As you may know Steve Deiters and I have been at the helm of the Creative Department for 22 years. But now Steve has decided to explore new opportunities. He is turning over his share of the company to the capable hands of Kerry James who has been instrumental in shaping the strategic Creative Department direction in the last couple years. The transition begins May 1 and is planned to be complete within a few months. (Change happens quickly in the advertising world.) We made a bold statement when we opened our doors in 1992 as a “creatives only” shop. But this is a direction that’s right for the time.

Kerry, myself and our team will be making a bold statement from here out in helping clients capitalize on new opportunities in the current marketing space. We did a restructure and I’m really proud of the team we have here. They are extremely talented in the digital space and over the last year have helped us re-brand many clients and win nearly a dozen Addy trophies. We recently won the Cincinnati Bengals account too, all on top of beginning work for several new accounts.

Kerry worked at Ipsos, Bridge Worldwide (now Possible) and March First as well as a few others before joining us. She developed a brand practice where there hadn’t been one and revolutionized how the agency looks at the work. She is also obsessive about client service and brilliant work, creating an account team that leads client thinking and unleashes creative genius. What I find most impressive is her ability to create strong relationships with our clients. Her work on accounts like Golf Exchange, Cohen Recycling, iwireless, Clink, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Fitworks has proven to shift their bottom line.

Together our goal is to create one of the best places to work with in Cincinnati!

—Lauren Anderson

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In 2012, Kentucky exported nearly $22.1 billion in goods, which led to significant regional job growth in industries like transportation, chemical production and manufacturing. The Kentucky Export Initiative estimates the state is the 11th in the United States for exports on a per capita basis.

"That's an impressive distinction considering that Kentucky is not a coastal or a border state," the site states.

Even though Kentucky is home to large corporations like Tempur-Pedic International, and Brown-Forman, which we can thank for Jack Daniel's, Jameson and Southern Comfort, the Initiative attributes the bulk of exports to small- and mid-sized businesses.

The International Trade Commission has lent a major helping hand to such companies, as its U.S. Commercial Service agency provides small and medium organizations with trade counseling, market data and other resources to help them effectively advertise and promote their products overseas, The Lexington Herald-Leader explains.

More than 3,200 Kentucky businesses are experiencing significant demand for their products abroad. The newspaper points to one company, Shamrock Marketing, in Louisville that produces technological tools for remanufacturing commercial vehicle tires. The entity has edged its way into Poland, Germany, the Philippines and the United Kingdom since 2008.

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The initiative's tagline, "Imagine That," is aimed at tapping consumers' dreams of what they could do with the lottery money. The campaign is expected to cost about $10 million and features radio, TV, print and outdoor signage ads, according to The Indianapolis Star.

Ads feature past Hoosier winners discussing their plans – both serious and funny – for their big bucks as they stand next to a thought bubble containing the campaign's slogan. In one commercial, a lucky number owner states he'll use the money to find Bigfoot and another ad features a winner saying she'll use it to pay for in vitro fertilization.

"Everyone has had those conversations at one time or another, talking about what they would do if they won the lottery," Karl Browning, Hoosier Lottery executive director, said in a statement, according to The Evansville Courier & Press. "Our new advertising campaign, and new brand overall, gives people the freedom to dream and we're sharing those dreams with Hoosiers across the state."

The Indiana government decided recently to funnel more advertising funds into the lottery to increase tax revenue.

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On Monday, the brand aired a commercial centered around the promise that the new laundry accessory adds terrific smells to clothing and keeps it wonderfully odorous for up to 12 weeks in storage. 

In addition, P&G is continuing the promotion on social media, as the company will select Twitter fans to test the new product for free at home. Gain will also "spark conversation amongst the blogger community" by using the hashtag #GainLove to get consumers to pick up a bottle of Original Fireworks at local retailers. 

Gain will also attend BlissDom 2013, a conference for women bloggers and social media aficionados this week in Dallas.

Gain's website, ilovegain.com, already encourages fans to express their affection for the cleaning brand by submitting a "love letter" for others to read. Meanwhile, the brand's Facebook page features advertising content and a Boost my Dryer! contest page where people can submit a picture of their decked out laundry machines for a chance to win a year's supply of dryer bars.

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The green slime many 1990s kids fondly grew up with is set to meet its match when Bounty sets up camp at the event's viewing party at the Nickelodeon Suites Resorts.

In addition to offering passersby a virtual sliming photo opportunity, Bounty is airing a commercial during the awards should and throughout the week leading up to the event on Nick and Nicktoons.

The paper towel company has held other similar promotional events that involved big messes. Bounty did demonstrations at the State Fair of Texas, a tailgate for the 2013 Rose Bowl Game and Miami's Carnaval.

