Weight Watchers is getting another boost from Oprah Winfrey.
The weight loss company's shares soared Wednesday as a TV commercial starring Winfrey began to air.
The commercial shows past videos of Winfrey working out and referencing her struggle with weight, a frequent topic of her former talk show. The ad ends with Winfrey asking viewers if they're ready to join her. "Let's do this together," she says.
She tweeted the ad to her more than 30 million followers on Tuesday.
Weight Watchers stock has more than tripled since October, when Winfrey bought a 10 percent stake in the New York company. Besides the new ads, Weight Watchers has also made changes to its plans to better fit in with Winfrey's message of living a healthy and happier life, and not just focusing on weight loss.
Shares of Weight Watchers International Inc. jumped $3.68, or 19 percent, to close Wednesday at $23.05.
Weight Watchers brought in Winfrey at a precarious time for the company. It has been hurt by the popularity of fitness trackers and free food-tracking apps. Despite recent gains in the stock, it is still down about 8 percent from a year ago.
Winfrey is on the new plan and she said in an October appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" that she lost 15 pounds in a few months.
While she slims down, her wallet is getting fatter. Back in October, Winfrey paid about $43.2 million for her 10 percent stake in Weight Watchers. That stake is now worth more than $148 million.
Mike Pierantozzi joins Movers+Shakers as exec creative director
Creative agency Movers+Shakers has appointed Mike Pierantozzi as executive creative director. In this new role, he will help guide the creative direction of Movers+Shakers’ socially-native campaigns. Pierantozzi will report to co-founder and chief creative officer Geoffrey Goldberg.
With nearly two decades of experience as a copywriter, creative director, and multi-platform storyteller, Pierantozzi brings a wealth of knowledge from his work with major brands including Kraft, Unilever, IBM, and Walmart. He has led the creation of award-winning campaigns for agencies like Red Tettemer, Ogilvy, The Brooklyn Brothers, TAXI, Saatchi & Saatchi, and most recently, Vayner, where he spearheaded culturally iconic work for Planters including “Death of Mr. Peanut.” He led the National Down Syndrome Society and Luvs account, whose “First Kid. Second Kid” campaign was awarded by the Effies, ADC, Clios and LIAs.
Outside of the office, Pierantozzi practices what he teaches brands. He’s gone viral multiple times on his own TikTok account, featuring comedic interactions with his son and a trombone. He’s accumulated 15K followers on TikTok.
“Mike brings a rare and awesome combination of deep social and platform experience, a keen eye for excellent storytelling, and a humble and kind approach to leadership,” said Goldberg. “Mike’s got a knack for turning brand stories into cultural movements, making him the perfect fit for Movers+Shakers. He’s got the kind of bold vision and attention to culture that fits perfectly with our mission to push creative boundaries and drive industry firsts. Plus, as a creator himself he has the innate ability to make people stop, laugh, and share--which is exactly what we’re about.”
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