As the social-first agency expands into the US, CCO Paddy Smith reflects on the current trends in social and how investing in human creativity is a way to bring authenticity and distinction to brands...
JKR gives Tropical Smoothie Café a juicy new rebrand
Tropical Smoothie Café, a popular restaurant chain in the US, has more than 1,700 active locations across the country, with many more set to open over the coming months. Having undergone rapid expansion within the last decade, the brand felt it was time to embark on a full-scale transformation, enlisting the help of global branding agency JKR to make it...
A new campaign celebrates 175 years of the New York Times
First founded in 1851, the New York Times continues to be celebrated today both for its impeccable journalism and for its innovative approach to advertising, with its content arm, T Brand Studio, leading the way in how advertisers can reach its readers. So when it came to celebrating its 175th birthday, the brand has unusually decided to recognise both aspects...
The Monthly Interview: Martin Weigel
The former chief strategy officer at Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam explains what his new book, Strategy Is A Verb, reveals about brands, creativity and how people think...
Why don’t design museums show brand design?
While virtually every other kind of design is celebrated in exhibitions, brand design is routinely overlooked. Red Setter’s Alex Blyth examines why...
8 Seconds Rodeo campaign celebrates Black cowboy culture
8 Seconds Rodeo, a cultural celebration and rodeo event founded by photojournalist Ivan McClellan, is returning to Philadelphia on October 10. To promote it, McClellan has collaborated with director Devin Hampton, music producer Kaidi Tatham and creative agency Wieden+Kennedy (specifically its Black affinity group Noir) on a lively new campaign. At its heart is a 45-second hero spot… Source...
Lauren Greenfield examines the role of social media in teens’ lives
“Social Studies began as a radical experiment. I asked a group of teenagers in Los Angeles to do the unthinkable: share their phones — their feeds, their texts, their posts and photos — to allow me to document the impact of social media on their lives. Thirty teenagers, who have never known a world without the iPhone, agreed.” Lauren Greenfield’s...
Hornbach builds a working 35mm film camera from DIY supplies
Here’s a riddle for you: What do you get when you combine a DIY superstore, five makers and a frankly ridiculous amount of imagination? The answer, courtesy of Hornbach’s latest campaign, is a fully functioning 35mm film camera the size of a small van – built entirely from everyday products you can buy in-store. Created by HeimatTBWA with directing collective...
What does it mean to be over 50 in advertising?
«The impression I got was of a cohort of people who had experienced one big, difficult situation,» says CR columnist Ben Kay in response to a recent call out on LinkedIn to talk about the ‘third act’...
Why BTS is becoming part of the campaign
Behind-the-scenes content is having a moment, as agencies and brands turn the craft and people behind campaigns into stories of their own. CR looks into who and what it’s really for...
New Interrail campaign shows the happy reality of train travel
Following Eurail BV’s rebrand as Interrail BV, the company has collaborated with Amsterdam-based creative agency We Are Pi to launch a major new platform and campaign. Looking to become more than just a rail pass provider to its customers, Interrail aims to highlight the transformative experience of international train travel. The result is The Interrail Effect, a fresh global brand...
Can someone do an impression of your brand?
Dior and A24’s new short, which sees various actors performing as designer Jonathan Anderson, points to a test of distinctiveness: whether people understand your character well enough to see it copied and exaggerated and still know exactly who you are...