Will Jarvis
Advertising Age
Contact Will
Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
| Recent: |
|
| Past: |
|
Past articles by Will:
Cannabis Ad Finds a High Audience
As cannabis brands around the country grapple with legal woes in advertising their products, one company has found a way to reach millions—while they're already high. Wikileaf, a price-comparison app for the legal cannabis market, is running an in-flight ad on Virgin America's domestic routes with the app's commerical playing on every seatback with a screen. The campaign, which began in… → Read More
LG Plays Soccer and Scores in This Week's Viral Video Chart
LG Nano Cell's super match: Gerrard vs. Lallana І LG Nano Cell TV Credit: LG Two soccer stars kick balls at TVs in this week's top viral video. Steven Gerrard, a former player and current coach, and Adam Lallana of Liverpool star in LG's pseudo-dramatic "Nano Cell Super Match" spot, which pits them against each other in a match of accuracy and strategy. Kicking balls at a nine-panel screen, the… → Read More
Goodbye, Rhinestone Cowboy: A Look Back at Some of Glen Campbell's Commercials
Glen Campbell at the Sands Event Center on October 26, 2012 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Credit: Lisa Lake / Getty Images Glen Campbell, the smooth country voice and musical legend who sold over 45 million records, died Tuesday. He was 81. Campbell is credited with bridging the divide between pop and country music — with over 70 studio albums to his name. But the star might also be remembered for… → Read More
Instagram Testing Livestreaming With Friends
Credit: Instagram Users streaming video on Instagram Live will soon be able to add friends and other accounts to their digital broadcasts, a capability that could open doors for partnerships between social media influencers -- if they're creative enough to make it work. The new feature, now in testing with a small user base, will be rolled out "globally over the next few months," the company… → Read More
This Rain Delay Is Brought to You By ...
Last Wednesday, as thunder boomed and rain poured over Yankee Stadium, groundskeepers rolled out a tarp to protect the dirt infield. Standard practice, perhaps, but this tarp was in fact a giant branded slice of Glad wrap. The delay-filled day kept the Yankees and Detroit Tigers off the field for over four hours in a double-header. Fans and players were miserable. Glad, meanwhile, savored every… → Read More
Kylie Jenner Shows One Path Forward for Celebs on Snapchat: TV
Credit: Scott Barbour/Getty Images Influencers have long complained that Snapchat is less friendly for marketing than rival platforms like Instagram or Facebook. There's no ability to promote posts on Snapchat, for example. Even big stars have to be sought out without algorithmic assistance. But Kylie Jenner, already the self-proclaimed most-viewed person on Snapchat, is now highlighting one… → Read More
Siri and The Rock Dominate Our Weekly Viral Video Chart
The Rock in Appl's new ad for Siri. Credit: Apple In one summer, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has graced the cover of GQ, flirted with the idea of a presidential run and generally seemed to appear everywhere at every moment. There was was on billboards, on HBO, in song credits and front and center for a "Baywatch" revamp that even his biceps couldn't save. But The Rock saved his greatest… → Read More
Japanese Messaging App Tries to Crack the U.S.... With a Store for Plush Toys
A giant 'Brown' takes up space in the Line messaging app's new store in Times Squre. Credit: David Hall, Ad Age Cartoon faces of bears, rabbits and cats are plastered on any imaginable product in the 4,600 square-foot Times Square store: plush toys but also slippers, coffee mugs, luggage tags, coin banks, mousepads, fans and tote bags. There are 11 characters in all, including Cony the rabbit… → Read More
76ers Unveil New Nike Uniforms, Complete With Stubhub Ad
The Philadelphia 76ers' new uniform. Credit: NBA/Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday became the latest NBA team to unveil the next-generation Nike uniform, a transition the league is making from Adidas for the 2017-18 season. Next year's jerseys most distinguishing features: Red drop shadowing—and the 2.5-inch Stubhub ad placed opposite the Nike swoosh. The Sixers became the… → Read More
Twitter Tip-Toes Line Between Politics and Social Activism With #WallForACause
Twitter #WallForACause 3x2 Credit: Will Jarvis Twitter may well be the ultimate communication tool for social change -- an impression it is trying to underscore with its #WallForACause, an actual wall in its New York City office. To promote social causes, the company turned over to artists a literal blank canvas, seen only by employees and visitors -- and in a lot of selfies. It's meant to… → Read More
Small Agency of the Year, 1-10 Employees, Silver: Greatest Common Factory
Why It Won: Time does not equal money at Greatest Common Factory. Founders Karen Jacobs and John Trahar set up a business that bills clients by scope rather than hours, and makes sure employees have the freedom to try and to fail. The end goal is to "make things better," the company wrote in its Small Agency Awards entry, whether it's finding a more effective strategy or taking the time to let… → Read More
Small Agency of the Year, Southwest, Gold: Amélie Co.
