural change.’” Full story at Adweek.
JWT Releases “The Future 100: Trends and Change to Watch in 2016”
Trends and innovation are also moving at breakneck speed, powered by an engaged, sophisticated, curious global consumer. The Future 100 takes a snapshot of emerging trends for 2016, spanning culture, tech and innovation, travel and hospitality, brands and marketing, food and drink, beauty, retail, health, lifestyle, and luxury. Visit JWT for more.
Snapchat Scores with Brands and Super Bowl Advertising
"This week, media planners, top agencies and brands were asked how they would spread their spending on campaigns around the Super Bowl. Unsurprisingly all the usual suspects made the list, from Facebook to Twitter to YouTube. But new to the top tier: Snapchat, which 31 percent said they planned to include in their Super Bowl campaigns, according to a survey conducted by AdParlor, a social marketing technology company. Facebook would be a part of 82 percent of Super Bowl plans. YouTube was included in the plan of 69 percent of respondents, Twitter was 68 percent, and Instagram 56 percent. The survey didn’t ask about other platforms like Tumblr and Pinterest.” More details at Digiday.
AdForum’s Ad of the Day: “The Forecast” by Venables, Bell & Partners
South Park Lampoons Branded Advertising (but To Watch the Youtube Video You Have to Watch an Ad First)
“Trey Parker and Matt Stone hysterically satirized ad blocking and sponsored contentduring the Nov. 18 episode of South Park, but it turns out the show creators still had plenty more to get off their chest about the advertising industry. The duo kept up their satirical assault on advertising during last night's episode, "Truth and Advertising," which again hilariously lampooned the industry as part of the ongoing Season 19 storyline about political correctness, gentrification and the dogged persistence of ads to manipulate us at all costs.” Read more at Adweek.
Coca-Cola Ad Draws Criticism for Being Totally Condescending and Racist
“Coca-Cola has pulled an ad shown in Mexico that faced widespread criticism for being insulting to indigenous people. As described by the Associated Press, the ‘Open Your Heart' holiday campaign by Coca-Cola Mexico is coming under fire as 'faux philanthropy' and an insult to indigenous groups for its portrayal of a truckload of festive, fashion model-looking white people driving into the remote hills of Oaxaca hauling Coke and a Christmas tree as a service project." The agency is Ogilvy, Mexico.” Full story at Ad Age.
Agency of the Week
J Walter Thompson New York: For the past 150 years, JWT New York has been about marrying intelligent, sophisticated ideas to the technological innovations of the moment. As the headquarters of a global network of more than 10,000 people in 90 offices in more than 200 countries, we are indeed “worldmade”. Inspired by and of the world and taking those global insights and combining them with technology to deliver highly relevant communications across a wide array of platforms – paid, owned, co-created and earned -- for the brands that we serve.
