17170: Scanning Scamming At Cannes.

 

Campaign Asia-Pacific reported the Cannes scam case study controversy continues, as a US senator filed a lawsuit against Whirlpool, Omnicom Group, DDB, São Paulo-based DM9, and several other subsidiaries.

 

The complaint charges DM9’s Cannes Lions-winning case study video featured AI-manipulated excerpts from the politician’s 2018 TED Talk, which were integrated without consent.

 

Wow. DM9 demonstrated extraordinary creativity and craftiness with the deceptive entry. It’s a wonder Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity hasn’t introduced a special trophy for scampaigns—it would surely generate significant profits for the awards enterprise.

 

DM9’s Cannes controversy deepens, US senator sues Omnicom, DDB and DM9 over AI-manipulated entry

 

After the Grand Prix was stripped, DM9’s case study on appliance energy costs is now at the centre of a legal complaint.

 

By Campaign Asia-Pacific Staff

 

A US state senator has filed a complaint against Whirlpool, Omnicom Group, DDB, São Paulo-based agency DM9 and several other subsidiaries, alleging that parts of her 2018 TED Talk were manipulated using AI and included in DM9’s Cannes Lions-winning case study video without her consent, AdAge first reported.

 

State Senator DeAndrea Salvador complained on August 20 in the US District Court for the Western District of North Carolina and claimed that her name, image, and likeness were unlawfully altered for the ‘Efficient Way to Pay’ campaign, produced for appliance brand Consul, whose parent company, Whirlpool, is also named as a defendant.

 

Salvador said the unauthorised use left her “shocked, violated, and deeply unsettled,” and she experienced “significant emotional distress.” She is seeking financial compensation for reputational and emotional harm, with the amount to be determined at trial.

 

The campaign, which aimed to show how outdated appliances drive up energy bills, initially scooped the Creative Data Grand Prix and a bronze at the 2025 Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. But the win quickly spiralled into controversy when claims emerged that the case study had been padded with AI-manipulated footage and overstated results. Within a week, Cannes confirmed the entry had been mutually withdrawn after discussions with DM9.

 

In June, the scandal triggered internal fallout at the agency. DM9 co-president and CEO Pipo Calazans apologised via LinkedIn, stressed that the brand had no role in the errors, and announced plans to form an AI Ethics Committee to oversee responsible use of artificial intelligence. Co-president and chief creative officer Ícaro Doria stepped down and took “full responsibility” for the controversy. To add to the woes, CNN Brasil also lodged a complaint alleging that one of its news segments was also altered with AI in the same case study video. CNN Brasil later dropped the matter after DM9 issued a public apology.

 

This story first appeared on Campaign Asia-Pacific.

17169: Winging It At Popeyes.

 

Popeyes added new “Better Wings” to its menu…? Better than what?

 

The hype included gushing from Popeyes’ Vice President of Culinary Innovation—who’s been serving the chicken chain for nearly 18 years.

 

Guess that confirms Annie the Chicken Queen—who constantly boasted about her culinary creations—was a totally fictional fraud.

17168: TGIFinal Thought On Cracker Barrel Logo.

BTW, had anyone ever considered integrating Wile E. Coyote into the Cracker Barrel logo? Seems like an update that Cracker Critics might’ve approved…

17167: Crackers Wanted…? NVM.

 

The actual LinkedIn post depicted above appeared days before Cracker Barrel exploded.

 

Wonder how many early applicants have withdrawn their candidacy. And how many Cracker Barrel staffers lost their livelihoods because of the logo debacle.

 

Although any accusations of ageism will be deflected by arguing the Old Timer kept his job.

17166: On Loud & Booming Double-Barreled Shitguns.

 

Adweek reported the revamped Cracker Barrel logo experienced backlash from Internet mobs—including President Donald J. Trump and Donald Trump Jr.—who could all be called Cracker Critics.

 

Particularly dumb commentary came from the Chief Design Officer at TBWA\Worldwide, whose mutterings Adweek presented as follows:

 

[While] “the effort to modernize the brand by simplifying its identity and making it more legible and adaptable to a digital ecosystem” works, it risks “alienating loyal audiences. … Heritage brands must remember their identity is not just aesthetic, it’s cultural. … When updating visual codes, they’re not simply adjusting pixels or type curves, but symbols embedded in people’s everyday lives.”

 

On this topic, viewpoints from Adland should be summarily dismissed—and dissed.

 

After all, the industry never hesitates to quickly abandon heritage brands as White holding companies execute corporate colonization. TBWA routinely disrupts White advertising agencies by tagging its signature logo across iconic nameplates.

