-We’re not sure how to preface this otherwise without sounding cheesy (too late), but Taco Bell and SXSW invite you to “Feed the Beat” for this latest go-around via a rockumentary (promo clip above). link

-Speaking of, -Omnicom will try to “humanize technology” at SXSWi. link

-DUMBO-based Carrot Creative has bumped up Alexis Lamster – formerly its lead producer, to its new “Director of People and Culture.” Let the new titles never end.

- Dental savings plan marketer DentalPlans.com appointed Bay Area-based Camp + King to serve as AOR and in turn, the latter is tasked with developing a new logo, identity and consumer advertising campaign – consisting of broadcast, digital, social, a website redesign and sales collateral.

-While we’re on the collab tip, let us tell you that Arnold and Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project are dropping a new project on the masses called “Reality Drop. link

-Mirrorball has tapped Lisa Petrella to lead its L’Oréal Paris experiential account and has brought on Saatchi X alum Kim Paquet.

-The Shorty Awards has announced its finalists for its fifth-annual show. link; link

And let’s start the ball rolling once again with new monthly contributor, Simon Mathews, currently chief strategy officer at West Coast shop, Extractable, and who’ s also worked at the likes of Isobar as well as Molecular on the strategy side during his career. We think the headline explains it all, but not so sure if he’s striking a Zoolander or Hansel pose in this one. 

The pitch was going well. The large team of potential clients, spread two deep around their boardroom table, were engaged and clearly expressing their business needs. I was heading towards the climax of my section on our agency’s strategic approach. I ended my last slide with the crescendo of, “We build data-driven digital experiences,” ready to hand over to our Creative Director.

Scanning the room, a few people looked a little quizzical. The client’s web manager speaks up, “We are thinking of implementing a mobile-first strategy. What do you think?”

Of course, I knew what they meant by ‘mobile first’. They meant that their current mobile experience was poor, and that they think mobile is important to their future. However, from our analysis their desktop, social and mobile were all poor experiences and there was an opportunity to dramatically improve the experience, and outcomes, for their users across any device.

My inner dialog kicked in. The following is what I probably should have shared out loud, but as they say, discretion is the better part of valor.

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The Association of Independent Commercial Producers unveiled it’s campaign for the 2013 AICP Show and AICP Next Awards with a few spots that resemble fake interstitials from a sci-fi movie most likely directed by James Cameron. The machines aren’t taking over, but we do have EureeCorp, the make-believe company with a line of products like the Idea Orb, which can transmit award-winning ideas to your brain as you sleep.

If the Idea Orb doesn’t inspire collusion, there’s always the Centaurus 3000, a computer full of magical software and algorithms that produces a scent where you “can waft in the ideas of the future.” Okay, the machines might be taking over, and those machines really like detached body parts.

This AICP campaign doesn’t have as much bite as some of their previous, more carnivorous work, but success can’t always be duplicated. After all, innovation has no formula. Credits and the Centaurus 3000 spot after the jump.

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In case you haven’t heard, smartphones are now officially ‘emasculating’ according to Google co-founder Sergey Brin. In other words, you need to get your Google Glass right away, as your masculinity is at risk of being publicly revoked.

To spur interest in Google Glass, Google has started a Twitter contest using the hashtag #IfIHadGlass, where tweeters have to opportunity to receive Google’s sexy new product should their reasons for obtaining it please the tech giant. KBS+ is using this as a platform to showcase their digital thinking, with more than 70 of their employees making short videos explaining what they would do with Glass.

Videos will be posted throughout the day on KBS+ social media channels, with the whole gallery available at the agency’s Tumblr. Sure, it seems like an awful lot of work, but if they actually score Google Glass early, it will be hard to say it wasn’t all worth it.

Yes, we have received confirmation that after 13 years at Deutsch, serving as partner, chief media officer most recently, Peter Gardiner has resigned from the agency this week. Here are the statements from all parties involved:

“Today Deutsch NY CEO Val DiFebo announced that Peter Gardiner, Partner, Chief Media Officer, would be leaving the agency to pursue entrepreneurial interests and investments in the media and tech space.  Gardiner joined Deutsch in 2000 and during his tenure helped grow Deutsch’s media offering at a time when many agencies were unbundling their media operations.  He was an important part of the agency’s success and we wish him well.  Gardiner’s last day will be February 28^th.

An announcement will be made early next week regarding the plans we have in place, it’s a 1 + 1 = 3 approach that will continue to keep us ahead of the curve.

And from Gardiner himself:

“Having been a Partner of one of the best agencies in history has been incredibly rewarding and fun. But leaving Deutsch now gives me the opportunity to find, grow, and nurture startups in the media and tech space. I’m excited about what’s ahead and I thank everyone at Deutsch for the best years of my professional life, so far…”

During his time at Deutsch, Gardiner  helped launch Media Bridge Entertainment, a product placement company that introduced pay-for-performance as its core offering, nearly a decade ago as well as research unit, Consumer Prime.

