Director Jim Hosking has come aboard Biscuit Filmworks, Los Angeles, for U.S. spot representation. He was formerly repped stateside by bicoastal Partizan; however the helmer continues to be handled in the U.K by Partizan’s London office. Hosking estimates that his commmercialmaking work is pretty much equally divided between agencies on both sides of the Atlantic. For example, he has helmed such high-profile American assignments as the Partizan-produced Emerald Nuts work that debuted during the Super Bowl for Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco. This Emerald fare is also airing during the ongoing Winter Olympics coverage. Hosking’s latest U.K. endeavors include spots for 118 118 Telephone Directories via WCRS, London, and John Smith’s Beer out of TBWA, London. The director’s credits also include work that in a sense spans the U.S. and the U.K., such as a match.com ad that ran in Britain but was conceived by a creative ensemble at Hanft Raboy and Partners, New York. The common bond among the Emerald, 118, match.com and John Smith’s assignments is that they all deploy humor, an ad genre in which Hosking has built his directorial reputation. He wants to continue in that vein, noting at the same time that he felt Biscuit is positioned to also diversify him into other areas, including visually driven projects. “I’ve seen what Biscuit has done to build [director] Tim Godsall’s career, who I’ve been up against at times,” said Hosking. “The company, with Shawn [executive producer Tessaro], is smart and creative in terms of opening up opportunities for directors.” Hosking also cited his longstanding admiration for director Noam Murro’s work, and Biscuit’s boutique size and feel as factors drawing him to his new stateside roost. AGENCY PEDIGREE Hosking’s industry roots are planted in agency creative soil. He started out as a copywriter at HHCL and then moved over to Mother, both in London. After establishing himself as an agency artisan, Hosking went to MTV’s on-air promotions department in New York, where he got the chance to not only continue to exercise his creative chops but also direct projects. He decided to focus full-time on directing, returning to London where he joined Partizan at the end of 2000. The following year he was named one of SHOOT‘s up-and-coming directors on the strength of comedy commercials for the likes of BT Cellnet for London agency AMV, and Citroen automobiles via Euro RSCG, Paris.
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