NEW YORK —
Jiah Choi has been named CEO of both BBDO New York and Energy BBDO in Chicago.
“BBDO NY and Energy BBDO are both powerhouse creative agencies in their own right. Each agency has strong complementary capabilities and talent, which is why they work so well together on our shared clients today. Bringing in Jiah as a single leader across both New York and Energy will help us to continue to accelerate growth and amplify shared capabilities for our client partners,” said Nancy Reyes, CEO of the Americas at BBDO.
The move marks one of the most significant hires that Reyes has made since she joined BBDO last September.
“Jiah is a badass leader who truly loves our business. From building world class creative agencies, to leading integrated marketing content on the client-side at Coca Cola, her combination of creative and business acumen is special. She is the perfect person to lead our teams in both New York and Chicago,’’ said Reyes.
Choi spent the past two years as president of Wieden+Kennedy New York, a place that holds a special place in her heart. When asked about her time at the agency, Choi said: “The magic at W+K is real, and I’m eternally grateful that I had the opportunity to work with such an incredible group of people.”
Prior to her time at W+K, Choi helped start the Los Angeles office of Anomaly, rising to the rank of CEO and establishing client relationships with Uber Eats, Facebook, Allbirds, Diet Coke, and The Los Angeles Rams. She also previously spent time at The Coca-Cola Company leading content and creative on brands such as Sprite and vitaminwater.
“I’m so excited about the opportunity to help BBDO NY and Energy BBDO build on their momentum of change. BBDO has a legacy of excellence and what a privilege it is that we have the opportunity to deliver on that together,” said Choi.
Wednesday, August 14, 2024
A small brand safety initiative is ceasing operations — days after being targeted by social media platform X in a lawsuit alleging the group helped coordinate a “massive advertiser boycott” after billionaire Elon Musk bought the company in 2022.
The World Federation of Advertisers has confirmed that it’s discontinuing its Global Alliance for Responsible Media initiative. In a Friday (8/9) statement, the advertising group said that recent allegations “unfortunately misconstrue (GARM’s) purpose and activities” — adding that this “caused a distraction and significantly drained its resources and finances.”
X, formerly Twitter, sued the World Federation of Advertisers and member companies Unilever, Mars, CVS Health and Orsted on Tuesday. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Texas, took particular aim at GARM’s alleged role that X says contributed to an advertising pause after Musk acquired the company for $44 billion in October 2022.
X alleged that advertisers conspired with and through GARM “to collectively withhold billions of dollars in advertising revenue” from the company. The suit also alleges that the defendants violated antitrust laws in the process, citing recent findings from the Republican-led U.S. House Judiciary Committee.
“No small group should be able to monopolize what gets monetized,” X Ceo Linda Yaccarino wrote on the platform Thursday, in response to a post from the Judiciary Committee GOP that celebrated the news of GARM discontinuing operations. She called the move a “necessary step in the right direction.”
GARM’s end may mark a victory for X right now, but the company could still face a lengthy battle in court with the group of advertisers it’s sued. And whether any of GARM’s digital safety work will… Read More
