Forbes Appoints Sherry Phillips As Chief Marketing Officer

BY

This week in leadership updates, Forbes elevates Sherry Phillips to chief marketing officer, Domino’s Australia taps Adam Ballesty as chief marketing officer, Burger King Americas president Chris Finazzo exits, Captain D’s promotes Bindi Menon to chief marketing officer and more. 

Forbes Appoints Sherry Phillips As Chief Marketing Officer

Forbes veteran Sherry Phillips has accepted a promotion as chief marketing officer, the magazine recently announced.

Phillips has been with Forbes for 25 years and most recently was senior vice president of Forbes Live.

Phillips replaces former Forbes CMO Lynn Schlesinger, who was recently appointed to the newly created role of chief customer experience officer.

Domino’s Australia Taps Adam Ballesty As Chief Marketing Officer

Adam Ballesty has been named CMO of Domino’s for Australia and New Zealand.

Ballesty was previously marketing and innovation director for Diageo Australia and general manager, Asia Pacific, for Seedlip.

Burger King Americas President Chris Finazzo Steps Down

President of Burger King Americas, Chris Finazzo, has exited the company after seven years.

According to Restaurant Dive, chief marketing officer Ellie Doty and chief operating officer Tom Curtis will oversee the company’s US and Canada businesses in the interim.

Captain D’s Elevates Bindi Menon To Chief Marketing Officer

Captain D’s has promoted Bindi Menon to chief marketing officer, according to a press release.

Menon has been with Captain D’s for the past 16 years, most recently as vice president of national marketing.

Jaxsta Hires Beth Appleton As Chief Marketing Officer

Jaxsta has named Warner Music executive Beth Appleton chief marketing officer, reports Billboard.

Appleton joins Jaxsta from Warner Music Australia, where she was general manager of Australia and senior vice president of marketing for Australasia.

Amerant Bancorp Taps Christine Esteve As Chief Marketing Officer

Amerant has hired Carnival Cruise Line veteran Christine Esteve as chief marketing officer.

Esteve spent the past 26 years at Carnival Cruise Line, most recently as vice president of performance marketing.

Asda Appoints Meghan Farren As Chief Customer Officer

Asda has hired KFC executive Meghan Farren as chief marketing officer.

Farren’s tenure at KFC UK and Ireland spans a decade, her most recent role being chief marketing officer.

Chili’s Promotes Michael Breed To Senior Vice President Of Marketing    

Chili’s has elevated Michael Breed to SVP of marketing for the company’s domestic operation and virtual restaurant spinoff concepts, according to Restaurant Business Online.

Breed has been with Brinker International, Chili’s parent company, for 17 years.

KiwiCo Appoints Katie Soo As Chief Marketing Officer

KiwiCo has named Katie Soo as chief marketing officer, reports Ad Age.

Soo joins KiwiCo from HBO Max, where she was senior vice president, head of growth marketing.

Kansas City Chiefs Appoint Lara Krug As Executive Vice President And Chief Marketing Officer

BY

This week in leadership updates, the Kansas City Chiefs hire Lara Krug as executive vice president and chief marketing officer, Jaanuu taps former Nike marketer Dan Adler as its first CMO, Moderna names Kate Cronin chief brand officer and more.

Kansas City Chiefs Name Lara Krug Executive Vice President And Chief Marketing Officer

The Kansas City Chiefs have appointed Lara Krug to the newly created role of executive vice president and chief marketing officer, according to a Chiefs company press release.

Krug joins the Chiefs from Anheuser-Busch InBev, where she spent more than seven years. Most recently, Krug was vice president of US marketing for the company’s Stella Artois brand.

Previously, she served as vice president of US marketing for A-B’s regional brands, including Estrella Jalisco, Landshark, Presidente, Beck’s and Kirin. During her tenure, she developed and led experimental platforms and campaigns around Super Bowl LIV and the FIFA World Cup.

Jaanuu Taps Dan Adler As Its First Chief Marketing Officer

Jaanuu has hired Dan Adler as its first-ever CMO, reports Campaign.

Adler had been with Nike since 2002, most recently as global marketing chief for Nike Golf.

In addition, Jaanuu hired Scott Shepley, also a Nike veteran, as its vice president of brand marketing. Shepley most recently was global brand manager at Nike.

Moderna Appoints Kate Cronin As Its First Chief Brand Officer

Moderna has named Kate Cronin, former global chief executive officer of WPP’s Ogilvy Health, as its first chief brand officer.

