Enjoy what’s left of your morning with AdForum’s daily round-up of the latest news, trends, and notable work in the advertising industry.
Hulu Drops Commercials in Effort to Compete with Netflix, Amazon
“Hulu announced on Wednesday that it was starting a commercial-free version of its streaming service, costing $12 a month, in its latest effort to enhance its offerings and become a stronger rival to Netflix and Amazon. To date, Hulu has stood as the exception among the prominent subscription-based streaming services because it included commercials that could not be skipped, even for its pay service.” Read more at The New York Times.
Verizon Deconstructs Its New Logo… and the “✔” Mark
“Now that Verizon acquired AOL in June for $4.4 billion, it's creating a new visual identity. At the time of our original report, the company wasn't commenting. But now it has released a statement and a video that tries to explain the new look, which was created by design agency Pentagram. So why mess with a good thing? Chief Marketing Officer Diego Scotti explains the purpose like so: ‘Our goal was to define a brand identity that stands for simplicity, honesty, and even joy, in a category that has become overrun with confusion, disclaimers and frustration.’” Read more at Ad Age.
JWT to Create Anti-Immigration Ads for Exasperated Nation of Hungary
“The nation of Hungary has an illegal migrant problem, and its government has turned to J. Walter Thompson Budapestfor assistance. As noted in many news publications, the Hungarian government is currently 'overwhelmed' by a flood of refugees, many of whom are fleeing war-torn countries like Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan in hopes of making it to Germany for promised asylum. The problem was illustrated in a particularly disheartening way by the recent discovery of 71 bodies in a truck found outside Vienna.” Read more at AgencySpy.
Copywriter’s Corner: Storytelling Lessons from a Dragon Geek
“They say writers shouldn't hesitate to kill their darlings. It's not an invitation to actual homicide, but a plea for the willingness to jettison any element of a story, even if you love it like a friend. That's just one of the many work-hazards writers share with those in charge of Dungeons and Dragonsgames—a dungeon master has to kill off his or her friends all the time. Consider pouring out a flagon of mead, in that case, for poor Matthew Robinson.” Read more at Fast Company.
Frankenstein Font: This Living Typeface Grows in a Petri Dish
“MOST LETTERS ARE ink or pixels, static in their existence. The letters Ori Elisar creates, however, are not. Elisar, a designer from Jerusalem, has created a font that is alive in the most literal sense. In his Living Language project, Elisar used the bacteria Paenibacillus vortex to grow letters that transform from the long-dead Paleo-Hebrew alphabet to the modern Hebrew one. It’s linguistic evolution in action.” Get the full story at Wired.
Leaked Pics of Apple iPhone 6S Right on Schedule
“We're going to learn all about Apple's upcoming iPhone next week on Sept. 9, but a handful of newly leaked photos have already shown us exactly what the phone looks like. The new iPhone, believed to be called the iPhone 6S, will look nearly identical to the iPhone 6 — but with a slightly thicker body, according to a new leak from MacRumors. The publication posted a set of photos that claim to show a fully assembled iPhone 6S being measured for thickness, height, and weight.”Read more at BusinessInsider.
Job of the Day: Senior Art Director, Geometry Global, New York City
Geometry Global is looking for a Senior Art Director with a print focus for their New York office. Working with a dedicated team across a portfolio of B2B and B2C accounts, you are more than just a pair of hands. You’ll be asked to come up with big ideas for current accounts and bigger ideas for new business pitches. For more details, visit Geometry Global.
Creative Ad Agencies: Here Is What You Can Learn from Management Consultants
“What’s the difference between management consultancy firms and advertising agencies? Easy, right? Money & Creativity. They got money. We got creativity. Well, maybe not. I was surprised to discover that the money thing is a myth. Comparing the top firms in each market: Accenture’s 336,000 employees generate $31.8 billion in revenue, while WPP’s 179,000 employees generate $18.1 billion. The ‘ad guys’ are generating $101,000 of revenue each versus the consultants generating a meager $95,000 per employee. Advertising firms are better at charging for their people than Consultancies. Who knew? So what about creativity? ” Read more at Digiday.
Agency of the Week
The Escape Pod: In 2007, advertising industry veterans Norm Bilow and Vinny Warren founded The Escape Pod, a full-service agency, to help clients navigate the unprecedented upheaval in the media and technology landscape. Our guiding principle is "bringing fresh ideas that move business" which has helped clients like Toys"R"Us, Can-Am Spyder, and Mondelez benefit from our unique storytelling abilities. We like to build ideas off previously unrecognized or ignored consumer insights about a brand. Creating advertising that is strategically sound, creatively exceptional, and makes optimal use of any media.
Because it is Thursday, and the weekend is just around the corner, and you’ll be drinking beer and being honest with family and friends, check out this ad awesome F-bomb of an ad (below) titled “Feminist vs. Photoshop.”
(Bloody Mary photo courtesy of Anthony. Thank you! It looks delicious!)
