SNACKABLE CONTENT FROM NYC'S ADVERTISING WEEK
NYC Advertising Week
We’re highlighting New York City’s 2019 Advertising Week in today’s blog post, providing you with bite-sized content of our most noteworthy!
Advertising Week Kicks Off with Ken and Burtch Drake Opening the NASDAQ Stock Exchange
Ken and Burtch Drake rang the Opening Bell to inaugurate the climate action pledge called "The Future is Calling." The Ceremony was filled with the executives from companies such as Facebook, DDB, Barbarian and Quantcast, who have signed the pledge, in addition to several youth activists as well as actress and activist Maggie Q. The Pledge which was created in response to the youth global climate movement, intended to mobilize business leaders to use the full force of their resources to creatively and effectively increase public knowledge about the climate crisis.
Monday, September 23rd at the NASDAQ Opening Bell
The First-Ever Winners of the "Future is Female" Platform Announced
In partnership with the newly re-branded Apersand, winners of “The Future Is Female” platform were announced at Monday night’s opening concert at the PlayStation Theater in Times Square. Headlined by TLC, the best-selling American female group in history, the special kick-off concert celebrated the first day of Advertising Week and honored the 10 rising stars of the advertising and marketing industry.
Honorees were selected based on a combination of proven achievements, demonstrated ability to effect organizational change, commitment to external impact, ability to mentor others, and professional endorsements.
Congratulations to “The Future is Female” 2019 Winners:
Arnetta Whiteside, Associate Director, Research & Planning, Cultural Quotient, Publicis Media
Jessica McGlory, Director of Paid Social Media Marketing, Bombas
Amy Manganiello, Global Advertising Director, Reebok
Christena Pyle, Executive Director, Advertising, Time's Up
Maya Azzi, Director of Corporate Luxury Marketing and Strategy, L'Oreal
Jen Wong, Chief Operating Officer, Reddit
Belen Marquez, Art Director, Droga5
Leena Danan, SVP & Managing Director, Horizon Media
Laura Fruitman, Co-Founder, The Right To Shower, Unilever
Larene Mantel, VP, Advanced TV and Audio Strategy, Cadreon
Meghan Hanley (Stand-up Comic & Writer) Image courtesy of AW New York/Shutterstock
Burger King CMO Talks Fear, Generic Marketing and Healthy Ingredients
Fernando Machado, Burger King CMO and industry disrupter, gave a Keynote speech in a panel on Tuesday morning called “Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid. But Do It,” and credited his bold, and often daring, ads to his penchant for pursuing ideas that frighten him: “I’ve seen a lot of people on the client side killing ideas because they don’t know how to do something. You have to put your career at risk sometimes. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.”He highlighted Burger King’s “very generic” marketing tactics prior to his arrival as a means of illustrating “fake advertising that has nothing to do with the brand.” In order to be competitive in today's advertising space, particularly when other major chains have larger budgets at their disposal, Machado emphasized the importance of creativity as a means of gaining a competitive edge.Later, during a Deep Dive session, Machado spoke to the importance, as well as his team’s infatuation, with social listening; citing that, an understanding of what’s trending influences his team’s creative work.
Fernando Machado, Burger King CMO during his keynote speech in a panel titled, "Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid. But Do It." | Image Courtesy of Ilyse Liffreing | Ad Age
Serena Williams on Retiring from Tennis and her Clothing Company's Invitation to NY Fashion Week
At a panel on Tuesday with Guru Gowrappan, CEO of Verizon Media, and Julia Boorstin, entertainment and media correspondent at CNBC, Serena Williams joked about retirement saying she'll "transfer out, you know, in 20 years, not anytime soon," which was met with laughter and enthusiastic applause from the audience.
In discussing her clothing brand, S by Serena, she outlined the driving force behind her fashion brand: "Changing the way you feel when you put on our outfit, you want to feel sexy, you want to feel confident, and you want to feel sure." Williams spoke about how thrilled she was to be included in New York Fashion Week and upon hearing the news, she thought to herself, "I just got into New York Fashion Week, okay, how do I get into Milan?"
Williams' venture firm, "Serena Ventures," is currently investing in companies like Daily Harvest, Lola and Colugo. When it comes to finding companies to invest in, Williams declared that she's "really interested in technology, and even more so founders... we really focus on female founders."
In discussing her underlying philosophy, Williams said "We want to stand up for what we feel is right, and we want to empower people to stand up for what they feel is right as well," adding that "my main goal is to get rid of the word exclusive, and bring in the word inclusive."
Guru Gowrappan (CEO, Verizon Media), Serena Williams (Olympic Tennis Athlete & Entrepreneur) and Julia Boorstin (Entertainment & Media Correspondent, CNBC) Image courtesy of AW New York/Shutterstock
Iman Addresses Her "Third Act" As CARE's First-Ever Global Advocate
Iman, Founder & CEO of Iman Cosmetics, Skincare & Fragrances and Michelle Nunn, CEO of Care USA, led an enlightening discussion around ongoing international conflicts and crises and how we can best tell the human stories at their center.
Iman spoke about growing up in Mogadishu, Somalia, and how she was fortunate to live a privileged life as the daughter of activists and an ambassador. She was set to follow in her parents' trailblazing footsteps, attending boarding school in Egypt and learning to speak 3 languages; but one day in 1969 changed everything. When a coup broke out in her home of Somalia, Iman and her family were forced to flee with only their clothes on their back, instantly becoming refugees.
