Table of contents for January 30, 2017 in Adweek

 Fox hopes that its Super Bowl telecast breaks ratings records on Sunday, Feb. 5 (topping the 114.4 million who watched two years ago on NBC), but the performance of the show that follows it is even more important to the network’s long-term bottom line. That’s when Fox will launch 24: Legacy, its eagerly awaited reboot of the hit Kiefer Sutherland series, which ran for nine seasons. ‘This is a coveted brand; our job is to make sure everyone knows it’s returning.’Angela Courtin, evp and CMO, Fox Broadcasting Launching the new show—which stars Corey Hawkins as Eric Carter, a U.S. Army Ranger in hiding who is pressed into service when terrorists find him—after the Super Bowl was a “unanimous” decision, said Dana Walden, co-chairman and co-CEO, Fox Television Group. But it’s…

After sitting out Super Bowl 50 in the wake of the prior year’s controversial puppy ad fiasco, GoDaddy is back in the Big Game. Created by New York-based creative shop Bullish, its new 30-second spot will premiere Jan. 31 on CBS’ Super Bowl Greatest Commercials 2017 special. GoDaddy has had an eventful Super Bowl run. Back in 2005, the marketer made a name for itself by featuring a scantily clad WWE female wrestler testifying before a congressional committee while experiencing repeated wardrobe malfunctions. It was the first of many risqué Super Bowl spots to come. By 2013, however, GoDaddy changed course slightly and ran the memorable (and some would say raunchy) “Perfect Match” spot, featuring supermodel Bar Refaeli making out with a computer geek. “By having the nerdy guy character…

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Publicis Groupe announced last week that Arthur Sadoun will become chairman and CEO of the country’s third-largest ad holding company, effective June 1. Sadoun has long been considered a potential candidate to take over Maurice Lévy’s role, but became a clearer choice in recent months following the restructuring of Publicis Groupe in December 2015. At the time, Sadoun was named CEO of Publicis Communications, which is comprised of the network’s creative agencies including Saatchi & Saatchi, Leo Burnett and BBH. Sadoun joined Publicis Groupe in 2006 as CEO of Publicis Conseil. He was named global CEO of Publicis Worldwide in 2013 and added a leadership position at MSL Group to his responsibilities in 2015. Lévy, 74, has been with Publicis since 1971 and took on the role of chairman…

‘I’m not saying they don’t have to do this, but they’re in a tough spot.’Sean Naughton, senior analyst, Piper Jaffray Maybe you buy your vitamins at the local big-box store or on Amazon. Maybe you believe all vitamin brands are pretty much the same. And maybe you haven’t even seen a brick-and-mortar vitamin and supplement retailer like General Nutrition Center—more commonly known as GNCsince your last trip to the mall. Whether or not these uncertainties apply to you, they certainly apply to the beleaguered Pittsburgh-based chain, which will be among the brands willing to pony up a reported $5 million for 30 seconds in the Super Bowl next week. For GNC—which lost its CEO in July, suffered an 8.9 percent same-store sales dip in third quarter, and watched its stock…

1 RISQUÉ CAN WORK GoDaddy’s market share in the U.S. grew from 16 to 25 percent after its first Super Bowl ad in 2005, from 25 to 32 percent after its 2006 spot, and from 32 to 42 percent after its 2007 spot (all of which featured buxom women). “We did get some negative feedback from the early ads, but we reached our goal, which was to build brand awareness,” Rechterman said. 2 SHIFTING FOCUS As tempting as it might have been to stick with what worked, GoDaddy felt the time was right to switch marketing strategies in 2013. “Everything was growing, growing, growing, going great, but the transition had to happen for the brand to evolve,” explained Rechterman. 3 BE AGILE The 2015 puppy mill ad taught GoDaddy to…

The Super Bowl makes high demands of the players and coaches, as well as the sports and media executives tied to the big game. But there’s one man who, despite having nothing to do with sports, also has to be in top form on game day. He is Sean Muldoon, and he is the chief ingredient officer of Papa John’s which, since 2010, has been the official pizza sponsor of the NFL. Muldoon is well aware that pizza deliveries spike 35 percent for the big game. (“This is the biggest day of the year for us,” he said.) But the main reason football is on Muldoon’s mind is because taste is the most decisive factor when it comes to ordering pizza, and taste is Muldoon’s responsibility. Not only does every…

Today we relaunch Adweek.com. After nearly four decades of corporate ownership, this is Adweek’s first major initiative as a stand-alone company. For staffers long-standing and new—all deeply passionate about Adweek—this is an incredibly proud moment and important inflection point for our brand and our core mission to serve the brand-marketing ecosystem. The new Adweek.com is designed to offer our editorial, advertising and native content in a dynamic way. Whatever the screen, we will continue to serve you best-in-class product, with all our content now flowing through five verticals: Creativity, Digital, Agencies, Brand Marketing and TV/ Video. The site is also more flexible and scalable; users will see more vibrant and varied layouts for text and video content, while our advertisers will be showcased in a number of new ways.…

Over the next few weeks, football fans across the country will debate the nuances of this year’s Super Bowl ads. Get tips on how to make the best nacho dip. Weigh in on social media and relive game highlights from Super Bowls past. All of which can be done from the comfort of their homes and offices. But a select (well, roughly a million) few are preparing for the experience of a lifetime. A nine-day extravaganza of sports, music, food, and even fashion rolled into one. And while the power of a well-crafted Big Game Ad is undeniable, the Big Game Activation is on the rise. The Super Bowl has become the ultimate proving ground for unique brand experiences. Take, for example, (our client) Marriott International. Now in its sixth…

The mud is thick and sticky, the kind that threatens to pull off your boots when you step into it. Flecks of it are splattered on the Victorian-era dresses and suits being worn by two dozen extras. It’s a dreary, drizzly day in mid-January, made grayer by plumes of smoke from a noisy fog machine, and these actors have spent hours wandering in and out of this gummy scene for the first wide shot from director Chris Sargent during the three-day production of Budweiser’s 60-second spot for the Super Bowl on Feb. 5. “The first thing everybody said to me is that, typically, period pieces are fucking terrible,” says Sargent. “They stand out in advertising. The suspension of disbelief is gone because you’re watching TV—and as soon as you see…

THE GREEN ONE Skittles caused an uproar among fans when it replaced the lime flavor with green apple. The color is similar, but the flavor change led to a Facebook revolt. THE SHELL Skittles’ hard shell is gradually added to the chewy center via a process called panning. It happens at the Wrigley factory in Yorkville, Ill., which also makes Life Savers candies. THE LEAGUE Since signing as an NFL sponsor in 2014, Skittles has scored by creating custom gear like jackets equipped with Skittles dispensers for the Denver Broncos. Americans really love their Skittles, and, if a recent news report is any indication, so do their livestock. On Jan. 18, Sheriff Dale Schmidt noticed hundreds of thousands of Skittles covering a roadway in Dodge County, Wis. After posting photos…