Clever Ideas, Great Ads

Nils Leonard Named as D&AD President

noreply@blogger.com (Gloria J) — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 12:51:28 +0000

D&AD, the global creative non-profit championing excellence in design and commercial creativity, today announced Nils Leonard as its new President.

Before co-founding Uncommon Creative Studio, Leonard was Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of Grey London, where he oversaw the most profitable and awarded years in the agency’s 52-year history and became one of the youngest agency chairmen in the world. Ranked the No. 1 Creative Person globally by Business Insider and named among the Sunday Times’ 500 Most Influential People, he has spent more than two decades at the top of advertising and design.

In Uncommon’s nine years, the studio has become the fastest growing and most creatively awarded start-up of its generation, key highlights include: rebranding and launching EA Sports FC, the BBC calling it The worlds biggest entertainment rebrand, stopping New York Fashion Week with the viral Ratboot; creating the UK’s most recognised mental health campaign: ITV’s Britain Get Talking; returning British Airways to its place as an iconic British brand with iconic safety videos and reference point advertising; and, most recently, winning a Black Pencil with The Periodic Fable for The Ordinary.

Leonard takes up the presidency as D&AD prepares to bring its creative community together in a new way. In June 2027, D&AD Festival and New Blood Festival will come together for the first time as D&AD Alive, bringing established and emerging creative talent under one roof to explore the tensions shaping creativity today and what comes next.

Taking place at Tobacco Dock, London from 28–30 June 2027, D&AD Alive will bring together emerging talent, agencies and studios, brands and in-house teams, and creative leaders from around the world. As President, Leonard will curate a series of President Lectures as part of the festival programme.

Nils Leonard, D&AD President and Co-Founder of Uncommon Creative Studio, states, “D&AD has shaped me and so many people I admire, so being asked to be President is a genuine honour. Creativity is one of the most powerful forces in the world. It builds brands, businesses and culture. Yet almost everywhere we talk about it like a luxury, something nice to have, rather than the engine behind our economies and our future.

Too many young people are never shown what creativity can be, or that it’s a career, a skill and a way of solving problems. I want to use this year to change that, and to make the case for creativity as something every country should be proud of and invest in. Creativity is our very own human magic, and it is stronger than we think.”

Tim Lindsay, D&AD Chairman, adds, “Nils has always been a powerful advocate for creativity and original thinking. He’s built his career challenging convention, backing ambitious ideas and pushing for work that has genuine impact.

“D&AD has always stood for creative excellence and the people behind it – setting the bar for great work while giving people the training, opportunities and support to reach it. As we bring different generations, disciplines and perspectives together through D&AD Alive, Nils brings exactly the energy and point of view we want from our President. I’m delighted to welcome him, and I’d also like to thank Lisa Smith for everything she has brought to D&AD and the creative community during her presidency.”

Nils Leonard, succeeds current D&AD President, Global Chief Creative Officer, Uncommon, Lisa Smith following her one-year term, who was appointed during her time as Global Executive Creative Director at JKR.

Further details on D&AD Alive, can be found at dandad.org/festival with more information on its programme, speakers and President Lectures, to be announced over the coming months.

ABOUT D&AD

D&AD is a global creativity non-profit that celebrates, stimulates and enables excellence in design and commercial creativity. Through its world-renowned Awards and education programmes, D&AD aims to generate funding to champion the next generation of creative talent to drive positive change in the industry and beyond. The global steward of creative excellence in commercial creativity. For more, visit: dandad.org

'It’s Tox-Ick' Vaping Campaign from CTDPH and Decker

noreply@blogger.com (Rey B) — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 14:04:26 +0000

The Connecticut Department of Public Health (CTDPH) and Decker were tasked with raising awareness of the harmful effects of vaping according to Decker President Kathy Boucher.

The campaign research identified teens, parents of teens, and young adults as their parents as priority audiences to get our message out. Based on audience insights, the “It’s Tox-Ick” campaign took shape, embracing horror comedy that also felt peer-to-peer in tone – approachable, memorable, and fact-based.

Manisha Juthani, MD, Commissioner, CT Department of Public Health, notes, “Vaping products contain chemicals people would never knowingly put in their bodies, yet many teens and young adults don’t realize what they’re actually inhaling. ‘It’s Tox-Ick’ meets young people where they are, using humor and honesty instead of a lecture. Our goal is simple: give Connecticut’s teens and parents the facts so they can make informed choices.”

Decker discovered that many people don’t understand the amount of toxic chemicals that can be found in vaping. The liquids used heat up and produce toxic chemicals that are extremely harmful and shouldn’t be ingested. In fact, they’re found in and created by a lot of products we encounter every day. Products we would never even consider ingesting.

Dom DeLoya, Creative Director, states, “From concept through execution, we knew we had something with this campaign. It embraces absurdity in delivery and simplicity in the message. We never wanted to preach but instead, just present the facts in a way people would be shocked by or even a little uncomfortable with. At the end of the day, the scariest and most gross part about this campaign are the toxic chemicals that are being inhaled when people vape.”

This campaign draws parallels to chemicals in vaping with chemicals we all are very familiar with. It doesn’t preach, it just says what it is. Granted, it does this in a surprising way.

Maura Fitzgerald, CMO, CT Department of Public Health, adds, “Our research told us that teens and young adults tune out traditional health warnings, so we had to find a different way in. ‘It’s Tox-Ick’ leans into dark humor and speaks to young people the way a friend would, not an authority figure. We’re proud of a campaign that’s both fact-based and genuinely memorable.”

The “It’s Tox-ick” campaign is running on Connected TV, Streaming Audio, Social, and Digital channels across Connecticut and can be see here:

Wake Up
Chemi-Kills

CREDITS:

Agency: Decker

Creative Director: Dom DeLoya

President: Kathy Boucher

SVP Strategy: Andrew Kesin

Production Company: Plural Films

Executive Producer: Steve Holm

Directors: Michael Fagan & Dom DeLoya

Producer: Brian Fagan

DP: Quinton Brogan

Color: Ayumi Ashley/ Rare Medium

Editor: Michael Fagan

ADC 106th Annual Awards Kicks Off with “In Search of What’s Next” Campaign

noreply@blogger.com (Rey B) — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 13:22:42 +0000

The global Art Directors Club continues its century-plus mission to celebrate the latest in creative brilliance with the launch of the prestigious ADC 106th Annual Awards, supported this year by the dynamic “In Search of What’s Next” call for entries campaign created and produced by DixonBaxi in London.

Founded in 1920, the ADC Annual Awards is the world’s first and longest continuously running awards program to recognize global excellence in craft and innovation in all forms of creative work, including design, advertising, film and video, product design, gaming, AI, photography, illustration, creator content, experiential, publication design, architecture, and more.

“For 106 years, long before anyone else, the Art Directors Club has looked for the world’s finest work in all forms of design and advertising”, said Brian Collins, Art Directors Club President, and Co-founder of COLLINS. “Our global jury of esteemed designers, art directors, filmmakers, artists, animators, photographers and writers gathers in New York City to seek the best work, the work they haven't seen before. And when they do, we all get a view of the next frontier.”

Collins calls on the creative world to do its part: “So send us your best work. Send your strangest, and your most gloriously WTF work. Because somebody great who is just getting started is counting on all of us. And even better, because ADC is a nonprofit, every entry also funds the education, mentorship and portfolio programs that bring young talent into our profession.”

“In Search of What’s Next”

This year’s global ADC Annual Awards launches with a compelling “In Search of What’s Next” call for entries campaign created by DixonBaxi London.

Throughout its 106-year history, ADC has engaged in a relentless search for the unusual, the bold, the brilliant, the impossible to ignore. The show’s global reputation is centered on elevating work that breaks rules, shifts culture, and pushes creativity somewhere new.

That focus is reflected in DixonBaxi's campaign, which begins with the ADC Cube, a symbol of craft and excellence, and the point from which everything else erupts. In the work, the Cube stretches, fractures, multiplies, and misbehaves. Colors clash, ideas fire, type flips from precise to feral. The work pulls apart before finding new tension. The result is restless, elastic and alive, a visceral expression of ADC’s quest for what’s next.

The campaign uses a visual language with scale and bite, reaching across continents to pull designers, art directors, writers, creators, and strategists into “the search”. It celebrates imagination, invention, and experimentation as potent forces that put remarkable creative work into the world, and work to change what the world can be.

The agency partnered with Zelig Sound London on sound design, creating a bespoke sonic edit that captures the nerve, heat, flow, and friction of the ADC's rigorous focus.

"The real work happens long before anyone applauds, in the ideas that don’t quite work, the unexpected breakthroughs, and the refusal to settle for what already exists,” said Tassia Swulinska, Creative Director at DixonBaxi. “We took the ADC Cube, carrying 106 years of creative excellence, and made it as restless and alive as the people who keep searching for what comes next”.

ADC 106th Annual Awards details

Entries to the ADC 106th Annual Awards can be submitted now, with fees increasing after each deadline period. Regular deadline is January 22, 2027, with extended deadline of February 12, 2027, and final deadline March 5, 2027.

Noteworthy changes to this year’s show include:

Typography and Type Design/Lettering are now two separate disciplines, judged by a single jury.
New categories added to the Packaging Design discipline, including New Product Launch, Packaging Effectiveness, and Unboxing Experience.

In addition, The One Club recently announced a major agreement with CapCut, part of ByteDance, to serve as the club’s premier global AI partner. The partnership includes creation of a new custom category in the ADC 106th Annual Awards, to be announced shortly.

This year’s ADC Annual Awards also includes the presentation of the Paul Manship Medal, reimagined last year as an enterable category recognizing a single designer who best acts as a catalyst for change, demonstrates foresight and innovation, embodies a lasting legacy, and made the most significant contribution to the industry over the past 5-10 years.

Tiered pricing

A special tiered pricing structure makes it easier for smaller agencies, studios, freelancers, and creators to participate.

Larger agencies and brands pay the standard entry fee; smaller shops get a discount on entries (amount varies by discipline), while freelancers, creators, and one-person shops are eligible for an even greater reduction in their entry fee.

ADC 106th Annual Awards Jury Presidents will be announced in November, and the full jury announced in January. Judging takes place in March/April 2027, with finalists — all entries winning Gold, Silver, Bronze Cubes or Merit — announced in April. Winners will be unveiled at the ADC 106th Annual Awards ceremony on May 19 during The One Club’s Creative Week 2027 in New York in May.

The Art Directors Club is part of The One Club for Creativity, the world’s foremost nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the global creative community. Unlike with for-profit awards shows, revenue generated from ADC Annual Awards entries is put back into the creative community to fund more than 75 critical annual programs dedicated to education, mentorship, and professional development.

For more information and to enter the ADC 106th Annual Awards, please visit the show website.