Iman credits the NGOs for giving her a chance at a new life, describing these organizations as angels who allowed her to continue to attend school, find a job and eventually move on to college where she would study political science.
Giving a voice to the voiceless, Iman hopes to humanize the 65 million nameless, faceless people by sharing their individual stories which often get lost in politics. One of CARE's main directives is to reinforce financial stability to keep kids in school, providing a safe space for children where they can grow and create a better future for themselves.
“Parents don’t care how long they live, as long as their children can have a better future,” Iman said. And through her work as CARE's first-ever global advocate, Iman hopes to push storytelling, particularly in Jordan where they are creating a film school where young refugees have been taught to produce their own documentaries so that their stories can be heard. It is the hope of both Nunn and Iman that these efforts will help public perception towards refugees.
"We can never underestimate the power of our voices...I think we’ve seen over the past week the power of young people to activate," said Nunn. "I hope that we can continue to see that same wave of activism and leadership form our citizenry around the world."
Michelle Nunn (CEO, Care USA) and Iman (Founder & CEO, Iman Cosmetics, Skincare & Fragrances) Image courtesy of AW New York/Shutterstock
Building a Brand by Being Yourself
Jason Harris, CEO of Mekanism and author of The Soulful Art of Persuasion, and Lauren Bosworth, Founder & CEO of Love Wellness, discussed what it takes to build real long term brand success by being yourself.
Bosworth started Love and Wellness in 2016 after experiencing a lack of personal care products for women that were natural, safe and effective. After creating an open, honest, self- care culture, Bosworth was able to expand her offering to include total body care in 2018 where she has to experience much success.
During the seminar, Bosworth talked to the joys and challenges of starting a company from scratch, finding real sustainable packaging and why now, more than ever, woman deserve to be comfortable in their own bodies.
“I love the process of starting something from nothing," said Bosworth. On the female wellness space, she added: "What’s interesting about what we do is that we are problem solving."
Jason Harris (President and CEO, Mekanism) and Lo Bosworth (Founder, Love Wellness) Image courtesy of AW New York/Shutterstock
Jesse Eisenberg Talks De-Stigmatizing Anxiety & His Personal Struggles
Actor Jesse Eisenberg opened up with Child Mind Institute President Harold Koplewicz, MD about his struggle with anxiety during a session titled Great Minds Think Unalike 2.0. The Child Mind Institute, which was founded in 2009, is a non-profit organization focused on bringing awareness to child mental health issues and providing families with resources for treatment.
According to The Child Mind Institute, today 1 in 5 children and teens struggle with a mental disorder, of which anxiety is the most common. Koplewicz led a powerful and thought provoking interview with Eisenberg, addressing the anxiety he's suffered as both a child and an adult, the connection between anxiety and creativity, and the de-stigmatization of mental health issues.
On the importance of publicly talking about his mental health, Eisenberg added: "I think that discussions like this that are public, de-stigmatize something that is incorrectly stigmatized... That's why I was hesitant to do this today, but my overriding thought is that if somebody understands that it's common that there are people they see in a movies who have this kind of thing-- I know if I was 12 years old and I saw that... it would be helpful to me, because i think it would make me feel not alone, and also to understand that this is a temporary period, and life ebbs and flows and you might be in ebb now but you might flow soon enough."
Things got better with age, but anxiety is a disorder Eisenberg still deals with this to this date. He discussed how he'd struggled throughout elementary school, crying daily dealing with separation anxiety, and how he'd act out in middle school, which led to a him having to take some time off to get his anxiety under control.
Through creativity, Eisenberg learned to channel his anxiety. He attended Public Professional High School in the city and eventually The New School for college, where he was able to surround to himself with people who were more like him, who had their own difficulties and problems, and were also seeking creative outlets to express their feelings.
Eisenberg described coming to New York as "genuinely life saving" and how acting for him was “cathartic way to have an emotional experience that was safe and contextualized”. Creativity can act as an outlet for people who suffer from anxiety because it focuses the mind away from the matter that is stress inducing.
Jesse Eisenberg during a session titled Great Minds Think Unalike 2.0, discusses anxiety with Child Mind Institute President Harold Koplewicz, MD | Image courtesy of AW New York/Shutterstock
Gwyneth Paltrow on GOOP, Acting and Entreprenurship
Gwyneth Paltrow, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Goop, sat down with Harry Kargman, Founder and CEO of Kargo. As Paltrow discussed acting, “I wouldn’t say I’m that passionate about it anymore,” she admitted. "At a certain point I felt like it wasn’t what I wanted to do, so I did a little pivot,” Paltrow explained. Starting GOOP in 2008 as a newsletter, Paltrow has since grown the brand into a destination where people can go to shop, learn about food and where to eat and where to stay when traveling. A true lifestyle brand, GOOP has gained a substantial following over the years.
"I really want Goop to have a much bigger legacy than I did as a celebrity,” she said. "We try to break rules and do things our own way, but always very authentically."
When asked for advice on how entrepreneurs can live their best life, Paltrow shared, “I would just say speak your truth at all costs. It’s so important – and you can do it really nicely and really diplomatically – if you are articulating what is really true for you.”
Gwyneth Paltrow, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Goop | Image courtesy of AW NewYork/Shutterstock
