Amsterdam introduces a new identity for Spa
The Rain Project
J. Walter Thompson Amsterdam has created a new digital campaign for Spa mineral water, which includes an online film called “The Rain Project,” with supplemental video content and a new website. As ode to the never-ending source of Spa mineral water, J. Walter Thompson Amsterdam created The Rain Project, a short film in which drops of rain turn into beautiful sounds and projections, projected onto the nature in the area of Spa. After watching the video, viewers are invited to enjoy more in-depth online content explaining the project and the nature in Spa. Or visit the new Spa website and follow the underground journey of a raindrop.
The campaign also introduces the brand’s new visual identity, and will be rolled out in both the Netherlands and Belgium. Spa’s natural mineral water originates from the pristine nature surrounding the Belgian town of Spa in the heart of the Ardennes. In this area, soil and nature work together to transform every drop of rain into one of Europe’s purest mineral waters. It takes an underground journey of years before a raindrop becomes Spa mineral water. Spa goes to great lengths to protect the region’s nature and purity of its mineral water. The new campaign aims to demonstrate this in an intriguing way.
J.Walter Thompson London support SXSW panel with live polling through hashtag tracking
To support its upcoming panel at SXSW; “Women Byte Back: Tech and Disempowerment,” J. Walter Thompson London will be live polling the audience with 8 questions answered through hashtag tracking software. The questions are designed to make the audience think about the idea of how technology may not always be a force for good while delivering a deeper understanding of the points being discussed on stage. The questions are live now, and can be answered now with the corresponding hashtags.
Q: Have you ever experienced women being disempowered by technology? How?
#SXSWempowered or #SXSWdisempowered
Q: Has technology given you a voice that you didn’t have before? How?
#SXSWvoiceY or #SXSWvoiceN
Q: Should tech’s future focus on empowering us? Why?
#SXSWfutureempY or #SXSWfutureempN
Q: Do you see women being in the driving seat of technology?
#SXSWfemdriver or #SXSWmaledriver
Q: How many people in the world have internet access?
#SXSWwifi4all
Q: Do you have any female tech role models? Who?
#SXSWfemrolemodel
Q: What tech do you feel is the most empowering?
#SXSWempowered
Q: Will seeing STEM female characters on TV and FILM inspire girls to pursue careers in tech?
#SXSWStemsellsY ro #SXSWStemsellsN
The panel will take place at 11AM on the 12th of March in the JW Marriott Room, 303-304 110 E 2nd Street. Confirmed speakers are Nishma Robb, Head of Marketing at Google UK and Community Lead for Women at Google, and Chhavi Rajawat, the first female Mayor in India with a business degree. It will cover areas such as how technology can both empower and disempower women, how technology is driving women’s ambitions in the developing world and how positive stories of role models are making an impact on women around the globe.
“While we celebrate progress of technology, it’s easy to forget that technology can underline markedly different agendas. Restricted access can mean women are frequently excluded from education or information, serving to socially exclude and remove their voice”
Make a major promotion in the Americas
J. Walter Thompson Worldwide has promoted Stefano Zunino to CEO of the Americas. In this newly created role, Zunino will have oversight of J. Walter Thompson Company brands including J. Walter Thompson, Mirum and Colloquial across North America and Latin America. He reports to Gustavo Martinez, J. Walter Thompson Company’s Worldwide Chairman and CEO. In 2014, Zunino was named CEO of J. Walter Thompson Company Latin America, and was responsible for re-unifying the company’s Brazil and Latin America operations. In 2013, Zunino was given the additional title of Head of Digital Worldwide, and played a critical role in the creation and launch of Mirum and Colloquial. He will retain this role. Zunino began his career in advertising in 1987 at Leo Burnett London, and worked across the company’s Chicago and Milan offices as a business director for Procter & Gamble, Kellogg’s, Philip Morris and Kraft Foods. He moved on to become General Manager of VegaOlmosPonce in Buenos Aires, and then CEO of Lowe in Brazil.
“Since joining J. Walter Thompson 11 years ago, as CEO, Brazil, Stefano has shown exemplary and adaptive leadership abilities, and this promotion is a natural progression” Gustavo Martinez
J.Walter Thompson London make major moves to promote gender diversity
At least one woman must be interviewed for all vacant creative and tech positions at J Walter Thompson London, following an overhaul of hiring policies at the agency. JWT London's leadership was responsible for the overhaul, which is designed to promote gender diversity, with the agency having conducted focus groups with approximately 60 members of staff as research. The team identified four areas the agency needed to improve on: helping women join the industry; helping women to progress within the agency; attracting and retaining more female creatives; and creating a working environment attractive to people with families. Other measures introduced as a result of the research include a requirement that at least one woman is involved in all interviews, in order to reduce the risk of men hiring in their own image. Beginning in April or May, JWT London will also offer its staff the chance to attend unconscious bias training. Management Partner Cathy Little said the agency was putting together the course itself after gleaning tips from the tech world. JWT London also put all the parents in the agency into focus groups to find out how to make working life better for them, and is rolling out initiatives such as flexible working and careers days for children.
Her Story – Trailer
These new polices are just the latest in a string of gender-related initiatives from JWT. Last month, JWT Entertainment, a new, discrete arm of the agency, worked with the BBC to create a documentary about the world’s most powerful women, called “Her Story: The Female Revolution,” which it hopes to syndicate. The film highlights female achievement worldwide, with interviews with change-makers in a variety of fields. “Leadership,” the first of four 60-minute episodes, aired last month via BBC Worldwide. It will be followed by episodes on sexual politics, religion and work. Narrated by Mishal Husain, the series includes interviews with Christine Lagarde, the head of the IMF; Iranian racing driver Laleh Seddigh; and Inna Shevchenko, the leader of activist group Femen. It was directed by James Rogan. Her Story, co-produced with Films of Record, represents a big departure for JWT as it created the work without it being commissioned by a client. Alongside the BBC, JWT is in talks with other networks to syndicate the series. The agency is also planning further client-free programming.
“We are introducing the idea of female capital, recognising the value that women bring to the world as women” Rachel Pashley, JWT London's Group Planning Head
Appoint new Head of Content in New York
JWT New York has appointed Anthony Nelson as Head of Content Production. In this position, Nelson will oversee the development of video and film content for the agency’s New York office, while reporting to Brent Choi, CCO for JWT New York and JWT Toronto (a position Choi was appointed to last October). Nelson joins JWT from Thursday Afternoon Films, where he has served as an executive producer since last August. Before that, he spent eight months with Goodby Silverstein & Partners New York as director of production, working as creative production lead for all of the agency’s accounts. That followed nearly two and a half years as senior vice president, group executive producer at BBDO New York, focusing on the agency’s GE account. Prior to joining BBDO he spent around a year and a half as executive vice president, director of integrated production for FCB New York and was part of the Oreo “Daily Twist” team that won a Cyber Grand Prix at the 2013 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. That followed over five years with CP+B as executive integrated producer, working with clients such as Microsoft, Nike, Best Buy and Old Navy, Volkswagen and Burger King.