CREDITS:

Client: The One Club for Creativity, for the Art Directors Club ADC 106th Annual Awards

Title: “In Search of What’s Next”

Agency: DixonBaxi, London

Sound: Zelig Sound, London

ABOUT DIXON BAXI

DixonBaxi is a global brand agency with offices in London and Los Angeles. They create brand strategy, brand identities, and audience-first design systems for the brands you stream, shop, travel with, navigate the world through, trust with your health, manage your finances on, and cheer for as fans. Past and present clients include Roblox, Formula 1, Hulu, AC Milan, British Land, Eurosport, Warner Bros Discovery, Google, Samsung, Headspace, AT&T, Netflix, and others.

ABOUT THE ONE CLUB FOR CREATIVITY

The One Club for Creativity – home of The One Show, ADC Annual Awards, Art Directors Club of Europe (ADCE) awards, ONE Asia Creative Awards, Type Directors Club TDC competition and scholarships, ADC Young Guns, Young Ones Student Awards, global AI Creative Challenge, Next Creative Leaders, WAATBP Essentials career fair, Portfolio Night, Creative Week, and more – is the world’s foremost non-profit organization whose mission is to support and celebrate the success of the global creative community. Revenue generated from entries to its global awards shows goes back into the industry to fund programs that support industry access, creative education, professional development, and enhancement of creative careers around the world.

Orange and Publicis Conseil Turn Digital Scams into a Musical "Scamcophony"

noreply@blogger.com (Rey B) — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 13:53:25 +0000

Fraudulent calls, suspicious texts, phishing emails, dubious notifications, fake parcel deliveries, fake bank advisors… Scam attempts have multiplied to the point of becoming part of our everyday lives. On their own, each one can seem harmless. But added up over the course of a day, they create a constant background noise made up of distrust, irritation and, at times, real anxiety.

With Orange Cybersecure, its protection solution against fraudulent calls and phishing attempts, Orange chose to approach the subject from a resolutely positive angle: celebrating not the threat itself, but the relief felt once it disappears.

Together with Publicis Conseil, Orange captures this universal reality by turning the accumulation of these digital disruptions into a genuine musical composition. A "Scamcophony", where ringtones, vibrations, alerts and unwanted calls build upon one another into a score that is as catchy as it is overwhelming.

An original way of staging what millions of French people experience today, and a reminder that beyond technical protection, cybersecurity is also a matter of everyday peace of mind. A film directed by Bradley & Pablo and produced by Wanda, deployed since the 11th of October till the 1st of November across TV and VOD/VOL, alongside a social media campaign developed by Razorfish, tackling the subject in a lighter tone to support education and prevention among families.

Make-A-Wish Canada Shows the Power of a Wish Through New Series of Films

noreply@blogger.com (Gloria J) — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 12:55:57 +0000

Make-A-Wish® Canada has unveiled the latest chapter of Wishes Are Medicine, the organization’s platform launched in 2025 to challenge misconceptions about its work: that wishes are simply nice-to-haves, when instead they are an essential part of the treatment journey. The new campaign, a series of films, builds on that platform by spotlighting wish alumni whose stories demonstrate how a wish can provide hope, strength and motivation during some of the most difficult moments of a child’s treatment journey.

By bringing these stories to life on screen, and in print, Wishes Are Medicine invites audiences to experience some of the same joy and possibility that wishes create for the children who receive them, making the emotional side of healing something audiences can see and feel for themselves. While wishes are often viewed as a "nice-to-have" experience for children facing critical illness and their families, they can be a transformative source of hope and resilience throughout a child's journey.

The impact of a wish can extend far beyond one child’s journey. Sharing stories of wish kids who found strength in their wishes can inspire others to help give that same experience to more sick children. At a time when Canadians are being asked to support an increasing number of urgent causes, demonstrating a lasting impact is critical to raising the funds needed to reach every eligible child.

At the heart of this Wishes Are Medicine campaign is the story of Damien, who was 12 years old and undergoing treatment for an aggressive form of cancer when his wish to become a paleontologist for a day was granted. A lifelong dinosaur enthusiast, Damien received a VIP, or “Very Important Paleontologist,” experience at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. More than a decade later, Damien is in full remission and joins thousands of wish alumni whose experiences demonstrate the lasting impact a wish can have during the most difficult chapters of a child's life.

Beyond Damien, Make-A-Wish Canada is highlighting the stories of wish kids from across the country, including Leena, who wished to meet a princess; Ruth, who wished to meet a unicorn; Nori, who wished to go to Comic-Con; and Cooper, who wished to meet his favourite wrestlers. Together, their stories show the many forms a wish can take as well as the hope, strength and joy each one brings to a child navigating critical illness.

“Wishes Are Medicine was founded on something wish families have always known: a wish is more than an experience. It’s a powerful source of hope and healing during a child’s treatment journey,” said Meaghan Stovel McKnight, Chief Executive Officer, Make-A-Wish Canada. “This next chapter brings that idea to life through the voices of wish alumni who know firsthand what a wish can mean during or after treatment. Healthcare professionals and wish families understand the hope, strength and resilience a wish can provide. Our goal is to help more Canadians understand that impact, too, so we can reach more children at a time when they need it most.”

To tell these stories, Make-A-Wish Canada worked with Zulu Alpha Kilo and Zulumatic Media, developing campaign films that put audiences inside the wish kids' own experiences rather than describing them from the outside. "By bringing wishes to life through the eyes of the kids who received them, we're helping people see and feel their power firsthand,” said Jenny Glover, Chief Creative Officer at Zulu Alpha Kilo. “A wish is more than a moment of escape: it can give a child hope and strength through some of their hardest days, and inspire others to make the same possible for every eligible child."

The latest Wishes Are Medicine campaign was developed in partnership with Zulu Alpha Kilo and Zulumatic Media and features wish alumni. The campaign was produced by Scouts Honour and TNT and filmed on location at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and Lakeridge Health in Oshawa.

KDSP Presents the Fifth Kirby Challenge Raising Funds for Breakthrough Type 1 Diabetes

noreply@blogger.com (Gloria J) — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 13:14:41 +0000

KDSP hosted its fifth Kirby Challenge on Sunday, October 4, raising donations for Breakthrough T1D, the leading global organization for Type 1 Diabetes research. After an eight-year hiatus, the adult field day fundraiser returned with its tried-and-true formula: one day, ten events, one big dumb trophy.

The Kirby Challenge began in 2015 and carried on through 2018. The first four Kirby Challenges were born of pure, unapologetic competitiveness: ten events, a lot of planning, and a lot of grown adults playing paintball, eating habanero peppers, and pulling hammys. Then Brock Kirby, chairman of the Kirby Challenge, went freelance, COVID hit, and a two-year pause turned into eight.

This year, the Kirby Challenge returned to raise funds for Breakthrough T1D, the leading global Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) research and advocacy organization. Donations came through via Kirby Challenge entrance fees for prospective challengers in honor of 13-year-old Teddy Kirby, Brock’s son, who was diagnosed with Breakthrough T1D in 2024. With no family history, the T1D diagnosis hit the Kirby family out of nowhere with a steep learning curve and a cognitive, emotional, and financial load that never clocks out.

The event was held in Sherwood, Oregon, at the Langer’s Entertainment Center, where participants took part in feats of strength and intelligence. The complete itinerary included Sit and Reach, Grip Strength, Pop-a-shot, Bowling, Darts, Sports & Pop Culture Trivia, Wall Sit, Vertical Leap, and Big Buck Hunter. The Kirby Challenge field was populated by family friends, agency friends, former professional athletes, an Olympian or two, and Teddy’s buddies. One champion emerged: Ben Donahue

“I started this thing because I wanted to beat my friends. I’m bringing it back, with my friends, because I want to beat this disease. And I will still also be trying to beat my friends,” remarks Kirby on the philanthropic field day presented by KDSP. “There is no cure. Yet. But the science is moving faster than ever. My son Teddy competes in lacrosse, basketball, track, and football. T1D adds a layer of difficulty to every practice and every game. He does hard things every day that nobody sees. This was for Teddy and for the millions of people with T1D who carry this thing around every single day. I’m endlessly thankful to everyone who came out to support.”

Scott Sullivan, a co-founder of KDSP, won the second annual Kirby Challenge in 2016. In its new form, the Challenge aimed the pent-up competitive energy that had lain dormant for eight years toward something that matters. Reemerging in 2026, it’s clear that the Kirby Challenge is back, older than ever, and here to stay for a good cause.

If you’d like to make a donation to T1D research, you can do so here: http://www2.breakthrought1d.org/goto/kirbychallenge.

Sweet Filmes Gets a CICLOPE Nod for “The Girl in the Mirror”

noreply@blogger.com (Rey B) — Fri, 02 Oct 2026 13:11:21 +0000

“The Girl in the Mirror” (“A Menina no Espelho”), produced by Sweet Filmes for Delboni, has been shortlisted at CICLOPE 2026 in AI in Animation, part of the AI Craft section. The shortlist was announced on 24 September 2026. The official selection lists the film as “The Girl in the Mirror — Delboni”.

Conceived by Nation and directed by Zaza, the film brings together animation and artificial intelligence in a story about vulnerability and compassionate care in healthcare settings.

Speaking at the campaign’s launch, Luciana Haguiara, founder and CCO of Nation, said: “We believe that caring also means making that person feel safe, welcomed and at ease.”

For Kako Tufano, executive producer at Sweet Filmes, experience in audiovisual production informs the use of new tools:

“The experience we have built in audiovisual production gives us the creative knowledge and judgment to work with artificial intelligence: understanding a scene’s intention, the rhythm of a story and the care needed to evoke emotion. That perspective guides every choice and contributes to the quality of the result. At the same time, AI makes it possible for more people to bring to life ideas that previously ran up against budget or production constraints. More people can turn what they imagine into images and stories. It is this combination of experience and new creative possibilities that excites us.”

Zaza, the project’s director, reflects on the nomination and the relationship between experimentation and storytelling:

“Receiving a CICLOPE nomination so early in my career means a great deal to me. I have always seen these awards as a benchmark for work that expands visual language and the ways we create images, so being among the nominees makes me very proud and, above all, eager to keep experimenting. This project was particularly interesting because it brought together two things that matter to me: the challenge of exploring artificial intelligence as a new creative tool, capable of opening up new visual possibilities, along with the entirely new creative process that came with it; and, at the same time, bringing my perspective as a director and screenwriter to a deeply human idea — helping make the world of medical tests, clinics and doctors a little less intimidating. I think it was precisely this meeting of technology and sensitivity that made the project so special to us.”

The CICLOPE 2026 winners will be announced on 8 October 2026 at the awards ceremony in Berlin.

