May 24
FCB has promoted Tyler Turnbull to group chief executive officer, managing the New York and Canadian operations—which include Toronto, Montreal, FuelContent and FCB/SIX. In a release announcing the appointment, FCB called Turnbull “one of the youngest and most accomplished CEOs in the FCB network.”
“Tyler is a champion of revitalizing businesses and transforming them into top performers,” said FCB Worldwide CEO Carter Murray. “He is incredibly driven, fearless and talent-forward, recognizing the importance of having a truly inspired and engaged workforce across the board.”
After 14 years with Vice Canada, Ryan Archibald has left the media company to lead an ambitious new global cannabis agency.
Gram by Gram, which is opening with offices in Toronto, Los Angeles, Mexico City and London, is part of Snoop Dogg’s cannabis culture media brand, Merry Jane. While at Vice, Archibald helped launch its ad agency Virtue, which worked with marketers to produce advertising and content relevant to its audience. Joining him at Gram by Gram as chief strategy officer will be Badr El Fekkak, who was most recently Virtue’s managing director.
“Ryan has an innate understanding of culture that allows him to connect the dots between insights, trends, brands and audiences in disruptive and groundbreaking ways,” said Ted Chung, co-founder of Gram by Gram and partner of Snoop Dogg at Merry Jane. “We’re building a structural foundation now to support a not-so-distant future when cannabis is fully legalized and accessible to all adults, worldwide.”
Clif Bar & Company, maker of the namesake protein bars, has launched its first North American TV campaign, “Make it good,” which it says is the most significant campaign in its 27-year history.
The quirky campaign, from Austin-based agency Callen, brings the climber featured on the Clif Bar packaging to life. Both the :30 and :90 versions of “The Biker” show the climber cycling through a series of whimsical settings, such as organic farms and a “magical, sustainable bakery” before tackling the mountain featured on the packaging.
“We’ve been unwaveringly optimistic that sustaining our people, communities and the planet is not only good for business but it’s simply better for everyone,” said Gary Erickson, founder and co-CEO of Clif Bar & Co. “By remaining an independent, family and employee-owned organic food company, we can make long-term investments to benefit people and help lessen our footprint on the planet.”
The new campaign debuted on May 17 and is running on TV and cinema through June.
Shannon Davidson has been named the new general manager of Cohn & Wolfe Canada. She will report to managing partner Rick Murray, who leads both Cohn & Wolfe and its sister agency, National Public Relations.
Davidson, who has more than 23 years of experience in marketing, spent the past three years leading National’s marketing practice. Her career also includes stints with Publicis, Maclaren Momentum and Wunderman, as well as extensive sports marketing expertise through positions at, or consulting with, Scotiabank, the CFL, Molson and the Grand Prix of Toronto.
“Shannon is a seasoned marketer with a track record of building integrated teams and strong client relationships,” said Murray. “Her energy, passion, leadership and commitment makes us really excited to see how the ‘Wolfe Pack’ will roam across the country in the years ahead.”