Cronin’s tenure at Ogilvy spanned 16 years.

Krystal Restaurants Names Alice Crowder As Chief Marketing Officer

Krystal Restaurants has hired Alice Crowder as CMO, reports Franchising.

Crowder previously served as the brand’s vice president of marketing from 2014 to 2018 before exiting to become vice president of menu strategy and innovation at Tropical Smoothie Cafe.

Standing Out In The Crowd With Torchy’s Tacos’ Scott Hudler

BY

Scott Hudler is the CMO of Torchy’s Tacos, an experiential craft-casual restaurant. In this episode, Scott and I explore what that means.

Torchy’s was founded a decade ago in Austin, Texas. The concept was an elevated street taco. Today they have over 83 locations in seven states and plan to add a hundred company-owned restaurants in the next five years. 

Learn how their unique ownership model instead of a franchise system helped them grow, how they lean heavily on experience and grass roots marketing, and their distinct and a little irreverent brand make it all work.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • About the intersection between fun and business
  • How great customer experience shines through the abundance of choices
  • The importance of meeting customers where they want to interact with you

Key Highlights:

  • [01:45] Scott’s favorite city
  • [03:22] The brands Scott has worked for
  • [06:01] What made Torchy’s the next “right” move
  • [07:16] Torchy’s backstory
  • [12:06] Executing a winning formula
  • [14:00] Not a franchise but individually owned
  • [17:07] Making the leaps to grow
  • [18:35] How the food industry will change post-pandemic
  • [20:15] Overcoming the abundance of choices
  • [21:41] Experiential marketing at Torchy’s
  • [26:22] A defining experience that made Scott who he is today 
  • [30:30] Scott’s advice to his younger self
  • [31:20] Scott’s impactful purchase
  • [32:38] The brands and companies Scott follows
  • [34:35] What Scott says is today’s biggest threat and opportunity for marketers

Resources Mentioned: 

Subscribe to the podcast:

Connect with the Guest:

Connect with Marketing Today and Alan Hart:

Alan B. Hart is the creator and host of “Marketing Today with Alan Hart,” a weekly podcast where he interviews leading global marketing professionals and business leaders. Alan advises leading executives and marketing teams on opportunities around brand, customer experience, innovation, and growth. He has consulted with Fortune 100 companies, but he is an entrepreneur at his core, having founded or served as an executive for nine startups.

Dunkin’ Taps Rafael Acevedo As Chief Marketing Officer

BY

This week in leadership updates, Dunkin’ names Rafael Acevedo as US chief marketing officer, Kin Insurance taps Victor Lee as chief marketing officer, BMG Music elevates Shane Cosme to vice president of global marketing, Friendly’s Restaurants appoints a new chief marketing officer and more.

Dunkin’ Appoints Rafael Acevedo As Chief Marketing Officer

Dunkin’ US has named former Coca-Cola executive Rafael Acevedo as CMO.

Acevedo previously spent 19 years at Coca-Cola, most recently as vice president and general manager of the company’s tea portfolio, which includes Gold Peak, Peace Tea, Honest Tea and Fuze brands.

Kin Insurance Hires Victor Lee As Chief Marketing Officer

Kin Insurance has announced the appointment of Victor Lee to CMO.

Lee joins Kin from Kellogg’s RXBAR, where he led product development and consumer insights. Lee also previously served as senior vice president of digital marketing at Hasbro.

BMG Music Elevates Shane Cosme To Vice President Of Global Marketing

BMG Music has promoted Shane Cosme to SVP of international marketing.

Cosme joined BMG in 2018, leading the company’s global recorded music efforts and overseeing repertoire US teams in New York and Los Angeles.

Friendly’s Restaurants Announces Two New Marketing Leadership Appointments

Friendly’s Restaurants has named David Ellis as chief marketing officer. Ellis will oversee marketing for Friendly’s Restaurants as well as brands of BRIX Holdings, which include: Orange Leaf, Smoothie Factory, Red Mango, Souper Salad, Red Brick Pizza and Humble Donuts.

Ellis joins Friendly’s Restaurants and BRIX Holdings from Uncle Julio’s, where he served as CMO.

In addition, Sylvia Becker has been promoted to vice president of marketing for Friendly’s. Becker, who’s been with Friendly’s for eight years, most recently served as senior director of media services.

Previously, Becker worked as the senior director of media services for Johnny Rockets.

Instacart Taps Laura Jones As Vice President Of Brand And Marketing

Instacart has hired Laura Jones as VP of brand and marketing, the company recently announced.