Bounty, which is an official sponsor of the Kid's Choice Awards, seems to be tapping an audience quite different from the sports fans, fair food lovers and partiers its aimed marketing and advertising efforts at before. Time will tell whether kids are actually interested in the ability to choose the size of their paper towel.

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The group introduced television and radio ads aimed at lawmakers who oppose Common Core standards, according to News-Sentinel. One of the TV commercials features a  high school teacher in Indianapolis while radio ads that include sound bites from parents began airing earlier this month.

"Our effort is to take no chances," Justin Ohlemiller, Stand for Kids Indiana director, told the newspaper. "We want to see Common Core implemented on time. What we hear is teachers want these standards in their classrooms, parents believe the bar needs to be raised."

The Common Core standards were created by state-level education officials around the country and were adopted by 45 states in 2010. They serve as a guideline for what students should be taught and what they should be able to do based on grade level. First-grade and kindergarten classes in Indiana currently use the standards and all grades are set to adopt them in 2014.

Most recently however, several states, including Indiana, have questioned the standards and have proposed booting them. The Stand for Children ads are aimed at persuading nay-saying lawmakers to change their minds. The organization works in several states and told the newspaper it wants to increase awareness of the standards across the country.

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According to a statement released by the organization on Friday, the tobacco industry spends $8.5 billion on advertising. The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is fighting cigarette ads that make smoking look cool with a marketing plan of its own, which involves educating youth in Kentucky and other states and legislators on the dangers of tobacco.

"On Kick Butts Day, kids will stand up and reject big tobacco's manipulative marketing," said Matthew Myers, the organization's president. "It's also a chance for elected leaders to commit to protecting kids from tobacco through policies such as tobacco taxes, smoke-free laws and prevention programs. We hope that legislators will listen to their young constituents and implement these proven solutions to reduce tobacco use and save lives."

Events planned for Kick Butts Day include demonstrations titled "They put WHAT in a cigarette!?" The national initiative's website, which is designed for teens interested in the cause, allows visitors to research events in their area, find information about youth advocacy and learn about tobacco.

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While Kentucky residents won't vote for another 20 months, McConnell is kicking off TV advertising efforts this week, with the first video airing Thursday.

In early February, political group American Crossroads launched a television and internet video ad portraying Ashley Judd, who may run for the senate seat, in a less than positive light. The clip generated a significant amount of controversy and discussion in the political world, giving Judd even more attention.

According to ABC News, one of McConnell's first ads this season will feature his wife, Elaine Chao, who is a former secretary of labor, which signifies the campaign is courting women voters early on.

Chao has recently been the target of questionably racist comments from Progress Kentucky, another political group. McConnell's 30-second video, which aired Thursday in Lexington and Louisville, addressed​ these comments and tied them into the campaign.

"You've seen the ads attacking my husband," Chao states in the ad. "As Mitch McConnell's wife, I've learned to expect them. Now, far-left special interests are also attacking my ethnicity, even attacking Mitch's patriotism, because he's married to me."

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Last month, the channel announced it will broadcast 145 of the baseball team's 162 games this year, and advertisers have been quick to snag a slot during the commercial breaks. The strong demand for air time this year allowed Fox Sports Ohio to up ad rates by an average of 20 percent compared to last, said McGillicuddy, who wouldn't share the dollar value of any ad spots.

Ford, Toyota, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Procter & Gamble and the Cincinnati USA Regional Tourism Network are some of the companies that placed ads during Reds games last year and have reserved airtime this year as well. Newcomers include Taco Bell and Jiffy lube, the newspaper stated.

The spur of advertisers seeking spots may be a result of the Reds rating numbers last year, which reached 76,500 homes per night – the highest Fox Sports Ohio has ever seen.

Based of the team's popularity, the station is launching Reds Weekly next month, a new, 30-minute show that will feature game recaps and interviews.

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A National Sleep Foundation (NSF) survey found one in four adults in the United States reported experiencing occasional sleeplessness and difficult falling asleep several nights each week, according to Procter & Gamble. The corporate giant used these findings for marketing purposes last week.

On Thursday, Downy and ZzzQuil, in partnership with the NSF, set up camp at Amtrak's Penn Station to promote their products to passersby. The event featured beds with sheets washed by Downy fabric softener, and Joseph Ojile, the NSF board director, and HGTV's Taniya Nayak gave attendants tips on how to design a bedroom that is conducive to healthy sleep.

The marketing campaign also included a social media aspect. On Wednesday, Downy hosted a Twitter chat session with the bloggers behind Mom Generations and Lady and the Blog, websites that are popular among U.S. moms. During the chat, the company ran a contest to award one participant a year's supply of Downy products and bed sheets. 

Downy also embraced National Sleep Awareness Week and National Nap day on its Facebook page.

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