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British advertising giant Wpp tapped Cindy Rose, a Microsoft executive with a specialty in digital technology and A.I., as its next CEO, betting on an a relative outsider to lead the company into a new era after it has grappled with client losses and downturns in revenue.

Rose is currently chief operating officer of global enterprise at Microsoft, and spent time leading the company’s operations in the United Kingdom and western Europe. She also logged a 15-year stint at Walt Disney Co., where she helped lead its interactive media operations in Europe. She will start her term on September 1, and replace Mark Read, the current CEO.

“Cindy has supported the digital transformation of large enterprises around the world — including embracing AI to create new customer experiences, business models and revenue streams. Her expertise in this landscape will be hugely valuable to Wpp as the industry navigates fundamental changes and macroeconomic uncertainty,...

British advertising giant Wpp is hunting for a new CEO after the company announced early Monday morning that its current leader, company veteran Mark Read, would cede the reins by the end of 2025.

“After seven years in the role, and with the foundations in place for Wpp’s continued success, I feel it is the right time to hand over the leadership of this amazing company,” Read said. “I am excited to explore the next chapter in my life and can only thank all the brilliant people I have been lucky enough to work with over the last 30 years, and who have made possible the enormous progress we have achieved together.”

Yet Wpp, which operates dozens of agencies ranging from Hill & Knowlton to Landor & Fitch, has grown weaker under Read’s watch. Shares are down by a third over the course of 2025 to date, and have fallen by half...

In a power move that signals its serious play for India’s streaming wars, Amazon Mx Player showcased its ambitious strategy at its inaugural StreamNext event, rolling out plans for over 100 new shows in 2025, including 40 Hindi-language originals.

The Mumbai-based event, which drew heavyweight industry figures like Martin Sorrell and Benedict Evans, turned heads with its star-studded lineup featuring Bobby Deol (“Aashram 3”), veteran action stars Suniel Shetty and Jackie Shroff (“Hunter 2”), and reality TV personalities Remo D’Souza and Malaika Arora (“Hip Hop India 2”).

The streamer, which claims a massive reach of over 250 million monthly users, is doubling down on its free, ad-supported model. “There is no other streaming service in India that offers such a massive selection of content for free,” said Karan Bedi, who heads Amazon Mx Player. The platform has racked up 1.4 billion downloads on Play Store, positioning itself as a major challenger to traditional TV networks.

Amazon Ads...

The end of Madison Avenue’s Grey Global is being displayed in black and white.

British advertising giant Wpp said it would combine the large advertising agency with the digital-marketing company Akqa, the latest in efforts by CEO Mark Read to streamline the company as more consumers adopt mobile and digital technologies and spend more time with non-traditional media.

The new Akqa Group will employ 6,000 people in more than 50 countries, and work for clients including Procter & Gamble, Kellogg Co., Netflix, Nike and Coca-Cola. Under Read, who took over the reins of Wpp in 2018 from longtime chief Sir Martin Sorrell, the company has worked to reorganize its many advertising assets, including merging ad-industry stalwart Jwt with digital agency Wunderman to form Thompson Wunderman, and combining Young & Rubicam with digital agency Vml, forming Vmly&r.

“Our clients want outstanding creativity, powered by technology expertise and delivered at a global scale,” said Read in a prepared statement.

Philippe Krakowsky will take over next year as CEO of New York ad giant Interpublic Group, the latest of the world’s big marketing-services conglomerates to enact a succession plan as the industry grapples with seismic changes in the way its business is conducted.

Krakowsky, 58 years old, was named chief operating officer of the ad-agency holding company in September of last year. He is widely seen within Interpublic as one of the architects of a strategy that is taking this longtime backer of big Madison Avenue shingles like McCann Worldgroup, MullenLowe Group and the agency once known as Foote Cone & Belding and putting it into the world of curating data that helps its clients understand where and how best to place promotional efforts before consumers. Interpublic in 2018 purchased the bulk of Acxiom Corp. for $2.3 billion, a move that gave it access to new expertise in using anonymous consumer data and...

