Susan Credle has been named chief creative officer of Leo Burnett USA, effective October 5. Credle formerly served as executive VP/executive creative director at BBDO New York.
In her new role, Credle will have oversight of both Leo Burnett and Arc USA. She will report to Mark Tutssel, chief creative officer of Leo Burnett Worldwide.
For over a decade, Credle has been leading BBDO’s creative development on M&M/Mars and Cingular/AT&T, among other brands. Under her direction, these brands have won numerous awards, including Cannes, One Show, Andy’s and Clios, and meshed themselves into pop culture.
For instance, Credle’s contributions to BBDO New York were noteworthy when that shop was named SHOOT’s Agency of the Year in 2007. In many respects, her exploits in ’07 reflected the wide ranging creative at BBDO. For example, Credle made what she characterized as her first significant high-profile move into “new media” with Mars/M&M’s “Inner M” campaign in which TV spots showing what people would look like when turned into M&M characters helped drive traffic to BecomeanM&M.com.
Visitors (there were 2 million in just the first three weeks) got in touch with their “Inner M,” building their own avatar M&M character based on their self-image, selecting such features as color of the candy shell, eye shape and hairstyle. The campaign brought a new dimension to branding. While it’s great to bring consumers to a brand, the “Inner M” initiative had them become the brand.
Also on the ’07 awards show front, Credle scored with AT&T/Cingular’s “Battle,” which was not only nominated for a primetime commercial Emmy but also won a Gold Effie Award for its effectiveness in the marketplace, and an AICP Show honor in the Performance/Dialogue category. The commercial shows a mother and teenage daughter “arguing”–at least that’s their tone–but the incongruity is that they are conveying positive messages to each other, as the parent entrusts her teen with a cell phone.
Particularly appealing about “Battle” to Credle was that it respected the audience’s intelligence. “The human brain is a problem-solving mechanism. This spot requires you to work a little bit,” she observed back in ’07. “If you lay something out that requires no activity for the brain, you might be missing more of a connection that you can make with the consumer.”
Of Credle’s appointment, Burnett’s Tutssel stated, “Creativity is the heartbeat of this agency. There is no role that is more important in powering this agency to the top than the U.S. CCO role. We have found the perfect leader to take on this responsibility. Susan is a creative powerhouse with a demonstrated ability to lead blue-chip clients to outstanding creative heights while creating work that truly matters to people.”
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