In a welcome break from the relentless pitching of the NewFronts, DigitasLBi held its annual NewFronts mini-conference Thursday, bringing together an array of digital media companies and brands to explore the title theme, Fearless.
You can relax and exhale-no one is going to be selling you anything, said Tony Weisman, North America CEO for Digitas. The event didn't lack for news amid the insights, though. Weisman announced two new deals for the agency: an in-residence arrangement with BuzzFeed that will see the two staffs physically commingle, and an exclusive first-look deal for long-form content with Epic Magazine. Cofounders of Epic Joshuah Bearman and Joshua Davis have written pieces for Wired magazine optioned for films (including the Oscar-winning Argo) and with Epic they aim to commission pieces posted on partner site Medium that will be adapted for the screen.
Speakers ranged from TV hosts-cum-digital-creators Meredith Vieira and Aisha Tyler to execs from top digital brands such as LinkedIn, Upworthy, Mashable and Jash. Mixed in were high-level reps of blue-chip advertisers such as Old Navy, CVS and Puma as well as senior Digitas execs.
Before querying CVS exec Helena Foulkes, Vieira touted her Lives channel on YouTube, though the former Today and View host confessed to still being on the online learning curve. People, when I first got on Twitter, thought I was tweeting while drunk because I just kept hitting the button before I'd actually written anything, she said.
Foulkes, president of the CVS pharmacy unit, told Vieira about the process that led to the chain's decision in February to stop selling tobacco products by this fall, a move estimated to cost some $2 billion in near-term revenue. She said the move reflected four business tenets: 1) go big or go home, 2) plan for great, 3) be a marathoner and 4) be purpose-driven. Shares in CVS, she added, have gained about 10% since the announcement.
Tyler, a comedian known for her work on CBS and E!, among others, also writes, directs and appears in online videos. She joined a host of fellow comedians and digital specialists via video from Washington, D.C., where they are gathered for Saturday's White House Correspondents Dinner. The topic of their session was Brand Bravery on Pennsylvania Avenue, with the main focus on viral videos that blended activism with comedy in support of the Affordable Care Act.
I spent a good portion of my youth without coverage, so I thought it was important to show the risk of that, Tyler said of her short piece, Aisha Tyler Doesn't Need It, spoofing those who think they don't need health insurance.
Mike Farah, president of production for Funny or Die and Scott Aukerman, creator of the site's Zach Galifianakis-hosted Between Two Ferns, discussed the evolution of the highly trafficked (and debated) Ferns episode with President Obama. Seeds were planted for the video in the spring of 2013 and the creators took their time as it coalesced. We wanted it to be funny first and have a message second, Farah said. The president is a funny guy. He has great timing.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
02/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/07/2026
Standalone processors acknowledged for the innovation and value they bring to Pro AV
Cobalt Digital, a leading designer and manufacturer of signal processing ...
02/07/2026
Synamedia announced today the appointment of Dr Tzvi Gerstl as Chief Executive Officer. Paul Segre, who has served as CEO for the past six years, will transitio...
02/07/2026
Screen Australia backs audience-led filmmaking with new insight-driven initiativ...
02/07/2026
Screen Australia refines guidelines for Narrative Content Development and Docume...
02/07/2026
Maxon Autograph: Introduction to working with Tables
Simon Ubsdell July 1, 2026
0 Comments
An overview of Autograph's ridiculously powerful tables...
02/07/2026
Boston Conservatory's Soir e Breaks Records to Fund Student Scholarships The event achieved 127 percent of its fundraising goal in an evening celebrating ...
02/07/2026
How Adam Rosenwach Pivoted from Music to Med Tech Without Missing a Beat What do the rehearsal room and the boardroom have in common? More than you might thin...
02/07/2026
Summer is heating up - and GeForce NOW is taking players along for the ride.
Start the month with Monopoly: Star Wars Heroes vs. Villains, bringing a galaxy fa...
01/07/2026
Broadcast Management Group (BMG) has announced the appointment of Kathy Samuels ...
01/07/2026
Shade has announced Custom Objects and Automations, a platform expansion releasing June 29, 2026, that adds database and workflow automation capabilities direct...
01/07/2026
FOR-A America has announced the addition of Jaz Wray and Fernando Cruz to its U.S. sales team. Both report to Ernie Leon, Senior VP and Head of Sales and Strate...
01/07/2026
NBC Sports will air all 15 MLB games nationally on Sunday, July 5, across NBC, P...
01/07/2026
Clear-Com has announced a wireless communications upgrade for Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, deploying FreeSpeak II and FreeSpeak Icon systems across both prod...
01/07/2026
England's performance team will use Sony's STATSports APEX GPS tracking system to monitor player physical data in real time during FIFA World Cup 2026 m...
01/07/2026
Adder Technology has announced the appointment of Neil Hillier as Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2026. Hillier succeeds Adrian Dickens, who transiti...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. has announced a strategic transaction creating two separate companies. The Production and Playout business will continue as Bitcentral, now own...
01/07/2026
DAZN has announced results from DAZN48, its creator initiative for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Launched in April 2026, the program received thousands of applicatio...
01/07/2026
Sarah Rose, VP, global services, Daktronics (NASDAQ: DAKT), will be inducted into the Information Display and Entertainment Association (IDEA) Hall of Fame at t...
01/07/2026
Gravity Media and the World Economic Forum's production team provided broadc...
01/07/2026
Insight Productions has announced the launch of Insight Storm, a 53-foot mobile broadcast unit built for esports production. The truck is built around a Ross Vi...
01/07/2026
ESPN has announced several content initiatives marking America's 250th anniversary, as part of The Walt Disney Company's Disney Celebrates America pro...
01/07/2026
Eleven production kits, REMI workflows, and cloud distribution bring 40 World Cu...
01/07/2026
The conference also discussed the opportunities offered an industry that is endu...
01/07/2026
The Mountain West Conference has announced the launch of MW , a direct-to-consumer streaming platform powered by Kiswe. The platform will carry live Mountain We...
01/07/2026
New AI Assistant, Multi-channel Audio, ARA2 improvements & more
Tracktion's DAW software has just received its latest major update, gaining a selection ...
01/07/2026
Stammering, stuttering, strangulated tones
The Crow Hill Company's latest creation promises to be the most original sound set they've produced to d...
01/07/2026
Exclusive run of limited-edition modelling pedals
Sweetwater and Andertons M...
01/07/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce that the ca...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Manfrotto Introduces UNCOVER, the new premium camera bag collection for modern h...
01/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Powers Houston Tamil Sangam Literacy Competition
Brie Clayton July 1, 2026
0 Comments
Volunteers use ATEM Mini Pro, Blackmagic Desig...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
PlayBox Technology has published State of Broadcast Infrastructure 2026, an in-depth industry research report examining the technologies, operational challenges...
01/07/2026
LONDON, UK, 1 JULY Jigsaw24 has appointed Alan Henry as Head of Sales for Media and Entertainment, reinforcing its continued investment in helping broadcaster...
01/07/2026
Content Vault, the patent-pending secure content distribution platform protecting high-value media from disclosures, theft and unauthorised access, today announ...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. a leading provider of enterprise software and digital media solutions for news, sports and entertainment broadcasters, as well as streaming pla...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
In a welcome break from the relentless pitching of the NewFronts, DigitasLBi held its annual NewFronts mini-conference Thursday, bringing together an array of digital media companies and brands to explore the title theme, Fearless. 
