Old Navy has introduced an apparel catalogue of the next generation—the casual wear giant has tapped New Kids on the Block pop star Jordan Knight to sing songs about the summer collection pieces, including bikini tops, cargo shorts, dresses and tees to name but a few. Of course, the singing tribute to the seasonal wardrobe is just a joke, devised Crispin Porter + Bogusky, the agency behind the brand’s  latest campaign, to add to the ‘funnovation’ atmosphere the brand creates.

Togetherness is high on both the cultural and commercial agenda as businesses and brands come together to ‘partner’ the Olympic Games. Just how these partnerships will play out come the middle of August is anybody’s guess. But if profile has been raised and sales figures have increased then this association has served its purpose. Short-term partnerships are popular branding exercises to create excitement and exposure. But ultimately so is building long-term value and finding the right brand fit to maximise this is not always easy.

Research, being a vital initial part of any brand activities, is becoming more sophisticated in terms of techniques and methods year by year. In the interview to Popsop, a Director at River Research, Zoe Best, who heads up the agency’s Innovation offer, explains which new innovative techniques have come into play recently, shares her vision on what’s a real value of the research for a brand, and  how her relatively small independent agency manages to work globally providing a boutique service.

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the largest and most prestigious annual awards in the advertising industry, culminated on Saturday, June 23, after announcing all winners in 15 categories. Traditionally, the festival is not only the platform for celebrating achievements in the industry for the past twelve months, but also a space where creative professionals come to debate, learn and get inspired via numerous creative exhibitions, seminars, screenings and workshops for both experts and emerging professionals.