CREDITS:

Client: Dasa – Delboni

Agency: Nation

Production company: Sweet Filmes

Direction, animation and AI: Zaza

Executive producers: Kako Tufano, Marcelo Campana, Brunno Papa and Hélio Ranieri

Audio production: A-Gandaia

CLEVO Turns Roblox’s Pay-to-Win Economy Into Real-World Support for Indonesian Farmers

noreply@blogger.com (Gloria J) — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 12:41:19 +0000

In the imaginary world of video games, farms typically look cozy and idyllic: there’s no risk of erratic weather, pests, rising input costs, the global energy crisis or the challenge of surviving a drought. And even if there were, a bad harvest could simply be restarted, or a failed crop resuscitated with a few clicks.

Flavoured milk brand CLEVO, in partnership with Publicis Indonesia, set out to turn the usual farming fantasy upside down with the goal of giving young Indonesians a deep appreciation for the country’s farmers – while empowering them to become part of the solution.

With the launch of The Hardest Farming Game on Roblox, developed by KARIS Studio, CLEVO is connecting the fun of gaming with real-world support for Indonesian farmers. The game features a farmer named Pak Sarno, who explains the difficulties of farming. Players must then grapple with pest threats, changing seasons and encroaching storms: fail to fertilize or water at precisely the right time, and their crops will shrivel and die.

The 100/10 difficulty is designed to give young players a taste of what farmers deal with every day. It also turns a universal gaming behaviour into tangible impact. Every day, millions of players spend virtual currency to move faster, unlock advantages and progress through digital worlds. Last year alone, Roblox's virtual economy generated billions of dollars globally.

With The Hardest Farming Game, CLEVO and Publicis Indonesia are turning the same Pay2Win behavior into impact beyond the screen: every in-game purchase supports the purchase of farming equipment and tools donated to Indonesian farmers.

Kristanto Kosasih, Senior Brand Manager at GarudaFood, explains: “We wanted to create an experience that could bring CLEVO into a space where young people already spend their time, while still staying true to what our brand stands for.”

The game supports CLEVO’s purpose, ‘Unlocking Play Today for Tomorrow’s Greatness’, built on the belief that play can help everyone to imagine, build and pursue a better future. It is also designed to engage kids, families and gamers within a familiar digital space: there are approximately 45 million Roblox users in Indonesia.

Ravi Shanker, Chief Creative Officer at Publicis Groupe Indonesia and Creative Lead for CLEVO, says: “Instead of making farming cozy and effortless, we turned players’ appetite for challenge into empathy for farmers, and the game’s economy into tangible support for them. If gamers are willing to spend hours fighting impossible challenges, why not turn that behavior into something useful to support the farmers that CLEVO relies on?”

The Hardest Farming Game has already caught the attention of streamers, Indonesian and international gamers and national broadcasters.

To play The Hardest Farming Game on Roblox, choose ‘farmer’ as your profession: https://www.roblox.com/games/128556531191609/Clevo-World

HATCH Takes ‘Eat In or Dine Out’ Behind the Camera for Season Two

noreply@blogger.com (Rey B) — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 14:14:07 +0000

HATCH is back in the kitchen for season two of its lively and candid video series, Eat In or Dine Out, which features top creative voices from across the marketing and advertising industry.

Each episode brings a marketing leader into the kitchen of Jennifer Harrington, HATCH's founder and CEO, to tackle a perennial dilemma: build an in-house team or partner with an outside agency?

(Left to Right) Victoria Griggs, Maddie Harrington, Jennifer Harrington

For episode three of season 2, Jennifer flipped the script and sits down with the team behind the show itself: Maddie Harrington, Creative Operations Manager and Agency Producer for Eat In or Dine Out, and Victoria Griggs, Executive Producer for the show and co-founder and Creative Director of Sweeter The Juice Films, a Boston-based production studio and HATCH's partner for the series.

The result is a look at what it takes to produce unscripted marketing content and what makes content work.

"It's hard to know what people are going to talk about when they come on screen," said Maddie. “It’s not scripted, so it's been a learning experience being behind the scenes and watching the conversation unfold.”

Victoria described the tabletop production puzzle of shooting in a working kitchen and noted the harder ask: getting camera-shy marketing guests to perform for the lens.

The trio also dug into a topic on every CMO's mind: what kind of content still lands. Victoria said she has grown increasingly focused on the generational divide in how audiences respond, noting that Gen Z gravitates toward user-generated, unscripted-feeling content over the polished, “bells and whistles” advertising that came before it. She pointed to a stretch of viral fashion marketing stunts that looked spontaneous but were tightly planned as an example of what she calls the “uncanny valley of advertising.”

“What people want is the story behind the actual person,” Victoria said.

Maddie and Victoria pointed to longer-form branded content, including work from Krispy Kreme and agency High Dive's campaign for KFC, as proof that giving a brand story room to breathe builds a different kind of connection than a traditional commercial does.

"A story feels very different than being sold," Victoria said. "I think longer-form content helps people create that connection."

Quenlin Blackwell (Left) inspirational cooking show (Feeding Starving Celebrities)

Jennifer credited the pair with giving the show its distinct feel on LinkedIn, where the series has built a following for standing out in a feed dominated by traditional business content.

“You can’t read your way to understanding where advertising is going,” Harrington said. “You have to sit with people who see it differently than you do, and some of them are going to be half your age. Maddie and Victoria push back on me constantly, and that is the whole point of building a team that doesn’t sound like one person.”

This episode of Eat In or Dine Out is now available on HATCH’s YouTube channel and website. Season two is in production, with new episodes and guests to be announced.

ABOUT VICTORIA ASHLY GRIGGS

Victoria Ashly Griggs is a producer, director, creative executive and co-founder of Sweeter The Juice Films. With a multidisciplinary background spanning design, photography and nearly every phase of physical production, Griggs brings both a creative and deeply production-minded perspective to her work across commercial, branded, documentary and narrative storytelling.

Her recent directing work includes projects for Roxbury Community College, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Texture Takes The Stage, where she directed a cinematic piece featuring actress and Sweet Blackberry founder Karyn Parsons exploring identity, representation and the cultural significance of natural textured hair. As Executive Producer of HATCH's Eat In or Dine Out, Griggs brings that same interest in human-centered storytelling to the branded content space, exploring how brands can build stronger connections with audiences through personality, culture and story.

Griggs' broader production experience includes work for brands and organizations including New Balance, Nespresso, Sam Adams, Hasbro, Dunkin', CVS, MBTA, Marshalls, TJ Maxx and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, as well as entertainment and editorial projects for Hulu, MasterClass and Vogue.

Beyond her production work, Griggs serves on the board of The Secret Society of Black Creatives (SSBC), a nonprofit working to advance equity and opportunity within the creative economy. Her work both on set and within Boston's broader creative community reflects a commitment to expanding who has access to the industry, who gets to shape its stories and what those stories can look like.

ABOUT SWEETER THE JUICE FILMS

Sweeter The JuiceFilms (STJF) is a BIPOC- and woman-owned production company co-founded by Victoria Ashly Griggs and Gregory Warfield Jr. Working across commercial, branded, documentary and narrative storytelling, STJF partners with agencies, brands and organizations to bring creative concepts from development through production and post.

With roots in Boston and New England and the ability to scale for productions beyond the region, STJF combines creative development with nimble, experienced production teams built around the needs of each project. Its work is grounded in strong storytelling, collaborative production and the belief that representation behind the camera helps create richer work in front of it.

For Eat In or Dine Out, STJF serves as HATCH’s production partner, with Griggs executive producing the series and helping shape its visual language, production approach and on-screen storytelling.

ABOUT HATCH

HATCH is an independent, women-owned agency that serves growth-hungry brands a customizable combo of creative capabilities and expertly sourced marketing talent, all from one strategic partner. Because as marketing leaders flex, adjust and pivot to stretch fluctuating budgets, hit moving targets and stay ahead of the competition, they need on-demand access to both fresh creative ideas and ready-to-roll talent. HATCH clients include Peabody Essex Museum, Point32 Solutions, Hood, Quicken, and Babson College. Learn more at hatchtheagency.com.

Sir John Hegarty, Juliana Paracencio Among Speakers at ADCE Creative Week 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Gloria J) — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 12:20:00 +0000

ADCE Creative Week returns to Barcelona from 17-20 November, featuring four dynamic days of activities, including international judging, portfolio reviews, Awards Galas, and the highly anticipated ADCE Creative Leaders Summit.

Adapted from The One Club for Creativity’s long-running Executive Creative Summit, the ADCE Creative Leaders Summit is an exclusive event that brings together agency leaders, founders, and senior executives to share perspectives, navigate industry change, and explore what it takes to lead with clarity, conviction, and responsibility.

Centred on the core theme of “Relationships”, this year’s Summit looks beyond the final creative output to examine the human connections that make great ideas possible: trust between clients and agencies, chemistry within creative teams, conversations that spark new thinking, and relationships that transform bold ideas into extraordinary work.

Over two days, 16 industry leaders will take part in 13 sessions, offering candid perspectives and practical insights on the issues shaping their businesses and the wider creative industry — many extending far beyond the traditional scope of creativity.

Designed as an exclusive programme, the Summit creates a rare space for open conversation, meaningful exchange, and ideas that can be taken back to teams and organisations. A limited number of seats are available. Please visit the festival website for more details and to register.

Confirmed ADCE Creative Leaders Summit speakers include:

Sir John Hegarty - Creative Director & Co-Founder, The Business of Creativity
Juliana Paracencio - Executive Creative Director, Droga5
Dustin Duke - Global Executive Creative Director, Brand Innovation Lab at Amazon Ads
Anna Berbiela - Founding Partner, SMLXL
Guillem Casasus - Co-Founder, SMLXL
Liza Enebeis - CD and Partner, Studio Dumbar/DEPT
Sophia Lindholm - Independent Creative Leader
Tiffany Rolfe - Chair and Global Chief Creative Officer, R/GA
Pablo Widmer - Global Head of Product Design, Breitling
Laura Amarelle - Global Head of Brand Communications, Breitling
Martell Beck - Head of Marketing & PR, Deutsche Bahn
Malcolm Poynton - Former Global CCO, Cheil Worldwide
Koka Kamushadze - Managing Partner, Playmakers
Ulrich Klenke - Chief Brand Officer, Deutsche Telekom
Abel Sanchez-Hermosilla Martinez - EMEA Head of Brands Innovation, HP
Corina Alexandra Pop - EMEA Creative Services Lead, HP

The sessions will explore relationships from every angle, including client-agency dynamics, creative co-leadership, and organizational trust.

ADCE Creative Week 2026 full programme

17 November, 2026

ADCE 2026 Awards judging (not open to the public)
ADCE Creative Express, an educational initiative designed to inspire the next generation of creative talent through a collaborative international challenge.

