Y&R Spark Plug Launches in Asia

May 6, 2013 - Know any new college graduates looking for that first job? Or any young people already working and thinking of switching jobs? “The Advertising On-Ramp: Getting Your First Advertising Job” was written for them.

Just published in time for the new graduates of 2013 comes this must-read for anyone hoping to break into communications, marketing, and advertising. And just about any other field, as well.

“The Advertising On-Ramp: Getting Your First Advertising Job” (Paramount Books, $19.95) is the first book to lead college grads and others through the hiring process at big advertising agencies.

Author Belle Frank, a senior executive at Madison Avenue powerhouse Young & Rubicam, draws on more than 25 years’ experience to address the many issues—professional and personal—that marketers encounter when interviewing and hiring.

Graduates looking for that first job will receive a step-by-step tutorial to getting hired. Frank explains how to make a resume jump out of the pile; how to handle job interviews—preparing for them, what to do and say during them, and how to follow-up afterward; and what skills agencies look for most. She also uses real-life examples to show how good candidates can become must-hires.

In clear and readable fashion, with honesty and humor, Frank answers the basic question every job-seeker wants answered: What will make me the person they want to hire?

“The Advertising On-Ramp” is also required reading for advertising and marketing professionals responsible for attracting and developing new talent, as well as those advising graduates about career choices.

While written about advertising, nearly all of Frank’s sage advice applies to recent graduates looking for that first job in any field. And young employees looking for help getting their second and third jobs will get a leg up, too.

“With wisdom, humor, and straight talk, Belle offers a clear road map to success. In an age when competition for jobs is at an all-time high, this book offers dead-on practical advice that will help anyone be a stronger job candidate.”

 —Lynn Appelbaum, Professor and Director, Advertising/PR Program,

The City College of New York

“The Advertising On-Ramp” is now available at Amazon.com and Paramount Books.

April 26, 2013 – After 87 years of calling 285 Madison Avenue home, Y&R is moving to 3 Columbus Circle.

“Today we are building the basis for the next 90 years,” Global CEO David Sable announced on the agency's last day at its old address. “Madison Avenue is a state of mind, not a state of place.”

Since our start in 1923, Y&R has been synonymous with smart, creative and innovative thinking. Founded on a commitment to ‘Resist the Usual’, Y&R continues to defy the norm by moving West – to the crossroads of culture and commerce.

We have enlisted the very best minds to create an environment that fosters creative thinking and collaboration.

From the totally open space to the team rooms – 3CC has been designed to allow a cross-pollination of ideas and resources, so that we continually deliver on our promise to be our clients’ most important partner.

March 21, 2013 - EveryoneOn, a pro bono campaign created by Y&RNYC designed to help all Americans access free digital literacy training, launched today.

Y&RNYC partnered with the Ad Council and nonprofit Connect2Compete to unveil the nationwide campaign.

"More than a fifth of American adults — approximately 62 million people — consider themselves non-users of the Internet, while 46 percent of non-users report that they lack the necessary skills," the Ad Council said in a release.

Today, more than 80 percent of Fortune 500 companies post their job openings online only and require online applications. Fifty percent of today’s jobs require technology skills, and this percentage is expected to grow to 77 percent in the next decade.

"This is such a great, timely cause to join, and we're so proud to have been given the opportunity to play a part,” said Jim Elliott, Chief Creative Officer, Y&R NYC. “For so many of us, the online world is such an ingrained part of our daily routine that we sometimes forget what a powerful force for good and betterment it can be. This campaign is about helping a whole new group of people experience that same, thrilling "aha!" online moment born in the early 90's when the Internet was starting to really come to life. The Internet is this infinite wellspring of discovery, and to help turn people on to that truth has become a deeply rewarding experience for the entire team."

Read the full release

March 6, 2013 – Caution, control, conspicuous consumption and women’s aspirations to be a housewife are among the interesting revelations in Y&R China’s research findings unveiled today in Shanghai. Conducted annually across China for over ten years, Y&R’s proprietary Brand Asset Valuator (BAV) and qualitative eXploring, have identified 10 emerging trends that will impact brand and business success.

These emerging trends are all revelatory, many of them running counter to popular perception, and offer invaluable insights into how attitudes are changing toward brands and consumption in China.

“These are some less obvious discoveries gleaned from Y&R’s own studies,” explained Charles Sampson, CEO Y&R China. “We have focussed on 18-34 year olds, who have witnessed the opportunities and challenges of China’s transformations from an early age. They keep amazing us with how they evolve. They continue to experience tremendous economic and cultural transformations that shape how they define themselves, their impact on society at large, and how they consume brands.”

Some findings from the Ten Whispers include:

• CHANGE: The move from urgency to caution

Newness is not as exciting as before. Change has been the constant and we are beginning to see a decline of interest in things new. They seem to be suffering from fatigue. Instead, people are beginning to want to slow down. They want to feel that they still have a part to play in society, just like yesterday, and the script is not getting changed too fast and too frequently.

• WOMEN: It’s cool to be a housewife

From holding up half the sky to holding up a happy home. From managing work to managing family. From arranging meetings to arranging flowers. Women now can choose, as much as men can choose. Among both women and men, there is a growing acceptance of women (or men) who quit their jobs to become house-makers. This trend is regarded not as a return to tradition but as progress. It’s a show of self-determinism against the history when their mothers were driven out of the home into the public workforce alongside men. Women are nowadays more confident to reprioritize life over career and pursue what they want.

• RULES:  From freedom to control

The traditional fear of chaos (乱) is coming back.  We used to believe breaking rules created advantages - “heroes were born out of chaos”. When nutritional food was found to be poisonous and bullet trains derailed, many promises of change proved to be fantasy. It’s become clear that breaking rules can hurt everyone.  As they re-evaluate what’s right and what’s wrong against an ever-moving background, they pine for direction and guidance.

• WEALTH: Earn it, flaunt it

Money has come out of the closet. Traditionally, ‘gentlemen don’t care about money’. After 30 years of economic reform, money has found its admirable place in people’s minds and conversations. They are more comfortable expressing their desire for wealth and admiration for those who have earned it. Money is a sign of earned success, and has earned associations with positive values like entrepreneurship, talent, the intelligence of self-made men.

• HAPPINESS: From success to balance

People are realizing that ‘success’ alone doesn’t make them happy. The ability to manage a balanced life is more important for a sense of satisfaction. ‘Success’ is about money, but the power of money is eroded. Common belief was that money helped escape the dangers of poor quality, but many products have proven to be substandard copycats or fake.  One cannot rely on money alone to be happy, one has to try to strike a balance.

• BRANDS: From Badge to Buddy

This generation of consumers is unique in that they were the first to be re-exposed to branding, as commercial marketing returned after a long period of forced absence. As they grew up with brands, their relationship with brands matured. While they used to look to brands as proof they were keeping up, they now want a more intimate relationship with brands, one that is more based on knowledge, trust and companionship. Brands have to earn the privilege of getting close to people, by offering something of value, so that they are passed on to other people, just like a great whisper.

Added Kaiyu Li, Head of Planning Y&R China, “We based the analysis on Y&R’s proprietary brand and insight tool BrandAsset® Valuator and qualitative eXploring. By comparing BAV data diachronically and conducting a series of conversations with consumers, we hear “whispers” about how their attitudes are shifting and what they are looking for from brands. Whispers arouse curiosity. Whispers bond relationships. Whispers go around. Whispers build brands.”

March 6, 2013 – Sanjay Bhasin, Chief Executive Officer Southeast Asia, and Marcus Rebeschini, Chief Creative Officer Y&R Asia, today announced the appointments of Lisa Hezila as Managing Director, and Gigi Lee as Executive Creative Director, at Y&R Malaysia.

Hezila is promoted to Managing Director from the role of Group General Manager which she has held since August 2010. Lee is promoted to Executive Creative Director from Creative Director, having led the creative department for the past year.

“Y&R Malaysia’s accomplishments this year are testament to both Lisa’s and Gigi’s leadership of their young, but extremely talented team," Bhasin said. "Their achievements have been a perfect balance of fame and fortune, stellar awards success coupled with a slew of new business wins.”

Awards success at local, regional and international shows led to Y&R Malaysia being ranked among the top 20 agencies in the world, according to a global compilation of all major creative awards shows.

Fifty-six international awards won in 2012 include 1 Gold and 1 Silver at the London International Awards; 21 Ad Stars (including 1 Gold and 6 Silver); 2 Silver and 2 Bronze Cannes Lions; 2 Silver ANDY Awards; 1 Silver Pencil and 1 Merit at One Show; 1 Silver, 4 Bronze, 5 Shortlist at Spikes Asia; 1 Bronze Clio; 1 D&AD In-book as well as AdFest success.

Y&R Malaysia’s overall tally of 96 awards in 2012 placed the agency in sixth position in the Asia Pacific region, having also been awarded the biggest honours in Malaysia’s advertising industry, winning both Golden Kancil "Best of the Best" and being named "Agency of the Year" at the Kancil Awards 2012, for the first time in its 19-year history.

New business wins included Media Prima TV Networks, Ferrari, Maserati, CIMB Mapletree, EXIM Bank and UEMLand.

“From being named Malaysia’s ‘Agency of the Year’ for the first time in its 19-year history, to being ranked among the top 20 agencies in the world by The Big Won Report, it’s been a year of wins not only on a creative front but also a great success on the business front thanks to Gigi’s and Lisa’s leadership of an impressive hungry team. Gigi’s and Lisa’s promotions are very well-deserved; which I am sure their fellow peers would agree,” said Rebeschini.

Hezila started her career in marketing with Edaran Otomobil Nasional Berhad before joining Formula 1 Powerboat World Championship Grand Prix as the Head of Marketing Communications and Sponsorship. After spending six years as a client, in October 2004 she joined Paragon Y&R to head the operation and, within just a few years, rebuilt the agency. In August 2010, she was promoted to Group GM for Y&R Group KL, working with the team on client's brands such as Colgate, Campbell’s, Cerebos, Malaysia Milk and others. Her philosophy of always thinking big has seen Y&R and Paragon Y&R aggressively look into tapping new business and has extended the agency offering beyond conventional advertising. Lisa was among the select few, and the only woman from Malaysia, to be named among Asia Pacific’s ‘Women to Watch’ by Campaign Asia Pacific magazine in 2012.

Having started out "below the line," Lee’s move into art direction saw her apply her craft to local and regional accounts, winning and handling brands like Tiger Beer, Guinness, Carlsberg, Kraft, Toyota, Lexus, Colgate, Campbell’s, KFC, local telecommunications providers and television networks, and more. Lee’s been with some of the most awarded agencies in town and won her share of metal including Spikes, AdFest, One Show, Clio, LIAA, NYFest, ANDY, D&AD and Cannes; shows everybody keeps talking about. Since returning to her roots at Y&R Malaysia, Lee led the creative to win the local Kancil Awards’ Best of Show, and the office’s first ever Agency of the Year award. Campaign Asia Pacific magazine named her Asia’s third most awarded art director, and just recently, The Big Won Report put the humble Malaysian office at world’s 19th most creative agency.

Y&R Promotes from Within the Agency: Y&R NYC Veteran and San Francisco-Based Strategic and Creative Leader to Expand Y&R’s West Coast Agency

February 20, 2013 - Carter Murray, President & CEO of Y&R North America, announced today that Mike Reese, Managing Partner at Y&R NYC, has been promoted to President of Y&R:California. Mimi Cook, San Francisco-based strategic and creative leader will join Mike to lead Y&R’s West Coast agency as Chief Creative Officer. Mike and Mimi will be based in San Francisco and will be responsible for overseeing Y&R:California, including pursuing new business for the region.  Doug Sweeny and Joe Kayser, who have been leading Y&R:California for close to two years, are leaving for a new opportunity.

