Brad Phifer and Brad Kayal, the sr. creative team behind such noted work as the eBay “Built” campaign at Venables Bell & Partners, has joined barrettSF. BUILT from eBay is a 10-episode car-building web series and interactive experience that raised $120,000 for charity. Starting in Boston, Kayal cut his teeth at Modernista and Arnold Worldwide for Volkswagen, ESPN, Cadillac, (RED), Timberland, and the NHL before moving west to work at Venables, Bell & Partners. His work for Audi, Intel, Google, and eBay recently gained him recognition from Cannes, the One Show, D&AD, and the Clios. Phifer initially worked as a copywriter at TDA in Boulder, Colo., on clients like Celestial Seasonings, FirstBank, 1% For The Planet, and Thule. In 2009 he joined Venables Bell & Partners. There he worked on clients such as eBay, Chef Boyardee, Google, HBO, and Intel. His work has been recognized by international awards including Cannes, the One Show, and the Clios….Tony Barry, a well established director in the U.K., has joined IDENTITY for commercial representation in the U.S. Having started in the industry as a writer, Barry transitioned into the role of creative director for ad agencies Wieden+Kennedy, and Lowe and Partners. In 2007, he embarked on his directorial career. Barry’s work includes projects for Nike, Heineken, British Airways, McDonald’s, MTV, VW, SMA infant formula, XFM Radio and Sainsbury’s. His spots have received honors from the British Television Awards, Cannes and D&AD. Barry continues to be represented by Sonny London in the U.K….Brand New School has named long-time in-house contributor Robert Bisi as creative director/director. Since starting at Brand New School as a freelancer in 2005, Bisi has steadily evolved from designer and 3D generalist to art director and live-action director. Since joining Brand New School, his work has spanned combining such disciplines as stop motion, puppetry, live action, and cel and 3D animation….
A Closer Look At Proposed Measures Designed To Curb Google’s Search Monopoly
U.S. regulators are proposing aggressive measures to restore competition to the online search market after a federal judge ruled Google maintained an illegal monopoly for the last decade.
The sweeping set of recommendations filed late Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Justice could radically alter Google's business, including possibly spinning off the Chrome web browser and syndicating its search data to competitors. Even if the courts adopt the blueprint, Google isn't likely to make any significant changes until 2026 at the earliest, because of the legal system's slow-moving wheels.
Here's what it all means:
What is the Justice Department's goal?
Federal prosecutors are cracking down on Google in a case originally filed during near the end of then-President Donald Trump's first term. Officials say the main goal of these proposals is to get Google to stop leveraging its dominant search engine to illegally squelch competition and stifle innovation.
"The playing field is not level because of Google's conduct, and Google's quality reflects the ill-gotten gains of an advantage illegally acquired," the Justice Department asserted in its recommendations. "The remedy must close this gap and deprive Google of these advantages."
Not surprisingly, Google sees things much differently. The Justice Department's "wildly overbroad proposal goes miles beyond the Court's decision," Kent Walker, Google's chief legal officer, asserted in a blog post. "It would break a range of Google products — even beyond search — that people love and find helpful in their everyday lives."
It's still possible that the Justice Department could ease off on its attempts to break up Google, especially if President-elect Donald Trump... Read More