Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts

From leading photoshoots in Italy to shaping digital futures, AIVA Juror Jennifer Kowal’s career is as dynamic as her journey! ???? With over 20 years in creative leadership, Jennifer now drives UX and experience design at Accenture Song, crafting innovative solutions for top global brands. How does she do it all? See her secrets in the story: https://vist.ly/3mwgavv

Lauren here again. Can you believe this is the last day of February already? I mean, what is time? Lots happening with awards shows, conferences, art fairs… if you’re in NYC check out the consistently wonderful Outsider Art Fair this weekend. Obvs this weekend is The Academy Awards, the “big game” for those less sports-inclined. Plus, the weather is FINALLY showing some signs of warming (or at least less-colding). So, let’s not dally here, let’s get points-ing. This week's points brought to you by the ghost of the Fyre Fest VIP Cheese Sandwich: - I track rebrands quite often (I DO have awards categories devoted to this very subject), but I haven’t thought as much about product re-designs based on cultural shifts. One example: Dawn dish soap had to change its whole formula to address the increased meat consumption in the US. (via Fast Company) - Another shift in animal-based consumer behavior, I was a bit taken aback at how many furs (and wishes for furs) I saw in the coverage of the Fashion Weeks - At London FW, young attendees were asked what one thing their closet is missing, a shocking number said “fur”. When did we all agree on this? I’m interested in understanding what’s driving this cooling on the controversial material. WSJ, Vogue and Highsnobiety all confirm my suspicions with articles on just this. - In other topics for which I’d like to understand the root cause: who else was toppled by the Slack outage on Weds? It’s like I forgot that there were other ways to communicate with my team. Do you think this could be a retention tactic to remind us all how much we rely on the #s and ??? If so, mission accomplished, I’d say. - I can’t not mention the insanity that is Fyre Fest 2. Guys, idk… this thing is happening at the end of MAY in QR Mexico which seems very crunched. Lbh, they don't have the best track record for being prepared. The artists are TBA (WHO WOULD AGREE?!), but what we do know is that the top-tier “Prometheus” passes run a cool $1.1M. That includes “complimentary” flight transport to and from CUN (um… not free) and the next package down is $25K and that does NOT include your flight. I can’t wait to see how this unfolds. ION, has anyone checked on Ja Rule? - So many big exits this week, some greats exited from this mortal coil - including the inimitable Roberta Flack and Gene Hackman (tragically along with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, and dog). Michelle Trachtenberg was an awful shock at 39yo. The Oscars In Memoriam will have a particular sting this Sunday. Less tragic, Lester Holt is making an exit from NBC Nightly News and will focus his energy on Dateline to deep dive into some more tragedy-storytelling (good choice, I love Keith and the gang and always hope that the Dateline Podcast will grace our Awards inboxes).?? Okay, that’s it for me. I hope that the Oscars throw enough curveballs to give me some points-fodder for next Friday. See you on the red carpet!

Join us for the next AIVA Live: In Session! ?? Managing Director Lauren Angeloni will be joined by juror Gabriel Kerr, Senior Creative Producer at Rock'n Robin Productions. With a passion for impactful storytelling, Gabriel has traveled the country bringing powerful narratives to life, most notably as Supervising Producer for the award-winning series Robin Roberts Presents: Thriver Thursday. ?? Don't miss this conversation on March 6th, 1PM EST: https://lnkd.in/eZVNiZQy

NEW ROLES ADDED! As the 31st Communicator Awards season winds down (last chance to enter is Friday, March 14th!), we want to hear from you. If you’ve found a new role through our Weekly S.O.W., tell us about it! In the meantime,worry not… we’re not done yet! We’ll have at least a few more of these listings before the season closes. #HiringNow #CareerOpportunities #CommunicatorAwards #MarketingJobs #CreativeCareers #CommunicationIsConnection

What does it mean to win a Communicator Award? ????? We asked past winners, and their answers say it all. From opening doors to new business to elevating their work, the impact goes beyond the statuette. Swipe through to see how recognition can amplify your message! ?? Discover more winner stories: https://vist.ly/3mvyd5d

Communicator Award-winning and student-run CommAgency pulled back the curtain on the making of an exhibit at Penn State. ?? See how the team captured the voices of the curators behind "WHERE BEAUTY'S AT: Expressions of Black Visual Culture," diving into rare archives and powerful stories, in only one semester. ?? See how they did it: https://vist.ly/3mvvuak

