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Focus on the experience first and foremost. Scott Kellner, senior vice president of sales and marketing for global experience marketing agency GPJ, thinks many people are actually approaching hybrid events backwards. “They begin with the technology and craft their plans based on what that technology allows them to do,” he points out. “Instead, clients need to have a firm grasp of what success looks like—in terms of metrics, brand affinity, brand awareness, etc.—and then design the experience, including the technology, to achieve the goals. In other words, the platform is not the experience. The platform is one tool for delivering the desired experience.”

George P. Johnson (GPJ), the world’s leading event and experience marketing agency, announced that it has acquired the German-based boutique design and experience design studio The Sane Company. This latest acquisition shows the strength of GPJ’s commitment to the German and European markets while also doubling down on expansion and doing so with an emphasis on breakthrough creative and experience design.

LOS ANGELES — Praytell has hired Jamie Simpson to lead the agency’s travel practice, which includes overseeing work for Destination Canada. In her new role, Simpson (pictured) will be responsible for garnering new business and overseeing campaigns and initiatives for travel clients. She most recently served as VP, global communications for the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, and held senior positions at MWW, M Booth and Zimmerman Agency before that.

Guitar-centric garage bands have long been an integral part of the global music scene. So it’s fitting that Gibson, one of the major players in the guitar market, would open a superstore in its hometown of Nashville – aka “the Music City” – based on that motif. Overseeing the creation of the Gibson Garage was the brand’s in-house design team, led by Director of Brand Experience Mark Agnesi; the local offices of G7, project management, and GPJ, creative direction/design experience; and Shoptology, retail strategy.

Now some agencies are kicking the tires of the idea to help prevent employee burnout and build a stronger employer brand. Praytell, which is owned by independent agency network Project Worldwide, started to pilot a four-day workweek on October 1. The pilot runs until the end of March when the firm will evaluate whether to continue it for the rest of the year. “One-hundred percent of our people have the same schedule: Monday through Thursday,” says Praytell CEO and founder Andy Pray. He says they have “built into our weekly schedule back-ups,” such as having people on-call for urgent client needs.

Gaming and eSports agency OS Studios hires Wayne Leonard as head of accounts. Leonard was most recently vice president, account director for gaming and esports at George P. Johnson Experience Marketing. Earlier in his career, he was part of the production team that launched the first PlayStation. At OS Studios, Leonard will be the liaison between the agency and such clients as Twitch, Nexon, Konami and eMLS. OS Studios CEO John Higgins said that Leonard has “an extremely rich and expansive history in gaming activations in North America.”

Gaming and Esports Agency OS Studios, a member of the Project Worldwide network, is delighted to announce the return of the Navy MWR Esports tournament series. The series kicked off earlier this year, as Navy MWR personnel (morale, welfare and recreation) were looking for ways to connect Sailors while avoiding physical contact during the height of the pandemic.

The “Own Your Ridges” campaign is designed to inspire people to embrace their own life obstacles, or their “ridges,” according to the company ads. A 60-second spot titled “Ruffles D.N.A.” will debut during the NBA’s Christmas Day broadcasts, with five games scheduled on ABC and ESPN. Pepsi worked with creative agency Motive and the production company Prettybird to produce the spot.

Partners + Napier is ending the year with another hiring spree. Costa Boudouvas joins as group creative director, creative technology. Boudouvas was most recently vp and associate creative director at MullenLowe. Jason Ziehm joins Partners + Napier as an associate creative director, copywriter, after six years at Digitas, while George Mazzoli has been hired as director of paid search after previously serving as associate director of paid search at MediaCom.