Caesars Win!

I couldn't say it better than the press release issued yesterday: "Leo Burnett/Chicago has been selected by Harrah's Operating Company, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc., the world's largest provider of branded casino entertainment, to direct all advertising and marketing communications for its Caesars® brand globally following a competitive review.

The move comes as Harrah’s plans to expand the Caesars franchise globally and spend more than $1billion to expand and renovate its flagship property in Las Vegas. It also marks the first time Harrah’s has hired a single agency of record, unifying all marketing efforts for the Caesars properties under one global agency."

Leo Burnett partnered with marketing services sibling Arc to win the pitch and we are very excited to share the good news!

Burnett = Destination for Young Creative Talent

Megan Sovern and Matt Miller have been named two of the Top 10 young creatives in this week's issue of Adweek.

While their profile in the article gives you a *slight* idea of their awesomeness, I am here to vouch - they deserve to win this thang. (I mean, look at their picture....awwwwesome!)

If you feel similarly, please visit Agency Spy and vote for 'em.

We'll find out tomorrow if they win "officially," during Adweek's Creative Conference.

Howie Mandel Honors Arc Malaysia

Last night, “Deal or No Deal” comedian Howie Mandel emceed the Direct Marketing Association's awards during the DMA07 Exhibition & Conference. Mandel gave Arc/Malaysia the USPS Gold Mailbox Award.

This award is sponsored by the US Postal Service and it honors a campaign that "employs mail in a ground-breaking way." The winning campaign was titled “The Greatest Show on Earth” and was created for the Direct Marketing Association of Malaysia. The goal of the piece was to promote the annual direct marketing award show and it used the theme of “The Greatest Show on Earth.” The mailing featured a bright circus caravan with miniature circus animals and an entry letter that included a miniature trainer’s whip. The pack "whipped up" (geddit??) strong interest the show, drawing 196 entries in a country with fewer than 15 direct marketing and interactive agencies.


Thanks, Howie!!

So, an exec walks into a bar and...

Marc Landsberg (whom many of you know as the global corporate strategist and president of Arc Worldwide) is also a former stand-up comic. Today, he combined his inner funny man and his marketing knowledge for a knee-slapping speech at the Forrester conference in Chicago.

Bascially, Marc made interesting parallels between business and people looking for love in a speech titled, "Act to Attract: Making Yourself Desirable in the Online World." He asked: does your brand meet people easily, or do you come across as awkward and stiff? Is your brand a giver or a taker?

Funny analogy, I suppose, but he was all business when he made his point....in this new world of social technology, demonstrations of higher value have never been so important.

I know I'm paid to say it, but I couldn't agree more.

LB/Paris Tackles AIDS Awarness with "Sidaction"

Here's a brand new effort from Leo Burnett Paris, "Sidaction."

Over the last few years, France has seen a decline in AIDS-awareness among its people, particularly among the young.
Misconceptions and an emotional downgrading of the disease’s consequences have both helped maintain the level of AIDS-related deaths for some time now. 6500 people are infected each year in France, and of those who test positive for HIV, half are not aware they are a carrier.
As you well know, a cure has still not been found for AIDS, and while breakthroughs in research have been considerable, funds are still needed if we’re to crack the disease and improve existing drug therapies. Raising awareness, providing information and encouraging prevention among young men and women is one key aim of the organization Sidaction in France.
Working with Sidaction, Leo Burnett has created a striking TV spot, an allegory that reminds us all of the sad reality that AIDS remains prevalent, that more investment in research is required, and that Sidaction needs your help.

Our Latest "Solar-Powered" Billboard

Those lucky enough to score a ticket to a Cubs playoff game this weekend will see the next great McDonald's outdoor effort when they enter Wrigley Field.

Following the success of "Sundial" (the most-awarded piece of outdoor advertising in 2007) Leo Burnett is once again harnessing the power of the sun for McDonald's. A new living billboard has been created (with the help of a horticulturalist) to promote McDonald’s fresh salads. The vertical garden, placed right outside Wrigley Field in Chicago, boasts sixteen types of lettuce which are actively growing to form the words “Fresh Salads”.

My bad!

Thanks go to Jay Thompson, "VP of Stuff" at Ihaveanidea.org for keeping us honest...my previous post about the Ottowa International Film Festival was really meant to be about the
Ottawa International Animation Festival.

Oops.

At least I know SOMEONE is reading....and hey, he's a VP of Stuff. Ain't gonna mess with THAT.