The Martin Agency

We’ve been getting a few tips this afternoon about John Norman, CCO at the Martin Agency who sent the note below to staff letting then know that he’s taking leave for a few weeks, though we’re still not sure what the circumstances are regarding his brief departure. Here’s what we were forwarded:

“Hello my friends,

These past few months have been challenging to say the least, and we have all worked our asses off on current clients and a number of crazy pitches. I have found myself burning the candle at both ends for longer than I would have liked.

I have decided to take a sabbatical and regroup for a few weeks and spend some time with my family and myself, getting recharged for the remainder of 2012.

I look forward to seeing you all in June.

Word,

Jno.”

Prior to joining Martin at the end of 2009, Norman served as a creative at W+K Amsterdam and was one of the minds behind Coca-Cola’s award-winning “Happiness Factory while at the latter agency. We’ll see you back in June, sir.

Launch a social media campaign that will build your brand and deliver results in our online Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting June 7. Speakers include Abigail Cusick (Bravo Digital), Gregory Galant (Sawhorse Media), Alex Leo (Thomson Reuters Digital), Jim Tobin (Ignite Social Media), and many more. Read the reviews.

From the Martin Agency and Tool director Geordie Stephens comes a new TV spot for Comcast inspired by the Everly Brothers’ much beloved 1958 hit, “All I Have to Do is Dream.” In “Stream, Stream, Stream,” TV-addicted men and women hum the chorus for “All I Have to Do is Dream,” replacing the word “dream” for “stream” to emphasize Comcast’s new Streampix service (see what they did there?). It’s a nice video depiction of this 2009 article from The Onion.

Outside of the Martin Agency’s work, those looking for a slightly more “original” musical ode to Comcast can bump the new viral hip-hop track “Ridin Around and Fixin It,” a lyrical tribute to the day-to-day duties of a Comcast cable repair person. And, if you prefer something a bit more down-tempo and sensual, there’s always the slow jam “I Can Fix Your Cable” for those late-night candle-lit grind sessions. Music video below and credits after the jump.

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The Martin Agency promotions continue as Mike Lear has been bumped up from VP/ACD to VP/creative director at the Richmond, VA operation. During the last year alone, Lear has served as a copywriter on the Mentos digital shorts starring that hippie character Dragee and helped the brand launch its UP2U gum line. Lear has actually been with Martin since 2004, joining initially as a senior copywriter before being promoted to ACD at the end of 2006. While at his current employer, Lear has also moonlighted as an instructor/lecturer at VCU Brandcenter.

Before Martin Agency, Lear spent two years as a senior copywriter at Crispin Porter + Bogusky and held the same title at the ikes of WestWayne (which rebranded as 22squared in 2007) during his career. Now as VP/CD, Lear will continue to primarily focus on Mentos as well as American Cancer Society efforts.

We’ve received confirmation that Martin Agency CCO John Norman has promoted group creative director Joe Alexander to ECD. Alexander has been with Martin for nearly two decades (!), working on accounts including Wal-Mart (most recently, the popular Yodeling Cat holiday effort) as well as the American Cancer Society and the JFK Presidential Library and Museum.  In addition, this week, the Martin Agency launched an in-house project led by Alexander that’s aimed at helping a fellow employee who’s battling cancer.

Prior to Martin, Alexander had a brief stint as a creative director at TBWA\Chiat\Day and held copywriting jobs at the likes of Campbell Mithun early on in his career.

This was news to us, but Richmond, VA’s own The Martin Agency, which as you know has provided (and/or subjected) us with 10 million Geico ads as well as yodeling cats and Mentos shorts among other things over the years, has launched its new, winding web destination. It’s a nice compilation portfolio and agency info, but we have to say the tile format is a bit disorienting and it’s a rather long trip because the more you scroll down, the more content shows up. Guess that’s a testament to the agency’s body of work, accolades, etc. Take a stroll if you so choose.

Those eyes. THOSE PIERCING EYES.

For their second project for Walmart since taking over digital AOR duties from incumbent R/GA two weeks ago, the Martin Agency is giving America its new favorite holiday character–a yodeling cat with a love of Christmas. Supposedly, the yodeling, creepy-faced creature is promoting Walmart’s line of internet-ready electronics (with a new spot based around said feline vocalist set to launch later this month), but the video features little in the way of branding save for that little ornament that pops in at the 47-second mark.

So, readers, do you “get it?” Are you wondering to yourself, as many YouTube commenters are, “What the hell?” Well, as the Martin Agency knows (and all other agencies working in the digital sphere should know by now), if you want a video to go viral, all you need to do is put a cat in it. If you think that this is a strategy you might forget, just hum Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” to yourself when sent a creative brief and insert the words “If they like it, then you probably put a cat in it.” It’s a simple and very effective strategy; since the video was posted to YouTube on Monday, it’s already gained almost 50,000 views. Credits, and lyrics so viewers can yodel along at home, follow after the jump.

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After spending the last eight months as interim director of business development at The Martin Agency, Dan Sutton has now officially assumed the post with a nice little SVP title added on as icing. From what we’ve been told, Sutton, who’d already spent three years as an account director at the Richmond, VA-based operation, volunteered to temporarily take over as biz dev director back in April after Kristen Cavallo left for the CSO job at Mullen. Martin Agency says that after conducting a national search, its executive committee determined that the best person for the job was the one already doing it. Seems convenient enough.

During his time at Martin, Sutton has primarily served as account lead on Tylenol and prior to joining the agency, he led the global Mac team at Apple’s graphic design/marketing comms group in California. His career also includes two stints at CP+B (as content manager and content supervisor, respectively) as well an account exec gig at W+K.

 

Well, it was fun while it lasted. After barely a year spent as serving as ECDs at The Martin Agency, it appears that the brothers Tilford–they being Keith and Eric–have left Richmond, VA and are on their way to St. Louis to resurrect their shop, Ambient Content. Martin Agency would not confirm or deny the departures, but the LinkedIn for both bros says it all. If you recall, the Tilford twosome were part of a creative restructuring last year at the Martin Agency once current CCO John Norman took over. Word from sources is that they’re already on a plane.

It’s been that kind of day, gang. We weren’t lying when we said we were stacked with people tips and in this particular case, we can confirm that Keith Cartwright is no longer with the Martin Agency. Cartwright joined Martin 15 months ago as a GCD and subsequently served as creative lead on campaigns including the “Dragee” social/digital work for Mentos.

Prior to Martin Agency, Cartwright spent three years at W+K New York and worked on accounts including Nike’s Jordan Brand. Oddly enough, his LinkedIn states that he’s currently a CD at W+K, though this could just be an error as said agency tells us that Cartwright has NOT returned to the Wieden network. In the meantime, we’re trying to find out exactly why Cartwright and Martin Agency parted ways (one tipster claims that he “abruptly left”).

After a four-month review process, Norwegian Cruise Line has picked The Martin Agency as its AOR. The Richmond, VA-based operation, which of course counts Geico and Expedia as clients, beat out Grey and McCann NY as well as incumbent GSD&M. In a statement, Maria Miller, Norwegian Cruise Line’s SVP of marketing, says, “We were looking for an agency partner to help us create brand desire for our unique proposition in a highly engaging and relevant way. The Martin Agency impressed us with their creative and thoughtful approach to our brand.”

The first work from the agency is set to launch “later this year” and billings were undisclosed.