SKUNK has added director Chris Palmer to its U.S. roster for commercials and branded content. He had formerly been handled by MJZ in the American ad market.
Among Palmer’s many accomplishments is a DGA Award nomination in 2010 for three spots: J20 fruit drink’s “Riviera Truckstop” and “A Horse Called Cynthia,” both for BBH London; and Budweiser’s “Lyric” out of DDB London.
Matt Factor, founder of SKUNK, said, “I first met Chris in London in the early 2000’s. I don’t remember much from that night, except being left wanting to know who was this eccentric, entertaining, endearing magic man who’s created some of the coolest ads out of London as both a creative and director? Now I get to find out first hand. I’m honored Chris has chosen SKUNK for his next adventure in the U.S.”
Palmer first established himself on the agency side of the business, becoming a lauded creative at BBH London, followed by Lowe Howard-Spink, and then a shop in which he was partnered, Simons Palmer Clemmow & Johnson. He then settled into the director’s chair, beginning to helm commercials full time in 1994. He founded U.K.’s Gorgeous Enterprises in ‘95, which went on to become one of the world’s most successful production companies. In 2012 Palmer and Gorgeous earned distinction, respectively, as Most Awarded Director and Production Company in D&AD history.
Palmer said of his joining SKUNK, “I love Matt Factor and couldn’t resist jumping into bed with him,” creating what he and the company founder regard as an opportunity to produce more groundbreaking work for the U.S. market.
Google Opens Its Defense In Antitrust Case Alleging Monopoly Over Online Ad Technology
Google opened its defense against allegations that it holds an illegal monopoly on online advertising technology Friday with witness testimony saying the industry is vastly more complex and competitive than portrayed by the federal government.
"The industry has been exceptionally fluid over the last 18 years," said Scott Sheffer, a vice president for global partnerships at Google, the company's first witness at its antitrust trial in federal court in Alexandria.
The Justice Department and a coalition of states contend that Google built and maintained an illegal monopoly over the technology that facilitates the buying and selling of online ads seen by consumers.
Google counters that the government's case improperly focuses on a narrow type of online ads — essentially the rectangular ones that appear on the top and on the right-hand side of a webpage. In its opening statement, Google's lawyers said the Supreme Court has warned judges against taking action when dealing with rapidly emerging technology like what Sheffer described because of the risk of error or unintended consequences.
Google says defining the market so narrowly ignores the competition it faces from social media companies, Amazon, streaming TV providers and others who offer advertisers the means to reach online consumers.
Justice Department lawyers called witnesses to testify for two weeks before resting their case Friday afternoon, detailing the ways that automated ad exchanges conduct auctions in a matter of milliseconds to determine which ads are placed in front of which consumers and how much they cost.
The department contends the auctions are finessed in subtle ways that benefit Google to the exclusion of would-be competitors and in ways that prevent... Read More