Career News 24/7: 10 Things In Advertising You Need To Know This Morning

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October 09, 2014

Good morning. Here's what's going on in the world of advertising today.

1. Lego has ended its $116 million multi-year marketing deal with Shell. The announcement comes following sustained protests from environmental activists Greenpeace, which created the viral video hit "LEGO: Everything is NOT awesome."

2. Snapchat has confirmed that ads are coming soon. The company's CEO Evan Spiegel explained they will be integrated into Snapchat's "Stories" feature and that users will be able to opt out.

3. Brewers are desperately trying to get women to drink more beer. They've finally learned "pink it and shrink it" isn't the right approach, but one brewer has said it could take up to 20 years before women's drinking habits change.

4. Spotify is launching its first TV commercial in the US. The streaming company is hoping that by sharing personal stories where music is the thread, such as the ad's tale of cheerleaders TP-ing a house, listeners will be convinced to switch from Pandora and iTunes Radio.

5. Green is the best color to use in advertising this year, according to Shutterstock. The stock photography company has compiled its first color trends report.

6. Apple has once again topped the annual Interbrand most valuable brands list. Tech brands dominated the list with more than 13 entrants.

7. Marketing Week columnist and brand consultant Mark Ritson has said Sainsbury's PR nightmare after a motivational poster encouraging staff to get people to spend more in store was put in view of customers was actually "coined by a brilliant marketer." Ritson argues the '50p Challenge' was "hardly a major faux pas" and could generate $210m in incremental revenue for the UK supermarket.

8. Gap's biggest marketing critic, its CEO Glenn Murphy, has announced he is stepping down next year. In reporting the news, AdAge reminisces that Murphy once called Gap's advertising "ineffective" and on another occasion said he was "disappointed" with the Old Navy brand.

9. K-Swiss has changed its logo. The direction of its famous five stripes has changed, which K-Swiss says signifies "the brand's momentum towards the future."

10. Twitter's head of news Vivian Schiller has quit the company after less than a year in the role. She announced her departure in a series of tweets, but didn't offer any information as to where she might be off to.