Dan McCrum and Paul Murphy, the Financial Times journalists who investigated and revealed the explosive Wirecard scandal, have signed with WME in all areas. The agency will represent them across film, television, books and podcasts.

Murphy oversaw the five-year investigation into the German fintech company, with McCrum serving as the lead reporter. Through their findings, McCrum and Murphy exposed the biggest accounting fraud case since Enron.

At one time valued at $25B, the German company became a darling of the financial world through its claim that it would end the use of cash through digitizing payments. McCrum and Murphy revealed a very different business, built upon a network of fraudulent activity, including inflating sales, deals with money launderers, and misleading its auditor about 1.9B Euros that went “missing,” according to the company.

Throughout their investigation, the journalists faced retaliation from Wirecard, including hacking, a sting operation, and a criminal complaint filed in German court.

Lyle Schwartz, one of Madison Avenue’s most influential executives, has left the agency where he helped guide strategy for many years – the latest departure of a senior executive from Wpp’s large GroupM media-buying operation over the course of the past several months.

In a brief interview, Schwartz said he was leaving after 37 years of working for GroupM and some of its predecessors. “After a period of time, I’ll reassess opportunities in the industry, or not, depending on what people may be looking for and what I want to do,” he said.

“Lyle Schwartz will be leaving the company,” GroupM said in a statement. “We wish him the very best in his future endeavors and thank him for his many contributions to our company, our culture, our people, and our clients.” Representatives of GroupM did not respond immediately to follow-up queries.

Advertising Age previously reported his departure.

Schwartz...

Interpublic Group, one of the nation’s biggest advertising companies, on Monday named Philippe Krakowsky to the role of chief operating officer, putting him in line to succeed its CEO, Michael Roth, as the corporation’s next leader.

Krakowsky, 57 years old, has been with Interpublic in several critical roles, joining it as its top communications executive, then moving to oversee the company’s talent and a strategy. He has supervised the company’s media-buying operations, and helped guide Interpublic through a tumultuous era when it was the subject of a probe by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and has worked with three different CEOs.

“For more than a decade, Philippe has played a key part in major strategic actions at Interpublic that have been integral to our long-term success,” Roth said in a statement. “He has helped me in the design and execution of our cross agency “open...

Ad agency Droga5 recently helped create a commercial that showed a popular Bud Light ad mascot being mauled by a character from HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” Now much of Madison Avenue is wondering if Droga5 might help its new owner conquer the advertising industry.

Accenture, the global business consultancy, will buy Droga5, one of Madison Avenue’s most buzzed-about “hot shops” in a move likely to stoke new concerns about the inroads large business advisories might make upon an industry that has thrived for decades under the rule of entrepreneurs. An Accenture spokesman did not respond immediately to an inquiry about the deal.

“Droga5 occupies the top echelon of brand agencies and is a great fit for us due to its world-class creativity, strategic rigor and brand experience capabilities. We’re beyond excited about the possibilities of what we can achieve together,” said Brian Whipple, global CEO of Accenture Interactive,...

Jeremy Darroch, chief executive of Sky, has stated that he intends to “stick around” following Comcast’s $40B takeover of European pay-tv giant.

This brings to an end rumors that Darroch was planning to exit the company following the acquisition.

“We’re in a strong position to succeed. We have a strong set of plans to deliver growth. We’re excited about being part of a broader, more global organization. I intend to stick around and I am looking forward to bringing Sky into the future. We’re all energized by the next phase of growth and the opportunities that being part of Comcast will bring,” he said.

Comcast CEO and Chairman Brian Roberts added, “We’re really excited and pleased with the management team at Sky and the people we’ve met. While there was wonderful people at At&T and NBC Universal, in those cases, we made some early changes on day one.

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has agreed to pay $2.23 billion for a roughly 10% stake in Focus Media, the digital advertising company which operates screens in subways and elevators across China.

The move holds the potential to boost Alibaba’s core e-commerce operations. But it also extends Alibaba’s as a media operator and may also signal a growing the company’s interest in the advertising sector. Alibaba is reported to be considering buying a stake in ad agency Wpp China.