Laura most recently served as global head of marketing for Uber’s Rides business.

Ntwrk Hires Jason Brown As Its First-Ever Chief Marketing Officer

The Ntwrk app has appointed Jason Brown as its first CMO, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Brown joins Ntwrk from Foot Locker, where he was vice president of marketing.

Celebrity Cruises Appoints Michael Scheiner As Chief Marketing Officer

BY

This week in leadership updates, Celebrity Cruises taps Michael Scheiner as chief marketing officer, Trilogy Health Services names Melissa Richards-Person as CMO, Alpha Foods names Kierstin De West as its first CMO and more.

Celebrity Cruises Hires Michael Scheiner As Chief Marketing Officer

Michael Scheiner, former global CMO of Tommy Hilfiger, has been named senior vice president and CMO of Celebrity Cruises.

In his new role, Scheiner will oversee customer acquisition, brand loyalty and ecommerce worldwide.

Previously, Scheiner was CMO and SVP of Hollister Co. and Gilly Hicks, two brands owned by Abercrombie & Fitch Co.

Alpha Foods Taps Kierstin De West As First-Ever Chief Marketing Officer

Upon launching its inaugural TV spots, Alpha Foods has named Kierstin De West as its first CMO, reports Ad Age.

De West joins from Lululemon, where she was VP of global brand management and strategy for three years.

Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows Names Amy Funke As Director Of Marketing

Amy Funke was appointed director of marketing for the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, according to Hospitality Net.

Most recently, Funke served as director of marketing and communication for InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown.

Trilogy Health Services Appoints Melissa Richards-Person As Chief Marketing Officer

According to Biz Journals, Trilogy Health Services has hired former Papa John’s SVP or brand, Melissa Richards-Person, as CMO.

Richards-Person spent nearly 12 years at Papa John’s in various marketing leadership positions.

T-Mobile Chief Marketing Officer Matt Staneff Exits

After nearly 19 years of working in various marketing leadership roles at T-Mobile, the company’s CMO, Matt Staneff, has stepped down.

Prior to his role as CMO, Staneff was chief commercial officer.

Facebook Vice President Of Global Business Group Departs

Carolyn Everson, VP of Facebook’s Global Business Group, has exited the company after her 10-year tenure.

According to CNBC, Nicolea Mendelsohn, head of EMEA region for Facebook’s Global Business Group, will fill in as interim VP.

Purpose Is Power With St. Jude And ALSAC’s Emily Callahan

BY

Emily Callahan is the Chief Marketing and Experience Officer at ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

On the show, Emily and I discuss St. Jude’s origin, how she ended up as the Chief Marketing and Experience Officer, and the inspiration behind St. Jude’s partnership with SpaceX. Yes, you read that correctly. St. Jude is going to outer space. 

But in between, they also talk about purpose: what it means and how it can empower companies and their partnerships. Emily encourages people to “be a difference maker where you are.” Listen in to find out how that inspires her career, their marketing, and St. Jude’s mission.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Why purpose is the power behind marketing
  • Jude’s partnership to travel to space
  • What CMOs can learn from cause marketers

Key Highlights:

  • [01:25] Emily’s morning routine
  • [02:53] Emily’s path to Chief Marketing and Experience Officer
  • [06:12] All about St. Jude Children’s Hospital
  • [10:16] What non-profit marketing looks like
  • [13:58] Purpose behind marketing
  • [17:25] St. Jude is going to space!
  • [20:37] Stories of inspiration
  • [24:33] What marketers can learn from cause marketers
  • [26:11] Emily’s career advice
  • [28:37] A defining experience that made Emily who she is today 
  • [30:07] Emily’s advice to her younger self
  • [31:58] Emily’s impact purchase
  • [33:28] The brands and companies Emily follows
  • [34:50] What Emily says is today’s biggest threat and opportunity for marketers

Resources Mentioned: 

Subscribe to the podcast:

Connect with the Guest:

Connect with Marketing Today and Alan Hart:

Alan B. Hart is the creator and host of “Marketing Today with Alan Hart,” a weekly podcast where he interviews leading global marketing professionals and business leaders. Alan advises leading executives and marketing teams on opportunities around brand, customer experience, innovation, and growth. He has consulted with Fortune 100 companies, but he is an entrepreneur at his core, having founded or served as an executive for nine startups.

What We’re Reading—Week Of June 8th

BY

Here’s what we’re reading for the week of June 8th, 2021.