18 November, 2026

ADCE Awards judging, final round (open to the public)
ADCE Creative Express, final presentations
Portfolio Review, connecting students and emerging creatives with representatives from 25 leading agencies for direct feedback, career advice, and insight into the industry.
ADCE Student Awards Gala

19 November, 2026

Creative Leaders Summit
The One Club AI Creative Challenge, bringing participants on stage to tackle a surprise creative brief using AI-powered tools in real time.

20 November, 2026

Creative Leaders Summit
ADCE Awards Gala & Closing Party

Additional details can be found here.

Mekanism Gives AI a Break at Advertising Week

noreply@blogger.com (Rey B) — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 02:04:58 +0000

As the advertising industry prepares for another Advertising Week dominated by conversations about artificial intelligence, Advertising Week New York 2026 is taking a decidedly different approach: give AI a break.

In partnership with Mekanism, Advertising Week New York is launching “Give AI a Break,” a playful campaign that imagines what might happen if the AI tools marketers rely on every day simply decided they had done enough.

The campaign’s centerpiece is ChatGPTO, an AI chatbot that has officially gone out of office ahead of Advertising Week New York 2026.

Ask ChatGPTO to write a launch headline, build a Q4 strategy deck or design a poster, and it refuses. Instead, its auto-reply explains that it is “out of the server” until its humans return from Advertising Week, directing visitors to go talk to a real human instead.

Join Us Human to Human

The campaign is designed to start conversations before attendees even arrive at Advertising Week.

QR codes featured directly on Advertising Week posters will send people into the ChatGPTO experience, while digital out-of-home placements will feature the message “Join Us Human to Human” alongside the QR code.

The campaign also gives some of advertising’s most familiar AI tools a playful reality check, with creative lines including:

“Firefly is totally burned out. Rekindle your own creative spark off-screen.”
“Perplexity could use some clarity. Ask the hard questions to real people live.”
“Give the GPUs a three-day weekend. Overheat your imagination at AWNY.”
“Your Co-Pilot could use more me-time. Try flying solo at AWNY.”

The campaign is part of Mekanism’s broader “Give AI a Break” initiative, rolling out ahead of and during Advertising Week through social, OOH and film.

An AI Support Group for Overworked Machines

A 60-second film created by Mekanism takes the idea even further, portraying AI models as members of an AI support group.

Watch the 60-second Mekanism film

In the film, Chad (ChatGPT), Claudette (Claude) and Jiminy (Gemini) are brought to life as exhausted, overworked characters sharing their creative grievances and war stories after being constantly asked to create, analyze and solve problems for humans.

The campaign isn't suggesting that AI is going away. Instead, it asks whether an industry that increasingly relies on AI might benefit from occasionally stepping away from the technology.

“Advertising Week has always been about bringing the industry together to exchange ideas, challenge each other and make connections that continue long after the event ends,” said Ruth Mortimer, Global President of Advertising Week. “As AI becomes an increasingly important part of our industry, creating space for those human interactions is just as important. Mekanism’s ‘Give AI a Break’ campaign captures that spirit in a way that is playful, timely, and very Advertising Week.”

Putting Human Connection Back in the Spotlight

At a time when virtually every corner of advertising is grappling with what AI means for creativity, production and the future of the industry, “Give AI a Break” uses AI as the setup for a very human message.

Rather than arguing that marketers should stop using AI, the campaign asks whether the technology has become so ubiquitous that occasionally stepping away from it can itself become creatively valuable.

“AI has become such a large part of every advertising conversation that we thought the most unexpected thing we could do at Advertising Week was give it the week off,” said Jason Harris, CEO at Mekanism. “When you’re surrounded by technology, sometimes the most interesting thing you can do is put down the screen, and talk to someone human to human.”

At an event built around the future of advertising, Advertising Week New York is making a simple invitation: give the machines a break and make some human connections.

Babysense True Sleep Review: A Baby Monitor That Goes Beyond Video

noreply@blogger.com (Rey B) — Mon, 28 Sep 2026 02:11:00 +0000

For new parents, a baby monitor can quickly become one of those nursery products that gets used every day — and night. The Babysense True Sleep takes the traditional video monitor a step further by combining HD video monitoring with non-contact breathing-movement detection.

The system pairs the Babysense 7 Movement Monitor with the HD S2 Video Baby Monitor, giving parents two ways to keep an eye on their baby while they sleep.

The Best Feature: Non-Contact Breathing Monitoring

One of the most unique feature of this package is the Babysense 7.

Instead of attaching a wearable device to your sleeping baby, Babysense uses two sensor pads that are placed underneath the mattress. The sensors are designed to detect subtle movements associated with breathing without making physical contact.

For parents who don't want their baby wearing a monitoring device, this is one of the most appealing aspects of the True Sleep system. Babysense says the sensors can alert parents if micro-movements stop for 20 seconds or if movement becomes irregular.

The Video Monitor is Another Great Feature

The HD S2 video monitor includes a 5-inch 720p HD color display, while the camera offers remote pan, tilt and zoom capabilities. It also features night vision, two-way audio, an adjustable night light, white noise, lullabies and temperature alerts.

Split-screen viewing is another useful feature. The system can support up to four cameras, allowing parents to monitor different rooms or children. Two camera feeds can be viewed side-by-side on the screen.

A Must-Have for Parents Wanting Privacy & Security

One of the most interesting things about the Babysense True Sleep is that it doesn't require Wi-Fi to work!

With no Wi-Fi setup, smartphone app or monthly subscription, the HD S2 uses a relatively secure, private FHSS wireless connection, with Babysense listing a range of up to 1,000 feet in open space.

That could appeal to parents who would rather keep their nursery monitor off the internet and away from potential hackers.

What It's Like to Use

Independent testing has also highlighted the system's everyday usability. In a 12-week Mumsnet test, the reviewer found the monitor straightforward to set up and praised its video and sound quality, signal reliability and accessible controls.

There are some practical considerations. The breathing-monitoring system requires its own battery-powered sensor unit, and positioning the sensor system correctly can take some effort.

Is Babysense True Sleep Worth Considering?

The appeal of Babysense True Sleep is that it combines non-contact breathing-movement monitoring, HD video, night vision, two-way audio, remote camera control and nursery-friendly features in one system.

Its strongest differentiator is the under-mattress movement monitoring, while the no-Wi-Fi design, dedicated parent display and multiple-camera capability add to its appeal.

For parents looking for a baby-monitoring system that goes beyond video without requiring a wearable device or internet connection, Babysense True Sleep is an option worth considering.

As with any baby monitor, it should be used as an additional monitoring tool alongside established safe-sleep practices and appropriate parental supervision.

McDonald’s and Leo UK Bring Fans their Most-Wanted with Return of ‘World Menu Heist’

noreply@blogger.com (Rey B) — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 13:54:23 +0000

Following the success of last year’s ‘World Menu Heist’, Leo UK and McDonald’s are back with an even bigger operation, bringing nine menu items from eight countries to the UK and Ireland.

First launched by Leo UK in 2025, ‘World Menu Heist’ was built on a simple fan truth: for years, McDonald’s fans had taken to social media to share their envy that some of the brand’s most-loved menu items were not available in the UK. Leo UK turned that global food FOMO into a heist, bringing international favourites home. The platform was adapted by McDonald’s markets around the world, with over fourty markets running their own heist.

This year, Leo UK and McDonald’s used social listening to identify fans’ most-wanted menu items and turn them into the targets of a new global operation. The haul features nine products from eight countries; the biggest number of new items McDonald’s UK has launched within a single campaign. These include Germany’s Big Rösti, Canada’s Maple & Cheddar Chicken and China’s Szechuan Sauce.

The campaign is fuelled by creators acting as ‘the insiders’ and amplified by partners acting as ‘the reporters’, letting fans participate in the heist through classified intel, creator content and real-time updates. From launch, a LADbible partnership will see a former detective analyse the hero film for clues about the heist.

Inspired by classic heist films, the campaign unfolds across five stages: Plan, Execute, Plot Twist, Execute and Dispose. It follows the McDonald’s crew as they track down fans’ most-wanted products, steal them from around the world and bring them home.

The campaign launches with the first of two 30-second hero films created by Leo UK on 22 September. The first spot follows the crew securing and transporting McDonald’s goods from around the globe before a golden McDonald’s parachute carries the haul to safety. The film is supported by 10-second spots and dedicated McDelivery creative. The second 30-second film will follow the ‘plot twist’ on 20 October.

The golden vault idea extends across OOH advertising, where the international products sit on solid-gold vaults like valuable pieces of loot. The entire in-restaurant experience is re-designed to let fans participate in the heist, with hero stunts including a golden parachute resting across the Golden Arches, as if the haul has just landed.

Hannah Pain, Marketing and Menu Director at McDonald’s UK, states, “Our fans are very good at telling us which McDonald’s products they want us to bring home next, so this year we listened. But every good heist has a plot twist, so watch this space. We may not be finished yet.”

On 25 September, media and creators will be invited to an immersive London event set inside the secure vault where the stolen menu items are being kept. Guests will taste the menu, explore the heist world and co-create content to share across their channels.

Launching on 22 September, the eight-week campaign is extended from five weeks in 2025 and will run across TV, cinema, out-of-home advertising, social, radio, CRM, partnerships, activations and events.

Jason Keet and James Hodson, Creative Directors at Leo UK, adds, “McDonald’s fans gave us the targets. We just planned the heist. That is what fan-fuelled creativity means to us at Leo UK: listening to what people genuinely want and turning it into an idea everyone can enjoy. After last year’s campaign travelled around the globe, we knew the next heist had to go bigger. More loot, more accomplices and a twist halfway through. It would have been criminal not to.”

The campaign was created by Leo UK for McDonald’s, with Leo UK leading creative, digital and social. Media planning and buying was handled by OMD. PR, events and influencer activity were handled by Red Consultancy. Social partnerships were handled by LADbible. CRM was handled by TMW, digital activation by TMS, and POP and in-restaurant communications by Linney.

Meet “Old Man Winter” in CEMA and Decker’s Latest Advertising Campaign

noreply@blogger.com (Rey B) — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 13:00:48 +0000

As summer winds down, Connecticut homeowners may not be thinking about winter just yet. But one familiar seasonal villain is already preparing for his return — and he’s coming back with a serious grudge against heating bills.

"If you’re a homeowner in Connecticut still warm from the last golden days of summer, there’s a good chance you haven’t given much thought to the cold temps that are right around the corner!" notes Decker SVP Strategy, Andrew Kesin.

Unfortunately, that’s all Old Man Winter has been thinking about.

In a new campaign from Connecticut EnergyMarketers Association (CEMA) and Decker in conjunction with National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA), Old Man Winter is getting ready to unleash absolute freezing temps. His gym is frozen, just like his soul. And he won’t give a second thought to driving up residents’ heating bills. While Old Man Winter becomes a fully-realized brand character, the message sent to residents in Connecticut is clear. It’s time to prepare for colder temperatures with Bioheat® Fuel, a cost-effective, reliable and environmentally friendly home heating solution.

