• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, March 13, 2014

If you attended SXSW, liked it, and can't stand why everyone so loves to trash it, you really should check out a couple of pro-SXSW pieces. The first comes from MRY CMO David Berkowitz. You know -- the guy 360i hired 15 people to replace and MRY opened a San Francisco office to make room for his awesomeness? Berkowitz argues that SXSW is now about innovation in marketing, not technology. The second comes from Steve Hall of Adrants, who points out 6 reasons why SXSW is still awesome. It's very easy to get on the hate SXSW bandwagon. It's much harder to realize it still has a lot to offer.

Things keep getting worse for TBWA\Chiat\Day LA. Some say it started as far back as when Clow handed the reins to Topolewski. Others say it's NY management's fault. Or maybe LA just isn't as cool as it once was. Whatever the case may be, we've been told about 25 staffers have been given the boot. 

While we're on the TBWA family, remember when TBWA Worldwide tried to convince the public the Nissan Frontier could push a stranded dune buggy up a steep, sandy dune? That little stunt got the agency and Nissan in hot water with the FTC because during the shoot, cables were used to pull the Frontier up the hill. The proposed consent orders, such as they are, relating to the "Hill Climb" ad prohibit Nissan and TBWA from using deceptive demonstrations in advertisements for pickup trucks, as well as misrepresenting any material quality or feature of a pickup truck "through the depiction of a test, experiment, or demonstration. Both Nissan and TBWA must also maintain and make available to the FTC copies of relevant advertisements and unedited video and still images taken during the production of any advertisement depicting a demonstration, experiment, or test, as well as maintain any affidavits or certifications submitted to television networks affirming the accuracy or integrity of a demonstration contained in an advertisement.

Oh, it's like a who's who in advertising! Cannes Lions has released the members of its first five juries, Titanium & Integrated, Press, Outdoor, Radio and Film Craft categories. Heading up the juries will be Prasoon Joshi, Chairman, CEO and Chief Creative Officer, India & South Asia, McCann Worldgroup (Titanium & Integrated Lions); Tony Hertz, Owner & Creative Director, Tony Hertz: Radio & Brand Sound, The Philippines (Radio Lions); Rémi Babinet, Founder and Creative Director, BETC, France (Press Lions); Jose Miguel Sokoloff, President, Lowe Global Creative Council & Co Chairman and CCO Lowe SSP3 Colombia,  (Outdoor Lions) and Brian Carmody, Co-Founder, Smuggler, USA (Film Craft Lions).

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