The multilayered deal with Focus sees Alibaba pay $1.43 billion for a 6.6% stake in Shanghai-based Focus Media, whose shares are listed on the Shenzhen stock market. The company also will pay $505 million for a 10% stake in an entity controlled by Focus Media founder and chairman Jason Nanchun Jiang, which controls 23% of Focus Media. And a non-consolidated, related party of Alibaba, New Retail Strategic Opportunities Fund L.P., will acquire a 1.4% interest in Focus Media.

Sun Valley, Idaho — Jeff Bezos had the Allen & Co. conference crowd transfixed on Thursday morning as the Amazon CEO spoke about the evolution of his company, what he looks for in leaders, and his ambitious plan to develop the world of outer space for the betterment of humanity.

Bezos was the headliner of Day 3 of the annual gathering of media and tech bigwigs in the Sun Valley Lodge mountain resort. The schedule also included a session with King Abdullah II of Jordan and his wife, Queen Rania, and Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

But Bezos was the session that everyone was talking about as conference attendees broke for lunch and afternoon meetings and recreational activities.

“He has such a big brain,” gushed one attendee.

The wide-ranging Q&A with former CIA director George Tenet did not touch on Amazon’s plans in the content arena,...

Sun Valley, Idaho — The black and silver SUVs packed with CEOs started rolling in about noon. Allen & Co.’s annual gathering of media and tech titans at the Sun Valley Lodge resort here brings together several combatants in active industry battles that have observers transfixed.

Will Comcast’s Brian Roberts and Disney’s Bob Iger wind up talking in the halls about their escalating bidding war for Rupert Murdoch‘s 21st Century Fox? Will Shari Redstone and Leslie Moonves, now fighting each other in court over control of CBS Corp., meet on a resort pathway or in a conference session? Several conference attendees admitted privately that the corporate soap operas have been the buzz of the confab in the early going.

Redstone and Moonves arrived at the lodge within an hour or two of each other. The same was true for Roberts and Murdoch. Murdoch pulled in to the circular driveway with his wife,...

Cannes Lions, an event that has gathered creatives and marketers since 1954, boasts a roll call of showbiz stars, media chiefs and academics that gives it the feel of a cross of the Golden Globes, Ted Talks and Davos. But the spotlight is not on the celebrities; instead, the fest focuses on content and the cross-pollination of creativity, commerce and culture.

If you look at the names of those who are speaking at the Riviera event, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were at a Hollywood after-party rather than an event traditionally associated with the worlds of advertising and marketing. TV talking heads including Conan O’Brien, Chris Cuomo and Shaquille O’Neal mingle with such filmmakers as Tyler Perry and James Marsh, actors Kevin Costner, Thandie Newton and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, and music world habitués Paloma Faith, Common and Johnny Marr, formerly of the Smiths.

But to dwell on the glitzy names is a mistake,...

Sky CEO Jeremy Darroch said the business is in good shape and on track to hit its full-year targets, posting a 5% increase in overall revenue of £10.1 billion ($14.4 billion) for the nine months to end-March. Ebitda profit increased 10% year-on-year, taking the total to £1.7 billion, and ad revenues were up 9% across the group.

Sky extended its rights deal for Premier League soccer in the U.K. in the latest quarter and also signed bundling deals with Netflix and Spotify. Darroch said Netflix would launch on Sky in Britain later this year. Sky has 23 million customers across its European footprint.

With 21st Century Fox still attempting to close a deal to buy the chunk of Sky it does not own, and Comcast set to make a richer offer, Darroch told reporters that “no matter what happens to the company’s ownership over the next few months, we all feel that Sky is a...

Martin Sorrell in 1985 invested in a small British manufacturer of wire shopping baskets, and began a process that would result in the construction of the giant marketing-services holding company Wpp. Now that the company has cut ties with its founder, many wonder if the era of empire-building on Madison Avenue has come to an end.

The advertising industry is largely carved up among six or seven major holding companies: Wpp; Interpublic Group and Omnicom Group of the U.S.; Publicis Groupe and Havas of France; and Dentsu and Hakuhodo in Japan. The companies were created by buying sprees set in motion in the 1980s and 1990s that put giant ad agencies and a litany of smaller, entrepreneur-driven shops under the holding companies’ aegis. In a different timeline, ad agencies like Bbdo, Deutsch or Young & Rubicam might still operate under their own power, rather than being lumped into a hodgepodge...