For CEMA, the campaign uses humor and an unexpected character to remind homeowners that preparing for winter also means thinking about how they heat their homes.

Chris Herb, President, CEMA states, "Winter sneaks up on us all, and this campaign is a great reminder that Bioheat is an environmentally friendly way to heat your home when the weather turns cold. Just over half of homes in Connecticut rely on Bioheat to stay warm, so this humorous consumer awareness campaign is an effective way to show homeowners that the fuel they use is taking care of their family and the environment around them."

The creative team took the familiar idea of Old Man Winter and gave him a decidedly unconventional personality.

Dom DeLoya, Creative Director, Decker, adds, "You know an idea is worth pursuing when it’s this effortlessly memorable. Personifying winter as a geriatric gym bro who’s training with the sole purpose to wreak absolute havoc on your heating bill was conceptually sharp and absurd in the best ways. We wanted to create something people would laugh at but also pay attention to. And while Old Man Winter may not have the warm heart and soul of Rocky, he still has the same no-quit attitude we gravitate toward."

The “Old Man Winter” campaign launched in September and is running on Connected TV, Social, and Digital channels across Connecticut.

CREDITS:

Agency: Decker

Creative Director: Dom DeLoya

President: Kathy Boucher

Animation Studio: Dunwell

Creative Director: Ryan Dunn

SVP Strategy: Andrew Kesin

The One Club Hosts Gala Induction Ceremony For 2026 Creative Hall of Fame

noreply@blogger.com (Gloria J) — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 12:38:29 +0000

The One Club for Creativity inducted the latest esteemed group of legends in advertising, design, and education into the prestigious Creative Hall of Fame at a gala black-tie ceremony last week at Capitale in New York.

The evening also included Apple as the first brand to be inducted into the newly established Brand Hall of Fame.

Formed in 1961, the Creative Hall of Fame has a rich heritage of honoring the lifetime achievements of creative luminaries, including Walt Disney, Andy Warhol, Annie Leibovitz, Gordon Parks, and others.

This year’s illustrious inductees are as follows.

Creative Hall of Fame

Rosie Arnold, one of the most awarded art directors in British advertising history, spent more than three decades shaping iconic work at BBH and championing creative excellence throughout the industry.
Janet Champ, Wieden+Kennedy copywriter behind Nike’s groundbreaking “If You Let Me Play” campaign, transformed how brands communicate with women through work rooted in truth, empathy, and cultural impact.
John C Jay, a visionary creative leader whose influence spans retail, advertising, fashion, and culture, helped shape brands including Nike and Uniqlo while pioneering a new model of culturally driven creativity.
Caroline R. Jones, formerly of J. Walter Thompson, BBDO, Caroline Jones Advertising, Zebra Associates, and Mingo-Jones, trailblazing copywriter, the first black female vice-president at a major agency.
Piyush Pandey, widely regarded as the father of modern Indian advertising at Ogilvy, transformed the industry by bringing the language, humor, and humanity of everyday India into the heart of brand storytelling. Accepting was his brother Prasoon Pandey, celebrated ad creative and film director.
Joyce King Thomas, the creative force behind McCann’s iconic “Priceless” campaign for Mastercard, helped redefine emotional storytelling in advertising while becoming one of the industry’s most respected creative leaders and mentors.

Educators Hall of Fame

Michael Conrad, former Global CCO at Leo Burnett Worldwide and co-founder of the Berlin School of Creative Leadership, helped shape generations of creative leaders while elevating standards across the global advertising industry.

Brand Hall of Fame

In recognition of 50 years of design, branding, and communications innovation and leadership, Apple has been selected as the first brand to be inducted into the newly established Brand Hall of Fame. Apple cofounder Steve Jobs was inducted into the Creative Hall of Fame in 2012. Accepting was Tor Myhren, Apple Vice President of Marketing Communications.

Background

Every two years, creatives and educators are nominated for the Creative Hall of Fame by The One Club membership, while brands are shortlisted based on over 100 years of global One Show and Art Directors Club ADC Annual Awards competition wins.

Candidates go through a voting process involving past Creative Hall of Fame inductees and The One Club’s National and International Board of Directors. The next public call for nominations will open in the summer of 2027.

Criteria for being considered for the Creative Hall of Fame is three-fold: impact of their body of work, influence they’ve had on the industry, and inspiration on the next generation of creative leaders.

More information can be found on the Creative Hall of Fame website.

ABOUT THE ONE CLUB FOR CREATIVITY

The One Club for Creativity – home of The One Show, the global Art Directors Club ADC Annual Awards, Art Directors Club of Europe (ADCE) awards, Type Directors Club TDC competition and scholarships, ADC Young Guns, Young Ones Student Awards, Next Creative Leaders, ONE Creator Lab, WAATBP Essentials career fair, Portfolio Night, Creative Week, and more – is the world’s foremost non-profit organization whose mission is to support and celebrate the success of the global creative community. Revenue generated from entries to its global awards shows goes back into the industry to fund programs that support industry access, creative education, professional development, and enhancement of creative careers around the world.

New bibigo™ Campaign Turns Randall Park into a K-pop Singer

noreply@blogger.com (Gloria J) — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 13:18:58 +0000

Korea Everywhere

bibigo™, the #1 Korean-style food brand in the U.S., is inviting people to make Korean-style food their new go-to in the kitchen. The new campaign brings back Korean-American actor Randall Park in four distinct personas that represent the different ways that Korean culture has been showing up in mainstream pop culture around the world, leading industries in K-beauty to K-pop. Yet, Korean food isn’t as widely adopted. That’s why bibigo is here to change that.

Known for his comedic chops, Randall takes us through a few scenes, showing up as himself, a beauty influencer, an animated superhero, and a member of a K-pop boy band. From street food stalls to the stage and finishing in the kitchen – bibigo shares its wide selection of products ranging from frozen to shelf-stable, single serve bowls, snacks, appetizers and sauces. The spot doesn’t just showcase the success of K-culture around the world, but also leverages the hype to spotlight Korean-style food.

“Our first masterbrand campaign, K-food 101, invited Americans to ‘bibigo™ for it’ and focused on encouraging Americans to try the many different and delicious types of Korean-style food. That’s still a priority, but the new work leans into the overall impact that Korean culture and K-lifestyle have had in the U.S. and around the world,” says Federico Arreola, president of Asian Cuisine division at CJ Schwan’s. “It was an easy decision to welcome Randall Park back on set. As an iconic Korean in Hollywood, we knew he could connect with audiences and encourage them to try authentic Korean flavors.”

86% of Americans are ‘meal repeaters,’ who regularly eat the same meals at home, yet 70% of consumers prefer to get Asian food from restaurants. “We asked ourselves how we could bring authentic Korean flavors into the cooking rotation.” says Jonathan Lavoie, Creative Director at Rethink. “Tenets of Korean culture are everywhere, from music and fashion to film and television. bibigo is an undeniably Korean brand that is bringing authentic Korean flavors to households across North America, and hopefully, Korea’s favorite will be everyone’s new go-to.”

The “K-wave” (or “hallyu” in Korean) speaks to the global popularity and cultural export of South Korea’s entertainment, music, and lifestyle, featuring K-pop, K-dramas and K-beauty. From the Grammys to the Emmys to the Academy Awards, Koreans and Korean-Americans, like Randall Park, are finding success in their various endeavours.

“It’s amazing to see how much the world has welcomed Korean culture, from music to K-beauty to the Oscars,” says actor Park. “Korean food is my absolute favorite, and I’m excited for more people to discover what makes K-food truly one of a kind.”

bibigo’s partnership with Randall Park is part of the brand’s ongoing mission to champion Korean cuisine to an international audience. This effort builds upon the recent appointment of popular K-pop group ALPHA DRIVE ONE (AKA ALD1) as their new global brand ambassadors, in line with the brand’s established history of partnering with influential Korean figures worldwide.

Rethink led on strategy and creative, with Mediahub on media. The “Korea Everywhere” campaign, anchored with a 30s spot and two 15s cutdowns, is currently rolling out across television and social media channels.

Rebecca Sharon Named Partner and Managing Director at Obsessed Media

noreply@blogger.com (Rey B) — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 13:38:51 +0000

Obsessed Media has named Rebecca Sharon Partner and Managing Director, strengthening its leadership team as the company enters its next phase of growth.

As a partner in the business, Sharon will work alongside founders Barry Dan, CEO and Danny Weisman, Chief Media Officer to help scale Obsessed Media while protecting the foundation of its model: giving clients direct access to senior, unbiased strategic advisers. Her role will be to build the systems and structure that allow the agency to grow without adding layers between clients and experienced counsel—or compromising the independence that keeps its recommendations focused on what will work best for the client.

The appointment comes amid rapid growth for Obsessed Media, which launched in April 2025. In just over a year, the agency has grown from two founders to a team of nine and built a roster of 16+ clients, including Hinge, Midi Health, Meow Wolf, Acorns, Navan, New York Redbulls, and Paze. Many relationships have also expanded from initial audits or strategic projects into broader, long-term engagements.

As part of the leadership team, Sharon will lead new business, internal operations and client satisfaction—shaping which opportunities the agency pursues and how it wins them as it expands beyond largely word-of-mouth growth, overseeing the team and operating systems behind the work, and maintaining the quality of both the work and the client experience. Barry Dan and Danny Weisman will continue to lead the strategic media thinking and counsel at the center of Obsessed Media’s client work.

“Growth has been happening to us, which is a great problem to have, but we wanted to be more intentional about where we go from here,” said Barry Dan, co-founder and CEO of Obsessed Media. “Rebecca brings the experience to build for growth along with a deep understanding of the media landscape, which means she can help us grow the business while keeping that growth connected to why we started Obsessed in the first place.”

“The current media ecosystem has evolved to favor big brands. For everyone else, it just doesn’t work,” said Sharon. “I joined Obsessed Media because it’s built for growth-stage brands that need a media partner focused on their business problems and real business outcomes—not just throwing more media at it.”

Sharon brings extensive agency and brand experience to Obsessed Media. Most recently at Noble People, she grew her work with Coca-Cola from Honest Tea into a broader portfolio that included Peace Tea, ZICO, Dunkin’ RTD and Minute Maid Spiked, while also leading work for clients including Nickelodeon, Glossier, PayPal, Splunk and CrowdStrike. She began her career at Wieden+Kennedy New York, working with ABC Entertainment across communications, media and account management.

About Obsessed Media

Obsessed Media is an independent media agency built to make media work better for growth-stage and enterprise brands. Founded by media executives Barry Dan and Danny Weisman, Obsessed gives clients direct access to senior strategists and operates with an independent, outcome-focused model designed to eliminate media waste and improve business performance. The agency works across the full media ecosystem, helping brands identify what isn’t working, redirect investment and build smarter strategies focused on what needs to happen for media to be seen, trusted and remembered. In just over a year, Obsessed has grown to 16+ clients, including Hinge, Midi Health, Meow Wolf, Acorns, Navan and Paze.