 

When White advertising agencies win accounts, the first order of business involves rejecting, razing, and rebuilding the acquired brand.

 

And now comes news that Cracker Barrel caved in to the pressure, announcing the Old Timer will be resurrected.

 

Where was the outrage when erasing Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben, Rastus, and Mia? Will professionals and political leaders demand the restoration of those icons too?

 

In the end, the anti-woke wield more power than the anti-racist. White power trumps—clever wordplay intended—all advocacy for progress.

 

Cracker Barrel CMO Defends Rebrand After Stock Tumbles 

 

The restaurant chain’s shares fell 7.2% on Thursday morning, two days after it unveiled its new logo

 

By Cydney Lee

 

On Tuesday (Aug. 19), Cracker Barrel unveiled a new logo, much to the chagrin of the internet.

 

Since its release, left and right-wing politicians, marketers, and consumers alike have criticized the switch, with some declaring it’s too “woke” and steers away from “American tradition.” Others have knocked the simplicity of the design.

 

“WTF is wrong with @CrackerBarrel??!,” Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, posted to X. The official X account for the Democratic Party echoed the statement, posting, “We think the Cracker Barrel rebrand sucks too.”

 

Following the backlash, the brand’s shares fell 7.2% on Thursday morning (Aug. 21), erasing $100 million in market value. Its shares rose slightly on Friday (Aug. 22) in pre-market trading.

 

However, Cracker Barrel is doubling down on its new look.

 

In a statement shared with ADWEEK, Sarah Moore, the brand’s chief marketing officer (CMO), said its “values haven’t changed, and the heart and soul of Cracker Barrel haven’t changed.”

 

“Cracker Barrel has been a destination for comfort and community for more than half a century, and this fifth evolution of the brand’s logo, which works across digital platforms as well as billboards and roadside signs, is a call-back to the original and rooted even more in the iconic barrel shape and word mark that started it all back in 1969,” she said.

 

‘All the More’

 

Cracker Barrel released the updated visual identity as part of its new “All the More” campaign, which also includes a 15-second spot starring country singer Jordan Davis, new menu items, and an interior design revamp of its restaurants.

 

The logo removed its longstanding old man and the barrel motif, replacing the image with a simple wordmark in the brand’s signature gold and brown.

 

Along with consumers, the ad industry is divided on the rebrand, too.

 

Bruno Regalo, chief design officer at TBWA\Worldwide, observed that while “the effort to modernize the brand by simplifying its identity and making it more legible and adaptable to a digital ecosystem” works, it risks “alienating loyal audiences.”

 

“Heritage brands must remember their identity is not just aesthetic, it’s cultural,” he told ADWEEK. “When updating visual codes, they’re not simply adjusting pixels or type curves, but symbols embedded in people’s everyday lives.”

 

He continued: “More than following design trends, it’s about keeping that soul alive—the distinctive elements that touch consumers emotionally—and reinterpreting them to feel current and relevant without losing what makes them unique.”

 

Kevin Green, executive creative director (ECD) at Moroch Agency, said the brand was the latest in a run to have stripped its brand of “any unique or ownable personality,” while plumping for a more modern aesthetic.

 

“There has to be a better balance between modernity and the magic that has built brands like Cracker Barrel for decades,” he said.

 

Indeed, other advertisers, including fashion label Burberry, have been critiqued for jumping on this so-called “blanding” trend, where a typeface replaces an image.

 

A Run of Controversial Brand Moments

 

While the move was intended to celebrate its 55+ year heritage, Cracker Barrel has faced previous boycotts over claims of discrimination due to its American South aesthetic and corporate policies.

 

It now joins a running list of brands that have stoked controversy and become a flashpoint in the U.S. culture wars over the last month, including American Eagle, Dunkin’, and e.l.f. Cosmetics.

17165: On The Decline Of Adland.

 

Adweek published content with the following headline and subhead:

 

Marketing and Advertising Internships Are on the Decline The downward trend parallels a decrease in young people employed in the industry overall

 

Gee, did this really need a report?

 

The scenario is not only the result of a “decrease in young people employed in the industry”—it reflects a decrease in people employed in the industry overall.

 

Fuck internships—marketing and advertising jobs are on the decline.

 

All of which leads to DEIBA+ decimation.

17164: Short News On S4 Capital & MSQ Partners.

 

More About Advertising reported the proposed acquisition deal between S4 and MSQ is DOA, which is good news for MSQ, as Sir Martin Sorrell surely would’ve added FU to the acronym blender—prompting the marketing group to consider changing their masthead to MSQ QQ.

