-San Francisco-based Duncan/Channon has appointed its first partner in 13 years in Mike Lemme, who joins fellow partners, president Robert Duncan,  ECD Parker Channon and CEO Andy Berkenfield. In addition to Lemme’s bump-up, D/C welcomed former AKQA ACD Andrea Bozeman as creative director.

-Two years after joining up with Sasquatch,  Patrick Mullins, who also served as creative director on T-Mobile while at Publicis West,  has been hired as creative director at indie shop, DNA Seattle. Along with Mullins, DNA, which works with clients including The Avon Foundation and the University of Washington, promoted Pete Hughes to creative director.

-Oreo, with the help of W+K Portland, is continually posting YouTube clips like the one above over the next two weeks on how exactly to eat the damn snack. link

-DiGennaro/Goodby alum Theresa Nasi has taken over as managing director, worldwide communications at Ogilvy.

-Following “a rigorous review process that included multiple media agencies and standalone digital shops,” Horizon Media has been tapped to handle all traditional, digital, social and mobile marketing duties for e-cigarette brand, NJOY.

-L.A.-based brand studio Content & Co has appointed  Angelique “Angie” Delgado to the newly created post of account supervisor across clients including Subway and Energizer Personal Care.

-Yahoo’s ban on work from home = bad delivery? link

-Former R/GA Group director of brand development, Jennifer Meyers, has joined up with NYC-based Sullivan as principal, executive director of strategy.

It’s that magical time of year when unless your brand is tangential related to Christmas, your ads don’t even have to sell anything.

Take, for example, the above spot for StubHub by Duncan/Channon, which finds the online ticket retailer’s “Ticket Oak” mascot screaming about a Christmas tree. You see, it doesn’t have to sell anything, and those kinds of spots are always a ton of fun to work on for agencies.

Is it a reference to 90s grunge stars, Screaming Trees? Is there compelling evidence that use of the “Ticket Oak” at any opportunity increases StubHub’s revenue? Is there market research that tells us people find talking tress weird, but in a funny way? We don’t know, and we don’t need to know. It’s Christmas, and this is about branding, not moving the needle. Credits after the jump.
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While it’s been two decades since Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega’s spokeshog and mascot, whizzed by the world at large to save his animal friends, he shows no sign of slowing down. The chili-dog eating, attitude having, Saturday morning cartoon starring speedster is returning for another platform-based game on the consoles of Sega’s former main competitor, Nintendo. And, as the spot from agency Duncan/Channon and production company digital kitchen shows, Sonic hasn’t lost a step in his age, out eating and out racing a speeding bullet.

Whether or not Sonic picks up any new young fans is somewhat irrelevant, as the anthropomorphic hedgehog already has a good amount of video gamers nationwide who grew up on Sega Genesis and Game Gear and remember how much fun is was controlling him as he broke the sound barrier in his mission to explode Dr. Robotnik. It’s this nostalgia that Sega and Nintendo are hoping to cater to with Sonic Colors, which seems to follow the same format as Sonic’s earlier games for Sega consoles. The success of Wii’s New Super Mario Bros., which too was a return early franchise form.

Sure, Nintendo and Mario may have defeated Sega and Sonic in the great 90s video game console roles. But, has history would prove, you can’t keep a good hedgehog down.

Credits after the jump. Read more