“I am delighted to name our new CEO from within. Mike is part of the heart, soul and spirit of Y&R.  He is entrepreneurial, connects deeply with his clients, and knows how to leverage our network across discipline and geography. He will find a great partner in Mimi, who joins us with an impeccable creative pedigree, invaluable experience gained at Apple, and an impressive balance of creative and strategic skills,” he added.

A long-time veteran of Y&R, Mike has held senior roles in account management, strategic planning and business development, working across a wide range of client categories. For the past seven years, Mike served as President of BrandBuzz, a Y&R company founded nearly 14 years ago that was one of the pioneers of breaking down the walls between creative and media, focusing on developing innovative, media-neutral solutions to client challenges. Mike has worked with some of the world’s leading brands across categories including, Consumer Packed Goods (CPG), beer and spirits, consumer electronics, airlines, retail and entertainment.

Mimi has spent nearly all of her career in San Francisco working in the industry as a strategic and creative leader in a great mix of companies and across many categories. In addition to agency experience at Goodby, Silverstein; Publicis and Hal Riney, FCB and Chiat\Day, Mimi also spent four years as a Creative Director at Apple, where she worked intensively on the massive wind-up to launching the iPhone.  Most recently, she was at Mekanism in San Francisco, as Brand Strategy Director.

“I am thrilled to move to Y&R:California,” said Reese. “The agency has a great sense of the California “state of mind” — all about innovation and invention.  Mimi’s lived that throughout her career, on the agency and client side.  We see the agency’s strengths and tremendous opportunity for growth.”

“I couldn’t be more excited to join Y&R,” said Cook.  “It’s going to be an amazing experience continuing to do what I love out here in San Francisco, but also to interact with Y&R’s global network with its infinite amount of talent and resources.  It’s really the best of both worlds. Mike and I are like-minded and bring complementary skills and experiences to our new partnership.  I am so excited.”

“This starts a new chapter for us on the West Coast,” said Murray.  “Doug and Joe have done a good job to strengthen the agency’s roots in the California market through a creative-focused culture that resonated with local clients.  We are broadening the brief now with Mike and Mimi — two leaders who are entrepreneurial, have real comfort in driving innovation, and a track record in building global brands,” said Murray.  “Our Y&R North America network is thriving with double-digit revenue growth in New York and tremendous progress in Chicago. We think Y&R:California will be an equal partner in our continued success,” he added.

February 7, 2013 - Y&R has entered into an affiliate agreement with Hancomm as the full-service advertising agency expands beyond South Korea to meet its clients’ international aspirations.

Under the terms of the agreement, the two companies will build a strong partnership that raises Hancomm’s profile, establishing a world-class international presence beyond its domestic market. As Hancomm helps its clients go global, this will include training and sharing proprietary Y&R tools and research including BAV data and Generation Asia.

"Through Hancomm's strategic partnership with Y&R’s strong global network in over 90 countries, Hancomm will continue grow and turn into a truly world-class advertising agency. Furthermore, it will enable us to upgrade our integrated marketing communication efforts through diverse channels in this rapidly changing world environment; thus, we will better serve the ever-rising demands of corporate clients in Korea in today's competitive global economy," said Hancomm President & Chief Executive Officer Il-Hyung Chang.

Commenting on the agreement, Matthew Godfrey President Y&R Asia said, “We warmly welcome Hancomm as an affiliate, both Y&R Asia and Y&R Korea look forward to working closely with them. Y&R Korea is a flourishing and dynamic young agency under new Managing Director Hae Seong Jeong, we feel that both parties can benefit greatly from this partnership.”

January 11, 2013 – Following a multi-agency pitch, Banyan Tree has appointed VML Qais to lead and manage global SEO & Social Marketing Strategy in 2013 as it expands globally.

“Social, search, and content marketing are integrating and changing the game for marketing. With this, destinations have to rethink their relationships with consumers,” said Luca Deplano, Vice President of Marketing for Banyan Tree. “We picked VML Qais because they understand the relationship between these and have the ability to create a holistic digital strategy that will help us realize our vision.”

“We are thrilled to extend our relationship with Banyan Tree. After building their websites, to be entrusted with the marketing of their destinations is an honour,” said Tripti Lochan, CEO VML Qais.

In 2011, VML Qais revamped all 69 websites for Banyan Tree and Angsana Resorts with significant increase of e-commerce activity immediately after the revamp. With this appointment, VML Qais will be responsible for global SEO and Social Marketing for Banyan Tree and Angsana Resorts. 

January 9, 2013 – Individualism, one’s aspirations and a personalised way of life, emerged as the central theme amongst 18-35 year olds in India, in the most comprehensive attitudinal study ever conducted into that demographic. The findings are part of VML Qais’ proprietary research Generation Asia, revealed today in India.

Generation Asia in India believe that their individual aspirations and their way of life are central to their lives, with India scoring highest among nine Asian countries.

“India is at the crossroads as a society, and Generation Asia is at the centre of it, straddling two visions of the world. Born into a tradition dominated and community-centric society, India’s 18-35 year olds have witnessed rapid change in the socio-economic scenario leading them to shift away from the ‘we’ society to a ‘me’ lifestyle,” explained Rajeev Lochan, Director Research, VML Qais Asia.

This Generation feels optimistic about their personal future, realising their ambitions and believes in living for today without worrying too much about the future. Being seen as successful is very important. Experimental in nature, they want to be the first to try out new things and stand out from the crowd.

Continued Lochan, “The single most important life value for them is individualism, it’s more important than the spouse, friends or family. There’s a strong emphasis on personal aspirations and way of life.”

Conducted by VML Qais, Generation Asia is an in-depth attitudinal study into the 18-35 year old demographic across nine Asian countries. It is Asia’s most comprehensive psychographic study in terms of number of respondents, geographical coverage and in-depth insights into 16 key topics. Generation Asia India is a study of over 2,000 respondents in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad carried out in June-July 2012.

Generation Asia’s optimism and ambition is reflected in its attitudes to the 16 key topics, namely: Automobiles, Beauty (Men & Women), Communication, Education, Entertainment, Fashion, Food, Money, Health, Kids, Love, Luxury, Media, Sports, Technology, and Travel.

Key fascinating insights from Generation Asia India 2012 include:

• 80% prefer to bond only with a select few face to face, despite broadcasting their views on social media    
• 75% feel that technology overload disconnects you from those around you
• 77% watch sports with those who support their favourite sports star (preferring players over teams)
• 73% trust social media over media, 74% say friends would believe them rather than media brands 
• 79% is willing to pay a premium for quality entertainment, as this generation is ready to experiment with new entertainment formats
• 67% think supplements can help them get through stressful periods like exams or interviews, they give mental health importance due to their high stress lifestyle   
• 62% of women find plastic surgery is an acceptable means of looking good as women move out of their family home to study, work and live independently
• 75% of males think using skincare products is fine as their life is a perpetual race to meet work-life demands
• 78% want to buy unique fashion brands to stand out
• 70% spent most of their money buying whatever they want, whenever they want it, 78% feel financial planning is about applying common sense to money
• 79% feel street food is a convenient cheaper alternative to cooking food at home; driven by a busy convenience oriented lifestyle they show signs of moving away from traditional elaborate cooking routines
• 72% feel kids can learn more through TV and interactive technology than from parents
• 75% say luxury is all about having something that others don’t; 78% choose luxury brands to reflect their own personality
• 79% want to personalise their vehicle to reflect their individual taste as vehicle ownership represents personal growth and fulfilment
• 83% say marriage is worth it only if your partner really makes you happy, all close relationships come with an expiry date, if you are not happy its ok to move on
• 83% seek interesting experiences during their travels, and seek to discover the world while discovering themselves
• 71% believe college is a means to achieve good exam results
• 74% believe education plays only a small role in career success

“The new Generation Asia study has given us intriguing insight into how 18-35 year olds in India feel, think, dream and desire. After six and a half decades of Independence, the nation is in a mood to experiment, satisfy their demands and live life to the fullest, on their own terms,” said Lochan. “Having grown up in a country which evolved from socialist to being one of the most dynamic markets in the world with opportunities galore, this is a Generation that is ambitious and wants to experience life to the fullest.  But are they really spoilt? Do they want it easy? We set out to understand their attitudes and beliefs, and this is an invaluable resource for talking and connecting with them."

Added Lochan, “For a few years now there’s been talk of how Asia is starting to dominate world affairs, economically, socially and even culturally, and yet this powerful zeitgeist was not seen as the lens through which an entire Generation is going to view their own lives. And most importantly they are going to take decisions that define the future landscape of global society, as well as the fate of brands. This is what prompted VML Qais to identify and examine Generation Asia.”

December 19, 2012 – Y&R is spreading happiness in Hong Kong this holiday season as the ‘Happy Truck’ hits the streets to relaunch chocolate biscuit brand Tim Tam.

The Tim Tam Happy Truck is giving away surprising gifts and free Tim Tams, island-wide for a 24-week period. Targeting high traffic areas on weekends, a major parade – comprising a huge truck and ten taxis – was held on Saturday, December 15 at Causeway Bay, Wan Chai, Central and Mongkok.

“Sampling usually plays only a supporting role in the communication mix, so it’s an interesting change to place engagement with the product at front and centre of the campaign," said Y&R Hong Kong’s Director of Client Service, Eric Choi. "It’s great that both client and agency are committed to focussing on the sampling events as the core platform of the Tim Tam relaunch in HK."

Choi added: “Often for the launch of an international product into a new market, the strategy is to adapt global campaigns for the local market. But, given the cluttered market environment, we resisted the usual by choosing sampling and engagement as a far better way of raising awareness for Tim Tam’s relaunch into Hong Kong.”

Heidi Nam, General Manager – HK & Taiwan, Campbell Soup Asia Limited said of the campaign, “The Tim Tam Happy Truck is an interesting way to give out samples, after all tasting is believing, while enriching the experience with various interesting and surprising gifts and communicating the brand’s positioning of 'Tim Tam is created with little ripples of happiness in every bite.'"

December 13, 2012 – Jason Buckley, Y&R Group Chief Operations Officer, today announced the appointment of Andrew Dowling as Managing Director of Y&R Group Sydney, comprising George Patterson Y&R, digital experiential agency VML and retail marketing specialist agency IdeaWorks.

Dowling will return to Australia in his new role after having spent the past two years as CEO of Y&R Group Indonesia, where he led Y&R Advertising and launched VML Qais Jakarta with great success.

“Andrew has been part of the George Patterson and Y&R cultures for 11 years, working across our network in Asia for more than five. He has been a top performer for us in Asia, and we are absolutely delighted to bring him home as our leader in Sydney. Our people and our clients know him; he understands our culture and most importantly, our clients’ businesses. Andrew worked previously at both Patts and IdeaWorks, and also knows the VML brand intimately. We have a leader who is a dedicated professional committed to building our group of agencies, with our clients and our people” said Buckley.

Dowling said: “I’m excited to be returning to the agency where I started my career. Y&R Group in Sydney has developed a great blend of talent and strategic resources to help our clients with the many business challenges they face.  Combining Y&R's strategic and creative skills with the retail expertise of IdeaWorks and the digital firepower of VML – will enable us to deliver great things for our clients. The Y&R Executive Team and I have been discussing the vision and our plans to takek the agencies to leadership position in the Sydney market. I’m really looking forward to the challenge.”

Andrew will return to Sydney with his family in the new year, and will commence his new role on January 14.