The Rise Of The 50-Plus Influencer

The Drum

David Whyte, founder and chief executive of Edge, believes that now is the time for brands to wake up to the opportunities of Gen X and Baby Boomer influencers who are shattering stereotypes and creating new models, particularly on YouTube. Whyte cites the success that 57-year-old guitarist Rick Beato is having on YouTube, where his music channel boasts over 1.7 million subscribers.

Why it matters: Sixty-eight percent of consumers age 55 or older shop online every month yet just 5 percent of advertising in the US is targeted at these consumers. As Whyte notes, though the influencer landscape was for years the sole domain of millennials and Gen Z, advertisers should also consider that Baby Boomers are over ten times wealthier than their millennial counterparts.

Research: How Cultural Differences Can Impact Global Teams

Harvard Business Review

To determine when teams whose members live in different countries perform better, HBR observed the behaviors and interactions of 5,728 individuals in 804 remote international teams while they worked during several months on business consulting projects.

Why it matters: Their analyses found that personal diversity, such as differences in age and culture, can negatively affect team climate. These members find it less enjoyable to spend time together, trust each other less and generally communicate less–which leads to more conflicts.

In contrast, HBR found that contextual diversity, created by members that come from countries with different economic and political systems, can positively affect task performance because it allows for more perspectives, which boosts creativity and creates a better solution to problems.

How Two DTC Brands Revamped Their Video Creative For Performance

AdExchanger

After simply throwing money into video creative without measuring performance, Kuru Footwear partnered with VidMob, whose creative intelligence tool analyzes the creative variables in a video frame to isolate why the video is performing or not. Atom Finance partnered with VidMob on a similar approach to grow in-app engagement.

Why it matters: After a round of A/B testing, KURU Footwear learned that lifestyle footage of people wearing its shoes and engaging in everyday activities like running in the park, alongside direct response calls-to-action, performed best. This new creative had a 15 percent higher return on ad spend and a 15 percent lower cost per purchase than the brand’s previous video assets.

For Atom Finance, the partnership with VidMob resulted in modified videos that generated a nearly 30 percent lift in app engagement after signup.

Mastercard Enters Five-Year Partnership With World Rugby Women’s Game

Campaign

Mastercard and World Rugby have announced a five-year partnership that will see the former use its Priceless platform to curate experiences with World Rugby and brand ambassadors. Mastercard, whose goal is to connect with consumers in new ways, will also be developing rugby-specific content as an extension of its dedication to gender equity and ‘Girls4Tech’ STEM education program.

Why it matters: Mastercard will become the first worldwide partner for Rugby World Cup 2021, Rugby World Cup 2025 and the first Global Partner of WXV, the annual global women’s competition set to begin in 2023.

Glossier Elevates Ali Weiss To First-Ever Chief Marketing Officer

BY

This week in leadership updates, Glossier names Ali Weiss its first-ever chief marketing officer, Skyscanner hires Clive Peoples as marketing senior vice president, Progressive CMO Jeff Charney is named Ad Age 2021 “Brand CMO of the Year,” and more.

Glossier Promotes Ali Weiss To Its First Chief Marketing Officer

Glossier has appointed Ali Weiss to its first-ever CMO, reports Adweek.

Weiss has been with Glossier for six years and most recently served as senior vice president of marketing.

Skyscanner Taps Clive Peoples As Marketing SVP

Clive Peoples has joined Skyscanner as SVP of marketing following nearly four years at eBay.

Most recently, Peoples was head of customer marketing and product of eBay Zürich.

Progressive Chief Marketing Officer Jeff Charney Named Ad Age 2021 “Brand CMO Of The Year”

Ad Age has awarded Progressive CMO Jeff Charney as its 2021 “Brand CMO of the Year,” making him the first from the insurance category to win the accolade.

“Under Jeff’s leadership Progressive has shown an innate ability to create campaigns that not only entertain, but build long-lasting brand value,” said Ad Age new editor E.J. Schultz.

In March, Charney announced his planned retirement for early 2022.

Guardian Life Hires Wendy Wahl As Chief Marketing Officer

Guardian Life has appointed Wendy Wahl as CMO, according to a press release.

Wahl joins from Aetna, where she served as head of enterprise marketing most recently.

Grove Collaborative Appoints Jennie Perry As Chief Marketing Officer

Former Amazon North America CMO Jennie Perry has been named Grove Collaborative’s new CMO, reports Adweek.

Perry spent the past nine years at Amazon and was previously CMO of Stride Rite.

Equifax Australia Appoints Roni Millard As Chief Marketing Officer

Equifax has named Roni Millard CMO of its Australia division.