Wpp, one of the world’s largest advertising agencies, has launched an investigation into an unspecified misconduct complaint against CEO Martin Sorrell.

The advertising giant confirmed that an investigation is underway in a statement issued Wednesday. “The Board of Wpp has appointed independent counsel to conduct an investigation in response to an allegation of personal misconduct against Sir Martin Sorrell, chief executive officer of Wpp,” the statement said.

The exact nature of the allegation remains unclear but is widely reported to center on use of company funds. “The investigation is ongoing,” Wpp said, adding: “The allegations do not involve amounts which are material to Wpp.”

London-headquartered Wpp has extensive operations around the world spanning advertising, PR, market research, and content production. Sorrell is one of the best-known chief executives in international media. He has given keynote addresses at the MipTV convention in Cannes and the Ibc broadcast tech confab in Amsterdam.

It’s been a month of pain for Snap — the parent company of messaging app Snapchat — but its stock is shooting up on Friday after a leading advertising exec reiterated his confidence in the company. Martin Sorrell — founder and CEO of Wpp, one of the preeminent ad juggernauts worldwide — said his company will be putting $200 million into Snap this year, doubling Wpp’s investment of $96 million in 2016. Still, the marketing tycoon said it would be at “very low levels” in comparison to more established digital ad platforms like Facebook. “It’s $200 million versus $6 billion or...

2017-06-23T14:11:34-07:00Ron Howard Calls 'Han Solo' Film 'A Little Opportunity'

A day after being named the new director of Disney and Lucasfilm's untitled Han Solo movie, Ron Howard took to the stage at Cannes Lions on Friday and briefly discussed the opportunity to contribute to the Star Wars universe.

Interviewed on stage by Martin Sorrell, the founder and CEO of British ad company Wpp, he called the film "a little opportunity that came my way."

The Oscar winner replaced The Lego Movie and 21 Jump Street directors Phil Lord and Christoper Miller, who parted ways with the studio Tuesday citing "creative differences."

Howard later also said about Star Wars that "I've been a fan forever," adding: "It's gratifying to lend my voice to the Star Wars universe now."

Read the rest of this article at The Hollywood Reporter.

Ron Howard has also directed Apollo 13.

Ron Howard has a lot of work to do. On Thursday, Lucasfilm announced he has replaced directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller on the untitled Han Solo movie, slated for release on May 25, 2018. Later that night, Howard tweeted, "I'm beyond grateful to add my voice to the Star Wars Universe after being a fan since 5/25/77. I hope to honor the great work already done & help deliver on the promise of a Han Solo film." Howard spoke more about his involvement with Stars Wars at Cannes Lion Friday. In a discussion alongside New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Wpp CEO Martin Sorrell, Howard said he hopes "to honor the great work already done" on the upcoming movie. Howard,...

Ron Howard spent time on stage at Cannes Lions today for a discussion with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Wpp CEO Martin Sorrell. While he touched on his new Han Solo movie gig, Howard also talked about how Imagine is evolving; the impact of technology on the business; and a trio of Broadway musicals. While a stage transfer of his 1982 Michael Keaton-starring comedy Night Shift is in the works, there are also discussions about his 1989 pic Parenthood hitting…...

Ron Howard spent time on stage at Cannes Lions today for a discussion with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Wpp CEO Martin Sorrell. While he touched on his new Han Solo movie gig, Howard also talked about how Imagine is evolving; the impact of technology on the business; and a trio of Broadway musicals. While a stage transfer of his 1982 Michael Keaton-starring comedy Night Shift is in the works, there are also discussions about his 1989 pic Parenthood hitting…...

Just one day after taking the reins of the “Star Wars” Han Solo movie after the abrupt firing of Phil Lord and Chris Miller, Ron Howard appeared at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity to discuss his love of the franchise and other topics. “I’ve been a fan forever,” Howard told Wpp founder Martin Sorrell on stage Friday. “It’s gratifying to lend my voice to the ‘Star Wars’ universe now.” The actor-turned-director first met “Star Wars” creator George Lucas as the star of Lucas’ previous movie, “American Graffiti,” and he recalled taking his wife, Cheryl, to wait in a two-hour.