December 12, 2012 – Y&R and Sinomonitor have embarked upon a strategic co-operation to conduct proprietary in-depth research and analysis into China’s rural consumers and its changing middle class, and how its evolution is impacting their attitudes and relationship with brands.

The announcement was first made to attendees of the 2012 China Media and Consumption Trend Forum held both in Beijing and Shanghai.

“We are excited about this new partnership and, importantly, what it offers to our clients. Y&R is already world-renowned for its global BAV (Brand Asset Valuator) and regional Generation Asia studies, and this cooperation with Sinomonitor further strengthens Y&R’s insight armory to help give our clients the competitive edge,” said Y&R Greater China CEO Charles Sampson.

Y&R’s Head of Strategy Kaiyu Li said: “We see an increasing demand from clients for insights into China’s rural consumers and the middle class, hence our decision to focus on these two immensely important segments. Sinomonitor is one of the best-respected marketing research companies in China, so coupling Sinomonitor’s extensive research capabilities with Y&R’s insights and analytics expertise made perfect sense,” said Li.

The collaboration between Sinomonitor and Y&R will look into how demographic and policy changes are transforming rural consumers’ attitudes and behavior. With an increasing number of people working in urban centers as “migrant workers” and subsidizing their household incomes, rural consumers are upgrading their choice of products and services beyond the basics. During this transformation, they reprioritize their spending and readjust their expectations for products and services. This collaborative insight initiative will aim to identify trends that have implications for brands to communicate to this segment with growing importance to marketers.

The Middle Class has also been the topic of much discussion. This is a constantly shifting segment and is undergoing internal stratification. The joint insight initiative will take a more in-depth view of the dynamics of these changes to bring out their ways of perceiving and consuming brands. 

December 10, 2012 – Y&R Zurich is celebrating a Gold Win with ‘Ice Car’ at the 2012 Eurobest Awards held in late-November.

The Switzerland-based agency’s work on the Audi Tough Test, which won in the Best Use of Media category, was inspired by Vorsprung durch Technik -“Progress through technology”.

To demonstrate that an Audi can always be relied on, regardless of weather conditions, a 20-year-old Audi Avant 80 was taken to Versoix, Switzerland, where a thick layer of ice covers the whole landscape every winter. It was left there for four weeks, eventually becoming encased in solid ice, to see if the motor would still start under such extreme conditions.

The experiment was advertised nationally, attracting many visitors to the car, which eventually resembled an ice sculpture more than a vehicle. Media from all over Europe reported the Audi Tough test, and RTL (the biggest TV network in Germany) was present for the finale when – to much excitement – the car started!

About 3.2 million poeple watched the broadcast and experienced what Vorsprung durch Technik really means.

You can watch the experiment and read more about the win at the Eurobest website.

December 5, 2012 – In the upcoming January issue of prestigious UK magazine, Market Leader, Executive Chairman of BAV Consulting John Gerzema remembers the "beautiful mind" of Simon Silvester.

Gerzema describes Silvester - who passed away suddenly in September - as a planner, lecturer, author and digital raconteur.

"What I'll remember most of all is that Simon was kind," Gerzema writes. "He was generous with this time and his ideas. He didn't care so much about owning them as spreading them. He radiated pure love for learning in a business that can so easily discard the value of being decent and human."

November 28, 2012 – Y&R’s LATAM offices continue to be recognized for their creative collaborations, this time taking home a total of 68 awards for the region, and being named the #2 network at the 2012 El Ojo de Iberoamérica festival of creativity.

With represented work across the region and media, Y&R was honored with one Grand Prix for Y&R Mexico’s work for Save the Children México, 16 Gold, 23 Silver, 28 Bronze awards, and an additional 37 shortlists.

The work exemplifies a true mix of talent, cultures, brands and creativity; all of which are the lifeblood to Y&R’s success.

This news comes on the heels of Y&R’s ranking as the #4 Agency Network in both the 2012 Cannes Listing and Ad Age's Creativity Magazine, both released just this past month.

Below are highlights of the work that won at El Ojo de Iberoamérica:

ARGENTINA                                            

• Atraco       GOLD     El Ojo Classic - Press    Freddo
• Historia de la amistad    GOLD    El Ojo Production - AV    Cervecería y Maltería Quilmes
• Contrastes    GOLD    El Ojo Sports     TyC Sports
• Bajo presupuesto    SILVER    El Ojo Classic - Cinema / TV    Banco Galicia
• Igualismo    SILVER    El Ojo Classic - Cinema / TV    Cervecería y Maltería Quilmes
• Ingrato        SILVER    El Ojo Classic - Cinema / TV    Kopelco
• Ojos habladores    SILVER    El Ojo Classic - Radio    Orbital
• Atraco        SILVER    El Ojo Classic - Outdoors    Freddo
• Historia de la amistad    SILVER    El Ojo Production - AV    Cervecería y Maltería Quilmes
• Igualismo    SILVER    El Ojo Production - AV        Cervecería y Maltería Quilmes
• Igualismo    BRONZE  El Ojo Classic - Cinema / TV    Cervecería y Maltería Quilmes
• Parecidos    BRONZE  El Ojo Classic - Cinema / TV    DirecTV Argentina
• Nucam        BRONZE    El Ojo Interactive    Agea
• Estaciones    BRONZE    El Ojo Mobile        Grupo Editorial Norma

BRASIL                                            

• Pestañas Anciano    GOLD    El Ojo Classic - Press    Café Bonogrão
• Burbuja        GOLD    Postcards    Goodyear Brasil
• Cerveza para chicos    GOLD    El Ojo Design    Fundação Telefonica
• Pestañas Lucha libre    SILVER        El Ojo Classic - Press    Café Bonogrão
• Mapas        SILVER    El Ojo Innovation    Telefónica Brasil
• Montaña rusa Sushi    BRONZE  El Ojo Classic - Press    Hopi Hari
• Perspectiva diferente Forrest      BRONZE  El Ojo Classic - Press        LG Brasil

Centroamérica and Caribe

• Circo        SILVER    El Ojo Classic - Radio        Sony Panamá

CHILE

• Maria Antonieta    GOLD    El Ojo Classic - Press            Rhein
• Dulcinea        GOLD    El Ojo Production - Prod. Press        Rhein
• Destacadores        SILVER    El Ojo Classic - Press            Rhein
• Dulcinea        SILVER    El Ojo Classic - Press            Rhein
• Cortazar        SILVER    El Ojo Classic - Radio            Danone Chile
• Dulcinea        SILVER    El Ojo Production - Prod. Press        Rhein
• Mamá ronca        BRONZE El Ojo Classic - Cinema / TV        Laboratorio Chile
• Cerdo (Colgate)        BRONZE  El Ojo Classic - Press            Colgate Chile
• Jueza            BRONZE El Ojo Classic - Press            Laboratorio Chile
• Maria Antonieta    BRONZE  El Ojo Production - Prod. Press    Single Piece    Rhein
• Maria Antonieta    BRONZE  El Ojo Production - Prod. Press    Single Piece    Rhein

COLOMBIA                                            

• Kid rescue        GOLD    El Ojo Sustainable        Telefónica Telecom Colombia
• Kid Rescue        GOLD    El Ojo Mobile            Telefónica Telecom Colombia
• Préstele la casa al Tino        SILVER    El Ojo PR        Sodimac Homecenter Colombia
• El sonido de las américas    BRONZE  El Ojo PR        Fundación Victor Salvi
• Préstele la casa al Tino        BRONZE  El Ojo Interactive    Sodimac Homecenter Colombia

ECUADOR                                            

• Budclock    SILVER    El Ojo Content            Ambev Ecuador
• Canguro    BRONZE  El Ojo Classic - Press        Magic Sound & Music
• Budclock    BRONZE  El Ojo Promo            Ambev Ecuador
• Budclock    BRONZE  El Tercer Ojo            Ambev Ecuador

MÉXICO                                            

• Círculo        Grand Prix  El Ojo Classic - Press        Save the Children México
• Cámaras de seguridad    GOLD    El Ojo Classic - Cinema / TV    Coca Cola México
• Círculo cocina        GOLD    El Ojo Classic - Press    Save the Children México
• Círculo        GOLD    El Ojo Classic - Outdoors    Save the Children México
• Círculo cocina        GOLD    El Ojo Classic - Outdoors    Save the Children México
• Círculo cuarto        SILVER    El Ojo Classic - Press    Save the Children México
• Mail - Memorandum    SILVER    El Ojo Classic - Radio    Xerox México
• Círculo cuarto        SILVER    El Ojo Classic - Outdoors    Save the Children México
• Cámaras de seguridad    SILVER    El Ojo Production - AV        Coca Cola México
• Auto deportivo        BRONZE  El Ojo Classic - Cinema / TV    Lacer
• Jarrón humano        BRONZE  El Ojo Classic - Cinema / TV    Henkel México
• Armagedon        BRONZE  El Ojo Classic - Press        Henkel México
• Ambos lados        BRONZE  El Ojo Classic - Radio        Xerox México
• Estimaciones - Aplicación    BRONZE  El Ojo Classic - Radio    Xerox México
• Círculo sala        BRONZE  El Ojo Classic - Outdoors    Save the Children México

PERÚ                                            

• Ataúdes        GOLD    El Ojo Production - AV        Liga Peruana de Lucha contra el Cáncer
• De Loreto para Loreto    SILVER    El Ojo Content            PromPerú
• De Loreto para Loreto    SILVER    El Ojo PR            PromPerú
• Curva            BRONZE  El Ojo Classic - Press        Toyota Perú
• Convocados        BRONZE  El Ojo Sports             Backus SABMiller
• De Loreto para Loreto    BRONZE  El Ojo Sustainable        PromPerú Ataúdes

URUGUAY                                            

• Excel 1        BRONZE  El Ojo Classic - Press        Ministerio de Turismo de Uruguay

November 12, 2012 – Y&R's 51 Lions win at the 2012 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity - the most in the agency's history - helped place the global advertising agency as the No. 4 Network of the Year in this years 2012 Cannes Report.

The Cannes Report is the definitive collection of rankings from all the shortlists and winning work at Cannes Lions 2012.

Y&R Sao Paulo was ranked the No. 5 agency in the world with Creative Vice President Rui Branquino and Creative Director Flavio Casarotti jointly ranked the No. 2 most-awarded Creative Directors in the world.

In addition, GPY&R Melbourne's Executive Creative Director Ben Coulson and Creative Director Chris Northam were jointly ranked No. 4 creative directors globally.

The Melbourne-based shop was one of the highest ranked shops in the Asia-Pacific region, where it was ranked 7th - one of only two Australian agencies in the region to make the top 10.

Check out the full list of the network's accomplishments below.

Network of the Year: #4 Y&R

Agency of the Year: #5 Y&R Sao Paulo

Highest Ranked Direct Agency: #20 Y&R Sao Paulo

Highest Ranked Media Agency: #11 GPY&R Melbourne

Highest Ranked Mobile: #16 Y&R Bogota

Highest Ranked Outdoor: #11 Y&R Dubai, #13 Y&R Sao Paulo

Highest Ranked Press: #1 Y&R Sao Paulo, #10 Y&R Paris, #18 Prolam Y&R, #19 Y&R Dubai, #20 Y&R Mexico

Highest Ranked Promo-Activation: #8 Y&R Amsterdam

Highest Ranked Radio: #13 Y&R New York, #18 Y&R Colombia, #18 Y&R Sao Paulo

Highest Ranked Creative Directors: #2 Rui Branquino, Y&R Sao Paulo, #2 Flavio Casarotti, Y&R Sao Paulo, #4 Ben Coulson, GP Y&R Melbourne, #4 Chris Northam, GP Y&R Melbourne

Highest Ranked Art Directors: # 9 Jake Barrow, GP Y&R Melbourne

Highest Ranked Copy Writers: #9 Matt Lawson, GP Y&R Melbourne

Highest Ranked Agencies: EMEA - #12 Y&R Dubai

Highest Ranked Agencies: Asia Pacific - #7 GP Y&R Melbourne, #13 Y&R Malaysia

Highest Ranked Agencies: Latin America - #2 Y&R Sao Paulo, #15 Y&R Mexico

November 5, 2012 – Y&R was awarded the biggest honours in Malaysia’s advertising industry, winning both Golden Kancil "Best of the Best" and "Agency of the Year" at the Kancil Awards 2012 held on Friday, November 2nd.