Millard, the founder and managing director of Tribe Consult, has been a sales marketing consultant for the past four years. Previously, she held marketing leadership roles at InfoTrack Pty and LexisNexis Pacific, respectively.

Esports Technologies Taps Mark Thorne As Chief Marketing Officer

Mark Thorne has been named CMO of Esports Technologies.

Thorne is the former CMO of four companies including betFIRST, Wishmaker, ORing Limited and Twin.

Live Nation Hires Nicole Portwood As Chief Brand Officer

Live Nation Entertainment has appointed Nicole Portwood as chief brand officer, a newly created role, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Portwood joins Live Nation from PepsiCo, where she served as vice president of marketing for the company’s carbonated soft drinks.

Moncler Names Gino Fisanotti As Chief Brand Officer

Gino Fisanotti has been appointed to the newly created role of chief brand officer at Moncler, reports WWD.

Fisanotti spent the past 24 years at Nike, most recently as creative officer.

Purple Innovation Taps Patrice Varni As Chief Marketing And Digital Officer

Purple Innovation has hired Patrice Varni as chief marketing and digital officer.

Varni joins Purple from Dermstore, where she was CMO and president.

1Password Hires Raj Sarkar As First Chief Marketing Officer

BY

This week in leadership updates, 1Password appoints Raj Sarkar as its first chief marketing officer, Expresso Fitness hires Nancy Dussault Smith as chief marketing officer, Mitchell & Whale taps Igor Bubic as chief marketing officer, Ceros announces two new leaders and more.

Raj Sarkar Is Named 1Password’s First Chief Marketing Officer

1Password has hired Raj Sarkar as its first-ever CMO, reports Forbes.

Sarkar isn’t new to the company, having served as a board advisor for the past year.

Prior to 1Password, Sarkar was head of marketing at Atlassian then moved on to become CMO and vice president of Palo Alto Networks’ Prisma Cloud.

Expresso Fitness Taps Nancy Dussault Smith As Chief Marketing Officer

According to a press release, Nancy Dussault Smith is Expresso Fitness’ new CMO.

A founding member of Chief, Smith previously held marketing leadership roles at iRobot, Hydrow and Jibo.

Mitchell & Whale Appoints Igor Bubic As Chief Marketing Officer

Mitchell & Whale Insurance Brokers has named Igor Bubic CMO.

Bubic joins Mitchell & Whale from Gore Mutual Insurance, where he served as head of brand and purpose.

Ceros Announces Two New Leadership Appointments

Ceros has hired Jamie Gier as CMO and Tom Hewitt as VP, business development and partnerships.

Gier, a founding member of CMO Huddles, joins from DreamBox Learning where she was SVP of marketing.

Hewitt was previously an enterprise sales executive at Arbo.

Damon Motorcycles Hires Doug Penman As Chief Marketing Officer, Vice President

Damon Motorcycles has tapped Doug Penman as its new CMO and VP.

Penman is the founder and chief executive officer of Nukotoys and was a founding partner of The Guild.

Wells Fargo Chief Marketing Officer Michael Lacorazza Exits  

Amid a wider restructuring at Wells Fargo that includes the retirement of the CMO role, CMO Michael Lacorazza is stepping down, reports Business Insider.

Rather than a centralized marketing team, each division at Wells Fargo will have its own marketing leads, according to Business Insider.

Lacorazza was with Wells Fargo for nine years. Prior to Wells Fargo, he held a variety of marketing leadership roles at companies including TD Ameritrade and Marriott International.

Lunchclub Taps Chelsea Cain Maclin As Its First Chief Marketing Officer

Lunchclub has appointed former Bumble vice president of marketing, Chelsea Cain Maclin, as its first-ever CMO.

Previously, Cain Maclin served as director of marketing for TenantBase and manager of the publisher development team at rewardStyle, respectively.

Mack Weldon Hires Talia Handler As Its First-Ever Chief Marketing Officer

Talia Handler has joined Mack Weldon as the brand’s first CMO, according to Retail Dive.

The appointment marks Handler’s first CMO role. 

Prior to Mack Weldon, Handler held leadership roles at Saatchi & Saatchi and Ogilvy and has worked with companies such as TikTok, Adidas and JPMorgan Chase.

