Commentary

Huge Changes at IPG's Huge

When both the CMO and the CCO both leave an agency at the same time, you have to wonder a bit. That's what's happening over at IPG's Huge. Chief Marketing Officer Chris Hayes and Chief Creative Officer Conor Brady are leaving the agency to, as the saying goes, "pursue other opportunities." Both men will leave the agency in January. Plans are in place to replace Hayes but the CCO position will go unfilled for the time being. The agency said  that Brooklyn creative chief Jon Jackson will continue to lead things in New York.

Oh how the holidays bring out Madison Avenue's creative spirit. Which can sometimes lead to silly things like rebranding Santa. Claiming to have received an RFP from Santa himself, New York-based GLOW took it upon themselves to respond with Santa 2.0. Actually, the agency has set up a site on which anyone can rebrand Santa by answering a few questions such as What is Santa's tone? Who is Santa's audience? And, yes, what is Santa's color palette? You are then able to share your rebranded Santa with your social media followers. Oh, and the rebranded Santa's get new names too like Krystal Kringle and BelieberClaus.

Employing some twisted logic regarding India's shift away from industry awards shows in favor of in-house awards, R. Balakrishnan, chairman and CCO of Lowe Lintas said, "Advertising has a purpose and how creative you are is that purpose. Who better than the agency that has created it to judge it?" Wait, what? That's like parents giving self-esteem awards to their children! But Balakrishnan isn't phased. He thinks winning an internal award will make creative happier than winning an industry award. That's some twisted thinking, my friend but, hey, the more the merrier when it comes to awards, right? We can't pat those creatives on the back enough now can we? OK, yes, these internal awards bring in outside judges from other agencies but still!

What's Sir Martin Sorrell to do when he can't find enough lavish resorts to satiate his (and, let's be honest, every ad man's) need for glitz and glamor? Well, he runs out and buys a 30% stake in Richard Attias Associates, the 50-person conference organizer that organizes the Davos conference, among others. Of the partnership, Sorell said, "Our ambition is to create together with Richard, a world champion in the field of strategic communication, international conferences and global action oriented events." Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

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