Director Randy Hackett has joined bicoastal production house No Smoke. He comes over from The Joneses, his roost since late 2008. The move to No Smoke reunites the director with executive producer Andrew Swee; the two had worked together earlier at Open Frame Productions.
Known for story-driven comedy, Hackett has to his credit campaigns for such clients as Vonage, Volvo, Delta Airlines and Motel 6. He also has a track record of eliciting realistic and funny performances from celebs in projects for Major League Baseball, ESPN and ABC TV.
Hackett got his start as a copywriter. He later served as creative director at Neiman Group for four years and won numerous awards for his work, including Clios, One Show, New York Festivals, L.A. Art Director’s Club and ADDY honors. While there, he also began working behind the camera and developed his signature approach to humor.
Upon leaving the agency side of the business, Hackett turned to directing full time and established himself as a comic stylist and storyteller. In addition to his commercials, Hackett has helmed long-form integrated campaigns for Showtime and Microsoft as well as assorted network promos.
Hackett comes aboard a No Smoke directorial roster that includes Adam Jones, Lara Shapiro, Charlie Watson, Harve Wang, Jeth Weinrich, Josh Rothstein, Kenan Moran and Michael Graham.
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