The CEO of a top ad agency has delivered some good news as far as Snapchat is concerned. In an interview with Cheddar, Wpp CEO Sir Martin Sorrell said his company plans to commit $200 million to the ephemeral content app in 2017.

Wpp’s apparent commitment will allow Snapchat to clinch at least one of the nine-figure deals it reportedly sought from top agencies back in January. Should it reach the figure Sorrell noted, Wpp would more than double its spend in the Snapchat universe. While the agency -- which is considered one of its industry’s “Big Four” and owns notable ad shops like GroupM, Ogilvy & Mather, and J. Walter Thompson -- still shells out far more to top platforms Google and Facebook, its Snapchat uptick shows it is excited about the now-publicly traded app.

In his chat with Cheddar, Sorrell expressed skepticism about whether Snapchat could grow to challenge...

ITV, Sky take stock market hit as uncertainty looks set to continue for film and TV industries following last week’s EU referendum vote.

With the UK engulfed in uncertainty following last week’s EU referendum result, the film and TV industries, like many others, look set to remain in limbo for some time yet, with no immediate Brexit structure or plan in sight from the Government.

As fears grow of a Brexit-driven downturn in the UK economy, media shares continue to take a hit.

ITV has reportedly seen almost £2.5bn wiped off its stock market value since the Brexit vote, raising City speculation that the broadcaster could become the target of a takeover. Meanwhile, Sky shares fell 6.6 percent on Friday.

Sterling plunged to a 31-year low against the dollar, and some share trading temporarily halted. That said, share prices in the media sector were not hit as hard as those in the banking, leisure and housebuilding...

Bradley Cooper, Olivia Wilde and Jon Hamm are among 113 stars thanking President Barack Obama for introducing new executive orders on gun control this week.

"Like you, and like most Americans, we have had Enough. We have had enough of seeing unthinkable tragedies happen and nothing being done," reads a letter signed by the stars and organized by the Brady Campaign and Center to Prevent Gun Violence. "This level of depravity should rattle anyone with a conscience. We have seen how it has visibly."

The letter names recent mass shootings – from Sandy Hook to San Bernardino – as evidence that action needs to be taken.

Bradley Cooper, Olivia Wilde and Jon Hamm are among 113 stars thanking President Barack Obama for introducing new executive orders on gun control this week. "Like you, and like most Americans, we have had Enough. We have had enough of seeing unthinkable tragedies happen and nothing being done," reads a letter signed by the stars and organized by the Brady Campaign and Center to Prevent Gun Violence. "This level of depravity should rattle anyone with a conscience. We have seen how it has visibly." The letter names recent mass shootings - from Sandy Hook to San Bernardino - as evidence that action needs to be taken.

Bradley Cooper, Olivia Wilde and Jon Hamm are among 113 stars thanking President Barack Obama for introducing new executive orders on gun control this week. "Like you, and like most Americans, we have had Enough. We have had enough of seeing unthinkable tragedies happen and nothing being done," reads a letter signed by the stars and organized by the Brady Campaign and Center to Prevent Gun Violence. "This level of depravity should rattle anyone with a conscience. We have seen how it has visibly." The letter names recent mass shootings - from Sandy Hook to San Bernardino - as evidence that action needs to be taken.

The former President of Sports & Entertainment at Img Worldwide, George Pyne, has raised $250 million in equity and launched sports marketing company Bruin Sports Capital on Tuesday.

“Identifying unique opportunities, attracting world-class management teams, establishing a culture of innovation and creating real value is what will make up Bruin Sports Capital’s DNA,: Pyne said. “The firm will be opportunistic and nimble in pursuit of its goals. The key points of differentiation that will define Bruin Sports Capital include its unparalleled access to the best deals; long-term, flexible capital; extensive operating expertise; strategic capital and global resources in Wpp and other investors; and finally,...

