Job Cuts at Wieden + Kennedy

Wieden + Kennedy, arguably the top agency in the U.S. right now, is not immune to the financial pressures caused by the pandemic. The global network, which has offices in the U.S., China, Brazil, India and more, is cutting 11% of its global workforce despite numerous measures to keep its talent employed as long as possible. In March, W+K began cutting non-essential costs, as well as deploying pay cuts to senior leadership and other top earners, but ultimately it needed to make cuts. As W+K described, "We negotiated this as long as we could, but W+K and COVID-19 have reached an impasse."

Read W+K's full statement on its decision to lay off staff.

Related: Here are the 2,085 agencies that received PPP loans of $150,000 more.

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Gen Zers are known for taking practical video effects to the next level on TikTok. American Eagle leveraged that savvy in a campaign for its fall collection featuring seven brand ambassadors, including the second-most-followed TikTok influencer Allison Rae and new creators Makayla London and Sumi Oshima, who helped direct, shoot and produce the ad remotely using Zoom. Clever transitions make it look like the stars are passing the phone to one another in the energetic video, which they shot themselves in their homes with remote direction, and even hair and makeup guidance.

Creativity within constraints: AE creative director Michael Goldberg said the campaign shows how Gen Zers use everyday tools to develop engaging content.

Even as the pandemic rages on, the impending return of sports is giving both consumers and brands cause for celebration. A new Bud Light spot shows fans, bored with bread-making, home workouts and other quarantine pastimes, serenading the return of—well, literally any kind of sports, but especially baseball with a variation on "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." Another new spot has a stadium beer vendor cheerfully touting the brands delivery options as he strolls through a neighborhood of sports fans. Watch both here.

Installed by a single wheat farmer with the help of maze design firm Precision Mazes, CBD brand Charlotte's Web's latest marketing stunt is both alien and massive—possibly record-breakingly so, with a footprint the size of 57 football fields. The company advertises its natural product through a massive crop circle-like art installation located in a McPherson, Kansas field. Shepard Fairey’s Studio Number One created the original artwork, which first appeared in Charlotte's Web's "Trust the Earth" campaign back in October 2019 in other locations across the U.S. (though not in fields).

A push for broader change: The Trust the Earth campaign asks consumers to share hemp-based CBD success stories with legislators.

Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google are set to appear before a House committee in an antitrust probe next Monday. But will it change anything? "In terms of actually getting to the root cause or making any progress, it’ll be more spectacle than historic," said author, entrepreneur and NYU marketing professor Scott Galloway. He said that calling in all four is "reductionist" and a "mistake" and predicts that Facebook will face the greatest scrutiny while the other will come away without much in the way of consequences. However, he also predicted that the ongoing Facebook ad boycott won't have a lasting impact on the platform beyond a symbolic victory because the platform's advertiser base is "self-repairing."

The power of the monopoly: Ultimately, Galloway said, the pandemic has helped these Big Tech players more than hurt them.

More of Today's Top News & Highlights

The Ad Council's powerful new PSA, "Fight the Virus. Fight the Bias," addresses discrimination against Asian and Pacific Islander communities by highlighting the stories of Asian Americans who are essential workers, first responders, chefs and more—and who have experienced racial bias. The spot was created by Parks and Recreation producer/screenwriter Alan Yang as part of the organization’s ongoing Love Has No Labels movement, which is dedicated to ending discrimination.

Tune in today at 3pm ET to hear from Diego Scotti, Verizon's Chief Marketing Officer on how Verizon is navigating today's health and social justice crises. Save your virtual seat.

The influencer/fashion designer launched her Something Navy clothing line this month.

Queer Eye's Antoni Porowski is endorsing the snacks and video chatting with contest winners.

A new consortium called 'Beyond the Bag' is soliciting ideas from supply chain and packaging experts.

One in three U.S. households does not have traditional pay TV.

Amid new privacy rules, changes will begin to roll out in early 2021.

Their demands of corporate leaders include racial justice, healthcare and a $15 minimum wage.