 

Plus, group shots like the slightly doctored MSQ portrait depicted below might’ve required rethinking and reframing—unless Sorrell felt comfortable standing on a few crates.

 

MSQ and S4 Capital deal is off – for now anyway

 

By Stephen Foster

 

Oh well, it was fun while it lasted (briefly.) Marketing group MSQ has firmly ruled out a merger with Sir Martin Sorrell’s S4 Capital, saying that such discussions may have taken place between representatives of its majority shareholder One Equity Partners (OEP) and S4 Capital, but its board was not involved.

 

It added that neither OEP nor MSQ (below) intends to pursue further discussions regarding the transaction. Which does rather suggest that OEP and MSQ haven’t exactly been on the same page.

 

In truth it was hard to see the logic behind such a deal, at least from MSQ’s point of view. S4 is much bigger, at least in terms of numbers, but struggling as its tech clients do their own thing with AI. MSQ, on the face of it although it’s hard to know with P/E-owned businesses, seems to be doing OK on its own although it’s currently embarked on expansion in the US, which has derailed many a UK-based marcoms business.

 

Sorrell also has the equivalent of a golden share in S4 which means, in essence, it can’t do anything major without his say-so and there are no signs he’s ready to leave the stage just yet. Which may be a relief to nervous MSQ employees.

 

As with many UK businesses the problem for both S4 and MSQ is scaling. You may grow by acquiring lots of smaller companies but, some time or other, there’s going to be one that doesn’t work and that can bring the whole edifice down. Quoted Next 15 may rue the day it bought what was left of Engine Group to become House337 just when the market for such agencies turned down (it also had a run at M&C Saatchi.)

 

Back in the day the brothers’ Saatchi & Saatchi bought Ted Bates in the US for a then eye-watering $450m (boss Bob Jacoby trousered $110m only to be fired later) beginning the rapid decline which led to its eventual sale to Publicis. S4 Capital was once valued at a dizzy £4.5 billion (it’s now £136m/$184m.) Sorrell is reported to have rebuffed a $700m approach from Mark Penn’s Stagwell last year.

 

It is, as they say, complicated. There’s surely another twist or two in the S4 Capital tale. MSQ may be better off charting its own course but, as some of the above details illustrate, it’s far from easy.

17163: Putting The Ca-Ca in Campaign.

Garnier BBDO in Costa Rica is responsible for this El Lagar campaign—which feels like a scampaign—allegedly seeking to reach a young audience by connecting hardware tools with professional wrestling.

 

The not-so-clever tagline, however, underscores that words don’t always translate across cultures.

 

Some might read it as WresTOOLmania—while others see WreSTOOLmania.

 

The latter seems more appropriate, as the concept is shit.

17162: Take A Walk.

 

How much you should walk to lose 30 lbs. Um, to your nearest pharmacy to pick up a prescription of Ozempic^®…?

17161: Targeting Target’s Targeted Troubles.

 

Adweek reported the CEO of Target is stepping down after 10+ years, a decision presumably tied to sales sliding down for 10+ quarters.

 

While Adweek mentions it, there really aren’t firm opinions regarding the true impact of boycotts on profits.

 

Hell, even John Caldwell isn’t chiming in on the topic. Yet.

 

Target CEO Brian Cornell Steps Down Amid Continued Sales Decline 

 

Michael Fiddelke, currently chief operating officer, will take over in February 2026.

 

By Kathryn Lundstrom

 

Target CEO Brian Cornell is stepping down after 10 years.

 

The retailer has selected chief operating officer Michael Fiddelke as Cornell’s replacement, announced during Target’s Q2 earnings call. Fiddelke will take the reins on Feb. 1, 2026, and Cornell will move into the role of executive chairman.

 

The change comes amid continued sales declines—this marks its 11th quarter reporting flat or falling sales—and repeated consumer boycotts over the past two years.

 

Target has faced backlash from both ends of the political spectrum, starting when anti-LGBTQ activists criticized its 2023 Pride collection, leading the retailer to scale back Pride-related marketing and merchandise, and more recently when it dropped its supplier and workforce diversity programs.

 

“Our performance over the last few years has not been acceptable,” Fiddelke told investors.

 

Fiddelke has spent more than 20 years at the company, starting as a finance intern in 2003, according to LinkedIn. Prior to his role as COO, he was chief financial officer from 2019-2024.

 

During the earnings call, Fiddelke outlined a vision for his tenure that focuses on style and design, customer experience, and technological investment.

 

“We need to move faster, much faster,” he said. “Over the past few months, we’ve been urgently adjusting our approach to assortment planning amidst a rapidly evolving external tariff and consumer landscape.

