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Disney and Pixar have teamed up with Cricket Wireless for the first time to celebrate the all-new feature film “Elemental” with ads featuring Cricket characters watching and commenting on the film’s trailer. ARGONAUT, Cricket’s long-time creative agency of record, helped develop the campaign which will run on DirectTV as well as Meta, Snap and Pinterest. In the spots, Cricket characters talk about how opposites attract, but still, they share a bond with Cricket’s strong 5G network. Cricket is also hosting a “Fly Away to the Premiere” sweepstakes with a chance to be one of the first to see “Elemental” at the Los Angeles premiere event.

Project Worldwide announces the promotion of two key executives, Chris Meyer to Global CEO of GPJ and Matt Statman to President of Project’s Integrated Agency Group, a role he takes on in addition to remaining CEO and Chief Creative Officer of Motive.

AANHPI Heritage Month 2023 has seen a multitude of brands showing up to celebrate Asian cultures and communities. Jenn Ho, a fellow associate creative director at Motive, highlighted the equally pressing issue of inclusion in the industry, among those making decisions that impact what ends up on screens. “The reason we're in the room has been validated again and again, but there's still a need to build context, a cultural bridge to authentic representation in the stories that get told,” Ho said. “The responsibility to challenge stereotypes and insidious misrepresentations of different Asian cultures remains. The next step involves giving genuine oversight and decision-making power to those who are represented on-screen.” Ho noted, “Because I'm Korean and I know my culture, I will pick up on nuances and details of stories that others do not.”

The Nashville Voyager sat down with G7 Account Executive Ileeana Johnson who talks about the keys to marketing success.

During this year’s SXSW, hard seltzer brand White Claw created the White Claw Shore Club at the Sunset Room in Austin. Guests were treated to several interactive touchpoints, including a 10-foot LED wall and a White Claw can wave photo op, as well as bites from local Austin food trucks and giveaways such as limited-edition posters. The White Claw Shore Club also saw performances from Tenille Arts, Madison Cunningham, Zach Person, Pheelz, Calma Carmona, and Abraham Alexander, along with immersive murals from artist Brendan Monroe. G7 Entertainment Marketing handled the event planning, execution, and talent booking, while Black Ops Productions handled fabrication, Noonah handled the LED wall, and VCCP served as creative consult.

Integrated creative agency Darkhorse and One New Zealand are celebrating bringing the new brand to life, starting with their naming sponsorship of the NZ Warriors at their first home game of the season last month.

“Between the polycrisis and the pandemic, the current state of the world has everything to do with the uptick in nostalgia marketing,” said Brendan Brown, senior VP of strategy at George P. Johnson. “Everything from the products we buy and stories we stream, to the sounds and styles of our time, contain echoes and iterations of the past. The ‘Stranger Things’ franchise is a standout example of ‘deep nostalgia,’ building on the retro mood and aesthetic of the show to create a rich world of nostalgic yearning.”

Ad Age interviewed top advertisers about their favorite Women's History Month campaigns and included insights from George P. Johnson. OS Studios and Wondersauce. “It’s encouraging to see brands wanting to celebrate and advocate for equality, especially in a climate where execs are understandably cautious of the backlash that anything controversial could cause,” said Sheila Srinivasan, creative director at Wondersauce. “This year, it felt particularly important to see campaigns successfully highlighting trans women, like that of Hershey Canada.” Srinivasan also pointed to Lottie London, Strava and Miller Lite as brands that met the challenge for Women’s History Month.

Praytell’s Naria Frazer shares how companies can better support employee resource groups which includes connecting ERG efforts to broader DE&I goals.