Enjoy AdForum’s daily roundup of the latest news, trends, and notable work in the advertising industry.
So Very Sorry: There Was No Golden Age of Advertising
Nostalgia is a powerful drug, especially if you have no idea about the thing you are actually being nostalgic about. At that point nostalgia becomes more of a fantasy than an idealized and sentimentalized recollection of a time, place and events that were bathed in the golden sunlight of human psychology. According to this Ad Age article, there never was a Golden Age of Advertising, and to think so would be naïve. The type of naivety that would cause you to buy something you never needed.
Taco Bell Wins Advertising to Millennials, Again, with Taco Emoji Engine
“The taco emoji is finally here, and Taco Bell now has an ‘taco emoji engine’ to show for it. Today, the fast-food company and Deutsch L.A. are debuting a social-marketing blitz that celebrates the recent launch of the long-awaited taco emoji. The Irvine, Calif.-based brand said that it has created 600 pieces of unique content. Eventually, all of the content will then be posted to ta.co, its recently-revamped website.” More at Adweek.
Nordstrom Continues Campaign of Mad Respect for Christmas
“Nordstrom, for another year, is putting its employees ahead of its sales-slinging this Thanksgiving. The department store has issued a disclaimer: It will remain closed on the Thursday holiday, opening at normal hours on Black Friday, ‘unveiling’ its holiday decorations that day. Before that, Nordstrom won’t even acknowledge that Christmas is coming. Their reasoning is hanging on posters at Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack stores across the country: ‘Well, we just like the idea of celebrating one holiday at a time.’” For more details visit Digiday.
Job of the Day: Senior Visual Creative at Mirum in New York City
Mirum is looking for a Senior Visual Designer with strong conceptual thinking – both visual and interactive Responsibilities: Responsibilities:
• Develop smart, strategic, and creative solutions that are on-brand and response-oriented.
• Articulate ideas and communicate proactively with Art Director and Creative Director to determine visual style, messaging strategy, and conceptual direction.
• Collaborate with copywriters to develop initial concepts and optimize messaging presentation.
• Coordinate closely with production and coding teams to ensure design follows best practices, and is rooted in production reality.
• Actively consult with account managers and planners to become knowledgeable about brand, client expectations, and project goals.
• Ensure work always meets timing, budget, and quality expectations.
• Stay current on interactive marketing trends, best practices, and emerging technologies.
More details at Mirum.
Content Director vs. Creative Director; Tomayto vs. Tomato
“In a time before market intelligence and data analytics, marketing was exclusively an industry for those with a flair for creativity and ideas, but the evolution of content marketing has given rise to a new role - the content director. Digital tools and data have no doubt changed marketers’ lives, but it would be foolish to underplay the role that creativity still plays in the implementation of content marketing strategies. Great creativity inspires and plays on our curiosity. This inspiration makes people want to hear more, learn more and engage more.” Read the full break down at The Drum.
Pinterest Is Growing Up Before the Ad Industry’s Very Eyes
"Pinterest is getting serious about becoming a formidable digital advertising player, and agency executives are taking notice. ‘What Pinterest has accomplished in the last nine months is the most evolution of any platform,’ said Chris Tuff, evp and director of business development and partnerships at 22Squared. For comparison, Tuff said it took Facebook four and a half years to build the same kind of sophisticated ad tools that Pinterest is pitching." More at Adweek.
Agency of the Week
Critical Mass: Critical Mass is a global experience design agency with a relentless focus on the customer. We’ve been doing digital for nearly two decades, but we still meet every challenge head on, with the same tenacity as we have since day one. We’re thinkers. Tinkerers. Makers. Do’ers. We speak a dozen different languages and are inspired by a million different things. But no matter our discipline or where we are in the world, we’re united by a common excitement for digital that’s absolute and contagious.
Because today is Tuesday, check out this Star Wars Battlefront ad (below) by Heat featuring a kickass Anna Kendrick:
