The like button is probably one of the best things to come out of the Facebook world. The Coca-Cola Village is one of the strangest ideas to bubble out of a soda franchise. Together they have brought digital appreciation to the real world.

Faris Yakob, formerly the Chief Technologist at McCann Erickson, recently joined MDC Partners as their Chief Innovation Officer. I got the lucky opportunity to ask the NYC based Yakob a few questions about why he joined MDC, his role, his vision of transmedia planning as well as the more interesting new innovations in the ad world.

Not too many juniors leave an agency to start their own, but that’s precisely what Thomas Stringham did. Twelve short years later, his shop Hot Tomali is fresh off of winning the Ad Age International Small Agency of the Year award.

We are happy to announce our second annual Agency Record Fantasy Football Showdown! The league set up is the same as last year – all teams must represent an Ad Agency, there is no real money involved – we play for Agency Pride – oh, and a bad ass trophy this year!

I’ve had the great opportunity to know Oscar Trelles for a few years now and his creative solutions to some of the web’s most influential projects have put him at the forefront of technology integration curve. He has launched large and small projects, working tirelessly to help propel the close knit Brooklyn shop he helps run to ad world fame with such greats as We Choose the Moon, The Favorite Visitors Awards (FWA Takeover) and the Sheraton Our Community.

What everyone is seeing as the downfall of the music industry may actually be its greatest rebirth. In the face of declining sales, the infinite accessibility of the internet has exposed a massive audience to more music then ever. The industry is beginning to adapt to these new, content carnivorous consumers – how, where and when they listen to music has caused massive growing pains over the last year – they are just recently starting to touch the surface on how to monetize these changes.

Jen Friel is Unapologetically Awesome. I say this to help elivate the statement that she fairly defies definition. She’s been a model, actress and is now the head of a #Nerd revolution. If you think you recognize Jen it’s probably because she did a series of those insatiable Snorg Tees ads a few years back, but she has come leaps and bounds from there.

I am officially confused. Viewing the sales data in wake of the new Old Spice campaign that started back in February, I’ve seen these reports: * Sales for Old Spice Body Wash are up 16.7% (via CampaignBrief quoting Forbes) * Sales for Old Spice Body Wash are up 7.9% (via same Forbes article) * Sales for Old Spice [...]