Well, as those in know are telling us, a few tipsters may have received some mixed signals. Jon Flannery is NOT replacing Draftfcb Chicago CCO Todd Tilford but instead has been promoted from EVP/group creative director to EVP/executive creative director and will still report to the latter exec. Tilford in fact offers a statement with a little reveal, saying, “Jon is an exceptional strategic thinker and creative talent, and he knows how to engineer a collaborative environment where great work happens. We are in the process of turning the Chicago office into an open source creation studio, and Jon will play a critical role in making it happen. The path we are taking is going to be a an exciting one.”

Flannery has been with DFCB Chicago for over four years and was promoted, according to the agency, as a result of his work with clients including Kmart (he led creative on the recent viral hit for the brand, “Ship Your Pants”), Dow Chemical and The Shelter Pet Project. Prior to Draftfcb, the Chicago agency vet spent seven years as a senior creative at Element 79 (which was folded into Omnicom sibling DDB Chicago last fall), where he worked on Gatorade among other clients. Prior to E79, Flannery spent nearly a decade at Leo Burnett.

This week, Draftfcb is hiring a social strategist, and Column Five needs a producer. Meanwhile, McMurry is seeking a managing content editor, as well as an interactive marketing manager. Get the scoop on these openings and more below, and find additional just-posted gigs on Mediabistro.

• Social Strategist Draftfcb (Chicago, IL)
• Producer Column Five (Newport Beach, CA)
• Managing Content Editor McMurry (Phoenix, AZ)
• Interactive Marketing Manager McMurry (New York, NY)
• Director, Project Leadership Scratch (New York, NY)

Find more great advertising jobs on the AgencySpy job board. Looking to hire? Tap into our network of talented AgencySpy pros and post a risk-free job listing. For real-time openings and employment news, follow @MBJobPost.

This week, Draftfcb is hiring an account executive with retail experience, as well as a strategic planning director with pharmaceutical expertise. Mullen needs a creative director/GCD/copywriter, and Parade Publications is on the hunt for an ad sales administration and support associate. Get the scoop on these openings and more below, and find additional just-posted gigs on Mediabistro.

• Account Executive w/Retail Experience Draftfcb (Chicago, IL)
• Strategic Planning Director w/Pharma Expertise Draftfcb (Chicago, IL)
• Creative Director/GCD/copywriter Mullen (San Francisco, CA)
• Ad Sales Administration and Support Associate Parade Publications (New York, NY)
• Director of Marketing and B2B Lead Generation Optimal, Inc. (San Francisco, CA)

Find more great advertising jobs on the AgencySpy job board. Looking to hire? Tap into our network of talented AgencySpy pros and post a risk-free job listing. For real-time openings and employment news, follow @MBJobPost.

So yeah, we just watched that, a clusterfuck of marketing that’s making us believe in the automotive system that is Volkswagen,which is strong enough for a man but waged valiant tit-for-tat with the audience. Check out the video promoting Deutsch’s effort above. You can view another spot from the agency for the carmaker after the jump.

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This week, POP is hiring a creative director, while Draftfcb is on the hunt for a media supervisor. MiresBall needs a director of new business and marketing, and Schafer Condon Carter is seeking an assistant digital media planner. Get all the details below, and find more just-posted gigs on mediabistro.com.

• Creative Director POP (Seattle, WA)
• Media Supervisor Draftfcb (Chicago, IL)
• Director, New Business & Marketing MiresBall (San Diego, CA)
• Assistant Digital Media Planner Schafer Condon Carter (Chicago, IL)
• Technical Producer Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal + Partners (New York, NY)

For more job listings, go to the Mediabistro job board, and to post a job, visit our employer page. For real-time openings and employment news, follow @MBJobPost.

One day after the Super Bowl, brands are still fighting over what commercial “won” the big game in regards to social media, buzz or USA Today-ness. Unfortunately, one spot that won’t be part of the “best of” conversation, mainly because it wasn’t technically a “Super Bowl commercial” per se, is NYC-based production company Hungry Man’s pregame mini-musical promo for NBC’s various TV lineups.

“Brotherhood of Man,” passes the mic between shows’ stars, from Jane Krakowski and the 30 Rock cast to Kenan “Goodburger” Thompson and the SNL cast, from Ed Helms and the The Office crew to Will Arnett and the ladies of Up All Night. Hey, we even get to see that Alec Baldwin‘s voice lessons he took for his role in Rock of Ages paid off after all. Credits follow after the jump.

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In the south lies a wonderful fast food chain, one stretching from Arizona east through New Mexico, Texas, and all of SEC country. But, unlike Chic-fil-A before it, Texas-based Whataburger has yet to move north across the Mason-Dixon line, where it would surely beat the piss out of competitors like Hardee’s. Should you need proof, forgo that annual trip to Iron Works BBQ during SXSW this year and cruise around until you find a location. They’re everywhere, so it won’t take long.

From Austin-based McGarrah Jessee (which is fun to say with a Texas accent) comes a new TV campaign for Whataburger, one that sent camera crews to over 20 restaurants throughout Texas and Alabama. Here, staff and customers spoke of their emotional connections to their burgers, using buzzwords like “pride” and “tradition” and phrases like “barbecue is the only way of life down here.” Hey, when you’re dominating college football year after year (and even have your own curious chant about it), you get to celebrate with a Whataburger. And, wow, do those sandwiches look tasty. Two more spots follow after the jump.

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-So, what were Adweek‘s “Top 10 Press Stories of 2011?” link

-Newt Gingrich blasts Mitt Romney‘s attack ads and takes at aim at Ron Paul ahead of the big showdown in Iowa. link

-IPG Mediabrands has a new president for the Asian region. link

-Kleenex comes to the aid of sniffling Facebook users (above). link

-Google+ has topped 60 million users and could reach 400 million (!) by end of 2012 according to Paul Allen. link

-Here’s your two-minute 2011 viral video summary. link

-CNet offers its five social network predictions for 2012. link

-P&G has teamed up with the brains behind mall food court staple Panda Express to launch the Tide Dry Cleaners chain. link

If you’re looking for an account executive job, we have a fresh batch of them for you right here. The Knot, Mullen and Apartment Therapy all have AE gigs available. Meanwhile, Studio One Networks is hiring an account director, and Sharethrough needs an account manager. Get the details on these positions below, and find more advertising opportunities on mediabistro.com.

• Account Executive Mullen (Detroit, MI)
• Account Executive The Knot (Los Angeles, CA)
• Account Executive Apartment Therapy (New York, NY)
• Account Manager Sharethrough (San Francisco, CA)
• Account Director Studio One Networks (New York, NY)

For more job listings, go to the Mediabistro job board, and to post a job, visit our employer page. For real-time openings and employment news, follow @MBJobPost.

Barely two weeks after watching its Esurance business get whisked away by the brand’s new parent company Allstate and placed in the hands of Leo Burnett (though Deutsch LA was initially in the discussion), San Francisco shop Duncan/Channon has come back with some positive news as it’s been tasked with launching the first U.S. advertising effort for Japanese mobile social gaming “leader,” GREE. Despite the Esurance loss, D/C has picked up three new accounts including GREE in the past six weeks (1-800 CONTACTS and Ancestry.com being the other two), so that at least says something.

Sho Masuda, GREE’s VP of marketing, says in a statement, “We were impressed by their strategic thinking, their creative, their deep knowledge of our audience and their enthusiasm.  We are ready to fully establish ourselves in the U.S. market.” Those of you riding the 101 out on the West Coast might catch the image above that’s being featured on a billboard and is the first component of an integrated campaign for GREE that will roll out in the coming weeks.