Yann-Gaël Cobigo and Thibault Michal Join Publicis Conseil as Executive Creative Directors

noreply@blogger.com (Gloria J) — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 12:26:22 +0000

Publicis Conseil has announced the appointment of Yann-Gaël Cobigo and Thibault Michal as Executive Creative Directors. They will help shape and lead global creative strategies for several of the agency's major international brands.

Originally from Paris, Yann-Gaël and Thibault have spent most of their careers in London, working at agencies including R/GA, Media Arts Lab, BBH and VML. Along the way, they have created and led international campaigns for some of the world's most iconic brands, including Apple, Audi, Heinz, The Athletic and Coca-Cola.

Marco Venturelli, CEO and CCO of Publicis Conseil notes, “Yann-Gaël and Thibault bring real experience in global brands and international creation. Their arrival adds even more strength to our teams in areas that are increasingly important to our clients. We're delighted to welcome them to Publicis Conseil."

Over the past three years at Ogilvy WPP/Open X, they played a key role in some of Coca-Cola's most high-profile global work. From “The World Needs More Santas,” the brand's 2023 global Christmas campaign, to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, they helped create campaigns designed to connect with culture on a global scale. They also led the recent worldwide collaboration between Coca-Cola and Star Wars, bringing together two icons of contemporary popular culture.

Their work has been recognised at many of the world's leading international creative festivals. Their Coca-Cola Paris 2024 campaign has also become part of the permanent collection of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.

Their arrival marks another step in Publicis Conseil's international growth and further strengthens the agency's global creative expertise.

“Joining Publicis Conseil at such an exciting moment in its journey is a fantastic opportunity. We've long admired the creative ambition Marco Venturelli, Agathe Bousquet and the entire team have built here. We share the belief that the strongest ideas are those that can cross cultural borders while remaining deeply human. We're thrilled to begin this new chapter together,” added Yann-Gaël Cobigo and Thibault Michal.

The One Club and CapCut Announce Major Global AI Partnership

noreply@blogger.com (Rey B) — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 13:17:00 +0000

The One Club for Creativity, the world’s foremost nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the global creative community, announced a major agreement with CapCut, part of ByteDance, to serve as the club’s premier global AI partner.

CapCut is a leading AI-powered photo and video editing app for everyone, available for desktop, mobile, and pad. The fast-growing platform provides users with a complete package that includes graphic design, team collaboration, and more, with advanced AI technology infused at every turn.

The partnership encompasses four of the club’s major global awards shows, where CapCut’s involvement will include:

Creation of a new custom category in the upcoming Art Directors Club’s ADC Annual Awards, to be announced in October;
Serving as presenting partner of ADC Young Guns 24, the leading global competition to celebrate creative professionals age 30 or younger, which is now open for entry;
A special CapCut brief competition as part of the Young Ones Student Awards, one of the world’s most acclaimed competitive showcases for advertising, digital communication, and design students, with the chance for them to earn a prestigious One Show Pencil, ADC Cube, Type Directors Club TDC Award or Portfolio Award;
Serving as the presenting partner of The One Show 2027 Creative Use of AI discipline;
A series of in-person and virtual creative events, and a related creator content series, to be announced shortly.

The partnership represents an expansion of The One Club’s successful relationship with ByteDance.

It follows TikTok’s 2023 founding partnership of The One Club’s ground-breaking ONE Creator Lab, the industry’s first and only tuition-free program to help content creators learn the skills required to launch their careers in the advertising and marketing industry. TikTok also partnered with the club last year for the inaugural One Show Best Use of TikTok award.

Also in 2026, the club’s ADC Annual Awards formed an exclusive partnership with Dreamina AI for the free ADC AI Visual Design-Dreamina AI category dedicated to honoring the frontier of generative craft.

“As AI becomes an increasingly important part of the creative process, this partnership brings together our shared commitment to championing exceptional work and the people pushing creativity forward,” said Adam Izen, Chief Awards Officer at The One Club. “We’re thankful to the team at CapCut and look forward to working with them to help define what creative excellence looks like in the age of AI.”

ABOUT CAPCUT

CapCut is the leading AI-powered photo and video editing platform for everyone. Users can make professional video creation and editing fast, simple, and accessible for every creator. Instead of dealing with complicated software, CapCut offers a clean interface, smart AI tools, and powerful editing features that speed up workflow. By enabling instant video generation and precise timeline controls, the app is built to help users create polished content in minutes.

ABOUT THE ONE CLUB FOR CREATIVITY

The One Club for Creativity – home of The One Show, ADC Annual Awards, Art Directors Club of Europe (ADCE) awards, ONE Asia Creative Awards, Type Directors Club TDC competition and scholarships, ADC Young Guns, Young Ones Student Awards, WAATBP Essentials career fair, ONE Creator Lab, Portfolio Night, Creative Week, and more – is the world’s foremost non-profit organization whose mission is to support and celebrate the success of the global creative community. Revenue generated from entries to its global awards shows goes back into the industry to fund programs that support industry access, creative education, professional development, and enhancement of creative careers around the world.

Pure Leaf Serves Up a ‘Break Conference’ With Tennis Star Amanda Anisimova

noreply@blogger.com (Rey B) — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 13:13:46 +0000

In tennis, breaks aren't interruptions; they're part of the game. From changeovers to set breaks, players know that the right pause can help them return stronger.

Pure Leaf believes the same is true beyond the court. In today's always-on culture, where people feel constant pressure to keep going, a small break with a refreshing, naturally caffeinated Pure Leaf Iced Tea can help people reset and recharge so they can return ready to take on whatever the day brings with confidence.

That's why Pure Leaf is bringing its tea breaks platform to one of the biggest moments in tennis through a partnership with Ana Anisimova, limited-edition tennis-inspired merchandise and an interactive fan experience in New York City.

At the center of the campaign is a surprise that transformed what Anisimova thought would be a routine press conference into something much more meaningful.

From Press Conference to ‘Break Conference’

Anisimova knows firsthand that meaningful breaks can be game changers.

After stepping away from professional tennis in 2023 to intentionally reset, she returned to the game and propelled herself into a Top 10 spot among the world's leading female tennis players—an inspiring comeback.

To spotlight the power of meaningful breaks, Pure Leaf surprised Anisimova during the height of the 2026 tennis season with a much-needed tea break.

What she thought was a routine press conference turned into a "Break Conference"—a quiet, revitalizing moment dedicated to simply taking a break, reconnecting with loved ones and enjoying Pure Leaf Iced Tea, free of snapping cameras and rapid-fire questions.

The moment was captured on film and will debut across Pure Leaf's social channels, complemented by additional video content highlighting Anisimova's personal journey.

“Taking a break from tennis gave me the time and space I needed to reset,” said Anisimova. “The experience taught me that a break doesn’t mean you’ve lost your drive. It can be exactly what you need to come back stronger, with a fresh perspective and greater confidence.”

Introducing the Set Break Collection

Pure Leaf is also giving fans a new way to tap into the excitement of peak tennis season with its tennis-inspired Set Break Collection.

Designed to inspire game-changing breaks during the afternoon slump, the limited-edition collection features a lineup of tennis-inspired prizes, exclusive merchandise and free Pure Leaf Iced Tea.

Beginning August 30 and continuing throughout the height of tennis season, fans can enter for a chance to win Set Break Collection drops by commenting on each specific drop post on Pure Leaf’s Instagram (@PureLeaf). Each drop will open at 3 PM ET and close at 11:59 PM ET on the date listed below. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to legal residents OF THE 50 U.S./D.C., 18+ and age of majority (19+ in AL & NE). Ends 2:59 p.m. ET 9/14/26. Void where prohibited. Official Rules: https://fooji.info/PureLeafRules for complete details.

The collection includes seven different drops:

Drop #1: A Year’s Supply of Pure Leaf Iced Tea
August 30–September 1

A year's supply of real brewed Pure Leaf Iced Tea, complete with a custom cooler to keep every bottle chilled and ready for the perfect tea break.

Drop #2: Premium At-Home Mocktail Kit
September 2–3

A courtside classic reimagined for the perfect tea break. The premium at-home mocktail kit pairs Pure Leaf Iced Tea with tennis-inspired glassware, elevated accessories and more.

Drop #3: The Reset Set
September 4–5

A chic Pure Leaf-inspired tennis apparel collection made for both on- and off-court moments, featuring classic court-ready pieces, a cable-knit sweater and a visor.

Drop #4: Amanda Anisimova-Signed Racquet
September 6–7

Fans can get the chance to own Amanda Anisimova's racquet model of choice, signed by the tennis star herself.

Drop #5: Custom Pure Leaf Racquet Bag
September 8–9

A sleek custom Pure Leaf racquet bag designed with quality leather and embroidered to carry every match-day essential—with dedicated space for a racquet, tennis must-haves and, most importantly, an ice-cold Pure Leaf waiting when it's time to reset.

Drop #6: Tennis Net Hammock
September 10–11

A limited-edition hammock crafted from upcycled tennis nets and signed by Anisimova, inviting fans to stretch out, slow down and savor a break between busy moments.

Drop #7: The Steep Suite
September 12–13

A premium at-home sauna paired with a custom cooler stocked with ice-cold Pure Leaf, designed to bring fans a revitalizing hot-and-cold reset moment at home.

Bringing the Tea Break to New York

Pure Leaf is also bringing tea breaks directly to fans gearing up for a day of tennis in New York.

On September 2 from 2–5 p.m. ET, the Pure Leaf Tea Break Cart will be near Bryant Park on West 42nd Street between 5th and 6th Avenues.

Visitors can stop by to cool down with complimentary iced tea, signature mocktails and exclusive merch like visors and fans before heading to the grounds.

Across New York City, tennis-inspired out-of-home creative—including subway wraps along the MTA 7 Train and transit hub installations—will remind commuters that sometimes the best way to take on what's next starts with taking a tea break with Pure Leaf.

“Tennis recognizes something many of us forget in our day-to-day lives: breaks have value,” said Zach Harris, Vice President and General Manager, Pepsi Lipton Tea Partnership North America.

“The sport shows that moments to pause, regroup and refocus aren't time away from performance; they're often what make performance possible.”

That belief sits at the heart of Pure Leaf's campaign with Anisimova: breaks don't interrupt momentum; they help create it.

Swipe Right, Hair Optional: Tinder Teams Up with Canadian Creative Agency Academy

noreply@blogger.com (Rey B) — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 12:30:50 +0000

Bald Guy Summer reached Toronto this past weekend, as Tinder Canada and Toronto-based creative agency Academy tapped into one of the summer’s more unexpected cultural moments to get singles thinking differently about dating.

