General

‘Awkward.’ Season 3 Promises ‘Exploration of New Relationships’

by Daina Amorosano, Viacom

It’s an all new season for Awkward., and an all new year of high school on the show — junior year has begun and things are about to shift monumentally. In anticipation of tonight’s premiere and the season to come, we sat down with Molly Tarlov, who plays “mean girl” Sadie (despite her super sweet, approachable real life demeanor), and Beau Mirchoff, who plays one point in the show’s love triangle (fans have even taken alliances – see Buzzfeed’s reasons you’re “Team Matty”), to talk about the forthcoming season and their evolving characters, and to speculate on what it is, exactly, about this show that so resonates with its viewers. Here’s what they had to say.

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Young Hispanics Changing Attitudes About Money

by Erica Saylor, Tr3s

As April 15^th approaches, everyone who has earned money this year is making sure they’ve given Uncle Sam his due. As a result, it’s that time of year for reflecting on matters of money — a particular concern for young adults, who have come-of-age during a recession and have been disproportionately affected by it. At an age when previous generations were establishing careers, starting families, and buying houses, today’s young adult is still await the expansive opportunities that were promised to them. For many – Hispanics in particular – those prospects have yet to appear. Read More

MTV Statement on ‘Buckwild’ Plans

The following is MTV’s official statement on its plans for “Buckwild,” in light of Shain Gandee’s tragic passing, plus more from MTV News here.

After careful consideration, MTV will not be moving forward with season two of “BUCKWILD” in West Virginia. We love the cast and the show and this was not an easy decision, but given Shain’s tragic passing and essential presence on the show, we felt it was not appropriate to continue without him. Instead, we are working on a meaningful way to pay tribute to his memory on our air and privately.

On Sunday, we will be running a special “BUCKWILD: WV to the NYC,” which was shot before production had begun on season two. With the support of his parents, Dale and Loretta Gandee, we will run the tribute following a day of programming dedicated to Shain in which we will air the entire first season of “BUCKWILD”.

“Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time for our family. We have truly felt all the love and know that Shain is resting peacefully. Shain was an incredible, outgoing, and positive person who was loved by whoever he met. We are honored that we were able to let the world see what a wonderful son we had. He was the best son anyone could ask for. As we look to honor him in our lives every day moving forward, we are happy to share some of his last moments doing what he loved best: having fun and making people laugh,” said Loretta Gandee.

Consumer Insights: ‘Moments of Truth: The New Millennial Adulthood’

With Millennials delaying marriage and child-rearing, traditional rites of passage into adulthood no longer apply to young people today. MTV’s “Moments of Truth: The New Millennial Adulthood” delves into the uniquely Millennial attitudes that shape the ways in which they are redefining adulthood.  In this study, MTV explores the three major life milestones that Millennials most align with being an adult, as well as how these new notions of adulthood impact consumerism for this group. Read More

Viacom Honored by the Council of Urban Professionals with Diversity Leadership Award

by Chanel Cathey, Viacom

Philippe Dauman,Viacom CEO, Accepts the Corporate Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Award from CUP (Photo Credit: Maximilian Imaging)

This week the Council of Urban Professionals (CUP) hosted its 6th Annual Leadership Gala in New York City honoring Viacom with the Corporate Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Award. Philippe Dauman, President and CEO of Viacom, accepted the award on behalf of the company. Viacom joined fellow honorees Kathryn and Kenneth Chenault, whose inspiring partnership was celebrated with the Philanthropic Leadership Award, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, the charismatic creator of the Tony Award winning musical “In the Heights,” who received the Breakthrough Leadership Award.

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Remembering Roger Ebert

by Daina Amorosano, Viacom

It was a sad day for both the industry and the country yesterday, when we lost one of our greats with the passing of Roger Ebert. Ebert was a trusted and esteemed film critic, journalist and writer, or, as Jon Stewart introduced him when he appeared on The Daily Show in 2006: “the film expert, the analyst, the man.” Read More

Hispanic Millennials and Their Smartphones

by Erica Saylor, Tr3s

Young Hispanics are enthusiastic mobile users – and Tr3s has done research to understand their relationship to their phones. Taken from Tr3s’s new “Hispanic 18-34s Living the ‘Next Normal’” and the 2012 Maximo Report, here are the results of that analysis: Read More

RIP Shain Gandee, 1991-2013

We are shocked and saddened by the terrible news about Shain Gandee, and those involved in this tragic incident. We are waiting for more information but at this time, our main concern is for the Gandee family and their friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with them. Shain had a magnetic personality, with a passion for life that touched everyone he met and we will miss him dearly.

Hispanics and Religion in the U.S.

by Erica Saylor, Tr3s

Earlier this month, Hispanics celebrated the election of Pope Francis, the first Latino to hold the papacy. People of Latin origin are driving Catholicism’s worldwide growth, so clearly the College of Cardinals knew their target audience when they chose a South American as the next pontiff. However, while Catholicism is the dominant religion among Latinos, its membership is declining as Protestant faiths attract “very religious” Hispanic young adults. Insight Tr3s shares some research on U.S. Hispanics and religion: Read More

Jeff Lucas on Value of Tapping into Viacom Creative Assets

by Chanel Cathey, Viacom

Jeff Lucas, head of sales for Viacom Music & Entertainment, is down in New Orleans this week at the American Association of Advertisers (4As) annual conference Transformation 2013: The Idea Effect to participate in a panel discussion entitled “The death of network television is greatly exaggerated.” (Spoiler alert:  Jeff agrees with that point of view.)  Jeff is joined by media ad sales luminaries David Levy of Turner, JoAnn Ross of CBS, Linda Yaccarino, NBCUniversal, and moderator Abby Klaassen of Ad Age.  

That’s a lot of great thinkers and thoughts to cram into one 40 minute (!) session, so the event organizers understandably asked panelists not to bring reels.  But what’s a discussion of creative transformation without a little creative sizzle to show?  That’s why we’re lending Jeff some space here on the blog this morning to post a few key examples of campaigns and creative where Viacom has driven value for marketers across its media assets.  Check ‘em out below and, if you’re lucky enough to be in the Crescent City this morning, enjoy the 4As.