The agency, which scored 229 points, won three Gold, nine Silver, 12 Bronze and 14 Merit awards in various categories. Having previously won the Golden Kancil on several occasions, this is the first time in its 19-year history that Y&R Malaysia has been named Agency of the Year.

The coveted Golden Kancil ‘Best of the Best’ went to the much-feted "Fairy Tales" (Design Open) and "More Than Just Classics" (Design Corporate Identity) for Penguin Books, while other awards were won for Vespa.

“We are honoured to bring home ‘Best of the Best’ Gold Kancil yet again, and to be named Agency of the Year, which is a wonderful first for Y&R Malaysia," said Y&R Malaysia Group General Manager Lisa Hezila. "These wins are testament to our agency’s creative might, as well as its incredible energy and team spirit, and rounds off a year of incredible awards wins, locally, regionally and globally."

Gigi Lee, creative director Y&R Malaysia, added: “It’s incredibly gratifying to win such prestigious awards for our client Penguin Books, who have been with us since 2005. Great work is produced with the support of great clients, and this success is down to an amazing team effort from everyone.”

There was also international award success on Sunday, November 4th as Y&R Malaysia won one Gold and one Silver for the Penguin "More Than Just Classics’ campaign at the London International Awards.

This caps a year full of awards success for the Kuala Lumpur-based agency. The shop recently won five Spikes: one Silver and one Bronze Outdoor, and three Bronzes in Design for Penguin ‘More Than Just the Classic’ series.

At Cannes, Y&R Malaysia took home four Cannes Lions - one Silver and one Bronze Cannes Lion in the Outdoor category and one Silver and one Bronze Cannes Lion in Design for the same series.

Y&R Malaysia had previously brought home two Silvers from the ANDY Awards in New York, for "The Pied Piper of Hamelin," ‘"The Wizard of Oz" and "The Jungle Book," promoting Penguin Audiobooks. The Silver ANDYs were in the Newspaper: Entertainment - Motion Pictures, Plays and Books (Campaign) and Newspaper: Technique & Artistry - Illustration (Campaign) categories. The Penguin Audiobook work also made it ‘"In-Book" into the esteemed D&AD Annual, in the Illustration / Illustration for Advertising category.

The Penguin Audiobooks also garnered a Print Campaign Bronze CLIO Award 2012 and a Silver Pencil (Poster Campaign) at the prestigious One Show 2012.

October 30, 2012 – Yoni Bloch, CEO and Co-Founder of Interlude, has been announced as the winner of the Israeli Prime Minister's Prize for Initiative and Innovation for Financial Profit.

The award is aimed at encouraging new initiatives, innovative thinking, imagination and creativity among various population groups, including young people. The hope is for the work to lead to significant changes in the environment, science, technology, and society as a whole.

Interlude is a Y&R Spark Plug company – a Y&R program that gives start-ups office space and facilities, allowing them to grow and develop their ideas. In return, these companies share their innovative thinking and create opportunities to forge new partnerships.

“It is such an honor to win this award,” said Bloch. “Israel is rich with innovators and entrepreneurs – I hope this recognition encourages more people to use their initiative and follow their aspirations.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be attending the ceremony as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week next month, and presenting the respective awards. 

The prizes, worth approximately $45,000, are awarded to entrepreneurs in two categories: The Prime Minister's Prize for Initiative and Innovation for Financial Profit, and the Prime Minister's Prize for Initiative and Innovation Not for Financial Profit. Two honorable mentions will also be awarded - one in each category.

October 19, 2012 – VML has been selected as Digital Agency of Record for Wendy’s. VML will support Wendy’s brand transformation and growth strategy with continued development and innovation across the brand’s digital and social platforms. Wendy’s is the No. 2 burger chain in the U.S.

From Advertising Age:

Kansas City-based digital shop VML has been named Wendy's lead digital agency after a review.

Wendy's CMO Craig Bahner told Ad Age that "during the process [VML] best demonstrated they had the track record, client list and strategic thinking and creative firepower to explode our digital effort." He added that the No. 2 burger chain is getting more aggressive with digital and is "planning a double-digit increase" in digital and social marketing in 2013.

See how Wendy's delivered the news to the VML team.

October 16, 2012 – Carter Murray, President and CEO of Y&R North America, and Kary McIlwain, President of Y&R Chicago, announced today that Bill Cimino has been appointed Chief Creative Officer of the agency’s Chicago office. He succeeds Bob Winter, who is leaving to work in another market.

Cimino will oversee the office’s creative direction and all work for its clients, which include Craftsman, Kenmore, BMO Harris Bank, Famous Footwear, hotels.com, American Red Cross and Bonefish Grill.

A highly awarded creative director, Cimino joins Y&R Chicago from DDB Chicago, where he spent the past eight years, most recently as the Senior Vice President, Executive Creative Director and Global Creative Director of McDonald’s.  He also led the Capital One business at DDB and worked on other key clients such as Anheuser Busch, Discover Card, General Mills, Frito Lay, State Farm Insurance and Sierra Mist.

“Bill has produced an exceptional body of work for some truly iconic brands. I am confident that he will move into this role with the talent and energy that has been behind all of his successes thus far. This is terrific news for our clients and I just know our people will love working with him,” said McIlwain. “And I want to thank Bob Winter for taking us to where we are today, and wish him the very best of luck.”

Murray said, “This is an exciting hire for us. Bill is tremendously gifted, a true leader, and one who consistently creates award-winning work that has a real impact on culture and in the marketplace.  He is the right person to come in at this point and build on our progress.”

At Cannes last year, Cimino and his global team celebrated 13 Lions for McDonald’s, most awards ever won for the client. Additionally, Cimino’s team won a Gold Effie for McDonald's Corporation’s “Rebuilding an Icon: A Love Story” in the Sustained Success category.  Cimino’s awards also include Cannes Grand Prix, Gold and Bronze, British D&AD, ANDY’s Grandy, Clio Grand Prix, Gold, Silver and Bronze, in addition to a Radio Mercury Awards, Grand Prix One Show Gold, Silver and Bronze awards.

“In one of life’s quirky twists and turns, Bob Winter was part of my team years ago. I think there’s great momentum at Y&R Chicago and am thrilled to have this chance to pick up the baton and run with it. We start from a good place, and I’m looking forward to working with this passionate team, with (Global Chief Creative Officer) Tony Granger, and some wonderful clients,” said Cimino.

Prior to DDB Chicago, Cimino served as Senior Vice President and Executive Creative Director at Foote, Cone & Belding in Southern California. Before his time with DDB and FCB, Cimino worked at Ogilvy & Mather as a copywriter. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Loyola University of Chicago, and attended John Marshall Law School.

October 11, 2012 – Y&R Worldwide Managing Partner Shelley Diamond comes in at No. 11 in Business Insider's list of the "The 30 Most Powerful Women In Advertising."

Diamond oversees the multitude of services rendered by Y&R around the world - as well as resources available throughout the WPP network - for Dell, Campbell's Soup and Xerox. She also serves as a Director on the global Y&R Board, working with worldwide regional leaders to set strategy, identify and leverage opportunities, and develop and activate global initiatives.

"Since joining the agency in 1991, she transformed Xerox from 'The Copier Company' to 'The Document Company,'" the article says.

October 1, 2012 – Steve Frankfurt, whom The New York Times called “an advertising executive who helped lead the transformation of television commercials from straightforward sales pitches in the 1950s to sophisticated, art-designed productions,” and AdWeek described as “possessing a strong design sensibility” and a “creative ethos of using simple, emotional messages” died Sept. 28. He was 80.

Frankfurt was President of Y&R from 1967-1971 and was best known for his creative leadership that produced iconic lines like “Betcha can’t eat just one,” for Lay’s potato chips, and the campaign "Excedrin Headache," which used celebrities like Dick Cavett as the voice-over for a shoe salesman and Charles Nelson Reilly as a frazzled taxpayer at an audit.

A three-part documentary by the BBC aired in 1967 examines Frankfurt’s leadership at Y&R.

Frankfurt’s innovative work went beyond Madison Avenue, and he was called on to work for films including “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “Rosemary’s Baby,” “Superman,” and “Kramer vs. Kramer,” among other films.

Frankfurt is survived by his second wife, Kay Gadda Frankfurt; three daughters, Abigail, Emily and Rebecca Nadler; three sons, Peter, Jaime and Nicholas; and his brother, Michael.

September 28, 2012 – Matthew Godfrey, President Y&R Asia has announced the appointment of Hae Seong (HS) Jeong as Managing Director Y&R Korea.

Jeong’s appointment is effective 1 October 2012, he will be based in Seoul and reports to Godfrey.

The appointment comes as Marten van Pelt, President of Y&R Korea, relocates back to New York.

Jeong has spent the last four years running his own digital agency, prior to that he spent over a decade with TBWA in Seoul. Jeong has spent the last four years with Buzz Connection, a digital marketing company specializing in creating viral content and media, of which he was one of the four co-founders. Through effective creative and media usage, it was appointed as digital/viral agency for many major clients including Merrell, K-Swiss, Lecaf, GM and Club Med.

Prior to that Jeong spent over a decade with TBWA in Seoul, most recently as Group Account Director on brands such as SK, Mirae Aseet, Standard Chartered, Apple, adidas and SK Telecom. Under his tenure, brands won outdoor campaign of the year in 2004, and best ads in 2005 and 2006 at the Korea Advertising Festival. Jeong was previously with EURO RSCG, and JWT where he started out as a media planner before moving into account management.

Commenting on the appointment, Matt Godfrey said: “HS has the personality, vision and outlook to lead Y&R Korea in the spirit in which it has begun, as an open, creative, collaborative and fun place to work that brings great global perspective and thinking to our clients. Marten has done a phenomenal job in Korea and we wish him all the very best.”

September 28, 2012 – Work from Y&R Colombia and George Patterson Y&R Melbourne was selected to help launch Google's new Creative Sandbox - a showcase of marketing campaigns that blend creative genius with digital innovation.

The new site allows you to view the work, learn how it was created and vote for your favorites.

Y&R Colombia's Cannes-winning work for Telefonica, "Kid Rescue," is a smartphone app that allows everyone in Colombia to denounce child labor by tagging and identifying children. The country has 1.6 million uneducated children, half of which work on the streets.

Activating the app, allows users to geotag the child, take a picture and enter the child's information. The information is then uploaded to a website exclusively accessible to Fundacion Telefonica.

GPY&R Melbourne's work for the Australian Football League allowed players to become the pen for a series of one-of-a-kind autographs.

For "Game Signatures" each player was fitted with a GPS device, and a custom built ink plotter drew their every move on the field.

Each signature is a story of greatness. A performace that deserves to be remembered.

September 21, 2012 – Jason Buckley, Y&R Group Chief Operations Officer, has appointed Amy Luca as Business Director at GPY&R Sydney as part of the new team structure.

