We pulled together some of the most interesting articles we’ve read recently – and included the quotes that got us talking the most.

‘Meet Graham’ Wins the First Grand Prix of the 2017 Cannes Liones
Source: Ad Week
“The truth is, cars have evolved a lot faster than we have… Our bodies are just not equipped to handle the forces in common crash scenarios,” notes collision expert David Logan. In an exploration of what humans would have to look like in order to fully and completely survive a common car crash, Logan paired up with artist Patricia Piccinini and trauma surgeon Christian Kenfield. The three designed ‘Graham,’ a human model made that – frankly – looks almost nothing like the average human. Australian marketing agency Clemenger BBDO created an ad called ‘Meet Graham’ for the Grand Prix of the 2017 Cannes Liones, to make people stop and think about their own vulnerability. Although shocking to see what form humans would need to evolve to so survive all car crashes, the campaign won the Grand Prix in the Health & Wellness category of the Lions Health festival, a captivating reminder to wear your seatbelt, follow traffic laws, and practice safe driving.

Get ready. Amazon-Whole Foods deal with change how you buy food forever.
Source: USA Today
Amazon recently made the decision to purchase Whole Foods for the price of $13.7 billion, making it a major player in the grocery industry, as well as a very threatening competitor to all other supermarket chains. Not only is Amazon now a direct competitor with food supermarket chains like Kroger and Walmart, Amazon is now also directly competing with food delivery companies, such as Fresh Direct, Blue Apron, and Sun Basket. Senior food retailing analyst at CFRA Joe Agnese notes, “Once Amazon is a player in the industry, anything can go. The big threat is what else they can do. Now that they have a retail presence with (more than) 400 stores, long-term that can expand on that threat. They can (bring) pricing pressure. They could bring down prices and everyone would have to match them or lose share.”  Needless to say, mass retailers that sell groceries, as well as traditional supermarkets, will need to ramp up their competitive edge to keep their customers – especially if Amazon decides to cut Whole Foods’ prices.

Burger King is announced as the Cannes Lions Creative Marketer of the Year 2017
Sources: Cannes Lions
Burger King has continued its creative reign, winning the Cannes Lions Creative Marketer of the Year 2017 award, which will push the company’s aware total to 76 awards. The Creative Marketer of the Year award recognizes Burger King’s embrace and encouragement of creativity across brand communications, and for the ‘inspiring global marketing’ of their products. Philip Thomas, Chief Executive of Ascential Events, stated that “Burger King is a brand that’s built a reputation for marketing campaigns that are bold, courageous, and innovative, constantly challenging the limits of creative excellence.” Axel Schwan, Chief Marketing Officer of Burger King, agrees, commenting that “Creativity is a critical factor when it comes to helping us stand out from the pack and punch higher than our weight. This principle is applied to everything we do, from the way we differentiate ourselves… to the ground-breaking advertising campaigns we create.”