ADWEEK

Say hello to our May cover star! 🇬🇧🐔 With 3 million YouTube subscribers, Amelia Dimoldenberg has built a brand for herself with her fabulous deadpan humor and celebrity interviews in U.K. fried chicken shops. Now, she’s spreading her wings beyond the Chicken Shop and making her mark in new territories. Through her production company Dimz Inc., she will develop and produce projects across scripted and unscripted TV and film, continuing to pave the way with unparalleled content. Read more about our Brand Genius cover star — https://adweek.it/4k8ToMd Story by: Brittaney Kiefer

While major tech companies race to implement AI in corporate America, Google's tech incubator Jigsaw is focusing on civic-minded AI development. Research head Beth Goldberg, speaking at C2 Montréal, explained their mission is to facilitate civil discussions in divided communities. https://bit.ly/4jnuaJf

#EXCLUSIVE 📣 Between 35 and 40 analytics staffers were laid off this week at IPG Mediabrands, sources told ADWEEK. The cuts—delivered without prior written notice—come as the agency offshores junior roles to its Global Capability Center in India and prepares for its $20B+ merger with Omnicom. “These actions are part of IPG Mediabrands' ongoing transformation to streamline operations,” a spokesperson told ADWEEK. But internally, sources described the process as cold and abrupt. “This was purely about cost,” one employee said. “High-performing people were let go without explanation—just replaced by cheaper offshore labor.” Read the full story below. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dbXVP65k #scoop #investigation #advertising #labor #layoffs #marketing #news

Oh, Upfronts and NewFronts — how you will be missed. Here’s a glimpse at what our editorial team saw on the ground at some of the biggest media and entertainment companies’ presentations. ✨ Read more — https://bit.ly/3Sfk1Dr

Consider ADWEEK's engines started. What better way to go into a big race weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway than an interview with 2022 Indianapolis 500 winner and noted allergy sufferer Marcus Ericsson about his team at Andretti Global's partnership with Sanofi brand Allegra and their race-week campaign from United Entertainment Group? When you’re an allergy pill claiming a non-drowsy formula and “0% brain interference,” there are few stronger tests of your brand thesis than having it quell allergies at a clear-headed 220 miles per hour. “I have a strong brand, and I want to make sure that my partners can take advantage of that, and we can sort of win together and both have benefits from the partnership,” Ericsson told ADWEEK from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “I always try to make sure that happens, and hopefully, having a strong month of May and winning the race will make it an even better partnership. I think the Allegra car will look pretty good in victory lane in a couple of weeks.” Meanwhile, when fans watching the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway—tuning into the race on Fox on May 25—see Ericsson pull into the pits, they’ll get a chance to play around with the Allegra Pit Shop. As part of the campaign, Ericsson’s team at TWG Motorsports’ Andretti Global has outfitted its pit crew in purple jumpsuits with QR codes on the back, allowing fans to scan the codes and win prizes, including a trip to an upcoming race. Even before or after the race, fans get a chance to test their reflexes with a tire-changing game that measures their reaction time and offers discounts to those who sign up. “It comes down to the nature of the partnership. It was very natural for the three parties, and this is where the magic happens,” said Samuel Morisse, PhD, MBA, vp of Allegra Brand North America. “We want to make sure people connect that the brand is supporting the notion of performance. It’s about the natural connection between the Andretti team and what they do, and the brand into what it allows them to do.” So how does the pit crew feel about being human PR codes for the weekend? Pretty good, actually. “We had a photo shoot/media day with the pit crew, and we were probably not nervous, but it’s like, OK, who’s going to want to do that?” said Jill Gregory, president of Andretti Global. “We couldn’t keep these guys off camera: They are like, ‘Finally, someone’s paying attention to us.’” https://lnkd.in/gVdat_q9

Whooooo wanna rock with Stitch? https://bit.ly/3Sl8imK

Rolling into this weekend’s Indianapolis 500, both the NTT IndyCar series and Fox are moving at top speed toward their goals for the collaboration. https://bit.ly/4jepVzL

JUST IN | IPG Mediabrands, the media arm of Interpublic Group (IPG), has laid off between 35 and 40 employees across its analytics division this week. https://bit.ly/3YTl1Rq

Ahead of marquee soccer coverage, TelevisaUnivision and Disney are scoring distribution goals. https://bit.ly/44PLz9W

Exclusive: For JPMorganChase to get Stephen Curry, Kevin Hart, and A'ja Wilson on its team for a new campaign, it had to bring more to the partnership than its logo and some scripted one-liners. In an exclusive preview for ADWEEK, Chase launched the latest ad in its “Cashback Like a Pro” sports marketing campaign, pairing the Golden State Warriors’ four-time National Basketball Association (NBA) champion, two-time NBA MVP, and newly minted Olympic gold medalist Stephen Curry with People’s Choice Award-winning actor and comedian Kevin Hart. After reimagining Curry and former Warriors teammate Klay Thompson’s Splash Brothers pairing as the Cash Brothers during the 2023 NBA playoffs and bringing in Allen Iverson later that year, Chase teased a tip-off between Curry and Hart a tip-off between Curry and Hart earlier this year. During this year’s NBA conference finals, the two finally delivered in a spot featuring Hart taking Curry to a gym to determine who’s the C.O.A.T.: the greatest Cashbacker of All Time. (It’s an ad for Chase Freedom rewards, after all.) Who wins? Wilson, with a shot from long range and 5% back on her flight in. The spot, created by Translation with support from Hart's HARTBEAT, hints at Chase's investment in each of its stars, as well as in other fan passions like the WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association)'s Golden State Valkyries expansion team and the most recent NBA All-Star weekend. “We have a really incredible base of customers who carry Freedom cards, and we want the people that we partner with to exemplify the passions of those customers,” said Chase Freedom general manager Wittney Rachlin. “We know that passion of sports. We know the passion of being the greatest of what you do, so having people like this on our roster is incredibly important. It resonates with the ideals of our customers.” Story: https://lnkd.in/giG9eFry