They're here! Prince William and Kate have arrived in New York. In the most anticipated royal visit since the glory days of Diana, the couple flew in on a scheduled British Airways flight that arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens. They were then whisked to Manhattan, where their first stop was their hotel, the storied Carlyle. Amid a sea of blue flashing lights, the Big Apple got its first glimpse of the royals as they stepped out of the car at 5:43 p.m. to cheers from about 450 well-wishers and members of the media. An expectant Kate,...

The Inside Edition anchor joins Cristiana Falcone Sorrell, who’s Senior Adviser to the Chairman at the World Economic Forum, on the Viacom board which has been expanded to 13 members. Sumner Redstone says the newcomers bring “valuable skills and complementary experience to our current board.” Sorrell also brings a close connection to the advertising world: She’s married to Wpp Group chief Martin Sorrell. Norville’s appointment is a surprise. She’s not known to have had a particular interest in the world of finance and corporate governance. Viacom’s release notes that she “graduated 4.0 summa cum laude from the University of Georgia, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.” New York, March 21, 2013 — Viacom Inc. (Nasdaq: Viab and Via) today announced the election of Cristiana Falcone Sorrell and Deborah Norville as members of the Viacom Board of Directors, effective immediately. In connection with the election of Ms. Falcone Sorrell and Ms.

Clemenger Bbdo Melbourne has hired a group account director to lead the Nab business. Lee Simpson joins from Abbot Mead vickers Bbdo in London.

The announcement:

Clemenger Bbdo Melbourne has appointed Lee Simpson as Group Account Director on the award-winning Nab business.

Simpson joins the agency from the UK’s most awarded agency, Amv Bbdo. There, his main responsibility was the Camelot National Lottery business, including the highly emotive ‘Life changing’ campaign. Vastly different to Australian lotteries, Camelot ploughs the profits back into national infrastructure and charity projects, at a rate of £30 million a week, and contributed £2.2 billion to the staging of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London. Alongside Camelot, he also led part of Amv’s Diageo business.

Simpson cut his teeth in advertising at Grey London, becoming the youngest Business Director in the office His experience there spanned a range of businesses including P&G, GlaxoSmithKline, launching...

I am not one of those people who hate the idea of Facebook making money. But in its latest attempts to make money from brands, it has lost its way.

Sponsored brand messages are interrupting, confusing and pissing off my friends.

And the brands have become so obsessed with getting “likes” for their posts, they’ve mostly stopped saying anything relevant.

Today was the final straw though. It dawned on me that the more brands I choose to like on Facebook, the less likely my friends are to see my own updates.

Which means I’m going to have to start unliking brands. As others realise what is going on, I suspect they’ll do the same thing.

The issue is that the algorithm quietly changed a few weeks back. Now, somewhere towards the top of the news feed, users are offered a “pages you may like” section.

It feature...

Former Australian adman Nigel Marsh is on the verge of seeing his book Fat Forty and Fired turned into a sitcom on Us TV giant ABC.

The network has ordered a “put pilot” of the show, reports Us site Deadline Hollywood. A put pilot virtually guarantees that the show will go to air because it comes with financial penalties for the broadcaster if it is not aired.

Marsh – whose agency stints have included running Leo Burnett and being CEO of Y&R Brands – wrote the book about his experiences after after losing his job. The success of the book saw him write follow ups including Overworked and Underlaid and more recently Fit Fifty and Fired Up. He has also developed a successful speaking career.

Shows currently on the ABC include Revenge, Last Man Standing and Once Upon A Time. Recent hits have also included Desperate Housewives, Lost and Grey’s Anatomy.

To Martin Sorrell’s intimate Sydney breakfast for 750 or so of his closest fans, where Gruen Transfer regular Dan Gregory was compering. Or as he put it: “I’m the fat one off the telly.”

The Wpp boss was doing his own maths, pointing out that the room held 750 people yet the company employs 4000 locally. Woe betide anyone on his management team who didn’t bother to turn out. As Sorrell put it: “It’s a quick flight from Melbourne.”

