DDB NY has strengthened its management team with two promotions and two new hires. Melissa Martinez, former group business director, has been promoted to chief marketing officer, and Michael Collins, former global business director, has been upped to managing partner. In addition, Alexander Rea has been brought in as creative technology officer, and Kimberly Bernhardt will join the organization as managing partner.
Martinez joined DDB New York two and a half years ago, and has successfully led multiple integrated communications teams during her tenure. Most recently as group business director Martinez led integrated communications planning for the New York Lottery, and digital innovation initiatives and platform development for State Farm. In the newly created role of CMO, Martinez will be responsible for new business development, driving organic growth and leading key strategic marketing initiatives for the agency including introducing potential clients to DDB Flex, the agency’s new agency model for client service in the US.
Rea joins DDB New York as CTO from Framestore where he was head of creative technology. There, he worked on Lockheed Martin’s “Field Trip to Mars” which earned 19 Cannes Lions. Previous to Framestore he served as technology experience lead at Co: Collective. This new role is responsible for providing technology leadership and oversight for all of the agency’s projects and directs the technology strategy, development and execution. Rea’s new position is a modern creative refresh on the traditional role that experiments, invents and guides creative and strategic thinking to deliver innovative digital solutions.
As managing partner, Collins becomes further accountable for fostering an environment of collaboration and creativity, driving successful work for DDB New York’s clients, and building positive, enduring agency/client partnerships in his group, which includes clients such as Merck, Lilly, Huawei, and Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies. Prior to assuming his new role, he led integrated agency teams for Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon global surgery business. In addition, he has extensive channel knowledge including digital, sales, advertising, database analytics, and PR.
Bernhardt joins the agency from Glamour, where she served as executive director of communications and had oversight of all communications, including brand development, PR, events, partnerships and special projects. In her role, she built a number of major brand initiatives that ranged from women’s issues and politics to fashion. She most recently spearheaded Glamour’s Women of the Year. Prior to Glamour, Bernhardt was the executive vice president at Edelman on the global and U.S. Unilever business. In her role, she provided the spectrum of communications for Dove and other marquee personal care brands.
“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" — made for $122 million — 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