Luca relocates from Y&R Shanghai where, as Business Director, she led the Gap team during a period of incredible growth from four stores at launch, to over 25 stores in mainland China and Hong Kong within less than two years. Gap and the iconic ‘Let’s GAP Together’ campaign were recognized by Campaign Asia Pacific as Brand of the Year 2011.

Luca joined Y&R from sibling agency Agenda Shanghai where she was Digital Strategy Director, contributing her considerable digital experience and interest in the China market to craft holistic integrated digital programs for the likes of Wrigley, Gap, Pepsi, Starbucks and J&J.

Prior to joining the Agenda team she was Digital Account Director for Pepsi at TBWA\Chiat\Day where she helped develop and launch one of the most successful social media campaigns in Pepsi history, The Pepsi Refresh Project.

Earlier in her career she worked for Grey San Francisco, G2 Direct and Digital and American Golf Corporation. Luca received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from San Diego State University and her MBA from the University of Southern California.

“Amy has over 12 years’ experience in the US and China helping brands develop cutting edge communication and engagement strategies through both traditional and digital mediums. We are excited to welcome her on board at a time of such digital success for the agency, following our multiple Cannes Lions wins for ‘Mobile Medic’,” said Buckley.

“George Patterson Y&R has achieved some stunning awards success this year, at Cannes and most recently at both Effies and Spikes awards, and they are producing some truly outstanding digital work. I greatly relish the opportunity to join the team, and look forward to being part of their continued success moving forward,” added Luca.

Luca’s replacement as Business Director at Y&R Shanghai is Sherry Yen, as announced by Charles Sampson, CEO Y&R Greater China.

“Amy has done a wonderful job during her two years in China, especially on the iconic and award-winning ‘Let’s GAP together’ campaign. We thank her for her invaluable contribution and wish her the very best on her exciting move to Y&R Sydney. She leaves safe in the knowledge that Gap is now in Sherry’s very capable hands,” said Sampson.

September 21, 2012 – Y&R California's mobile app/game for Neuro was picked for the Favourite Website Awards (FWA) Mobile Site Of The Day Award.

The app allows users to play a game and win coupons while shopping at their local Walgreens to get discounts before heading to the checkout.

Started in 2000, England-based FWA, is an industry recognised internet award program and inspirational portal. FWA uses an established criteria and evaluation procedure to select and showcase future thinking, progressively designed sites who use cutting edge technology, together with inspirational ideas, that lead the way for future generations.

September 20, 2012 – Y&R's Global Chief Creative Officer Tony Granger sits down with Finweek, one of South Africa's largest business magazines, in advance of the Loerie Awards, where he served as international chairman.

"Creativity, to me, relates to the stories we tell about brands - a process as old as time," Granger says in the article. "To be effective, there's always a strong interplay - an inevitability - that bonds the idea to the execution. Back in the Stone Age, carving on cave walls was an innovation. With the kind of palette we have today, running from physical events to Google goggles, we are really entering an age of imagination. If we can think of it, we can make it happen. The relationship between creativity and innovation today is very exciting."

September 17, 2012 – B&T's Madeline Ross chats with VML Sydney's Aden Hepburn "about the perks and pitfalls of youth and grand plans to marry the digital with the experiential."

“Digital, from everything I’ve seen, feels like a young person’s game,” 27-year-old Hepburn says in the feature story. “That’s never going to replace ideas and ideation but I think younger people tend to have an edge because they’re digital natives.

September 13, 2012 – In addition to giving a keynote presentation at the 2012  Digital Marketing Exposition & Conference in Cologne, Germany, Y&R Global CEO David Sable participated in a 30-minute panel discussion on "Consumer Engagement - How to Merge Physical and Digital?"

The panel also included included top executives from PepsiCo and Amazon.

In a separate interview Sable spoke at length about consumer engagment and touched on the importance of storytelling, buzzwords like digital transformation and the concept of digital exponential.

"Understand that what happens in the digital world, can affect you in the most positive exponential way in your real life - but only if you plan for it," Sable said. "Otherwise you're just planning a lot of virtuality."

dmexco is the international leading expo & conference for the digital industry. Comprising a unique combination between an exposition and a conference it stands for innovative and future-oriented marketing in the midst of a global growth market.

September 10, 2012 – Today Jim Elliot, Chief Creative Officer at Y&R New York, announced that Letitia Jacobs will join the agency as Executive Director of Content Production. Jacobs succeeds Nathy Aviram, who has left to pursue other opportunities.

In this position, Jacobs will be responsible for managing New York clients’ production, ensuring that every piece of content is executed strategically and seamlessly across all media.

Jacobs joins Y&RNY with 17 years experience and a hefty portfolio of great work. She served as Head of Content Production at Gotham Inc. and was most recently a freelance producer at Mother. As a freelancer for 10 years, she has worked for top agencies such as Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Weiden + Kennedy, StrawberryFrog and Droga5.

Jacobs has worked across many categories, including: communications, technology, automotive, beer and food, with notable clients such as Verizon, Dell, Volkswagen, Heineken and Burger King. Jacobs’ portfolio also includes a Cannes Gold Lion for the Volkswagen “Safe Happens” campaign, as well as a Bronze Lion, a Bronze CLIO award, in addition to Silver and Bronze One Show awards.

The freelance career that Jacobs has thrived in has provided her with opportunities to work on award winning campaigns, travel the world, learn new ways of producing, work with all types of creative partners, production companies and digital companies, as well as produce on shoestring and million dollar budgets. All of which make her one of the most well-rounded producers in the field and best suited to serve in a position that requires her to work across industries and media.

Jacobs will be reporting directly to Jim Elliot, who said of Jacobs’ appointment, “It’s an exciting time for the agency right now. We're experiencing majorly positive momentum and Letitia is a perfect fit in terms of the direction we’re taking the work and the culture we’re trying to build. She brings amazing experience, but also infectious energy and passion.  She’s a total blast to be around, and I’m psyched to have her in the family.”

As Jacobs spent some time freelance producing at Young & Rubicam Chicago, she is excited to be back with Y&R in this executive position. “Having worked within the Y&R North American network, I know that I am being welcomed into a great agency. Y&RNY has already created some excellent work, and I look forward to joining Jim Elliot and his team in producing the best content for our clients,” said Jacobs.

September 6, 2012 – The New York Times’ Adam Andrew Newman takes a look at the latest work for the Campbell Soup Company by Y&RNY, which features New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz.

The 30-spot revisits the successful and iconic “Mama’s Boy” campaign created by Y&RNY in 1997.

“Football players in advertising normally are put on a pedestal, but the truth is that even these guys who are multimillion-dollar sports stars are still their mothers’ little boys,” says Y&RNY Creative Director Adam Glickman in the article. “Their mothers will do anything to make sure they’re eating well and to nurture them.”

September 5, 2012 – For the second year in a row, RKCR/Y&R’s 'Fire Kills' ad for the Department of Communities and Local Government has topped the Radio Advertising Bureau’s creative rankings.

The 30-second spot, which beat out 32 other radio ads, was the most creatively effective ad tested by the RAB in the first half of 2012.

RadioGauge executive Mike Tull said about the ad: “Hats off to the DCLG and the Fire Kills campaign for successfully topping the list once more with this year’s iteration of the campaign. Last year’s ad was a short, sharp 10 second reminder to listeners to test their alarm. This year’s copy is slightly longer but by no means creates any less of an impact. Using the eerie ticking clock engages listeners in what they might think is a quick reminder to change their clocks before the true message is unveiled, and you’re hit with the information that should get all of us checking our smoke alarms. Something for all of us to keep in mind once more as the end of British Summer Time closes in on us.”

According to Campaign, the RAB has worked with the advertising industry to create better radio ads since 2011 when no UK radio ads were shortlisted at Cannes.

The London-based shop’s 10-second radio spot last year was also the most creatively effective ad tested by the RAB between January and March. 

August 30, 2012 – Gap China’s iconic ‘Let’s GAP Together’ campaign has unveiled two of its most thought-provoking pairings yet: social networkers Biz Stone and Daniel Wu; and two ordinary girls symbolising the fusion, and the future, of Chinese and American culture

Classic American fashion brand, Gap stands for encouragement, freedom and passion.

First launched in 2010 upon the brand’s entry into China, the ‘Let’s GAP together’ campaign was created by Y&R China to celebrate the fusion of Chinese and American culture, inviting well-known pioneers in the field of performing arts, photography, art, music, and other figures to be involved in the campaign.

The campaign has been enthusiastically received from cities across China, having been photographed by American fashion industry legend Annie Leibovitz.

Fresh combinations such as the pairing of Daniel Wu alongside Twitter founder Biz Stone representing the power of social networking creates a new twist on the campaign. Gap also paired ordinary girls from the United States and China as the heroes, giving audiences the chance to explore the campaign’s deeper meaning.

This new season’s advertising has been placed in mainland China and Hong Kong.

“We hope to see this large group create a buzz of discussion,” said Gap China Chief Marketing officer Grace Wong. “Whether it is how Daniel Wu and Biz Stone changed the way people communicate through multiple social networking platforms, or how an ordinary girl can become a major star – it is also a chance for audiences to consider the deeper significance behind this creative.”

An outstanding actor and director, Daniel Wu’s creation of an online platform for music, film and other creative industries has made him a pioneer in the field of social networking. His partner in the photo, Biz Stone, revolutionized global communication when he created Twitter. Lastly the story of two ordinary girls from different cultural backgrounds, despite the language barrier, shows a newfound friendship and their sharing of happiness. Their innocence and happiness, like most children, represents hope for the future.

Commenting on the campaign, Chief Creative Officer Y&R China Nils Andersson said: “These are the most thought-provoking images yet, encouraging people to consider the deeper significance of social networking – and indeed communication – as well as optimism and the opportunities ahead, as embodied by the two young girls who hold the future in their hands. The Sino-American relationship is one of the most important global partnerships moving forward, this campaign captures that perfectly.”

“Let’s GAP together for me it is a collaboration of Eastern and Western cultures. I believe that Gap would like to express itself before integrating into the new culture, firstly trying to understand the culture through the common ground in order to create a closer relationship. I think that ‘Let’s GAP together’ is very cool idea’,” said Daniel Wu. “For me ‘Let’s GAP together’ allows people to realize that they are not just one country or state, and that they should be part of the whole world,” added Biz Stone.

Social Networkers – Daniel Wu and Biz Stone

Daniel Wu is part of Hong Kong’s entertainment elite, best known as an award-winning actor, musician and the director. He has acted in over 50 different movies, many of these brilliant performances have earned him many awards, including the Taiwan Golden Horse Award for best supporting actor and the 2007 Hong Kong Film Festival Best Newcomer Director Award. As a supporter of the creative industries, Daniel Wu and his band members created a website called Alivenotdead.com. This site provides a unique platform for musicians, filmmakers, actors and artists to meet, share their work and connect with their fans. In addition, this platform has is open to everyone showing no boundaries, current members including actor Jet Li, singers Khalil Fong, Nicholas Tse, talented toy designer Karen Reni Wong, and musician Kevin Li, etc. You can find Twitter at @danielwuyanzu or on Weiboat @wuyanzu.

Christopher Biz Stone changed the way the world communicates when he founded Twitter in 2006. Highly praised for his work, Biz is a true entrepreneur, helping promote other popular social networks such as Blogger and Odeo. Biz has won many awards including “Nerd of the year” for GQ in 2009, one of Vanity Fair’ top ten influential people In 2010 and also voted one of the world’s most influential people by Time magazine. He iss a true humanitarian, supporting many causes involving environmental protection, animal protection and global education. He described himself as “an Internet guy who believes in the triumph of humanity with a little help from technology”, a common theme in his projects, bringing strangers together from around the world. He can be found on Twitter at @Biz.