Amélie's marijuana safety campaign for Colorado Department of Traffic Credit: Amelie When tasked with creating a campaign in Colorado to dissuade people from mixing marijuana and driving, Amélie Co. took a crushed car, flipped it on its side at the entrance to the Red Rocks Amphitheatre outside of Denver, and covered it in a comically large edible wrapper. "Don't be behind the wheel when your… → Read More
Small Agency of the Year, 11-75 Employees, Gold: Camp & King
Jamie King, who started Camp & King in 2011, said the partnership with co-founder Roger Camp is like "a wonderful marriage that blends the best of both worlds." King is a strategist, Camp a creative, and they said this duality reflects the agency's insistence on a diverse workforce: Women represent over half the staff and 30% of employees are ethnic minorities. "When you have a base of… → Read More
Small Agency of the Year, Southwest, Silver: 3Headed Monster
3Headed Monster's campaign for Rascal Credit: 3Headed Monster Why It Won: 3Headed Monster caters to companies looking to combine story, design and technology -- hence, the name. Working on behalf of what it calls the "companies of tomorrow," 3Headed Monster, via its relationships with Dallas-based venture capitalists, works on a variety of specialized startup projects, as well as with blue-chip… → Read More
Small Agency of the Year, 11-75 Employees, Silver: NA Collective
Why It Won: NA Collective asks one big question when starting a project: "How can this go viral?" The resulting campaigns have looked good on camera, included consumer participation and, most important, attracted eyes. Every project begins with a team consisting of technical director, a creative and a producer, ensuring clear communication from conception to execution. The Work: For Under… → Read More
Small Agency of the Year, Northeast, Gold: Noble People
When Noble People took on Venmo as a client in May 2016, it focused on three insights: millennials were the core users; pizza and beer were the most-used emojis; and a bulk of the transfers happened between 7 p.m. and midnight. "All the cool shit on Venmo is happening at night -- maybe late at night," Noble People CEO Greg March recalled thinking. So the media agency advertised on late-night… → Read More
Small Agency of the Year, 1-10 Employees, Gold: Circus Maximus
Circus Maximus' work for Justworks Credit: Circus Maximus "Disruptive" has become a cliché in the ad world, which is why Ryan Kutscher and Paul Sutton, partners of Circus Maximus, prefer to frame their work with more, well, creativity. "We're in the science of mischief-making for the betterment of business and brands," said Kutscher, a longtime creative who previously served as J. Walter… → Read More
Small Agency of the Year, Northeast, Silver: DCX Growth Accelerator
Trump Hut Credit: TrumpHut.com Why It Won: The agency's ethos is in its name: DCX Growth Accelerator grows brands. It balances top-dollar strategic consulting with advertising clients, and the focus is always on brand building -- whether revitalizing a Fortune 500 company or developing a startup's brand. The Work: To market Elmhurst, a new brand of nut milk, the shop created a hipster squirrel… → Read More
Samsung Has a Love-Hate Relationship With Selfies: The Tale of Two Viral Campaigns
Samsung celebrates selfies in one of its viral video campaigns this week. The other one has a very different tone. Credit: Samsung via YouTube While many cultures see public selfie-taking as a distracting, albeit innocent, act, Indian authorities are treating the growing trend with caution — and for good reason. According to one study, the country accounted for more than half of deaths worldwide… → Read More
Hashtags' Boom in TV Commercials Is Over
Coca-Cola's '#ShareACoke' TV ad. Credit: Coca-Cola TV advertisers have vastly expanded their attempts to drive people to their websites but are rarely pushing hashtags anymore, according to a study of more than 500,000 commercials since 2012 by iSpot.tv, which closely tracks ads on TV. The biggest change was the increase of brands urging customers to visit a domain, iSpot.tv CEO Sean Muller… → Read More