Video of the Week: The NeverEnding Story Is Still Going, says Spotify

I suppose we do have to check in with the NeverEnding Story every once in a while. It may have become something of a cult classic in a select few circles, but Spotify saw a chance to cash in on the 1984 film’s timeless message with their latest message. The best part is, none of it feels forced – W+K New York have managed to combine two concepts with resounding success. There is a truth in the advert – we’ve all at one stage searched for a classic, cringe-inducing song that endures throughout the generations. Limahl’s Never Ending Story is but one case in point – they could have picked another 80s corker like  Magic Dance from Labyrinth or Ray Parker Jr’s ghoulish movie theme.

The fact that Spotify got the original actor Noah Hathaway gives the ad even more credibility – well played guys! You can check out the ad here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=36&v=zuOiNjpkEFY

And our runner up for the week (as we’re doing runners up now!) goes to Alison Brie and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau for their AppleTV advert, the pair ‘rehearsing’ for a show that looks both terrible and terribly unmissable. Seeing Jaime Lannister get his groove on has to be a highlight of the day!

Press: DazeInfo – Shocking Truth to Adblocking

Published by DazeInfo on March 30th 2016. 

“Some consumers will pay or find other ways to opt out of advertising, but this will not impact this growth of mobile advertising which is set to become the majority of global digital advertising spend and to transform and enhance other global ad markets such as TV brand advertising.” said Stephen Upstone, chairman of the Mobile Marketing Association in the UK and CEO of video ad tech company LoopMe in an interview to the Buisness Insider.

Read the full article here.

LoopMe Hire Scott Shulman to Drive Growth in US

LoopMe appoint Scott Shulman as Vice President Sales North America Sales to lead the company’s growth in the market.

LoopMe, the world’s largest mobile video advertising platform, announced today that it has hired Scott Shulman as Vice President Sales North America as part of its ambitious expansion plan in the US.

Shulman joins LoopMe from RocketFuel, where he held the position of Vice President Strategic Sales before being appointed Vice President Agency Partnerships, and helped to take the company from start-up through to IPO, managing a team of 30 sellers and contributing $160 million of the company’s global revenue. As Vice President Sales North America for LoopMe, he will be responsible for driving the company’s development in the US, as it builds on successful relationships with brands such as Adidas, Netflix, Heineken, Microsoft and Samsung.

CEO & Co-Founder Stephen Upstone added ‘we are delighted to welcome Scott to the team. The US is a key market and Scott has an impressive track record at building hugely successful teams. His background in artificial intelligence and data made him the perfect choice to lead the US team from our New York office’.

‘I am passionate about companies that put technology and innovation at the core of their business’ said Shulman, ‘LoopMe’s commitment to developing new technologies has produced artificial intelligence and data offerings which will allow it to lead the market in mobile video advertising, and I look forward to making that a reality in the US’.

LoopMe’s Mobile Video Will Eat the World Event Leaves Lots to Chew On

On Tuesday, March 8th, LoopMe held its first event in NYC to a packed room of over 50 industry professionals. Boldly titled ‘Mobile Video Will Eat the World’, the event featured speakers from LoopMe, Integral Ad Science and Innovid explore the newest developments in the mobile video space and offer an insight into what the future holds for the industry.

The phrase ‘Mobile Video Will Eat the World’ is based on Peggy Anne Salz’s recent Forbes article (it itself adapted from Benedict Evans’ 2014 talk), exploring the future of mobile in a period of intense innovation and development. The theme provoked a range of discussions, with particular emphasis on the need for mobile video media quality standards. In an industry constantly adapting and evolving, advertisers and publishers need to know that there are ways of verifying ad interaction and viewability – dollars will be kept away from mobile until there are such reassurances. For Michael Tuminello, Director Product at Innovid, ‘2016 is turning into the year for mobile verification’ – the adtech industry is waking up to the pressing need for clarity and reliability while delivering ROI.

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One way to achieve this is by implementing machine learning and, at its pinnacle, artificial intelligence. As put by Joseph Ranzenbach, Senior Product Manager at Integral Ad Science, it’s unhelpful to send a human to do a machine’s job. Going beyond AB testing is important, and artificial intelligence is opening up new avenues for optimizing campaigns. As Pete O’Mara-Kane, LoopMe’s Head of Global Sales explained, it’s not just about ‘reaching the right person at the right time. It’s about reaching them at exactly the moment where they want to engage’. Furthermore, AI is working 24/7 rather than 9/5 – optimising in real time and reacting to events as and when they unfold. This doesn’t render AdOps teams redundant – these teams are vitally important in maintaining contact between platform and agency, catering to client needs and monitoring campaign performance.

We hope everyone enjoyed the event as much as we did. We would like to thank all of our panellists and speakers for their insights and opinions, and will be keeping a close eye on their opinions and insights.

Look out for more LoopMe events around the world over the coming months.

Like LoopMe on Facebook to view the full photo gallery.

 

Video of the Week: Spike Lee, Sam L and Charles B Hitch a Ride

Again, a busy week for ads this one!

We could have gone with a Cookie-fueled waiting game from everyone’s favorite Sesame Street Character , or a  cringe-inducing dry skin advert from Dollar Shave Club (featuring everyone’s favourite’s news reporter from Parks and Rec). But tongue-in-cheek and slightly left-field comedy doesn’t go any further than the newest set of adverts from Capital One, featuring a series of skits from Spike lee, Samuel L Jackson and Charles Barkley.

The fantastic trio, who collaborated with Capital One back in 2015 (with Spike Lee acting and directing) return with an easy going sense of fun and chill. Plus we never expected to hear Jackson belting out the top line to Rupert Holmes’s Escape (or as most people know it) The Pina Colada Song.

You can check out the set of ads here – a great use of two minutes!