The Future

They say ‘Hello’ to the future.

Celebrating the cultural integration of China and the United States, ‘Let’s GAP Together’ has cleverly paired people from two different countries, who share a common passion in various fields of creativity/ This summer, Gap started using ordinary girls who are non-artists and non-models, alongside the pairs of stars, artist and entrepreneurs. Even though they may not speak the same language, they are laughing and dancing together happily proving it is easy to share a simple but sincere friendship.

Who are they? They represent a new hope for the future.

August 24, 2012 – Y&R Uruguay wins two Effie Awards for its work for the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and Peñarol. The awards ceremony, held August 22, recognizes, educates and encourages effectiveness among the marketing communications industry.

The agency, which was recently named Agency of the Year, was awarded a gold in the Sports category for its communication campaign for the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, and received a silver award for Peñarol in the same category.

August 9, 2012 – Fortune Magazine announced today the winners of the Goldman Sachs & Fortune Global Women Leaders award. One of the three honorees is Precious Simba, a Zimbabwean woman, who was mentored by Xerox CMO Christa Carone and Shelley Diamond, who is a Worldwide Managing Partner at Y&R.

The Fortune Global Women Leaders Mentoring Partnership, which was established in 2006 in cooperation with the U.S. State Department, pairs up women in leadership positions around the U.S. with women who have demonstrated leadership potential in emerging nations. The program awards the most stand-out alumni of the mentorship program funds to take their experience in the U.S. and leverage it to benefit their home countries. 

Precious Simba was chosen for her establishment of a variety of community programs in her native Zimbabwe, all aimed at producing young people who lead and inspiring young people – young women especially – to rise above their circumstances and positively influence the communities they live in.

In addition to her girls’ education and mentoring program called Girls Development Initiative and a youth empowerment outreach called YouTalk, Precious launched a new empowerment series called ‘Future Self’. This initiative, created collaboratively with Shelley Diamond and Christa Carone, features stories of influential female leaders such as Deputy Director at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Christyl Johnson alongside other Fortune Women Leaders Mentors, which share reflections on rising up against challenges, choosing different career paths, and how women can and are rising in the workplace.

Precious describes the Future Self Series, “This is a platform where women of note share their stories of achievement and growth as a tool to motivate the next generation of women leaders from Zimbabwe Africa. Through the generosity of our friends from Y&R and Xerox, we are currently creating this cross continental mentoring tool that will impact young women from our part of the world to reach for the stars. All this from just one week spent at Y&R!”

While Precious had great resources to help in reaching her goals, her true driving force was her own passion for serving her community. Shelley Diamond reflects on one of her experiences with Precious attending a SIFE event and interacting with CEO’s of blue chip companies, “[Precious] wowed them, each and every one, most notably Walmart who wanted to hire her on the spot. But her deep desire to pay it forward and an inspirational meeting with Michelle Obama changed her trajectory as she pursued her greatest love…inspiring and changing the lives of young women in rural Zimbabwe.”

Precious and her programs, especially the Future Self Series, will continue to grow into the success that all of those who have worked with her know is in the future. Stay tuned for updates on Precious’ work as well as new Future Self Series videos.

Read original article at Fortune

About Fortune’s Global Women Leaders Mentoring Partnership:

In 2006, Fortune and the U.S. State Department launched the Global Women Leaders Mentoring Partnership. The program brings rising-star women from developing countries to the U.S. each May to shadow participants of Fortune‘s Most Powerful Women Summit. The program then follows them as they “pay it forward” back in their home countries.

The program begins with an orientation in Washington, D.C., where mentees interface with women leaders in government, business, academic, civil society and the media. Participants then relocate to the offices of a top American female executive for an onsite mentorship assignment, in which each woman shadows their mentor and learns from the best practices of their host company. At the end of the mentorship, mentees reconvene in New York City to collectively reflect on their experience and discuss the future trajectory of their leadership path.

July 20, 2012 – Happiness, ambition, family and optimism emerged as the top values amongst 18-35 year olds in Vietnam, in the most comprehensive attitudinal study ever conducted into that demographic. The findings are part of Y&R’s proprietary research tool Generation Asia, unveiled today at the opening of Y&R Vietnam’s stunning new offices in Ho Chi Minh City.

66 percent of Generation Asia in Vietnam are optimistic that one day they’ll be rich, and 83 percent are ambitious that one day they will achieve great things. These attitudes are balanced with a strong belief (74 percent) that, despite all the change around them, family values remain the same. And 73 percent of respondents feel that happiness is more important than money.”

“A Generation born into peace, 18-35 year olds in Vietnam believe that despite all the change around them, family values remain the same and happiness is more important that accumulating wealth. They want their lives to positively impact others, and life to them, is about trying new things and experiences,” said Matthew Collier, Chief Executive Officer Y&R Vietnam.

Collier continued, “Born into rapid economic growth, they are a Generation filled with optimism about their present and future and firmly believe their lives are far better than their parents’. Genereration Asia in Vietnam is confident they will achieve great personal wealth and do not feel daunted by any of the obstacles on the path to success.”

Vietnam is the first market to unveil its Generation Asia research findings, following an extensive online survey of over 1,400 respondents conducted in both North and South Vietnam in June 2012. Vietnam’s biggest single study into the 18-35 segment, Generation Asia is an in-depth attitudinal study into that demographic across the whole region. It is Asia’s most comprehensive psychographic study in terms of number of respondents, geographical coverage and in-depth insights into 16 key topics.

Indeed Generation Asia’s optimism and ambition is reflected in its attitudes to the 16 key topics, namely: Vehicles, Beauty (Men & Women), Communication, Education, Entertainment, Fashion, Food, Money, Health, Kids, Love, Luxury, Media, Sports, Technology, Travel.

Key fascinating insights from Generation Asia Vietnam 2012:

• 68 percent would buy a green vehicle
• Women equate beauty with health, while men are far more beauty-conscious than you might think!
• 68 percent like the anonymity of speaking out on-line, and 78 percent rely on social media for news
• 83 percent think higher education should be a practical preparation for the job market
• 66 percent are very savings-conscious, while 64% think luxury is about new experiences
• 82 percent want adventure as part of their travel plans

“The new Generation Asia study has given us irrefutable evidence on how 18-35 year olds in Vietnam feel, think, dream and desire. It’s a study which delivers true insight allowing us to connect consumers and brands on an emotional level. It’s great to be sharing such feelings of optimism and positivity at a time when Y&R Vietnam is embodying those sentiments with rapid growth and the opening of our new offices,” said Collier.

Added Hari Ramanathan, Y&R’s regional strategy director behind the entire study, “For a few years now there’s been talk of how Asia is starting to dominate world affairs, economically, socially and even culturally, and yet this powerful zeitgeist was not seen as the lens through which an entire Generation is going to view their own lives. And most importantly they are going to take decisions that define the future landscape of global society, as well as the fate of brands. This is what prompted Y&R Asia to identify and examine Generation Asia.”

July 11, 2012 — The Campaign Palace Jakarta has announced the appointment of award-winning art director Ronny Pratama as creative director, effective immediately.

Pratama’s 13 years of industry experience span across multiple categories including baby care, automotive, alcohol, retail and tobacco.

An alumnus of Sydney’s well-known Billy Blue College of Design, Pratama has a string of local creative awards as well having won a prestigious Cannes Lion in 2011.

Having started out as freelance graphic designer and multimedia interactive designer, Pratama first joined a local agency in Jakarta in 1999, before moving into multinational agencies, experiencing different challenges and learning a lot from his advertising seniors along the way.

Adam Lau, general manager of The Campaign Palace Jakarta said, “We welcome Ronny on board as part of our continued expansion here at The Campaign Palace. We’ve gone from strength to strength with a string of business wins including Sony, MINI and Softex Indonesia - all within the space of less than 9 months.”

“Joining The Campaign Palace is a really interesting challenge and an honour. We are now the torch bearers for a brand that has been deeply rooted in ground-breaking creative work. The Palace Jakarta hopes to continue this heritage and love for uncompromising creative ideas here and around the Asia region,” added Ronny Pratama.

Pratama attributes his life-long love of art to having been taught to draw by his late father. In his spare time, he likes to exchange knowledge with young artists, graphic designers, graffiti artists, photographers and also film professionals to learn different creativity style-sets.

Commenting on the appointment, Matthew Godfrey, President Y&R Asia said, “The Campaign Palace is an iconic agency brand that is thriving in Asia, we have a rapidly expanding team of very talented people to match the agency’s phenomenal growth in business already this year. We look forward to continued growth and expansion, both in Jakarta and beyond.”

June 18, 2012 — George Patterson Y&R Melbourne and VML won three Gold Lions for the “Mobile Medic” campaign, the first medically diagnosable advertising, at the 2012 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

The campaign for the Australian Defence Force took home golds in the Promo and Activation, PR and Direct categories.

Read the full article here.

May 23, 2012 — Charles Sampson, Y&R Greater China CEO and Nils Andersson, Y&R Greater China CCO, today announced the appointment of acclaimed art director Bo Deng as Group Creative Director, Y&R Shanghai.

A native of some town you probably never heard of in China, and also southern California. Bo Deng is a seasoned creative that literally just got ‘Shanghai-ed’.

Convinced he's found the best shop in the world, Bo returns to Asia for the second time, having committed himself to Y&R Shanghai. “Shanghai, indeed China as a whole, is one of the most exciting places to be at the current time. And Bo Deng is one of the most exciting creative talents around, personifying the vibrancy and energy of the city he’s chosen to call home with Y&R,” said Y&R Greater China Chief Creative Officer Nils Andersson.

Before joining Y&R, Deng dabbled with a variety of agencies to find his true calling.

He's worked with Goodby Silverstein & Partners SF, AKQA SF, Team One Los Angeles, Deutsch Los Angeles, and BBDO Beijing, across a variety of clients including Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, VW, YouTube, HTC, Sprint. And he’s launched some major campaigns - the Lexus 2012 rebrand, YouTube identity refresh, and Superbowl VW 2012 to name but a few.

After graduating from Art Center College of Design in 2004, Deng left Los Angeles to pursue an advertising career in New York, and was soon referred to Ogilvy & Mather Beijing where he worked on the likes of Motorola, Redbull, Siemens and Airbus. He’s written scripts, made posters, and created ads. He’s written and art directed ‘China’s most expensive TV commercial in 2006’, (rumored to be currently ranked third in China’s history) and won that office’s first ever broadcast Clio. He continued his work at Saatchi & Saatchi Beijing where he produced notable work for Sony Ericsson and Toyota.

In early 2008 Deng returned to the states and worked for Mullen, Boston where managed to push out award-winning work for Panera Bread, The Grain Foods Foundation, and New England Aquarium.

2009 saw Deng move to San Francisco to join Cutwater. While there, he helped launch global campaigns for Persol, Ray-Ban, and BNP Paribas. His biggest accomplishment there was turning three pictures of Steve McQueen, purchased by Persol, into an internationally recognized major campaign push. He also was responsible for littering the internet with hipsters wearing Ray-Ban themed t-shirts at SXSW 2010.

Deng enjoys design, photography, and generally crafty things. Anything from silk screen posters to Hasselblad cameras, a webpage, an abandoned ticket stub, if they’re made with care, he’d be into it. He appreciates brutally honest opinions, good stories, and dry, self-deprecating jokes.

May 11, 2012 — Subway stations in Hong Kong have been dominated by the fabulous new images from the latest "‘Let’s Gap Together" campaign, shot by Annie Leibovitz and masterminded by Y&R Shanghai.

The latest phase of the campaign, which recently launched in mainland China and Hong Kong, pairs icons from the US and China, celebrating both their commonality and their individuality.