Tinder has always believed in the possibility of connection, but for Gen Z, dating can be the exception, with singles often deciding someone isn’t their “type” before giving the possibility a chance. Tinder Baldies, Tinder Canada’s newest campaign, challenges that thinking by encouraging young Canadians to reconsider what, and who, they may have written off.

The inspiration came from Mr. Worldwide himself. The internet took someone it once considered “cringe” and turned him into one of summer’s biggest cultural moments, complete with an army of bald-capped fans. Not because he had changed, but because culture collectively changed its mind. For Tinder, it was a reminder that sometimes seeing new possibilities just means looking at something differently.

Timed with Mr. Worldwide’s highly anticipated Toronto performance this past weekend, Tinder Baldies brought that idea to life with the Tinder Scalpers Ticketing Booth, a mobile barbershop where fans could get fitted with a bald cap or choose to shave their head, and the Tinder Baldies Boat Party.

Research conducted by the brand supported the approach: 85% of those surveyed agreed that confidence makes someone more attractive to them, while 44% said they find a shaved or bald head on a man attractive*. On Saturday, September 5, Tinder invited Toronto singles to celebrate baldies and give possibility a chance with two activations:

Tinder Scalpers Ticketing Booth. From 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., Tinder invited Torontonians to join the bald-loving movement by having their heads shaved or getting fitted for a baldies cap. Participants gained entrance to the Tinder Baldies Boat Party.
The Tinder Baldies Boat Party. The boat toured nearly 200 “baldies” through the Toronto Harbour to the sounds of Mr. Worldwide. Think bald pong, a bald DJ, and low-pressure opportunities for connection.

Through wild postings, in-app ads and creator partnerships with Canada Shore’s Christopher Brown and Lila Romanin and Toronto-based creators Matt Gupta, who shaved his head, and Carley Gonschior and Carly Sarah, who rocked bald caps, Toronto singles were invited to join Tinder in celebrating Baldies by RSVPing to the party via Partiful.

*Censuswide survey of single women aged 18–25 across the US and Canada. Overall N=2001 (US N=1000, Canada N=1001). Fielded 25.08.2026–28.08.2026. Note: "Gen Z" outcome language treats the full sample as Gen Z, since all respondents (18–25) fall within that generation. Percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number. The data shown here represents Canadian responses only.

Ogilvy Paris Appoints Matteo Maggiore as Global Creative Director

noreply@blogger.com (Rey B) — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 13:51:00 +0000

With 17 years of international experience, Matteo Maggiore has established himself as a creative leader with a talent for developing ideas that move the needle for both brands and businesses, while remaining deeply connected to culture.

Throughout his career, Matteo has worked at leading agencies including BBDO, Leo Burnett, Wieden+Kennedy and Jung von Matt, across Italy, the UK, the Middle East, the Netherlands and Germany.

He has partnered with some of the world’s most iconic brands, including Nike, Samsung, McDonald’s, P&G, HP and Hyundai Motor Group.

His work has earned more than 100 accolades at major international creative festivals, including Cannes Lions, D&AD, The One Show, the Clio Awards, ANDYs, Eurobest and the London International Awards.

Alongside his agency career, Matteo is also an international educator and jury member, and is deeply committed to mentoring and developing the next generation of creative talent.

“Matteo’s appointment is part of a very clear ambition: to progressively restore Ogilvy Paris’s international dimension. In a French market shaped by both a duopoly and significant fragmentation, we have historically thrived when the agency has drawn on the strength of its model. That model is built on the balance and diversity of the brands we build, bringing together French champions and global giants.

“Through both his experience and his personality, Matteo embodies this ambition,” says Benjamin Bregeault, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy Paris.

Matteo Maggiore states, “Joining Ogilvy Paris means becoming part of an agency shaped by generations of iconic creativity, while remaining relentlessly ambitious about what comes next. I’m here to help write the agency’s next chapter by strengthening its international dimension and creating ideas that can cross cultures without ever losing their relevance, impact or soul.”

In his new role, Matteo Maggiore will help strengthen Ogilvy Paris’s international creative profile and lead the development of global platforms for The Coca-Cola Company across multiple brands and markets.

Nex Playground Launches First National Brand Campaign Calling Families to Bring the Living Room Back to Life

noreply@blogger.com (Gloria J) — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 13:50:35 +0000

Nex, the company behind Nex Playground, the active play system that gets families moving together, today launched "Bring Back Family Time," its first integrated national brand campaign created in partnership with independent integrated agency Zambezi. Debuting across television, streaming, digital, social, and out-of-home media, the campaign introduces Nex on a national stage while encouraging families to rethink the role technology can play in everyday life – reminding us that technology can bring families together and help us be more active and connected.

As personal devices increasingly compete for our attention, shared experiences have become harder to find. With "Bring Back Family Time," Nex takes a stand for a different kind of screen experience: one that brings families back into the living room, gets them moving, and turn technology into something that creates connection rather than distraction.

At the center of the campaign is a cinematic hero film told entirely from the perspective of the family television. As a silent witness to decades of family life, the TV watches the living room evolve from a place filled with imagination, movement, and togetherness into one where each family member gradually retreats into their own personal screen. The story concludes with the arrival of Nex Playground, transforming the living room back into a shared gathering place where families can connect.

Bringing the personified television to life as the silent witness, heartbeat and centerpiece of the family living room is acclaimed actor Richard Kind, whose unmistakable voice lends warmth, humor, and heart to the campaign. Known for his colorful and emotive performances – including his role as Bing Bong in Pixar’s Inside Out – Kind gives the film’s narrator a sense of nostalgia and quirky charm as it reflects on decades of family life.

“This campaign is much bigger than just introducing people to Nex Playground," said David Lee, CEO and co-founder of Nex. "In a world where screens are increasingly designed to capture our individual attention, we're proving that screens can do something different. We believe the best technology strengthens human connection, encourages movement, and creates moments families can share together. That's exactly what we're building, and what 'Bring Back Family Time' is inviting people to rethink."

"Bring Back Family Time" launches September 1 across a national paid media campaign spanning streaming, television, digital, social, and out-of-home advertising. With media strategy led by Scale by Zambezi, the campaign is an integrated cross-platform push, which will reach parents and families on a mass scale to inspire them to stop and think. The campaign follows a period of significant momentum for Nex Playground, including a historic 2025 holiday season in which it outsold Xbox, surpassing one million units sold, launching in the United Kingdom, and announcing plans to expand into Germany later this year, with France, Japan and South Korea to follow in 2027.

"The living room used to be the ultimate stage for imagination and shared moments. From epic pillow battles and make-believe sword fights to laughter-filled family gatherings, every day was alive with energy and connection," said Gavin Lester, Chief Creative Officer at Zambezi. “Our goal is to show what happens when that space turns into a silent, blue-light slumber of individual scrolling, and how active play with Nex brings that life back. It’s an idea that hits close to home for any parent who’s watched their own living room grow quiet, and invites Nex as the solution."

The campaign film can be viewed on Nex Playground’s YouTube channel.

To learn more, visit nexplayground.com or follow the company on Instagram and Facebook.

Meet Jiwon Yang: The Third Culture Kid Bringing a Global Perspective to Advertising

noreply@blogger.com (Rey B) — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Meet Jiwon Yang, a young copywriter at Cheil USA whose unconventional path into advertising is every bit as interesting as the perspective she brings to the industry!

A self-described “Third Culture Kid” (TCK) who grew up between Korea and the United States, Jiwon has experienced firsthand how media can connect people across cultures. Her curiosity has led her from business school to portfolio school, earning a scholarship, building a LinkedIn following of more than 7,000, generating millions of social media views, moving across countries, and ultimately landing her first professional creative role.

In her Featured Creative Q&A, Jiwon talks about finding her place in advertising, researching beyond what's obvious, learning from others, and why, in an increasingly AI-driven industry, human taste, opinions, and feelings still matter.

Tell us a little bit about yourself. What do you do? Where do you work? How long have you been working as a creative professional?

I am currently a copywriter at Cheil USA working on accounts like Samsung and helping with new business pitches. Excluding my portfolio school education, I would say I'm close to a year of being a copywriter.

As a professional Copy Writer working for one of the top creative agencies in the world, what does a typical day look like for you?

It depends on what the workload is since every day it's different, but I start with checking my teams to see if anyone is OOO and then I go to my dashboard to see if there were any hot asks that came through that I missed or if any of the projects I worked on that were went for review came back.

I would say a typical day when I'm working on a project is having lots of meetings with account and my creative director. I get feedback from internal creative team but have to update the deck / copy after while still making it in time for internal meetings with account so that my copy is also approved by them too. It's a lot considering you really have to satisfy basically everyone while still trying to make it as creative as possible and meet their ask, but I try not to skip and meals or panic!

What drew or motivated you to do the work that you do now?

I always grew up being obsessed with social media. When I was living in the United States, it was the only way I could watch K-Pop music videos and vice versa when I was living in Korea.

I've also loved books - that's actually how I picked up English so fast when I was young and had just came to the U.S. with my family for my dad's job! I've always wanted to be a fiction writer because I was such a curious kid, but I wasn't really sure as I grew older and reality started kicking in.

I went to college as a business major because I liked interacting with people and had a mind that was, in a sense, 'salesy'! But when I became a sophomore in college, I realized I didn't want to do business analytics and health insurance for the rest of my life. As I went through 'senioritis', I started dm-ing tons of people on Linkedin and learned that you didn't have to be great at art to work in advertising as I can draw as much as a stick figure! The fact that there was a separate role for you to write for brands blew my mind and it felt like a glass slipper Cinderella moment.

I was lucky enough to get a scholarship to an online portfolio school called book180 as their first international student and I learned from Creative Directors around the world with students based in the United States. I woke up at 7am before my Korean college classes to take classes in EST and worked in the AM to partner up with my art directors. Getting 'mock briefs' related to American brands made me interested in learning about the US advertising market, so I decided to change my major, school, and country - all while still attending portfolio school.

Tell us about some creative work that inspire you? Whose work do you admire?

I think it changes all the time as the things that I value in advertising change. It's such a fast paced industry and inspiration definitely comes from not just ads, but culture in general, especially music. One thing hasn't changed since I started to dip my toes in the industry though - my favorite ad.

A British Original by Uncommon Creative Studio, London really moved me because it showed how a single line of copy could portray so many emotions related to travel. I've traveled my whole life as my father works internationally, so I genuinely admired how Uncommon was able to remind us travel isn't just simply for business or leisure, but something deeper than that.

You were born in Korea, grew up in California and studied in Texas, which you claim made you a '3rd culture kid.' What do you mean by this? Do you think this influenced the kind of work you have gravitated towards now?

