Starting today for offices around the world, we officially have a brand new internal portal. Anything that you used this site for, you can do on the new site.

The new portal is beautiful. Even more importantly, unlike this MySite, it is easy to use! On one site you’ll find the previous Work that we have produced; you’ll have a full directory of everyone at Momentum (complete with photos, bios and personal and professional interests); all the Tools you use in your job and News stories, written by your colleagues in every office.

In short, the new portal is THE place to go for everything you need to do your job.

If there is anything that you use on MySite that is not available on the new portal, send the portal content manager an email and we will work to get it put on the new site.

Change your bookmarks; change your lives. MySite will live forever in our memories but let’s move into an era of actual usefulness with the new Portal.

Momentum Chicago is all about Being One right now…

Being One Direction that is.

For those of you you aren’t 6-15 years old (or the parent of one), One Direction is one of the hottest groups in music right now. Together with Mondelez (Nabisco) we are in the process of activating the group’s North American tour. To aid that activation, today we launched 1D.VIP, an app for iOS and Android that allows fans to win tickets, get the latest news and follow along with One Direction as they crisscross North America.

Please, download the app today and get it to #1 in both the iOS and Android markets. And please share this app with all your friends and family.

Shopper marketing lead Joe Lampertius is an expert in his field, so when an exclusive speaking opportunity to directly engage a number of different CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) companies arose, he was Fearless and went for it, with great success. Here is his account of what happened:

Recently I was approached to be a special guest speaker at an exclusive CPG share group event with about 20 CPG peers that regularly get together to discuss the issues they are facing and share best practices. Sometimes these are complementary CPG’s and sometimes they are competitive, but at the end of the day these peers have great respect for each other and love coming together once every six months to share and learn.

It’s rare, but this group lets in outside speakers from time to time; opportunities to speak are by invitation only from one of the peer group members and the the rest of the group has to agree that the subject matter and the person is appropriate. So it’s a real privilege to do so.

Megan Gotham, our main client at Smuckers invited me to speak to the group regarding current and next generation shopper marketing issues and how CPG, retailers and agencies are working together to solve those concerns and I was happy to accept. I presented to the group at their April 10 meeting at the New Jersey Marriott.

My presentation turned out to be extremely fruitful, spurring so much conversation between the peer group that a number of them followed me out of the room for immediate follow-up! The facilitator of the CPG Share Group (CMS Consulting) said that my talk was one of the most informative and best discussions the share group has ever had from an outside speaker. Based on the success of the presentation, we have already had follow-up with two potential CPG clients and hope to get more in the weeks to come. Additionally, CMS and the share group have both asked that I come back to run more in-depth sessions over the next couple of time they meet.

There’s something to be said for being aggressive and Being Fearless and that in turn, allows us to Grow. For me, having an invite extended to speak to an exclusive group led to increased recognition of the ways that Momentum serves our clients, and the success of my presentation created an opportunity for potential new business. You never know what  opportunities will open in front of you, but being experts and being accessible allows those opportunities to develop.

One of the things that Momentum prides itself on is providing great experiences. That’s what makes getting recognized at the Ex Awards, put on by Event Marketer magazine, all the sweeter. The awards are the largest recognition program for event marketing professionals, featuring over 800 nominees in 31 categories.

When the results were tabulated, Momentum came out with two big scores: a Gold for Amex Sync in the Best Single-Market Event (Consumer) category and a Silver for Amex OPEN Business Lounges in the Best Event Environment (B-to-B) category.

Congratulations to everyone on those teams for another great Momentum win!

For Amex Sync:

• Richard Black, General Manager, New York
• Nicole Kaplan, Vice President Group Account Director
• Phil Koutsis, Vice President Group Creative Director
• Joe Kantrowitz, Associate Creative Director
• Marie Roberts, Senior Art Director
• Alex Hadshi, Account Executive

For Amex OPEN:

• Laura Loughlin, EVP General Manager MEG
• Andrew Kelly, VP, Group Director
• Graham Micone, Director
• Christina Semanyshyn, Manager

The winners for the 2013 Webby Awards were announced this week with American Express taking home first place in the Financial Services and Insurance category for the American Express Unstaged website.

Started in 1996, the Webby is one of the oldest online specific awards and is given for excellence on the internet by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences.

Each category includes both a Webby Award winner, selected by judges from the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, and a People’s Voice Winner, which is voted by fans. This year’s People Voice honorees received votes from more than 200 countries and territories, setting a new record for this highly sought after award.

American Express Unstaged was selected as winner by both Webby judges as well as serving as the People’s Voice Winner.

Congratulations to everyone who was a part of the winning team!

Momentum partner agency Jay Advertising was recognized in Event Marketer today for its five-month promotional consumer experience campaign developed for U.S. Cellular in conjunction with the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder.

Inside the Chesapeake Energy Arena during every Thunder home regular-season game, consumers could have unique digital photos taken of themselves (to share via their social networks), win prizes through in-booth Samsung Galaxy III phones, play dribbling games, and register for other rewards and prizes. Additionally, U.S. Cellular customers could receive troubleshooting help with their phones or find out about other plans and services while demoing new devices.

If your team has work in North America that is similarly appropriate to share with the outside world—and you think it’s a story your client might want to share—please contact Graham Nolan to facilitate those opportunities.

The Global ACE Awards, held by the Business Marketing Association of New York, are intended to celebrate the best B2B marketing done across the world and encompass a number of disciplines. On Tuesday night in New York City, Momentum, as part of a multi-agency team, took home plenty of hardware, with three first place wins and two runner up finishes.