Beautifully photographed by legendary American portrait photographer, Annie Leibovitz, this phase saw the six talents paired as Originals (Angelababy & Pharrell Williams), Visual Vanguard (Cui Xiuwen & Aaron Young) and Rockers (Muma & Juliet Simms). All are renowned individuals in their industry and share the same common passion for what they do. They were selected specifically as it was felt they epitomize the freedom of embracing one’s passion and expressing one’s individuality.

“The latest phase of our "Let’s Gap Together" campaign is all about optimism for the future. Continuing Gap’s spirit of liberation, it pairs the next generation of Chinese and Americans at a time when the Sino-American connection is one of the most important relationships of this century,” said Nils Andersson, Chief Creative Officer, Y&R China.

Iconic US brand Gap first launched the ‘Let’s Gap Together’ ad campaign in 2010 when it first entered the China market. Previous phases featured famous pairings such as Zhou Xun and Philip Cousteau Jr. (environmentalists), Jolin Tsai and Usher (entertainers), Annie Leibovitz and Wing Shya (photographers) - highlighting the boundless creativity, interest, and energy these individuals represented.

Grace Wong, Head of Marketing, Gap China is quoted as saying that the campaign aims to encourage younger generations to vividly express their personality.

"In this latest wave we have broadened our choice of celebrities to include artists, rockers, and visual vanguards. The inspiration for our campaign is built upon their urge to stay true to themselves,” said Wong.

May 1, 2012 — AdWeek's Andrew McMains takes a look at Spark Plug - "the brandchild of Y&R CEO David Sable - a nonexclusive, strategic partnership that will expand to 10 offices by year’s end, with three or four startups at each office."

April 27, 2012 — The Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications (SHSJC) at Hampton University announced that two of its students have been awarded scholarships from Y&R Advertising, and named the first “Y&R Scholars.” The scholarships are the result of a partnership the school has with Y&R called The Talent Pipeline, which is designed to be a systematic path for grooming and cultivating high-potential students as future advertising and communication industry talent.

Consisting of five components, Explorers, Scholars, Interns and Proteges, the Y&R Scholars component aims to promote the retention among students who may have difficulty completing college due to financial barriers. The $1,000 scholarship award recipients, Ashley Meachem, graduating senior from Carson, Calif., and Kori Williams, junior from Cleveland, Ohio, are both public relations majors with an interest in the advertising field.

"I was overjoyed when I received the award and it was a little unexpected quite honestly," said Meachem. "In terms of costs, it helped my parents cover my remaining tuition balance, which helped me get financially cleared for graduation."

“The Talent Pipeline partnership with Young & Rubicam is a testament to the advertising agency’s commitment to expanding its potential talent pool to include the best and the brightest from the Scripps Howard School,” said Rosalynne Whitaker-Heck, assistant dean for academic affairs. Whitaker-Heck developed the Talent Pipeline partnership that she and Professor Allie-Ryan Butler presented to the Y&R executives in May 2011. The presentation resulted in a $10,000 gift to the school from Y&R for scholarships and technology support.

“Y&R has always been committed to cultivating young talent,” said David Sable, Chairman and CEO of Y&R. “We are so proud that we will be able to help start the careers of so many talented students through the Y&R Scholars program at Hampton University as we provide them with the opportunities they need to get started and grow in the industry.”

April 24, 2012 — Y&R Vietnam recently embarked upon an innovative campaign for LG Washing Machines which helped save the environment as well as providing employment and comfort to those in need.

BackgroundVietnam is a market synonymous with ‘two-wheelers’, with one in four of the country’s 91 million population estimated to own a motorcycle – moped penetration is particularly high in the country’s major cities. So almost everyone wears a facemask, sold on every street corner for around US$0.33 cents. And almost everyone throws their face mask away when they are done with it.

AimLG’s aim was to collect discarded facemasks and put them to good use. This would not only lessen the environmental impact of facemasks being thrown away, but could also create gainful employment and provide warmth and comfort to the needy. Used facemasks could be collected, washed and turned into bright patchwork quilts to donate to local orphanages.

ExecutionPeople were asked to donate their used facemasks, which were then washed thoroughly using the LG Allergy Care Washing Machine. Seamstresses were employed to sew the clean facemasks together as patchwork comforters, at a labour cost of US$12 per quilt. The quilts were then donated to children at orphanages in Ho Chi Minh City.

Results75 per cent of people donated their facemask on the spot, and 68 per cent of people donated more than once, including from family members. The weekly collection quota was exceeded by an average of over 40 per cent. The year-long project is still ongoing. The project helped the environment, provided employment, and provided comfort to those in need.

April 20, 2012 — Following a three-month review led by Select Resources International that included 19 agencies, YR:CALIFORNIA has been awarded Agency of Record duties for Blue Diamond Growers, makers of Blue Diamond Almonds, Nut Thins and Almond Breeze.

Y&R:CALIFORNIA will be developing brand positioning, communication strategies, television, magazine, mobile and digital marketing for Blue Diamond Almonds.

“YR:CALIFORNIA has quickly developed a great understanding of our Brand and deep insight into our target consumer,” said Algernon Greenlee, Director of Marketing for Blue Diamond. “They absolutely nailed the strategy and we believe their creative will make an emotional connection with the consumer that not only distinguishes the Brand from our competitors, but sells a lot of Blue Diamond Almonds.”

“Blue Diamond is a great Brand, with great products and great people and we’re thrilled to be working on their business,” said Joe Kayser, Chief Creative Officer. “We believe the work we presented will help move them from being a rational packaged goods company to a brand that truly has an emotional place in customers lives."

April 17, 2012 — Y&R South Africa is at the top of its game after winning a three-year, through-the-line contract for Telkom, one of the biggest advertising pitches in the region.

“I am truly proud of what Y&R has achieved. We have a world-class talented team in place to help reinforce this national icon and it’s a fantastic way to start the year,” said Andrew Welch, the agency’s CEO.

Both within the agency itself and within the global network, Y&R has an abundance of knowledge within the telecommunications space. With four years’ experience working with MTN, Y&R SA has solid insight into the particular needs of the telecommunications sector, across B2B and B2C.

Globally, the telecommunications experience and intellectual capital that resides within the Y&R network is unrivaled. Our network brand category experience includes Telefonica, Beeline, Vodafone, Essar and Brasil Telecom to name a few.

“Our network is very active, so we have the ability to draw on this knowledge and apply valuable learnings to the work that we do for Telkom,” said Y&R SA’s Chief Creative Officer Graham Lang.

Confident that Y&R has the right structures, expertise and strategic plus creative talent, Welch is looking forward to a prosperous working relationship with Telkom.

April 5, 2012 — America, announced today that Hope Cowan has been appointed Chief Strategy Officer of Y&R North America. Starting her new position immediately, Hope will be based in New York and will be responsible for overseeing strategy and planning talent across all of Y&R Advertising’s North America offices.

Hope joins Y&R Advertising from Leo Burnett in London and New York, where she worked for the past two years, most recently as the European and Global Brand Planning lead on the global consolidation of Kellogg’s. Earlier, Hope had spent seven years in the agency’s Chicago office as a Senior Vice President and Planning Director, where she worked on iconic brands such as GAP, the US Army, Pop Tarts, Rice Krispies and Altoids.

“We’re thrilled to bring Hope on board. She has a broad range of client experience and a significant track record of building iconic brands. She is a great addition to our management team and to our agency culture — smart, talented, effective and a great person on top of that,” Murry said.

At the same time, two senior leaders are taking on additional global responsibilities. Belle Frank, Executive Vice President of Strategy and Research at Y&R New York is being named Global Strategy & Research Director. Additionally, Chip Walker, Executive Vice President of Strategic Innovation at Y&R New York will be taking on additional responsibility as the Global Director of Thought Leadership for Y&R’s clients.

“Y&R has always been known for smart, strategic thinking,” said Cowan. "I am honored to join the Y&R family and be part of a company with a deep heritage of doing great work for storied brands. There’s great momentum at the agency right now, and it’s quite an exciting time to join. Looking forward to getting started.”

Prior to her role at Leo Burnett in London and New York, Hope spent three years at beacon communications, K.K. in Japan, as an Executive Planning Director. In this position, Hope was part of a small management team for Publicis Groupe’s agency of 325 people, representing Leo Burnett, Publicis and Saatchi in Japan. Hope’s client roster in this position included fifteen Procter & Gamble brands, Philip Morris, McDonald’s and Nike.

Hope received her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and her MBA from Emory University.

March 19, 2012 — Y&R today announced that Sanjay Bhasin, currently CEO of Y&R Thailand and Indochina will take on the additional role of CEO, South East Asia. Bhasin has been with Y&R for 19 years and has extensive experience working for the network in the region. He will oversee all operational activity in South East Asia and will work closely with Y&R Asia President Matthew Godfrey on putting strategies in place for continued growth and development across the region. He will remain based in the Y&R Bangkok office.

Commenting on the appointment, Matthew Godfrey, President of Y&R Asia, said, “Sanjay has done an amazing job in Thailand both in terms of creative excellence and new business. He has driven double digit revenue growth year on year. The office also won two Gold Lions at Cannes last year, for the first time. I have total confidence in him working with me to achieve the same levels of success across the region.”

David Sable, Y&R's Global CEO, said, “I have known Sanjay for a very long time. We have worked together on building businesses and now he will help build Asia as the region explodes with growth opportunities. Sanjay’s experience in the region and his proven ability to deliver great work and great results to clients position us well for the future.”

Commenting on his new role, Bhasin said, “In all the noise about India and China and their economic growth, it’s easy to forget that ASEAN has a population that's bigger than the United States and the European Union, and growing economies of its own, offering huge potential for opportunity. My role now is to realize that potential for Y&R.”

Bhasin started his career with Y&R in New York in 1993, relocating to Asia in 1999. During his time with the network he has led client accounts across the region including Sony, Citibank, Danone, LG and Caltex, as well as establishing and growing country offices in Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines. He has been CEO of Y&R Thailand since January 2009, where he has grown the business into one of Y&R Asia’s most profitable and awarded offices. He was named as CEO of Y&R Indochina in May last year.

March 9, 2012 — Y&R NY announced today that it has been named the Agency of Record for Hampton, the largest brand after Hilton Hotels in the Hilton Worldwide portfolio. Hampton has over 1,800 properties globally and this partnership comes at an exciting time for both Hampton and Y&R as the brand is on a strong path of global growth.

Y&R New York will lead creative and digital while also collaborating as lead agency across partners for social, PR, promotions and media.

“This is an exciting time for Hampton — and for us — as we help them reposition their brand. We are delighted to be part of this tremendous forward motion of their brand and business,” says Carter Murray, President and CEO of Y&R North America.

“We’re so excited to start work on Hampton,” said Jim Elliott, Chief Creative Officer of Y&R New York. “We think they are a great brand in a great position for the future and they are enthusiastic believers in the power of bold creativity in the marketplace,” he said.

February 24, 2012 — Last week, Y&R South Africa discovered that Graham Lang, the agency's Chief Creative Officer, has been ranked the 24th most-awarded creative globally in 2011, making him the highest-ranked South African in the “welovead: 100 Most Awarded Adverts 2011” collection. This annual review features the most-awarded advertising creatives, agencies and brands.

“Working as the global Creative Director for Land Rover had its challenges, so I really tried to use the Y&R network to leverage the best creatives from the best offices and I think that it’s reflected in the work. It's great to be placed amongst the top 25 creatives on the planet, but it’s been a real collaborative effort and one that I am immensely proud of.”

Lang's Land Rover ‘Sword Collector’ TV commercial was the second most awarded ad of 2011 and Land Rover was the eighth most awarded brand of 2011.

