Adweek August 6, 2018

Condé Nast CEO Bob Sauerberg last week confirmed to staffers in a memo that the publisher would sell off Brides, Golf Digest and W—all of which had been acquired by Condé Nast over the years. “These are truly great creative assets that need an owner who will invest in them to realize their full potential,” wrote Sauerberg. “Those titles never quite fit there, they were outsiders, and not having them doesn’t harm the core Condé perception,” said Clint White, president and founder, WiT Media. “They won’t be missed by the big corporate ad buyers.” The move comes after Condé Nast reportedly lost more than $100 million last year. A spokesperson for Condé Nast declined to comment on the figure. Sauerberg, in the email, acknowledged that it was a “complicated” time…

Walmart A new three-minute film for Walmart Canada produced by Scouts Honour highlights the roller coaster of emotion that comes with the chaos of parenting. “Ode to Motherhood” is an absolute hit, brimming with crisp writing, masterful pacing and a great deal of empathetic humor. Sometimes it’s difficult to avoid clichés around parenting, but throughout the spot, we are treated to familiarity and a density that could be well-suited for an episode of 30 Rock, but slightly less snarky. The spot illustrates the pandemonium of new mother Stacy as baby No. 1 arrives—followed by baby No. 2.…

Pizza chain Papa John’s has turned to another ad agency to help the company move through its ongoing identity crisis. The brand chose Endeavor Global Marketing, the creative division of the Endeavor “holding group” formed by Ari Emanuel’s media conglomerate WME | IMG late last year. That group also includes both WME and IMG along with such disparate entities as UFC, the Miss Universe Organization and Droga5 (in which it holds a minority stake). The company’s search for an AOR started after Adweek reported on a round of layoffs at Laundry Service, which won the account late last year.…

During CBS Corp.’s quarterly earnings call last Thursday, Les Moonves sounded like his usual über-confident self, making his typical boasts to investors about “record results,” “another very strong quarter,” “another terrific upfront” and “another great schedule this fall.” But the CEO and chairman was only able to maintain his braggadocio because no one on the earnings call—not Moonves himself nor any analysts who questioned him—brought up the elephant in the room: Ronan Farrow’s explosive New Yorker story in which six women, including actress Illeana Douglas, accused Moonves of sexual harassment and intimidation over several decades. That CBS earnings call was just about the only time since Farrow’s story was published on July 27 that the topic of Moonves and his future at CBS didn’t come up in an industry conversation.…

The debut of Amazon’s checkout-free convenience store Amazon Go is one of the biggest evolutions in transactional commerce since Ohio saloonkeeper James Ritty patented the cash register in 1879. That’s because Amazon’s so-called “just walk out” technology uses computer vision, sensor fusion and deep learning that allows shoppers to enter with an app, grab items off the shelves and leave without waiting in line to pay a cashier manning Ritty’s 140-year-old invention. Microsoft is reportedly developing similar technology that has piqued Walmart’s interest, and Chinese ecommerce firm JD.com has opened 20 of what it says will be hundreds of “unmanned convenience stores” called X-Marts. Meanwhile, reports say Amazon Go is expanding beyond Seattle to San Francisco and Chicago. This new technology is paving the way for retailers to make shopping…

TRIGO VISION Trigo said its platform requires “significantly fewer” cameras compared to other frictionless checkout options. The rep said Trigo is in “deep discussions” with grocers in the U.S. and Europe . CAPER LAB This software startup has developed a smart shopping cart that uses deep learning and computer vision to detect items as they are put into the cart. However, customers still have to pay for cart items with a credit card when they finish shopping. SPRUCE LABS The first time shoppers enter a store with Sprucebot, customers’ devices are associated with their user profiles. When these devices are connected to the store Wi-Fi, employees can see who is in the store and access their profiles, which include preferences. The point-of-sale system is integrated, so when shoppers leave, associates…