Bicoastal production and post company Original has signed director Tom De Cerchio whose longstanding production house Incubator now becomes a satellite of Original. De Cerchio is known for his comedy and storytelling chops; over the years his work has earned three AICP Show honors, among other industry awards such as One Show Gold and D&AD recognition. His Bud Light spot, “Limo,” is in the Advertising Hall of Fame.
In his first project with Original, De Cerchio has directed a multi-spot package for game-maker Spinmaster and its titles Logo and Quelf. Created out of the client’s in-house agency, the spots reflect De Cerchio’s penchant for understated humor and surprising twists. One of the Logo spots, for example, shows the unusual way a man became familiar with Ford’s branding–as a youth he was busted by his girlfriend’s cop father, who had him spread-eagled over his car’s name plate.
De Cerchio has been directing via Incubator since 2002 and through it has produced notable work for such brands as Sony, Burger King, Kia, Bud Light and Renault. One of his most recent projects was a viral campaign for the comedy series Scott and Zander’s Crazy Night. In one spot, actor Tony Danza tries to convince the comedy duo that a certain Elton John song was not written about him. They insist the lyrics are “Hold me closer, Tony Danza.” The spot reached “immortal” status on the website Funny or Die (meaning it attracted more than 100,000 hits) and was also recently featured on the AOL home page.
De Cerchio, who began his career as a creative with TBWA/Chiat/Day, also has a long-form filmography as a feature director and screenwriter. His credits as director include Celtic Pride, starring Damon Wayans and Dan Aykroyd. He also directed the short Nunzio’s Second Cousin, a black comedy about hate crimes, which earned a spot in the Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection, and screened at the Sundance and Telluride film festivals. He is represented for features and television by Dan Farah of Farah Films Management and Trevor Astbury at Paradigm.
Apple and Google Face UK Investigation Into Mobile Browser Dominance
Apple and Google aren't giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers, a British watchdog said Friday in a report that recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year.
The Competition and Markets Authority took aim at Apple, saying the iPhone maker's tactics hold back innovation by stopping rivals from giving users new features like faster webpage loading. Apple does this by restricting progressive web apps, which don't need to be downloaded from an app store and aren't subject to app store commissions, the report said.
"This technology is not able to fully take off on iOS devices," the watchdog said in a provisional report on its investigation into mobile browsers that it opened after an initial study concluded that Apple and Google effectively have a chokehold on "mobile ecosystems."
The CMA's report also found that Apple and Google manipulate the choices given to mobile phone users to make their own browsers "the clearest or easiest option."
And it said that the a revenue-sharing deal between the two U.S. Big Tech companies "significantly reduces their financial incentives" to compete in mobile browsers on Apple's iOS operating system for iPhones.
Both companies said they will "engage constructively" with the CMA.
Apple said it disagreed with the findings and said it was concerned that the recommendations would undermine user privacy and security.
Google said the openness of its Android mobile operating system "has helped to expand choice, reduce prices and democratize access to smartphones and apps" and that it's "committed to open platforms that empower consumers."
It's the latest move by regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to crack down on the... Read More