February 3, 2012 — Israel Diaz, Y&R Toronto’s Chief Creative Officer, has been selected to chair the 2012 National Advertising Awards – the only brief-based awards competition in North America.

“I look forward to working with top industry leaders to select the best ideas created by our country’s brightest minds,” said Diaz.

Now in its 10th year, the NAA has awarded winners each year with a trip to the Cannes Lions advertising festival in France. The national competition is dedicated to helping stimulate exciting new brand ideas, encourage an expanded relationship between agency and advertiser and introduce Canadian creative and media talent to global work.

The deadline for creative entries is April 2 and media entries are due by April 9. The awards will be presented May 9.

January 17, 2012 — Y&R NY was recognized for the AirWalk Invisible Pop up Store.

Tony Granger, Global Chief Creative Officer of Y&R and Jim Elliott, Chief Creative Officer of Y&R NY, are proud to announce today that Y&R NY has been awarded Digital Agency of the Year by YoungGuns, an organization that celebrates the future creative leaders and influencers.

Commenting on the award, Tony Granger said: "This is just terrific. YoungGuns and Y&R make for a great partnership as we are both committed to celebrating young talent as we recognize they are the future of our business.”

“We are delighted that Y&R New York is the YoungGuns 2011 Digital Agency of the Year.” said Kristian Barnes YoungGuns Co-Founder. “Over the last couple of years Y&R New York has been consistently awarded at YoungGuns, and this year’s achievement is testament to the focus on young talent that Y&R has brought in and nurtured in New York.”

At the beginning of the 2011 YoungGuns stated that they would come to the home town of the 2011 YoungGun of the Year and throw a party to celebrate with them. YoungGuns will be coming to New York in late January /early February 2012, so stay tuned as details will be released shortly.

December 21, 2011 — Y&R announced today that it is launching a new global technology marketing practice named Tech.YR (www.tech.yr.com). By aligning seven Y&R companies that focus on technology and telecommunications — Banner in London, SicolaMartin in Texas, Y&R Geneva, Y&R Singapore, Y&R Beijing, Y&R Brazil, as well as VML in multiple markets, Tech.YR will provide an integrated global network to its clients.

The agencies all have extensive experience working with globally recognized technology companies. They share the same philosophy and rigorous methodologies to communicate simply and persuasively about complex products and services to both consumer and business audiences. The network will offer its clients media planning and buying, search, social and mobile, as well as the development of online and offline campaigns. Tech.YR will draw from VML's resources to deliver digital marketing solutions across the globe.

Marcus Brown, who will remain the CEO of Y&R's operations in Geneva, will lead the practice as its Managing Partner. Banner CEO Michael Wrigley, and Cherie Cox, CEO of SicolaMartin will each serve as Partners. Each of the agencies will remain independent but will come together around shared clients.

"Tech.YR allows any client with a technological, telecom or otherwise complex offering a unique and proven global network. We are offering them a global partner who understands how to turn complexities into compelling marketing. Beyond accountability and measurable value across multiple markets, which of course this brings, it is also about letting our clients tap into great resources and people around the world who have highly specialized experience in this sector," said David Sable.

Tech.YR begins with a strong client base. Adobe and Dell are serviced in multiple locations and Symantec, Autodesk, LG, AMD, BMC Software and Sybase are serviced by individual offices. The practice is built on a strong heritage of jointly servicing technology clients including Novell, Freescale, SITA, ITU and Blue Coat.

December 8, 2011 — GPY&R Brisbane was named Queensland Agency of the Year at the 2011 B&T Awards, capping off a year in which the agency dominated the new business league table and produced some outstanding creative work.

“We set ourselves some big goals at the start of the year and we pretty much hit all of them in one of the most difficult trading environments in living memory,” said Mike Harris, the agency’s managing director. “Clients are demanding more and more from their agencies and there have been more significant pitches than in any time in the past 10 years. Through all this we have managed to grow and prosper.”

Harris paid tribute to the team for its tremendous effort in winning 18 new clients and being Brisbane’s most awarded agency for the year. He also acknowledged the outstanding role the agency played in helping state and local government authorities deal with the spate of natural disasters that hit Queensland during the year.

“It is really hard to win these awards,” Harris said. “Savour the moment and think about just how good this win is and what you have achieved this year.”

He added: “Bring on 2012.”

December 1, 2011 – RKCR/Y&R today announced the appointment of Toby Talbot, Group ECD of DDB New Zealand and Regional Creative Director for DDB Asia Pacific, as its ECD.

Joining as the replacement for Damon Collins, the outgoing ECD at RKCR/Y&R, Talbot will join Alison Hoad and Ben Kay in driving the agency to further success in 2012.

Toby has just been named as Campaign Asia’s 2011’s Creative of the Year for Australia/New Zealand and has been amongst the top three most awarded creative directors for the last eight years in Campaign Brief’s annual CD rankings. He’s also ranked number one ECD in the world over the past decade on bestadsontv.com.

Delivering a string of award winning work for brands such as SKY TV, VW, New Zealand Lotteries and New Zealand Coastguard. Talbot has taken DDB New Zealand from strength to strength, steering it to win Campaign Brief ‘Agency of the Year’ three times in the past four years. Under his tenure the agency was also a finalist for Ad Age’s International Agency of the Year. Talbot has also amassed numerous personal accolades for his own work including 13 Lions (two gold, three silver, and eight bronze).

Aside from his evident creative talent, he has an innate understanding of how to build ideas and departments that are completely media neutral. He was the driving force behind the integration of DDB NZ’s experiential, design, direct and digital creative disciplines into one department.

Mark Roalfe, the Chairman of RKCR/Y&R, said “We scoured the globe for the very best creative talent and were really excited to find Toby. The standard of the work he has led at DDB is fantastic, but most of all Toby is a very charming and down to earth chap. He's very Rainey Kelly in all his attitudes and I'm really looking forward to working with him to grow RKCR to its next level.”

Toby Talbot added: “Mark, Alison and Ben have a vision for the agency that is incredibly exciting. I have always admired Rainey Kelly from a distance. They have an enviable client list that keeps growing. Mark, as the one constant in their success, has nurtured a strong, entrepreneurial and above all, creative culture. Under his leadership, RKCR has consistently done great work that works, and for their biggest clients too. I want to build on the momentum that is already there. There are huge gains to be had by opening up new channels and working more fluidly. I just can’t wait to get into it.”

Prior to DDB, Toby was Creative Director at Saatchi & Saatchi Auckland for two years where he was a big part of the agency’s creative renaissance. Before then he was at Colenso BBDO for eight years.

Originally from the UK, Talbot was trained at Chelsea Art School and worked at a number of London agencies before moving to New Zealand.

November 30, 2011 — Y&R won top honours at this year’s Epica Awards, winning a total of 20 awards – including one Grand Prix.

Y&R offices in London, Switzerland, Prague, Paris, Tel Aviv, Italy and Dubai took home three Gold, seven Silver and nine Bronze awards.

RKCR/Y&R London’s "Passport Stamps” ad for Land Rover won the Grand Prix.

The Epica website explains: “The Land Rover Defender is a vehicle that can tackle almost anything. Used in the most demanding situations around the world the Defender is as tough as they come. To promote this RKCR/Y&R have launched a new press campaign in targeted media. The ads are expertly crafted collages, featuring passport stamps that are built up in the shape of the vehicle. The suggestion is that the Defender is ready for your next adventure, no matter how challenging the environment in which you take it.”

Now in its 25th year, the Epica Awards aim to reward outstanding creativity and help communication agencies, film production companies, media consultancies, photographers and design studios to develop their reputations across Europe and the EMEA region.

November 1, 2011 — Jim Elliott, Chief Creative Officer of Y&R New York, announced today that Rick Liebling has been appointed as the office’s Creative Culturalist, a new position at the agency. Liebling will join the agency on November 1st and work closely with Elliott on both existing clients and new business opportunities.

Prior to joining Y&R Advertising, Liebling held the position of Director of Digital Strategy with Coyne PR, providing client counsel and working with accounts teams on a variety of top brands, including Burger King and General Mills.

“We’re excited about the addition of Rick in this new and innovative position. His unique perspective on culture, the thought leadership he has demonstrated in the social media and marketing communities and his experience shaping engaging and creative programs for global brands is a great addition to the roster of talent we are assembling here,” said Jim Elliott, Chief Creative Officer, Y&R New York. “As we continue to evolve the offerings and services we provide to our clients, we knew adding someone such as Rick would be critical to that plan.”

“In the role of Creative Culturalist, I hope to provide our clients with greater context and understanding of how people are creating and participating in culture,” said Rick Liebling. “I see it as an evolving role that will change based on the needs of each client and how my experience can complement the talented collection of professionals here at Y&R,” he added.

Prior to Coyne, Rick held the position of Sr. Social Media Planner at Dare, where he worked on the Sony Ericsson account; and at Taylor where as Global Director of Client Services he led initiatives for brands such as MasterCard, Guinness, Gillette, Johnnie Walker, Yahoo!, P&G and Allstate.

Rick was featured in Grant McCracken’s 2009 book, Chief Culture Officer, and was also a contributing author to Age of Conversation 3. In addition to his blog, www.RickLiebling.com, where he writes about culture and brands, he is a frequent contributor to a variety of online publications including Mashable and Social Media Today. He’s spoken at the CLIOs, SXSW, Social Media World Forum and the Blogs with Balls sports conference. Rick lives in Westfield, NJ with his wife and two sons.

October 17, 2011 — Y&R announces the launch of boutique sister agency The Campaign Palace in Jakarta, Indonesia to further strengthen its integrated offering to clients across Asia. With a worldwide reputation for creating visually stunning and impactful campaigns, this is the first office to be opened in Asia by the award-winning Australian creative agency as part of their expansion plans in the region.

The Campaign Palace launches in Jakarta at an exciting time for Y&R in Indonesia. The Indonesia agency is on a creative high, with recent international award wins and last year winning the country’s first ever Gold Lion at Cannes. The recent appointment of Asia’s top three ranked creative Kevin Le is testament to Y&R’s continued commitment to innovative creativity.

The Campaign Palace will be led by Andrew Dowling & Kevin Le, CEO and ECD of Y&R Jakarta respectively and jointly managed by General Manager Adam Lau and Creative Director, Adi ‘Didot’ Prihadi. They will report into Mark Mackay, Chair of the Palace Group. The agency will be responsible for all creative activity for leading Indonesian health foods company, Kalbe Nutritionals, as its anchor client in Jakarta.

The Campaign Palace currently has offices in Melbourne and Sydney and has been responsible for some of Australia’s best known and most effective creative campaigns for over 35 years for clients including Panasonic Australia, Target and Bayer. The agency will join the roster of Y&R Group agencies already with a presence in Indonesia including Y&R, Landor, Wunderman, Burson-Marsteller and Cohn & Wolfe.

Commenting on the announcement, David Sable, Global CEO, Y&R said, “This is an exciting and important moment for all of us. The Campaign Palace has a well-deserved reputation as an extraordinary creative agency. It has great leadership, great talent all around, and a real drive to help its clients make an impact in the marketplace.”

Mark Mackay, Chair of the Palace Group, said, “We have a long-held ambition to migrate The Campaign Palace into new markets. I am delighted to see this ambition become a reality. Jakarta will be our first in a southern hemisphere Palace network.”

Andrew Dowling, CEO, Y&R Jakarta said, “The launch of The Campaign Palace in Indonesia is an exciting addition to the Y&R Group offering, along with the industry as a whole. I grew up admiring The Campaign Palace and their approach to creativity which helped to create and define some of Australia’s leading brands.”