TCK or 'Third culture kid' refers to a person raised in a culture outside of their parents' passport culture for a significant part of their childhood. In my case, I was raised in both the US and Korea during my early development stages, so in a sense it kind of made me the person I am today.

I definitely think this influences the kind of work I gravitate towards because I'm so passionate about showing people how different cultures think, act, and live. Before I came to the States, I didn't know how car dependent this country was. Now I'm a pro driver! In Korea, I had a hard time adjusting because I was too "Americanized", as I grew up listening to Beyonce and Brittany Spears, not BTS.

At the end of the day, people aren't able to understand each other because everyone is different and I think that's where media and communication comes in. That's one of the reasons and probably the main reason why I'm so passionate about doing the work I do right now, because it gives me a chance to help create the bridge between the two countries that I'm so intertwined with, especially through mediums I understand well (blogs, snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, podcasts, etc...).

I think media gives people the 'third space' to connect, regardless of which country you are physically located in.

What’s the biggest creative challenge and/or accomplishment in your career to date?

I think the biggest creative challenge I had was when I was working on a brief for Walt Disney World and the 4As. The target audience was Hispanic families, something that I personally haven't experienced or been part of before. Of course we started with research, articles, social listening, the whole 9 yards but every person had a different opinion about so many topics, it was hard to figure out what was actually relatable to the target audience.

My art director partner at the time was also Korean, so we decided to call my Mexican college friends and ask for their experience. But we soon learned that because they were childless and in their early 20s, they didn't really know much about creating budgets for family trips and handling kids!

I wanted to give up and just go with the insight that our team had already chose, but I felt something was still off and unsure. I eventually went into the office and started interviewing every Hispanic colleague I could find at the agency during happy hour. I asked them a bunch of questions on how they grew up, what Disney was like for them, what their parents thought of amusement parks and what was 'fun'.

I stared at that page all day and finally came to an insight that was able to resonate with the people I had talked to, which was that a lot of people grew up with Disney being a 'concept' or something that they interact with passively. Walt Disney World is an amusement park, related to action and movement, but growing up listening to Disney and reading books means a lot of folks don't really see Disney as something that they 'do' or interact with physically.

In the end, I think being able to put yourself in other people's shoes is one thing, but actually reaching out to people and getting to know the whole picture and culture is another. As a copywriter, ideating and research takes forever, but I think it's important to have the courage to start from scratch when you feel like you need to.

What most excites you about working in your industry?

This might be an obvious answer, but being able to see how we'll be able to communicate with people in different ways. When I grew up, it was emails, international calls, and glitchy internet. Especially being on a major tech account makes me realize how technology can create so many ways to connect with people. I know AI and advanced technology is scaring a lot of people, but in a way I feel like it helps people feel like they aren't alone and so different. Growing up 'different' made me feel like I never belonged anywhere, and I still feel that way to this day. But as we bring different forms of advertising to different audiences, I think the industry has the power to help people feel seen and heard through different brand campaigns.

You have a particularly humorous approach to your website and social media posts, which is quite unique for young advertising professionals. Is humor an important part of your professional work life?

Humor is honestly a part of my coping mechanism haha. I tend to feel things deeply a lot, as do a lot of creatives and when I get too deep into it, it reminds me that sometimes things aren't that serious! I guess I've never thought about me using it for work because I'm not able to get on 'humor forward' clients that often, but looking back I think it definitely plays a part when I'm writing copy.

Sometimes you're overwhelmed with all the information you have to say and technical details that you end up writing stuff that's as stiff as a paddle board. Or you research so much that you kind of get lost in perfectionism. Reminding myself that even though I take work seriously, my work doesn't have to be serious and I think that's how you go from 'I have nothing' to ideas clients and consumers like. It also reminds me that people aren't so different sometimes. A lot of people mention generational differences, but there are so many similarities as well. I mean, my grandpa and I laugh at the same jokes and feel similar things!

You have 7K followers on LinkedIn and noted you get 4 million views on your social media posts. What is your goal with building out your social media reach?

I actually have 3 different social media channels I run that reach millions of views sometimes but I think it's a bit different since they are my personal channels and there's no client behind them. However, I do feel like just running them from A to Z on my own teaches me how trends are created, what people like to see, what's the newest features, etc... that I can use when ideating for social ideas as a copywriter.

For me, I'd like to grow my account so I can see things from an influencer perspective as well, especially when we need to choose who to collab with or what kind of content to create on social media. I think what I do is the macro part of social media - ideating, writing for tone of voice, and creating content is the micro part, so I do actually want to try to incorporate things I've learned as a copywriter and vice versa.

Everyone needs time out. What do you do in your spare time to help re-energize your creative side?

I'm an extrovert so I love to talk to other people, including friends who work in completely different fields and my 83 year old grandpa who is my best friend. I like to cook and get a cute little drink at cafes and bars or watch movies and TV shows, as does any person I guess haha. Oh, and I'm also chronically online scrolling on social media. But I have no scientific evidence to show that it re-energizes my creative side, LOL!

What’s the best piece of advice you’d give your younger self?

I would say to have more confidence. As many people know, sometimes life doesn't work out the way you want and so do campaigns. Your ideas get killed, reworked, pushed back a million times and I used to get super insecure and want to give up all the time. I tried to focus on things I could control and study harder, talk to more people, try more briefs. I definitely think that is one of the things that makes you a great creative, but even defining what a 'perfect copywriter' is or a 'perfect ad' is subjective. I'd tell myself that just because I'm young doesn't mean that I know any less, and that sometimes you need to believe in yourself before anyone else will.

There is a lot of talk about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how it will shape future creativity? What are your thoughts on the future of being a professional creative in a possibly AI-driven world?

I feel like every conversation in our field leads to this and honestly I really can't stand the apocalypse of AI generated ads where they bullet point every information possible and make it hard to read with bad design. It's not even about creativity at that point, because we're still all human at the end of the day, and nobody's going to read a whole essay on Linkedin while they're already overstimulated with short attention spans - even if you put a bajillion emojis. But at the same time, AI is helping creatives envision vague concepts into actual visuals and finding more ways to research and write.

As I mentioned before, I think AI has the power to reach the right audience at the right time, connecting to more people in different ways. I think it's too early to speak on what AI can be as a creative as I know it's developing even more.

But one thing AI doesn't have is taste, opinions, and feelings. Okay, that's actually 3 things!

I don't know if you've asked AI for perfume recommendations or outfit choices, but it's actually horrible. It doesn't have taste, which is something personal. If I liked vanilla ice cream but it recommended me chocolate, I wouldn't like it. I would need to figure out for myself that I like vanilla ice cream and tell AI that. It could help me figure out if I like vanilla or not, but I would need to taste it for myself to see if I actually like it or not. Maybe I like vanilla but only if it's on a cone not a cup, who knows. Same with feelings. I'm sure any parent would jump into the ocean to save their child but to AI, that would seem illogical and I'm pretty sure unless you program it to, it wouldn't recommend it. For AI, the consequences wouldn't affect it because it doesn't have feelings and responsibilities. For the parent, their whole lives would change.

What are your goals in the next five years? Where do you hope to be professionally?

I hope to be a creative director as does any copywriter, but my goal right now is to just learn as much as I can from other people and experience different work. I've worked at small agencies, big agencies, mid-size agencies, and I'm still trying to navigate what I value as a young professional. I love the work that I do right now, but my goals are to work on different brands of different sizes and connect people one headline at a time.

How can others see more of your work or connect with you?

Linkedin is the fastest way to reach me and my random thoughts, but my website is www.xoxojiwon.com and my email is also always open!

The One Club Partners with CultureCon as Part of “Career Essentials” WAATBP 2026 Event

noreply@blogger.com (Gloria J) — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:58:38 +0000

In light of the challenging job market for entry level talent, The One Club for Creativity announces a shift in its long-running WAATBP career fair to focus exclusively on direct career support, and a new partnership with this year’s CultureCon, the largest annual festival for creative professionals, entrepreneurs, creators, and influencers who are building fulfilling careers, lifestyles, and culture.

This year’s two-day WAATBP event kicks off on October 2, 2026 across two floors at The One Club headquarters at 450 West 31st St in New York.

The jobs-focused “Career Essentials” format includes in-person portfolio reviews, “Ask HR Anything” recruiter meetings where attendees can have frank discussions and get actionable advice on interviewing, and networking opportunities, all designed to deliver direct value to young creatives.

“One Big Idea” creative brief competition

On October 3, 2026, the action shifts to the Brooklyn Navy Yard's Duggal Greenhouse stage of CultureCon, where WAATBP will hold the “One Big Idea” creative brief competition. The competition is open now for public entry, with the top three finalists advancing to a live finale to present their ideas and the chance to win a $5,000 cash prize.

Top industry creatives judging the “One Big Idea” brief presentations will be Pum Lefebure, The One Club for Creativity Board Chairperson and Co-founder, CCO at Design Army, and fellow Board members Jimmy Smith, Chairman, CEO, and CCO at Amusement Park Entertainment, and John 'JP' Petty III, Co-Founder, Managing Partner, 14th And Market. In addition, the CultureCon audience will serve as the fourth judge, letting their preference be known in real time.

After the three finalists pitch their brief idea live on stage, the winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize, as well as one-year membership to The One Club, mentor sessions with a One Club Board member, and the opportunity to help bring their winning idea to life.

In addition to adding an engaging element of creative competition to CultureCon, the brief will also drive awareness of The One Club's mission to support the global creative community, and the nonprofit organization’s deep career readiness expertise to the festival’s large audience.

To make WAATBP accessible to young creatives, tickets are priced at an affordable $15 for One Club members, $20 for non-members.

“This partnership is rooted in something we care about deeply, which is democratizing access," said Imani Ellis, CEO and Founder of CultureCon. "The One Club shares our belief that talent is everywhere, but the opportunities to cultivate that talent need to increase. We're excited to join forces to empower the next generation of creativity, and to make sure the doors that opened for us keep opening for them.”

"The One Club and CultureCon each bring something unique to the creative community,” added Adrienne Lucas, Director, Strategic Partnerships & Programs at The One Club. “We have spent decades investing in creative excellence and career development, while CultureCon has built one of the most influential platforms for creators and entrepreneurs. Through this partnership and the creative brief competition at its center, we're creating new pathways for talent to showcase their work, gain visibility, and connect with careers they may not have known were possible."

To make WAATBP accessible to young creatives, tickets are priced at an affordable $15 for One Club members, $20 for non-members.

Originally established as “Where Are All the Black People”, WAATBP has over the years broadened its mandate to become the leading annual gathering to address and correct the lack of diversity within the ad industry, bringing together all voices to celebrate successes, examine challenges, and take their place at the table alongside their allies.

WAATBP 2026 is made possible in part through the support of corporate partners Capital One, Ogilvy, and WiP, with others to come.

For more information and to register, please visit the WAATBP website.