Why an intellectual alibi is key for brand storytelling

W+K, McDonald's unveil "The Great Cup Odyssey" | Cornett serves a "Climate Wake-Up Call" | JL shows "That Kraft Mac & Cheese Feeling" Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( August 8, 2024 CONNECT WITH 4A's  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [X]( [4A's SmartBrief]( News for the advertising, media, and marcom industries [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE]( ADVERTISEMENT Top Story [] [W+K, McDonald's unveil "The Great Cup Odyssey"]( [W+K, McDonald's unveil "The Great Cup Odyssey"]( Extended version of spot for "The Great Cup Odyssey" by W+K New York for McDonald's. (McDonald's/YouTube) Wieden+Kennedy New York's 30-second "The Great Cup Odyssey" spot for McDonald's shows giant versions of the brand's Happy Meal toys, including Hello Kitty, Snoopy and Ken and Barbie, popping up around the world as they gravitate toward massive Golden Arches. The ad promotes a new collection of six cups decorated with the collectibles available via a limited-edition Collector's Meal, and the push includes a Snapchat augmented reality lens enabling fans to bring collectibles to life. Full Story: [Marketing Dive]( (8/7), [Adweek]( (8/7) [LinkedIn]( [X]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Reach and convert audiences with Connected TV just in time for holidays With new developments in CTV tech, it's never been easier to drive conversions without sacrificing your bottom line. As we approach the holidays, implementing these new tools can help you finalize your Q4 plans and win the season. [Join the webinar](. ADVERTISEMENT [] Creative [] [Cornett serves a "Climate Wake-Up Call"]( [Cornett serves a "Climate Wake-Up Call"]( Hotel Marcel's Climate Wake-Up Call recorded by CBS' David Pogue, who wrote a book on climate change. (Hotel Marcel/Instagram) Cornett is touting Connecticut's Hotel Marcel and its status as the first fossil-free hotel in the country by tapping climate change experts to deliver guests' wake-up calls. The "Climate Wake-Up Call" initiative includes a dedicated website where visitors can find tips on living more sustainably and a donation from the hotel to the New Haven Climate Movement. Full Story: [Ad Age (tiered subscription model)]( (8/7) [LinkedIn]( [X]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [JL shows "That Kraft Mac & Cheese Feeling"]( [JL shows "That Kraft Mac & Cheese Feeling"]( (Kraft Mac & Cheese) Johannes Leonardo is touting "That Kraft Mac & Cheese Feeling" with a quirky 30-second spot that compares the comfort experienced by eating the product with a bear hug, from an actual bear. The push, which also likens eating Kraft Mac & Cheese to enjoying a fireworks display, is running across linear and streaming TV, digital and social media. Full Story: [DesignRush]( (8/7), [Ad Age (tiered subscription model)]( (8/7), [The Drum (free registration)]( (8/6) [LinkedIn]( [X]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Agency Insider [] [Why an intellectual alibi is key for brand storytelling]( Jamie King, CEO and chief strategy officer of Camp + King, explains the power of a brand's "intellectual alibi," such as Liquid Death's elimination of plastic pollution or Energizer's long-lasting battery, exemplified by its Bunny. "Intellectual alibis are used by brands to help consumers rationalize a decision that is driven by emotion, helping consumers present it instead as a carefully thought-out and logical choice," King writes. Full Story: [Adweek]( (8/7) [LinkedIn]( [X]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Social marketing was shaped by ALS Ice Bucket Challenge]( [Social marketing was shaped by ALS Ice Bucket Challenge]( (NurPhoto/Getty Images) Marketing experts discuss how the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge transformed social strategies, persuading the biggest brands of the power of jumping on the right trends and listening to and interacting with social audiences. The viral initiative paved the way for challenges on TikTok, and Pereira O'Dell's Juliana Constantino describes it as a pioneering moment "where you not only got a campaign to impact your primary target, but you created a whole social movement and conversation." Full Story: [Ad Age (tiered subscription model)]( (8/7) [LinkedIn]( [X]( [Facebook]( [Email]( FREE EBOOKS AND RESOURCES Free eBooks and resources brought to you by our sponsors - [2024 AI Outlook: Ten Predictions]( - [ITPro Today 2024 IT Salary Survey Report]( - [How AI Prompt Engineering Empowers IT]( - [8 Hot AI Stats from InformationWeek Research]( [] Agency News [] [W+K's Jiah Choi named CEO of BBDO N.Y. and Chicago]( [W+K's Jiah Choi named CEO of BBDO N.Y. and Chicago]( Choi (left) and Reyes (BBDO/Instagram) Jiah Choi is leaving her role as president of Wieden+Kennedy New York to join BBDO as the first CEO of both its New York and Chicago offices. "I'm really into this notion of moving away from a network and more into a community," said Nancy Reyes, CEO of BBDO Americas, explaining that Choi's role will be to make both offices more "team-focused." Full Story: [Ad Age (tiered subscription model)]( (8/8), [Campaign US (tiered subscription model)]( (8/7) [LinkedIn]( [X]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] - [Revlon chooses Terri & Sandy to lead creative for 4 brands]( Adweek (8/8) [] - [Erich & Kallman wins creative AOR for King's Hawaiian]( Adweek (8/7) [] Media & Technology Trends [] [Report calls AI-powered brand safety into question]( Ads for some of the world's biggest brands are appearing alongside violent, sexually explicit and racist user-generated content, despite some having been placed using AI-powered brand safety technology from providers such as Integral Ad Science and DoubleVerify, per analysis by Adalytics. DoubleVerify published a blog post refuting the claims in the report, saying, "[T]he results in this report are entirely manufactured, from the omission of client campaign setup information to the methodology itself, where the researcher arbitrarily searched for racist terms." Full Story: [The Drum (free registration)]( (8/7), [Ad Age (tiered subscription model)]( (8/7), [Digiday (tiered subscription model)]( (8/7) [LinkedIn]( [X]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] - [YouTube experiments with Google Gemini as brainstorm tool]( TechCrunch (tiered subscription model) (8/7) [] - [Brands can now sponsor any LinkedIn newsletter]( Social Media Today (8/7) [] 4A's News [] [A helpful guide to selling through your ideas, for junior strategists by strategists]( Who better to show junior strategists the ropes than fellow strategists who've been there and done that not so long ago? We've curated advice and guidance from strategists addressing three key aspects of selling your work: the set-up/prep, the framing/storytelling and getting your idea over the finish line. Make sure emerging strategists in your agency [get this free 4A's member guide](. 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