Gary Goodman’s Creative Picks: An Apple A Day

BY

I don’t know about you, but I have a few mobile games that help me pass the in-betweens and keep me sane throughout the week. Every one of these games has some form of online advertising and lately, they’ve gotten better at bringing me the types of ads I want to see: ads that I actually don’t mind seeing over and over again. So who’s making these types of ads? Well, in this particular case, the company I’m referring to is Apple, which could clearly create a Master Class on this very topic. So what can we learn from the brand you either love (or love to hate) when it comes to reaching your audience in a world where repeat viewings are unavoidable?  Read on and hopefully, I’ll answer that along the way.

Apple AirPods Pro – “Jump”

First up is a spot for Apple’s AirPods Pro that I’ve probably seen twenty times at this point and I never get sick of it.  It follows in the footsteps of their previous ads that take us on a fantastical journey through an urban landscape. This time our protagonist is someone you’ve probably never heard of: Japanese double-dutch champion Kengo Sugino.

Why it matters: Apple always sets a high bar for their product films, whether it’s jaw-dropping CG for their phones, clever visual techniques like the Spike Jonze/FKA Twigs for the Homepod—or just finding that fresh and interesting human nugget like what we all spend hours devouring in our social feeds every day. 

In this instance, someone on their team found a gem to build a campaign around with double-dutch champion Kengo Sugino. Who even knew there was a world championship for what most think of as a simple kid’s game? The result is so good it’s almost impossible not to smile when you see Kengo jumping like he has springs in his feet. He is so compelling to watch because it seems so effortless; part dance, part acrobatics and full badass. One of the things that really struck me after seeing this so many times is that the short-form cuts (:06-:10) are equally effective. Kengo bounces into the frame and we just feel his complete mastery and joy for that one brief moment. It lands every single time.

The details: Directed by the extremely impressive Sam Brown, this is one more win in his catalog of great spots. Sam also directed a film I covered previously entitled “The Wheel” for Volkswagen, as well as the launch spot for iPods Pro. And if you haven’t seen his insane piece for Virgin Media, check this out: This is Virgin Fibre – YouTube.

Apple Watch Series 6 – An ECG Right Here, Right Now”

Clearly the Apple marketing machine never sleeps. Just as the AirPods film was dropping, this tasty little 30-second spot landed for the new Apple Watch. 

Why it matters: Centered around the new electrocardiogram feature, this spot takes a very niche and specific subject matter and brings it to life in a fresh, innovative way. The device is very simple: using the head turn as a clever mechanism to propel us into the multitude of scenarios that one may find themselves in where they could also want to get an instant ECG. Yup, the new Apple Watch can do it. Not sure if this was intentional, but my guess is that the head-turning device is mimicking the way an ECG measures the electrical signals in your heart.  Personally, I’m fortunate to not need that feature at this point in my life, but that’s beside the point, I am completely drawn in by this beautiful and simple piece of filmmaking, acting, music composition and editorial that it makes me once again generate positive vibes for Apple. The actor is completely on point, almost right out of a Wes Anderson movie: stylish, worldly and completely captivating.  

The details: Directed by Spanish/English filmmaker, Ian Pons Jewell, this is one of a three-part series that he put together for Apple. Ian has been doing amazing work for Xbox, Oculus, Squarespace and Apple among many others. Borrowing a line from his production company bio, “whether working in the realms of drama or comedy, his films carry a surreal originality that is compelling to watch.” Couldn’t have said it better.

Apple – “Introducing the iPad Pro”

To wrap it up, I thought I’d finish with Apple’s latest bombastic live-action/VFX dose of technology pumped right into our collective bloodstream. Thanks to my old friend, Matthew Encina (formerly ECD at Blind) for sending this one my way!

Why it matters:  I LOVE this spot. It pulls out all the stops and combines almost every trick in the book. Beautiful CG of the internal components, stunning macro photography, clever VFX and in-camera transitions, spot-on lifestyle vignettes that humanize the product and bring it into our world, and finally Marvel-level sound design that propels it past 10 and all the way to 11! Oh yeah, and as a bonus…there’s even a little humor just to make sure they checked every box.

On top of that, they’ve centered the story around a “lift-off” thematic that makes you feel the power of the product and more importantly the power it’s going to give to YOU as part of the creative community to make the most epic things imaginable. And who wouldn’t want that?

The details: I haven’t been able to track down any of the production details yet on this one. What I will say here is that the importance of this spot and the potential of this product is that the iPad Pro is finally ready to be considered as a full-fledged laptop replacement. What’s clear in this video is that the users are running very high-end creative software like Davinci, Logic and Final Cut. With the power of the new M1 chip and that incredible display, I’d say Apple is making quite the case for the future of the iPad.