Our honors:

1. First Place: Integrated Marketing Trade Show, Unstaged (in partnership with Digitas, Mbooth, Moment Factory, DDCO)
2. First Place: Integrated Social Media Campaign, Facebook Big Break for Small Business (in partnership with Digitas, Mbooth)
3. First Place: Twitter Campaign, Amex Sync Show (in parternship with Digitas, Mbooth, PMK BNC)
4. Runner Up: Integrated Marketing Trade Show, Amex Sync Show (in partnership with Digitas, Mbooth, PMK BNC)
5. Runner Up: MicroLanding Page over $50k, Unstaged Presents Usher (in partnership with Digitas, Mbooth)

Big congratulations to all the teams who were a part of these winning campaigns!

The 2013 Jay Chiat awards are officially accepting submissions, and we have the opportunity to working immediate to make sure Momentum has strong representation in this worldwide show which is intensely focused on strategy. The Jay Chiat Awards are global strategy awards presented through the 4A’s—and its Chairman, our own Chris Weil—that recognize the best strategic thinking in marketing and advertising around the world. Let’s break some new ground and showcase the strategic power that fuels our amazing work!

Please review the Jay Chiat site for the open categories immediately and make it a priority in the next few days to pull together a list of the relevant, competitive, applicable work that your team would like to submit. When appropriate, please work with your client in determining whether Momentum OR a partner agency will be submitting the entry within this competition. This award show (like most shows) only allows for one entry per campaign and disqualifies any duplicate submissions. If the client has already approved a partner agency’s entry, please work with that partner agency to ensure Momentum’s name is included on the entry.

If you have work that you feel is appropriate, please pursue this with your local office management to see whether and how an entry can be funded and drafted from your market. (Entries require a written submission and still images, and can be fortified with an optional video.) The deadline for entries is Monday, June 17, but you should move forward immediately to make sure drafting, production and approvals can all happen in a smooth, timely fashion. Thanks for exploring how we can spotlight Momentum in this global competition, managed by an organization so important and so closely tied to our own.

It’s always a thrill to welcome a new member to our Momentum team. They bring different experiences, fresh perspectives and new energy.

So it’s even more thrilling to welcome someone back to Momentum. Not only do they know our history and our culture, but complement it with refined skills and new talents.

With that, we’re happy to announce that Mark Masterson has rejoined Momentum Worldwide as Executive Creative Director, Greater China, sitting in Shanghai.

Many may remember Mark from his early days at Momentum (1997-2007), where as Group Creative Director he led our Coca-Cola team out of St. Louis, and then Atlanta.

Mark also holds the distinction of participating in our inaugural Creative Exchange program, spending a summer at Momentum Göteborg (tough duty!).

Mark has spent the last three years as Creative Director at Doner in Cleveland, Ohio, where he worked on brands such as Sherwin-Williams, DuPont, UPS, Owens Corning and The Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame.

Mark and I have stayed in touch over the years, both hoping that someday we’d work together again. When the Momentum China opportunity emerged, it called for someone who was highly creative, a self-starter, business savvy, independent yet collaborative, and not afraid of a challenge…this Mark Masterson.

With a focus on growing Momentum China, Mark will partner with our existing teams in Shanghai and Beijing, bringing his experience to clients (Nestlé, Subway, Coca-Cola) and prospects alike.

Our partners at McCann will also benefit greatly from the talent Mark brings to our broader MWG offering.

Please join me in welcoming Mark back to Momentum!

— Kevin McNulty
President, International
Momentum Worldwide

DIRECTV has ordered ten episodes of the original drama Full Circle from award-winning screenwriter Neil LaBute (The Shape of Things, In the Company of Men), in his TV series debut. The series—which Momentum Entertainment Group (MEG) has co-created as a producer and studio partner—examines the human condition and relationships through a series of conversations between 11 people whose lives, unbeknownst to them, are intertwined. For Momentum, this series is further proof of its content creation expertise for broadcast and brands alike.

Recently, DIRECTV launched its first original drama ROGUE starring Thandie Newton, which was packaged by Momentum Entertainment Group. Both these TV series are the evolution of MEG content creation excellence that has included such properties as How Sweet the Sound: A Verizon Experience, Energy House Calls for PG&E, American Express Unstaged, and beyond.

Full Circle will be executive produced by BAFTA-award winning Executive Producer/Director Nick Hamm (ROGUE) for Momentum TV, the scripted division of MEG, helmed by Chris Weil. Series creator Neil LaBute will serve as writer and co-executive producer. Production on the series, which will take place at DIRECTV’s Los Angeles Broadcasting Center, will begin in early summer 2013 and it will air on DIRECTV’s Audience in fall 2013. Full Circle is a modern day La Ronde meets My Dinner with Andre as it explores the nature of human contact and true togetherness in our current technology-driven world.

“Momentum Entertainment Group is pleased to advance its creative partnership with DIRECTV through this high concept series and exceptional team of creative talent,” said Weil. “Full Circle is being driven by a unique collaboration that will produce top quality content for an audience of people looking to dive into thoughtful, engaging stories.”

“I am always interested in pushing the boundaries of entertainment and I’m very lucky to find kindred spirits in both Nick Hamm at Momentum and the folks at DIRECTV,” said writer Neil LaBute. “They have all taken a chance on Full Circle which features an unconventional structure and a revolving cast of characters—it’s a pleasure to work with people who believe that it’s still possible to marry artistic quality with audience appeal. I’m really excited to create some quality television with these forward-thinking colleagues of mine.”