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July 14, 2024

Praytell hires Ketchum's Sean Flynn to co-lead sports practice

Praytell has hired Sean Flynn as SVP of its new sports practice. Flynn joined Praytell this month, reporting to CEO Andy Pray. He will lead the practice, which has 10 staffers, alongside SVP Stephanie Shambo. Flynn will also play a central role in supporting the sports, gaming and entertainment initiative of Praytell holding company Project, which brings people from the network together in a “one agency” approach, Flynn said. Most recently, Flynn co-led Ketchum’s sports practice as SVP. He worked for the Omnicom Group firm in various roles since first starting there in 2009, but left for a brief stint working on global consumer PR at Netflix between 2017 and 2018.

Image Credit: Skims, Gatorade, Nike, Dallas Stars, Adidas

July 12, 2024

Top Sports Marketing Campaigns of 2024

In yet another example of how 2024 is shaping up to be a landmark year in the world of sports, sports marketing was one of the leading trends at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. With no shortage to choose from, Ad age polled experts from the Amp community on the year’s best sports ads thus far. "The campaign that stands out most for me this year has been Adidas’ ongoing launch of Anthony Edwards’ signature shoe, the AE1. Despite Edwards’ fame as an up-and-comer, it’s obvious that Adidas recognized early on that mainstream audiences might not yet be familiar with the rising NBA star. And even those who knew his name didn’t really know him yet. And so the campaign felt as much like an introduction to Edwards himself—a promising talent on the brink of superstardom—as it was a shoe release." —Casey Null, director of strategy, Wondersauce

Image shows Wondersauce CEO John Sampogna

May 23, 2024

Key Takeaways from TV Upfronts 2024

Once upon a time linear and digital media lived in separate kingdoms, vying for separate opportunities and budgets. But during this year’s upfronts—which featured both Amazon and Netflix making their first in-person upfront presentations—the gates were thrown wide open to bidders across platforms. With seemingly boundless options for advertisers to choose from, agency leaders say brands should stay focused on reaching the right kinds of viewers. “We strongly advocate for brands to prioritize a media channel that allows them to tell their story,” said John Sampogna, co-founder and CEO of Wondersauce. “Over the last five years, brands have been so focused on direct response and lower-funnel conversion tactics that their marketing lacks a brand story, making it nearly impossible for them to stand out in such competitive and saturated platforms like Meta and Google.”

December 13, 2023

Top Advertising Trends to Watch in 2024

If we learned anything in 2023, it was the sheer size and power of Taylor Swift’s army of fans—and the awakened desire in consumers for tangible, real-world experiences. The unprecedented frenzy the world witnessed around Swift’s Eras Tour ticket sales was as shocking as it was contagious, causing a literal craze around scoring a “Golden Ticket” and underscoring for advertisers the key touchpoints around experiences like these. “This year demonstrated consumers’ thirst for experience, and how people are willing to splurge on must-see moments, with savvy marketers deftly promoting or quickly capitalizing on these tentpole events,” said Nat Wittstruck, senior creative director at George P. Johnson (GPJ). “Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour showed the world that even multicity concerts could be unmissable.”

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November 7, 2023

The Fine Art of Holiday Marketing in Tense Times

There’s no doubt these are tense times. Whether consumers are shopping for themselves and family during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday period, or for friends and colleagues after Thanksgiving and in the run-up to Christmas and beyond, there has never been a more-needed time for the advertising industry to step up and deliver good vibes this shopping season. There are many ways for marketers to address good tidings and cheer, so Ad Age turned to members of the Amp community, including GPJ and Wondersauce, on effective holiday marketing trends and themes this season, as well as messages that are not just compelling and effective but also suitable to the times.

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November 1, 2023

Entertainment Marketing Agency G7 Named Special Events/Corporate Buyer of the Year by IEBA

G7 Entertainment Marketing, a Nashville-based agency that is part of Project Worldwide, an independent, employee-owned network of creative agencies, has received one of the highest industry honors by being named the “Special Events/Corporate Buyer of the Year” by the International Entertainment Buyers Association (IEBA). G7 received the honor at the 53rd annual conference in Nashville on October 10, 2023, which was hosted by country singer Jo Dee Messina.

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October 31, 2023

GPJ Shortlisted for Two Drum Awards

GPJ has been chosen as a finalist in two categories for The Drum Awards. Shortlisted in Creativity: Experience for their partnership at Cannes Lions with IBM and The Weather Company, an IBM Business, and for Design: Event Design for Cisco Live 2023.

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