 

“This type of speed and agility is exactly how we need to lead across all aspects of our business, serving as a textbook model for our new enterprise acceleration office.”

17160: Improving The Jean/Gene Pool.

Gap keeps it simple and sexy with KATSEYE, hyping its Fall apparel via “Better in Denim.”

 

It’s better than American Eagle.

17160: Financially Struggling WPP Media Opens Credit Card Account. Priceless.

 

Advertising Age reported Mastercard named WPP Media its global White media firm—although winning the $180 million account only partially offsets the multi-billion-dollar losses experienced by the recently rebranded company in the past year.

 

Wonder if outgoing WPP CEO Mark Read or incoming WPP CEO Cindy Rose will take credit for the assignment. Maybe the two deserve fractional recognition.

 

Hell, the relationship probably started with beleaguered WPP seeking monetary assistance from the financial services corporation.

 

There are some things money can’t buy—like resuscitating Adland’s biggest dinosaur—for everything else there’s MasterCard.

 

Mastercard awards WPP global media account, citing AI and data capabilities

 

By Ewan Larkin and Brian Bonilla

 

Mastercard has hired WPP Media to lead global media strategy, planning and buying in a vote of confidence in the network’s AI and data capabilities.

 

WPP Media replaces Dentsu’s Carat, which had handled the account since 2014. Mastercard has also hired WPP-owned Ogilvy to help it with social listening and be more reactive. McCann, a fixture in the financial services giant’s marketing for decades, remains its creative agency of record and its lead agency on social campaigns.

 

“As Mastercard continues to evolve—and to refine the future of marketing in an AI- and data-driven era—we’re expanding the role of our media partnerships to take on a new shape and support more integrated business needs," the company said in its statement. “That’s why we’ve made the strategic decision to partner with WPP Media to lead our media strategy, planning and buying across more than 70 international markets.”

 

The win—the first significant global slice of business for the rebranded WPP Media—comes after the network told Ad Age in April that it had resigned from Mastercard competitor PayPal’s account to “pursue other opportunities.”

 

In describing the decision to hire WPP Media, Mastercard cited the network’s global reach and “advanced AI and data capabilities”—strengths the group has been highlighting through recent investments such as Open Intelligence, its data solution and AI system. Open Intelligence underpins Open Media Studio, WPP’s end-to-end media delivery platform.

 

Mastercard’s decision also comes just weeks before Cindy Rose, chief operating officer of Microsoft’s global enterprise business, takes the reins as WPP CEO on Sept. 1, replacing Mark Read. It also helps WPP begin to recover from a string of high-profile media losses, including Mars’ $1.7 billion global business and Coca-Cola Co.’s North America account, both won by Publicis.

 

Mastercard’s global media spend totaled $180 million in 2024, according to estimates from COMvergence.

 

The appointment is a “testament to the AI-based data solutions we are building at WPP to fuel intelligent growth,” said Rose.

17159: On The ABCs Of AI For Portfolio School Students.

 

Adweek reported portfolio schools—including Miami Ad School—are developing curricula incorporating AI coursework.

 

Last week, Adweek reported Adland was dumping younger workers, opining the employment situation was fueled by the rise of AI. So, it’s odd to train advertising wannabes on the technology that diminishes their employment opportunities.

 

Can’t help but wonder how long before portfolio school instructors are replaced by AI.

 

Additionally, as previously noted, Miami Ad School has been pruning its portfolio, creating another cold reality impacting students.

 

It all reflects the school of hard knocks presented by Adland.

 

Ad Schools Race to Equip Grads for the AI Age 

 

As portfolio schools add AI training, is it enough to keep their model relevant?

 

By Brittaney Kiefer & Audrey Kemp

 

For decades, ad school graduates have entered agencies armed with classic creative skills like copywriting, art direction, and design. The next wave will bring something new to the table: fluency in artificial intelligence. 

 

When a new term begins this fall, ad schools including Miami Ad School, Brandcenter at Virginia Commonwealth University, and London’s School of Communication Arts (SCA) are rolling out curricula that incorporate AI education.

 

They’re doing so to prepare students for a workforce being reshaped by AI. The tech is already affecting the general job market for entry-level workers, The Wall Street Journal reported. While the national unemployment rate is about 4%, for new college graduates it was 6.6% over the past 12 months ending in May. 

 

The ad industry specifically appears to be shedding younger workers as AI use becomes routine at agencies, as ADWEEK reported last week.

 

Even before AI’s rise, the traditional ad school model was under pressure from economic factors and digital disruption. Since 2023, Miami Ad School has closed campuses in San Francisco, Toronto, and most recently Atlanta. The Chicago Portfolio School, Atlanta’s Creative Circus, and the U.K.’s Watford Course have also shut down in recent years.

