Claudio de Souza has been promoted to VP at digital marketing agency Isobar US. He will join the management team of the US agency and work to develop global accounts, reporting directly to co-CEOs Geoff Cubitt and Jeff Maling. VP de Souza previously served as VP of business & operations at Isobar Brazil for the past 15 years. He will lead the Isobar US GM business and sit in the Detroit office. Isobar US GM account director, Ken Zendel, will report into Souza, and will be responsible for day-to-day responsibilities, while Souza will focus on bigger picture initiatives, such as driving digital innovation.
An experienced professional with over 20 years of experience in advertising, de Souza was responsible for managing digital advertising for some of the leading brands in a variety of industries such as FCA – Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, P&G, TIM – Telecom Italia Mobile, and Alpargatas. Over the past 15 years he headed successful operations for the agency in the cities of Belo Horizonte and Rio de Janeiro at Isobar Brazil. He also led the management of iconic projects that combined creativity and technology to create unique experiences, such as, FIAT Mio and FIAT Live Store, the only initiative in Latin America to be awarded with the Innovation Cannes Lion.
“Sonic the Hedgehog 3” Tops Weekend Box Office
In the holiday season battle of big-budget family movies, Paramount Pictures' "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" sped past the Walt Disney Co.'s "Mufasa: The Lion King" to take the top spot at the box office ahead of the lucrative Christmas corridor in theaters.
"Sonic the Hedgehog 3" debuted with $62 million in ticket sales over the weekend, according to studio estimates. With strong reviews (86% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and a high score from audiences (an "A" on CinemaScore), "Sonic 3" is well positioned to be the top choice in cinemas during the busiest moviegoing period of the year.
It was telling of some wider trends that "Sonic 3" โ made for $122 million โ bested one of Disney's top properties. Videogame adaptations, once among the most derided movie genres, have emerged as one of the most dependable box office forces in recent years. The two previous "Sonic" movies together grossed more $700 million worldwide and the third installment appears likely to do better than both of them. A fourth "Sonic" movie is already in development.
"Mufasa," however, was humbled in its opening weekend, with its $35 million in domestic ticket sales coming in notably shy of expectations . The photorealistic "Lion King" prequel even opened wider than "Sonic 3," launching on 4,100 theaters and gobbling up most IMAX screens, compared with 3,761 locations for "Sonic 3."
Though "Mufasa's" reviews were poor (56% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences gave it an "A-" CinemaScore.
"Sonic 3" nearly doubled the haul for "Mufasa," which cost more than $200 million to make. Disney could look to $87.2 million in international sales to help make up the difference. The third "Sonic" will rollout in most overseas markets in the coming weeks.
In director Jeff... Read More