Kia America will return to the Super Bowl next month with a 60-second spot which looks to build on the brand’s long history of award-winning creative campaigns and reinforces Kia’s position as a sustainable mobility leader. The spot–confirmed by Kia and agency David&Goliath–marks Kia’s 15th appearance in the most watched annual television event. This year, Kia will spotlight the all-electric EV9, the first mass-market three row EV SUV in the U.S. The 2024 Kia EV9 is on sale now with limited inventory and will be available in all 50 states….
MullenLowe U.S. has added Jinny Davoudi as head of brand and communications. With a background in consumer tech at brands DoorDash and Shopify, Davoudi brings a strategic and modern approach to brand communications. By appointing a tech leader in an unexpected role, the agency is continuing to drive innovation throughout the organization. As head of consumer communications at DoorDash, Davoudi helped grow the brand’s business; it is currently the leader in on-demand delivery with 65% of the U.S. market share. In her previous roles at Shopify, IPG’s Weber Shandwick, and DKC Public Relations, she was instrumental in some of the most talked about campaigns, such as Spotify’s yearly “Wrapped,” Airbnb’s infamous stays, including the Fresh Prince mansion and the last Blockbuster on Earth, and she even spearheaded a Tinder couple meeting for the first time on Good Morning America, which went viral. Davoudi will report to Frank Cartagena, U.S. CEO and the agency’s first-ever creative business leader. ADCOLOR Beacon award winner Jordan Muse also joined earlier this year as MullenLowe East president, and Javier Passerieu was promoted to president of MullenLowe West. The agency’s positive momentum has led to several recent new business wins, including GEICO social, global investment firm Invesco, and Ghirardelli….
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More