-Indie integrated agency iris Worldwide has welcomed McGarryBowen alum Andre Galan to head up its newly acquired Barclaycard business.

-SapientNitro has appointed Marcelo Sant’Iago to the role of VP, business development for Latin America.

-L.A.-based Zambezi announced its partnership with Caesars Interactive Entertainment in the latter’s launch of online poker on WSOP.com.

-Here’s your latest appointment of judge and jury for the 2013 New York Festivals:

·         Warren Brown, Creative Founder, BMF Sydney, Australia

·         Chris Garbutt, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy & Mather Paris

·        Guido Heffels,  Chief Creative Officer, Heimat Werbeagentur GmbH

·      Diane Ruggie, Creative Director & Partner, Velocebella, USA

-Apple has topped Fortune‘s list of “World’s Most Admired Companies” for the sixth year in a row.

-Y&R Midwest/VML is behind a new Pinterest page to help those in need. link

-We’ve been told that Laird+Partners is behind the Target spot above, which includes music from electro-poppers, Dragonette.

This week, Scratch is hiring a director of business development, while CampaignGrid needs a digital strategist. Plan B is seeking a web/social media manager, and KD+E is on the hunt for an account supervisor for performance media. Get the scoop on these openings and more below, and find additional just-posted gigs on Mediabistro.

• Director, Business Development Scratch (New York, NY)
• Digital Strategist CampaignGrid (Fort Washington, PA)
• Web/Social Media Manager Plan B (Chicago, IL)
• Account Supervisor – Performance Media KD+E (New York, NY)
• Senior Art Director Mullen (Boston, MA)

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.

- Following a review, MDC-owned Doner has been named AOR for vehicle remarketing services brand, Manheim. As a result, Doner will handle creative, media planning and buying, and strategic planning for the brand. From what sources tell us, media was previously handled by McCulloch & Co and creative by The Dalton Agency.

-CP+B once again pits parents vs. kids in its latest Kraft Mac ‘n Cheese spot, complete with you know who’s VO (above).

-Cheil Europe president/COO Chris Harris has stepped down from his role. link

-Don’t call it a comeback, Wonder Bread’s been here for years. link

-McCann unveils a new Truth Central study, saying that mobile can save the world. link

-Oh lord, there is “peevertising” about. Sorry. link

-Facebook’s acquisition of ad-serving solutions firm Atlas Solutions should be complete by week’s end. link

-Fast Company would like to know, where the female creative directors at? link

-Miller is targeting this summer to end its licensing agreement with Molson Coors Canada. link

-Paste is the latest to make the transition from print to digital with PASTE.com. link

Let me begin by stating the obvious: If you find yourself downing more than 3 Jager-bombs in one sitting, odds are your bro doesn’t have your back. Your bro is not a good bro, and you should consider bro-ing out with a new bro who won’t let such a terrible thing happen to you. Sorry, bro.

Now that’s out of the way, let’s take a look at the latest campaign for Jagermeister and LA-based indie shop Mistress titled “A Brother in Your Corner.” The concept of celebrating male companionship in alcohol ads is nothing new, especially in the beer category where things like “Man Law” are done time and time again. Instead of playing the concept for comedic effect, however, Jagermeister has decided to showcase legendary boxing trainer Freddie Roach, whose long resume includes times spent in the corner of boxing champs like Oscar de la Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, and Julio Caesar Chavez. As the video illustrates, Roach has gained a reputation within the boxing community for taking extra special care of his fighters, both within the ring and outside of it. This devotion to his athletes, Roach says, was instilled in him by his own trainer, Eddie Futch, who himself gained fame for training legends like Joe Fraizer, Ken Norton, and Larry Holmes.

The campaign’s tone and focus seems targeted to an older, likely middle-aged bro, one who has actually heard of these fighters and knows anything about professional boxing as none of the fighters associated with Roach our Futch are named in the spot. Also, it’s hard to find many people under that age of 30 who know much about boxing, as MMA continues its climb upwards as boxing fades into irrelevance. The campaign also features a digital extension in which those young males who prove they live by the “Jager Code” compete for a chance to win a trip to Las Vegas for a private training session with Roach as well as tickets to an upcoming boxing match. For more info visit the Jager Code website and Jagermeister’s Facebook page. Credits after the jump.
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Well, at least they’re keeping it within family. We’ve been told by sources familiar with the matter that Arnold Worldwide–we hear specifically the Boston office–will take over on the North American unit of Volvo’s portion of digital duties for its parent company, Havas, which has technically worked on the automaker’s biz since the early ’90s via Euro NY.We’ve been told that this is traditional digital work, not the other tidbits including social, etc..

How this affects “client-conflicted” LBi, which also handles digital duties for Volvo, we’re not quite clear. To be honest, this is a clusterfuck, but we can at least confirm the Havas-Arnold move. Regardless, our sources emphasize that this move serves the NA digital biz, not international, which is still handled by LBi and Havas. Once we receive some more clarification on the matter, we’ll holler, but first we need some Advil for the headache.