Michael McLaren has been named CEO of MRM//McCann. McLaren has been serving as president of MRM//McCann since May 2013. Hank Summy will continue to serve as president of MRM//McCann North America and the Global Commerce practice. MRM//McCann is a leading customer experience and relationship marketing agency networks with offices in 22 countries and a blue-chip list of global and local clients. With deep digital, technology and multi-platform expertise, it delivers clients a wide range of industry leading capabilities including content, commerce, CRM, mobile, search, social media, loyalty programs and data analytics. At McCann, McLaren first served as worldwide account director in San Francisco on Microsoft in 1999, and then moved to New York in 2004 as McCann Worldgroup’s director of global accounts. He was named president of McCann Erickson USA in 2007. In 2009 he moved to Japan in the dual role of CEO of McCann Worldgroup Japan and regional president of McCann Worldgroup Asia Pacific, where he oversaw operations in 14 countries. In 2012 he returned to New York as president of MRM//McCann USA and was named worldwide President the following year….Las Vegas based SK+G Advertising has appointed Marc Lineveldt to serve as executive creative director. He joins the agency with 24 years of experience developing highly successful global marketing and branding campaigns for The Coca-Cola Company, Sony, Volkswagen, BMW, Levi’s and many other iconic brands. Lineveldt is the former executive creative director for Fitzgerald+CO of Atlanta, a division of Interpublic. He began his career at TBWA/South Africa where he spent ten years, the first three in Johannesburg as an art director and the next seven years at TBWA Hunt Lascaris Cape Town as co-executive creative director. Lineveldt has also worked at Ogilvy, Y&R and Saatchi & Saatchi….
Director Paul Feig’s “Another Simple Favor,” With Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick, To Open SXSW
"Another Simple Favor," Paul Feig's sequel to his 2018 noir comedy starring Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively, will open the SXSW Film and TV Festival.
Organizers of the Austin, Texas, festival announced Tuesday that the long-awaited "A Simple Flavor" sequel will kick of this year's edition on March 7. The Amazon MGM release plots another twist-filled round of murder and betrayal, with Stephanie Smothers (Kendrick) and Emily Nelson (Lively) heading to an Italy wedding on Capri.
"When we saw this film last fall, we instantly knew it had to open SXSW — it gave us that electric feeling we live for as programmers," said Claudette Godfrey, festival vice president, in a statement.
SXSW has hosted Feig's films before, including a work-in-progress screening of "Bridesmaids" in 2011 and the premiere of "Spy" in 2015.
The premiere of "Another Simple Favor" will be Lively's first new movie since last year's "It Ends With Us" and the subsequent legal drama involving Lively and that film's director and co-star, Justin Baldoni.
In late December, Lively sued Baldoni, his production company and others for sexual harassment and attacks on her reputation and sought unspecified damages. Baldoni sued last month, accusing Lively and her husband, "Deadpool" actor Ryan Reynolds, of defamation and extortion and seeking at least $400 million in damages.
A trial date of March 2026 has been set.
SXSW previously announced another opening night premiere: the upcoming Seth Rogen Hollywood comedy series "The Studio." The film festival, now in its 32nd year, runs March 7-14.
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