James Tucker has joined DDB New York as associate creative director. He will report to Matt Eastwood, chief creative officer of DDB NY. Tucker had most recently served as sr. art director at Colenso BBDO New Zealand, overseeing the launch of a new global campaign of Tourism Fiji and the re-launch of Export Dry and Monteith’s. Previously, he held an art director position at DDB New Zealand working on campaigns for New Zealand Lotteries, Sky Television, and Volkswagen..BIGSMACK, an entertainment marketing and creative agency led by chief creative Andy Hann and head of marketing Andrew Kobliska, has added Kevin Lahr as executive producer/director of production. Lahr joins BIGSMACK following five-plus years at Discovery Communications where he worked at the cable giant’s flagship Discovery Channel, as well as Science Channel and Investigation Discovery. Hann first met Lahr back in late 2006 when he hired him as a producer at Concrete Pictures. Lahr began his career as an agency producer at New York-based shops Griffin Bacal and D’Arcy, before taking a huge left turn to become a producer at Shoot NZ Film Company in Queenstown, NZ. Lahr later returned to the U.S. as an executive producer at PBS headquarters in Arlington, VA. Following three years at PBS, he joined Hann at Concrete Pictures in 2006, leaving in 2007 to join Discovery Communications in Silver Spring, Maryland….Tony Verderosa’s music house, Thwak!, has officially relaunched as KBV Music. The new brand emphasizes the activities of Verderosa’s KBV Records label, which has a track record of artist development since being founded in 2009. The boutique music company has already won a high-profile placement under its new moniker, supplying Royal Caribbean and agency JWT with the raw rock track “Let’s Get It On” by the KBV Records artist Romans….
Gene Hackman Died Of Heart Disease; Hantavirus Claimed His Wife’s Life About One Week Prior
Actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease a full week after his wife died from hantavirus in their New Mexico hillside home, likely unaware that she was dead because he was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease, authorities revealed Friday. Both deaths were ruled to be from natural causes, chief medical examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell said alongside state fire and health officials at a news conference. "Mr. Hackman showed evidence of advanced Alzheimer's disease," Jarrell said. "He was in a very poor state of health. He had significant heart disease, and I think ultimately that's what resulted in his death." Authorities didn't suspect foul play after the bodies of Hackman, 95, and Betsy Arakawa, 65, were discovered Feb 26. Immediate tests for carbon monoxide poisoning were negative. Investigators found that the last known communication and activity from Arakawa was Feb. 11 when she visited a pharmacy, pet store and grocery before returning to their gated neighborhood that afternoon, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said Friday. Hackman's pacemaker last showed signs of activity a week later and that he had an abnormal heart rhythm Feb. 18, the day he likely died, Jarrell said. Although there was no reliable way to determine the date and time when both died, all signs point to their deaths coming a week apart, Jarrell said. "It's quite possible he was not aware she was deceased," Jarrell said. Dr. Michael Baden, a former New York City medical examiner, said he believes Hackman was severely impaired due to Alzheimer's disease and unable to deal with his wife's death in the last week of his life. "You are talking about very severe Alzheimer's disease that normal people would be in a nursing home or have a nurse, but she was taking care... Read More