Lauren here! Hope my US crew enjoyed the short week for Presidents' Day. If I were a pessimist, I might say that this means less time in the week to wrangle all of the? great things we’re working on… but thank goodness I’m not one of those and enjoyed my time fully. We’re readying the next seasons of w3 Awards and the Davey Awards, but not before the close of The 31st Communicator Awards! There’s still time to get your work in (hope some of the below take the hint and get to submitting). This week's points brought to you by displaced chicken: - So many entertainment hits last weekend, what with the big NBCUniversal #SNL50 festivities (a head-scratcher that the centerpiece was on a Sunday). My husband is a loyalist, so we lapped up every last second of it. I acutely felt the absence of Bill Hader: my personal fave. - Sorry in advance: Getting into the #SNL50 spirit, Dove bumped their typical REAL ppl, body-positive ads in favor of comedy, roofing on our aversion to the word ‘moist’. The spot aired during the Peacock special and was created by Maximum Effort (Ryan Reynolds’ agency) - Who else called “Paul Simon coming out of retirement” after his Sabrina Carpenter duet? I was lucky to be at his Queens ‘farewell’ show and am kinda bummed that he’s taking it back. - HBO’s White Lotus was the other major weekend drop… many pieces followed about the series’ impact on travel and on its many Brand deals (a Diageo Sweeps, an American Express Travel Experience). Also, Walton Goggins has been EVERYWHERE (GoDaddy Super Bowl Spot, Architectural Digest feature- what a HOUSE!) - More TV: Jake from State Farm visits Adam Scott on the Severed Floor when a new employee is severed from her parents’ insurance. The spot was directed by Ben Stiller, so it’s legit (with the Grand Central stunt, they’re really crushing) - More celeb ads (w a concerning amount of rhyming names between them): A viral video showing a drone invading Drake’s home and subsequently getting warded off with a flip flop, turned out to be an ad for Stake a gaming/betting platform, thus launching an integrated campaign for the ages. Some reports claim that he’s taking $100M for this partnership, making it one of the most lucrative yet. - Some alarming news:?KFC is leaving KY? Seems like sacrilege (many of my colleagues are based in Ashland, KY, so I need to check on them). From what I understand, they may be moving to TX… I have to believe that TX understands chicken, so at least there’s that) - Big Shapewear’s battle for attention: SKIMS & Nike announced a collab on a new activewear line and Spanx rolled out an Awards Season campaign to celebrate their 25th anniversary. I can’t believe I’ve been willingly compressing my organs for 2.5 decades! As always, I'm eager to hear your takes! Reach out and don’t forget to enter your best campaigns/content/viral social video into the Communicator Awards by March 14! And Stake we have a Marketing Effectiveness category for you! ; )

NEW ROLES ADDED! A three-day weekend (for some) is a great time to reflect on where you’re headed next. If you used the extra time to spark some ideas about your career path, this week’s Weekly S.O.W. has a brand-new lineup of opportunities sourced by our global juror community. For those outside the US, you don’t need a holiday to get inspired for your next move. And if you land a role through this series, let us know—we’d love to celebrate with you! #HiringNow #CareerOpportunities #CommunicatorAwards #MarketingJobs #CreativeCareers #CommunicationIsConnection #PresidentsDay

In our LinkedIn live series, AIVA Live: In Session, Managing Director, Lauren Angeloni, gives a glimpse behind the massive effort and heart put into evaluating the creative projects submitted into the AIVA awards season after season. Join us to learn more about the lives and careers of our expert jurors and get some award-winning advice along the way. Lauren will be joined by Senior Creative Producer & Development, Rock'n Robin Productions Gabriel Kerr. With an infinite passion for impactful storytelling, Gabriel uses his skills on a daily basis to assist in the creation, development, production, post-production, and marketing of programming. As Supervising Producer for the award-winning inspirational digital series, "Robin Roberts Presents: Thriver Thursday," Gabriel traveled around the country telling the stories of "thrivers" nationwide for four consecutive seasons. — The Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts (AIVA) is an invitation-only body of top-tier professionals from acclaimed media, interactive, advertising, and marketing organizations like Walt Disney Studios, Groove Jones, PepsiCo, McCann Health NY, Netflix, IBM, Deloitte Digital, LG, and WONGDOODY among many others. The AIVA sanctions all judging for the Communicator, w3 and Davey Awards. To learn more about the AIVA, visit aiva.org.

From her early days working for a tiny Chicago agency in someone's house to leading a global creative team at Pangaea Creative House, AIVA Juror Emily Heller Belmonte thrives on breaking the rules and pushing creativity forward. With nearly 30 years of experience, she has redefined the agency model, delivered bold, standout ideas for brands worldwide and found ways to bring comedy into the office. ?? Read her full story here: https://vist.ly/3mvbdnf