In its 18th year independent Atlanta agency Ames Scullin O'Haire is expanding its management team with several new hires. Following the retirement of managing partner-strategy John Ames, the agency is adding agency veteran Jim Crone as partner and account leader. He will be joining two other new partners -- Steve Harding, director of engagement who has been with the agency since 2010, and Ryan Mikesell, creative director, who joined in 2008. Of the management change, Ames Scullin O'Haire Managing Partner Patrick Scullin said: "While we're sad to see John Ames retire, we are happy to have new …

Everyone's getting into advertising! Big Picture Entertainment. a film marketing firm, has launched Rec Room, a new division that will focus on helping its clients make better use of digital media by creating storytelling content to connect with audiences in, as they say, ways that traditional media can't. Of the direction, Rec Room Co-Founder Jonathan Helfgot said: “Where you win is when you make something entertaining but serve a strategic marketing purpose. You can make something that goes viral and gets conversations on blogs, but if it doesn’t connect emotionally then it’s not successful. People don’t want …

Waxing eloquent about his career and relationship to Tom Waits, BBDO Worldwide CCO David Lubars noted that like the thought espoused in Tom Wait's "Rain Dogs," it's easy to get lost along the way. No, he's not inept at reading a map. We're talking more metaphorical stuff here. You know, the stuff that fogs the brains of creatives on a regular basis. Speaking to The Wall Street Journal's Marc Myers about his early copywriting career in 1985, Lubars said: "I was writing ad copy at Chiat/Day for Apple then, and I identified with the metaphor — that it’s easy …

There's not too many months that go by in the ad biz without some mini scandal brewing over whether or not some agency copied work.

LA-based agency Pitch has been named agency of record for grocery chain Haggen, Inc. The agency was awarded the AOR account after a review that began with 12 agencies and was narrowed to four finalists. Pitch will launch a strategic positioning of the Pacific Northwest grocery chain as it moves into new markets in Southern California, Arizona and Nevada. Of the win, Pitch President Rachel Spiegelman said: “We’re excited to launch a unique and consumer-focused brand in this very competitive marketplace. Haggen has created a relationship with customers in the Northwest who have come to expect fresh …

By now you've seen the Nationwide Super Bowl ad in which a boy laments the fact that he will never be able to ride a bike, get cooties, get married, learn to fly or travel the word because...he's dead. Yeah, that little bit of sweetness ran during the Super Bowl for all to see. And no one was pleased. In fact, Nationwide had to issue an apology of sorts for the dour ad. But Durham-based McKinney, which has had the Nationwide account since 2009, isn't on the receiving end of the spot's blowback. Why? Because they didn't …

This year's crop of Super Bowl commercials veered 180 degrees from past years' sexist jiggle fests, dad trashing and kicks to the crotch.

Two weeks ago, the Richards Group moved all of its 700 employees into its newly constructed, 18-story high-rise in Dallas' West Village. The new digs have everything you'd expect a swanky agency space to have -- a gym, spin class and yoga center; a recording studio, social media control room and...no offices, save for one that will be used by the agency's CFO. Eight of the 18 stories comprise a parking garage -- which, let’s be honest, is awesome. Who wants to fight traffic to find a parking space, anyway? Of his excitement over …

You were expecting some witty Super Bowl commentary here?