 

Many ad schools are now racing to keep up with the pace of change and convince both prospective students and industry employers that their education is fit for the future.

 

As Vann Graves, executive director of Brandcenter, put it: “The industry is moving at a pace so much faster than it has ever moved. Education needs to move even faster than that.”

 

Cracks in the Ad School Model

 

Modern portfolio schools emerged in the 1990s, when agencies scaled back on-the-job training. Programs like Miami Ad School, founded in 1993, and Creative Circus, established in 1995, offered intensive instruction in advertising fundamentals and portfolio building to help graduates stand out in hiring rounds. 

 

But the model has drawbacks. Cost is a major barrier: Miami Ad School’s two year portfolio program costs $38,000, while SCA’s three-semester course is about $24,640.

 

Ad schools can also focus too narrowly on portfolio development meant to catch the eye of advertising creatives at the expense of broader business training, said Alex Grieve, global chief creative officer of BBH.

 

“I didn’t go to ad school, and I’ve always felt it’s given me an advantage, because I did think differently [when I entered the workforce],” Grieve said. “At ad schools, there’s this kind of obsession with building a portfolio of work that will get you noticed, and not enough on genuine problem solving for clients.”

 

Linda Carte, a former Miami Ad School instructor and longtime agency creative director, agreed the business side of advertising is sometimes overlooked in ad school training. 

 

“In an ad school or for a student, it might seem unsexy,” she said. “But the business side of it is almost 50%: knowing your client’s business, knowing their concerns, knowing their landscape.”

 

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, which temporarily halted in-person education, cracks in the ad school model have begun to appear. 

 

“The pandemic was really hard for [Miami Ad School Toronto] because they had a really great, vibrant culture at their physical location,” said Steve Miller, a former instructor. “[The school] lost some of that vibe… that was just the start.”

 

AI Education

 

The recent acceleration of AI has made it even more imperative for ad schools to evolve.

 

Starting with the current cohort scheduled to graduate in September, Miami Ad School introduced a 10-week boot camp called “AI for Creatives.” The course teaches students how to create with AI tools, culminating with a final project of an AI-powered campaign.

 

Miami Ad School launched the program after hearing from agencies that want to “bring on more juniors if they know how to use AI tools,” said Rebecca Rovirosa, its chief creative officer and academic director.

 

Meanwhile, just as some agencies have appointed chief AI officers, Brandcenter recently hired its first director of technical training, Micah Berry from Arts & Letters. Berry will help students and faculty keep abreast of developments in AI and emerging tech, Graves said.

 

“Young ad folks can’t just be an art director or copywriter now. They have to be polymaths,” he added.

 

SCA’s changes are more extensive. Starting with the 2025-2026 cohort, the school will conduct a series of 10 two-hour workshops teaching students how to creatively think and problem solve using AI. 

 

The goal is for students to leave with “AI as your personal creative partner,” said Marc Lewis, head of SCA. That’s a change from the previous system of students teaming up with peers, which will now be optional. With AI training, the cohort will also be able to create portfolios and pitch decks much faster, he added.

 

“They’re going to need to be able to operate like a one-person agency. They now need to think as a creative director, working with AI as your junior and giving it feedback and direction,” Lewis said. “AI should be like an exoskeleton, helping people think further and faster.”

 

The Future

 

Many educators agree that ad schools need to quickly adapt. “A school that gets it right is one that knows they need to be nimble,” Carte said. 

 

For Miller, that means having leadership committed to constant curriculum updates, especially as new tools emerge. “Schools need a leader who’s staying on top of the curriculum and making sure that it’s as current as possible,” he said. “With AI, art directors need to have a glimpse into Midjourney… writers [need to] learn how to use ChatGPT.”

 

One alternative may be agencies taking the reins of education again, giving talent real-world experience. For instance, BBH runs an eight-month program called the Barn, led by the agency’s former executive creative director Nick Gill. The Barn pays participants about $39,000 per year, and many grads get jobs at BBH or other agencies, Grieve said.

 

But despite the pressures on traditional talent training models, the idea of AI completely replacing entry-level talent is unrealistic, Graves said. 

 

“You still need juniors to train up and implement new ideas,” he said. “There’s going to be a great awakening on what junior roles look like and the expectations of students coming into the field.”

 

While AI is changing the industry, “it doesn’t remove you,” said Vasti Marcelo, managing director of Miami Ad School.

 

“This could be a very scary time for students, but please understand that AI is just a tool to help your creativity work faster,” Marcelo said.