Plus, Uncle Ben's has been replaced ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 
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First Things First
 
September 24, 2020
By Jess Zafarris
 
 
Presented By
theTradeDesk
 
 
 
These Brilliant Ikea Posters About Sleep Will Make You Look Twice
 

Why purchase energy drinks, expensive beauty creams and supplements, when you could have glorious bedding that lasts for years? That's the thought behind Ikea's latest eye-catching out-of-home campaign that's running in the U.K. and Ireland. Ikea caps off the posters with a clever tagline: Tomorrow starts tonight.

See them: Check out the full campaign, including two more posters that pop.

 
 
 
 
 
Marc Pritchard Says TV Upfronts Must Evolve and Level the Playing Field

The TV Upfronts system is “antiquated” and must change, Procter & Gamble’s Marc Pritchard said at the virtual ANA Media & Measurement Conference yesterday, adding that the company will instead negotiate directly with networks wherever possible. He said that the system puts marketers at disadvantage compared to networks, which are equipped with spending estimates and can therefore price inventory regardless of their ratings and viewership.

Shifting the status quo: “It’s not about winners and losers,” Pritchard said. “It’s about a level playing field to constructively create value together.”

Have you made a notable pivot during the pandemic? This year we’re expanding our Hot List to capture notable wins from the brand community and B2B space. Check out the new categories and submit today.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Publicis Sapient Chief Experience Officer Joins Tech Company Focused on Disaster Management

John Maeda, chief experience officer at Publicis Sapient, is setting forth to save the world. He’ll remain as chair of the experience advisory council, but he’s leaving his role at the agency to join a Massachusetts-based SaaS company focused on disaster management and Covid-19 via contact tracing. CEO Nigel Vaz spoke highly of Maeda’s work and expressed “great pride” in his decision to lend his expertise to the public health crisis.

Who’s up next? Maeda didn’t specify a successor for his role, but said diversity is a priority in filling it and said he aims to “#makeroom for the next generation of leadership in experience to become more diverse.”

Also in job moves: Match Group has hired Ayni Raimondi, formerly of Airbnb, as its new vp of brand.

 
 
 
After 74 Years, Uncle Ben's Will Become Ben's Original

Uncle Ben has gone the way of Aunt Jemima, both dropping its Jim Crow-era mascot and announcing a name change to Ben’s Original. Starting in early 2021, the image of the character will no longer appear on the Mars-owned brand packaging in a move it says is aimed at creating “more equitable iconography.” The narrative is a reversal from the company’s position five months ago, when a Mars spokesperson called Uncle Ben’s “a beloved brand with a rich history.”

Another evolution: The company has made several attempts to update or obfuscate the racist implications of the brand in recent years.

 
 
 
DOJ's Probe of Google Shifts to Search Dominance

The DOJ has had Google’s industry-dominant ad-tech stack, DoubleClick, in its sights amid its antitrust investigations, but a shift in the scope of the lawsuit will spare the offering for the moment. The case will now be focused on how Google’s search engine and agreements with other companies “harm rivals and consumers,” which would mean that its ad tools will no longer be the center of scrutiny and could remain intact longer than previously thought.

It’s not over yet: DoubleClick may have nine lives, but the trouble has just begun for Google and it will surely continue to be probed.

More of Today’s Top News & Highlights

 
 
 
 
 
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The J.M. Smucker Company Goes Beyond Jam With Its New Corporate Identity
 

At a glance, no one would blame you for thinking that The J.M. Smucker Company only sells strawberry jam—it’s right there on the logo. But that’s all changing in its new corporate brand identity overhaul gives it a cleaner look that doesn’t limit it to one product, with the minimalist look and slight abbreviation to The J.M. Smucker Co. intended to accentuate its full portfolio, which includes Jif, Folgers and Meow Mix. Discover more about the rebrand.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Don't Miss the Adweek Mobile Gaming Summit
 

Register for free to join Adweek for the Mobile Gaming Summit, today at 12pm ET, to hear from gaming experts and marketing pros on how to up your game with their growing Gen Z audience.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
After 40 Years, Blue-Collar Brew Schaefer Slips Back Into New York Wearing Fancy New Clothes
 

Pabst will make the 178-year-old lager in the upstate town of Utica.

 
 
 
 
 
Bumble Bee Tuna Effortlessly Brushes Off Trump Comments About Its Cans Being Anti-Police Weapons
 

The brand had opposed the administration's tariffs in 2018, so some see a presidential grudge.

 
 
 
 
 
Spotify Commissions 5 Artists to Visually Express Latinx Heritage Month
 

Lo Nuestro es Arte campaign spotlights art reflecting different music genres and podcasts.

 
 
 
 
 
Dwyane Wade Surprises Budweiser Brewmaster With a Scholarship in Her Name
 

The $1 million commitment aims to diversify the brewing industry.

 
 
 
 
 
Here's How the Pandemic Has Validated Bombas' Eccentric Approach to Socks
 

Never mind fashion—Americans staying home want comfort for their feet.

 
 
 
 
 
TikTok Reaches Out to Other Social Platforms to Work Together on Violent, Graphic Content
 

The video creation platform also released its Global Transparency Report for the first half of 2020.

 
 
 
 
 
 
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