Major moves: Grey, AKQA merge; Dentsu restructures

Merkley + Partners unveils an invisible Mercedes-Benz | TBWA\Chiat\Day NY revamps identity for Tuskegee Airmen | Anomaly, Cheerios reveal "Ungrumpening Mobsters" Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( November 12, 2020 CONNECT WITH 4A's  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [4A's SmartBrief]( [4A's SmartBrief]( News for the advertising, media, and marcom industries [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE]( ADVERTISEMENT Top Story [] [Merkley + Partners unveils an invisible Mercedes-Benz]( [Merkley + Partners unveils an invisible Mercedes-Benz]( (Mercedes-Benz USA/YouTube) Merkley + Partners created a spot for the Mercedes-Benz's electric EQS vehicle that features an invisible car with its presence only seen through tire tracks, disrupted leaves and splashed puddles, as Jon Hamm says in the voice-over, "Perhaps the greatest mark Mercedes-Benz can leave upon the world ... is leaving no mark at all." The ad made its debut during coverage of the Masters Tournament. Full Story: [Muse by Clio]( (11/11) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( We believe the more you get people, the more people you’ll get. So how do we do it? For starters, with first-party, high-quality data delivered with empathy, scale and transparency. It's how we're creating a positive way to connect people to brands. Together, let's change media for good. Media, re-imagined by Target. [See How]( ADVERTISEMENT: [] Creative [] [TBWA\Chiat\Day NY revamps identity for Tuskegee Airmen]( TBWA\Chiat\Day New York's Design By Disruption created a new visual identity for the Tuskegee Airmen -- the US military's first African American pilots -- that includes a new typeface, a customized red and new logo. "It's important for all Americans to know they paved the way," TBWA\North America's Doug Melville said. Full Story: [Ad Age (tiered subscription model)]( (11/11) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Anomaly, Cheerios reveal "Ungrumpening Mobsters"]( Anomaly's new spot for Honey Nut Cheerios shows a member of a mob crew under suspicion for his happier disposition who defends his choice of cereal by saying, "We can't keep eatin' chicken parm and capicola all the time. We got to think about our heart health." The "Ungrumpening Mobsters" ad ends with the tagline "Have a Change of Heart." Full Story: [Ad Age (tiered subscription model)]( (11/11) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Register for 4A's Agency Comms IN FOCUS Making critical decisions and taking actions for your organization requires new tools and skills to deliver impact. It's time to regroup and prepare for the year ahead. Join this collaborative session to explore ideas, tools, and strategies to help communicators thrive in the new normal. [Register today.]( ADVERTISEMENT [] Agency Insider [] [Leaders at WPP's Grey, AKQA talk merger]( Grey Worldwide CEO Michael Houston and AKQA founder Ajaz Ahmed talk to The Drum about the merger of their two agencies to form AKQA Group. "It's combining the entrepreneurship, ambition and spirit of a pioneering startup with the creative excellence and experience of a Grey," Ahmed said, while Houston added, "I believe that the brand essence, the things that make up our North Star, those things are not going away." Full Story: [The Drum (free registration)]( (11/12), [MediaPost Communications]( (11/11), [Ad Age (tiered subscription model)]( (11/11) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Heimat Berlin's head of design talks creativity]( Esra Gulmen, head of design at Heimat Berlin, talks about her creative heroes, what inspires her and why Pentagram's "Home Poems" during lockdown is her favorite recent work. "It reminds us of the simple things from our daily lives in a brilliant way," Gulmen says. Full Story: [Muse by Clio]( (11/11) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Increase Reach 3X without Cookies With LiveRamp, you can increase addressable reach by 3X and access inventory on Safari and Firefox. Now, advertisers can achieve greater reach, more engaged audiences, better ROI, and lower CPMs with LiveRamp—all without cookies. [Click to learn more!]( ADVERTISEMENT: Featured Content Sponsored content from [Twitter]( [5 insights from the back-to-school conversation]( back to school this year is unlike any other. Conversations about buying pencils and shoes are down, while talk about what computers and sweatpants to get are rising. [See how the back-to-school conversation on Twitter is impacting shopping trends and what brands can do about it.](   [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Brands take note: Co-viewing is having a moment]( may be apart, but they're coming together on Twitter to watch and talk about the biggest cultural moments of the year. In fact, 44% of people say their use of Twitter while watching TV has increased since March. [Here's why your brand needs to be part of the conversation.](   [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [] Agency News [] [Dentsu announces 160 agencies will become 6]( Dentsu is consolidating its 160 agency brands into just six global shops with details to emerge in February, and Dentsu Mcgarrybowen Global Chief Creative Officer Ned Crowley and Global and US Chief Strategy Officer Jennifer Zimmerman will shift to consulting positions. "The review is aimed at simplifying the business, permanently reducing operating costs and enhancing the efficiency of the balance sheet," said Dentsu Group CEO and President Toshihiro Yamamoto. Full Story: [Ad Age (tiered subscription model)]( (11/11), [The Drum (free registration)]( (11/12), [MediaPost Communications]( (11/11) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [Innovid Named a Leader in Creative Ad Tech]( Innovid is dedicated to helping brands solve big challenges, from identity to CTV. So we're honored to be recognized as having "among the strongest tech and tech innovation" in "The Forrester Wave™: Creative Advertising Technologies, Q4 2020." [View the report.]( ADVERTISEMENT: [] Media & Technology Trends [] [Twitter enhances carousel ads, reporting features]( Twitter enhances carousel ads, reporting features (Twitter) Twitter's move to enable brands to stitch together two to six horizontally swipeable images or videos via its in Ads Manager or Ads API and use an edge-to-edge design is designed to boost engagement. The move, which launched Wednesday and includes third-party measurement, followed tests that saw a 15% boost in website click-thru rates and 24% jump in app installs compared with the single-asset carousel. Full Story: [MediaPost Communications]( (11/11), [Adweek (tiered subscription model)]( (11/11), [Mobile Marketer]( (11/11) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [Drive product discovery on Walmart]( Download this latest first-party customer survey report to learn what makes Walmart a great destination for customers to discover new products. [Leverage these insights]( to start planning your campaign with Walmart Media Group today. ADVERTISEMENT: Sharing 4A's SmartBrief with your network keeps the quality of content high and these newsletters free. Help Spread the Word [SHARE]( Or copy and share your personalized link: smartbrief.com/aaaa/?referrerId=iXmpAZYZQV [] [] You got to set your mind right and the rest will come to you naturally. Ray Charles, singer-songwriter, musician, composer [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( LEARN MORE ABOUT 4A's: [Homepage]( | [Training Programs]( | [All Upcoming Events](   SmartBrief publishes more than 200 free industry newsletters - [Browse our portfolio]( [Sign Up]( | [Update Profile]( | [Advertise with SmartBrief]( [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy policy]( CONTACT US: [FEEDBACK](mailto:aaaa@smartbrief.com) | [ADVERTISE](mailto:dmalouf@smartbrief.com) SmartBrief, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004