Sorrell was also keen to emphaises that when he talks about “horizontality”, making sure that his people at different agencies work together, he really means it. He said: “It’s not just some bullshit in a trade magazine about how you are working together.”

Gregory followed up, telling Sorrell: “Having worked with some Wpp agencies, good luck with that.”

Sorrell replied: “Tell me their names.”

Luckily for the people involved,...

Wpp’s growth in Australia is likely to come from within its existing businesses rather than buying new ones, Sir Martin Sorrell said today.

The CEO of the global marketing giant was on a brief visit to Sydney, his first in two years.

His comments will lower expectations that Wpp might look to bolster its creative performance locally through picking up independent agencies or companies within the Enero portfolio.

He said: “I’d argue in Australia, for example, the key opportunities are organic opportunities. If I look at the Australian market, as you know well at Mumbrella, there are significant pitches, opportunities, changes in accounts of significant size, that are probably bigger than most acquisitions you could do in Australia in any segment.

“Two thirds of our growth each year has to be organic. If we grow at 5% this year that’s an Aegis, a billion dollars. I’d like...

After a long, long week in Cannes, Mumbrella managing editor Robin Hicks has some awards of his own to give out.

So, the crazy advertising circus that is Cannes is over. And all the awards have been given out. But no one likes going home empty handed.

Here are the Unofficial Cannes Lions winners…

Juiciest rumour – grand prix: The big networks have been leaning on the judges to vote for their own network’s entries.

Juiciest rumour – gold: Haymarket will close the print editions of ‘advertising Bible’ Campaign or Marketing in the UK and make them online only.

Juiciest rumour – silver: Block voting by networks will lead to a boycott of Cannes.

Biggest criticism of Cannes – grand prix: Presentations were repeats of those given at other festivals earlier in the year.

Biggest criticism of Cannes – gold: The work wasn’t as good as last year.

Most conservative estimate for how...

Studio plan to build 100-acre set in Buckinghamshire refused planning permission by UK government

Pinewood studios has scrapped its £200m plan to build a 100-acre set in Buckinghamshire that aimed to rival Hollywood for the latest blockbuster films.

The owners of the studios, where the James Bond and Harry Potter films have been shot, had been working on ambitious plan which would have included up to 1,400 homes and 16 "streetscapes" for use in films.

The streetscapes – which would have included a permanent Venice canal, Parisian square, brownstone New York apartments as well as parts of New Orleans and San Francisco – would have been accompanied by apartments and houses for film workers as well as a school, theatre, cinema and sports facilities.

Under the proposed plans people would have been able to live in the buildings when they were not used for filming.

The studio has now ditched its plan, called Project Pinewood,...

Which real-life ad-industry stars most resemble the stars of "Mad Men"?

The third season of Mad Men debuts this Sunday, August 16, on AMC. The show's relevance outdistances its actual ratings, especially in the media and advertising worlds in which the show is set. The 60s-era shenanigans of Don Draper, Roger Sterling, and their compatriots is rivaled only by the gossipy fun every Monday morning rehashing their actions--and thinking about how today's ad-industry characters stack up with Madison Avenue fiction. We play "Who Would Play?" with a real-world cast of creative directors and ad magnates.

Don Draper's colleagues and rivals at Sterling Cooper are alternately idolizing him and plotting to topple him. Bbdo North America chief creative officer David Lubars may or may not have knives targeted at his back in-house, but the hype that surrounds him as the new-media creative genius who will drag Madison Avenue into the 21st century...

Cannes -- The one-two punch of the global recession and the new-media revolution will radically change the way producers and distributors operate, Martin Sorrell, chief executive of global advertising agency Wpp Group told a packed auditorium of industry execs Tuesday at confab Miptv.

Outlining his take on the state of the industry, Sorrell said that a global, multiplatform reach is increasingly important and will prove essential if companies hope to weather the current economic storm and come out stronger.

"If I was a media owner, and in particular if I was in one medium in one country, such as ITV in the U.K., I would be very nervous," Sorrell said. "While (Italy's) Mediaset is a good example of a company that used to be in one country and one media but successfully expanded -- first to Spain buying Telecinco and then diversified into content with (the acquisition of) producer Endemol.