This week, we're joined by Akiel Gallina - a creative producer who recently moved from Toronto to Berlin, Germany in pursuit of a change in environment and career. Here's what we covered:

[04:50] Experience moving to a new country during the pandemic and starting from ground zero

[11:20] Rejecting the culture of over-working

[17:40] The importance of not having your identity completely tied to your career

[21:40] Reassessing your career and passions during the pandemic

[26:30] How do you approach personal branding without focusing too much on your career?

[35:40] Experience navigating the ad industry as Black men and feeling the need to conform

[47:59] Advice to those thinking about moving to a new country

@the_madmix

Season 3, episode 18! Here's what Dak and Malick discuss:

[08:55] Controversy surrounding Rachel Nichols' comments on race

[20:16] TikTok allows creators to apply for jobs with partnering companies through the platform

[26:25] An influencer loses her broadcast reporting gig due to backlash on Twitter about her privilege

[33:20] Should case studies from the Cannes Festival be more widely accessible?

[42:20] Black Owned Toronto opens their first retail store in the Scarborough Town Centre

Check out the AdWeek article about the creative team's efforts towards making Cannes case studies more accessible: https://www.adweek.com/creativity/this-creative-team-is-taking-on-the-might-of-cannes-lions/

Be sure to subscribe to our podcast channel so that you're the first to know when new episodes drop! All The MAD Mix content can be found at themadmix.com

@the_madmix

Season 3, episode 17! Here's what Dak and Malick discuss:

[05:40] Bumble’s CEO announces a full paid-week off to manage employee burnout - can this work for other companies/industries?

[14:30] A viral tweet suggests putting in extra work on weekends while you're young is best for your career 

[24:45] Coca-Cola under fire for the name restrictions of their “Share a coke” campaign for Pride Month

[33:00] Victoria Secret tries to reinvent their brand with a deeper focus on inclusivity

[40:20] Venmo spends 100k on 100 lucky followers

Positive highlights of the week

[43:26] MLSE and Scotiabank open up the arena as a pop-up clinic for vaccines

Be sure to subscribe to our podcast channel so that you're the first to know when new episodes drop! All The MAD Mix content can be found at themadmix.com

@the_madmix

Season 3, episode 16! Here's what Dak and Malick discuss:

[03:55] Juneteenth is officially a federal holiday in the U.S and brands had deals ready to go

[11:10] Should we be celebrating Canada Day this year given the constant mistreatment and injustice towards indigenous communities?

[20:10] Spotify steps into the social audio space with Greenroom - why is every social platform doing this?

[27:21] Rant on LinkedIn “influencers”

Positive highlights of the week

[34:26] Jordan Brand adds to the progression of WNBA athletes

[38:22] A 100% driver-owned ride hailing app has launched in NYC to compete with Uber/Lyft

[41:22] An HBO intern’s mistake goes viral - reflecting on mistakes we’ve made during internships

Be sure to subscribe to our podcast channel so that you're the first to know when new episodes drop! All The MAD Mix content can be found at themadmix.com

@the_madmix

This week, we're joined by Jenna Tharani - a Strategy Manager in Global Partnerships at Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. Here's what we covered:

[05:00] What does a strategist actually do?

[10:50] How has the business of sports evolved during the pandemic?

[21:00] Are we making progress with the brand promises of diversity improvements from 2020?

[27:09] Why do DE&I efforts keep falling on BIPOC employees?

[38:53] Does your support of a brand depend on their values?

[42:39] Are there brands that advertise during Pride Month well without being performative?

@the_madmix

Season 3, episode 14! Here's what Dak and Malick discuss:

[05:15] The mistreatment of employees is catching up to employers now that service workers are opting out of their jobs

[12:50] EXTRA gum celebrates post-pandemic behaviour in their ad - is it appropriate or tone deaf when the pandemic isn’t “over”?

[23:05] Has Clubhouse peaked in popularity?

[29:00] Basecamp fumbles the bag with their new policy changes

[37:42] Consumer sentiments on Airbnb and Uber changing as prices increase with service quality decreasing

[45:50] Burger King using augmented-reality in such an impractical way - who’s the ad for?

Be sure to subscribe to our podcast channel so that you're the first to know when new episodes drop! All The MAD Mix content can be found at themadmix.com

@the_madmix

This week, we're joined by Teresa Tam - a freelance designer/art director, and former associate creative director for an ad agency in Toronto. Here's what we covered:

[03:10] In an ad agency, what is the difference between an Art Director and a Designer, and how do they work together?

[07:30] Which brands stand out the most in terms of design and which one’s could use help?

[15:50] How do you future proof a design system for a brand?

[26:30] Navigating working freelance, client-side, and for agencies

[36:16] How can we improve the relationship been marketers and designers?

[45:20] How do creatives feel about rankings within the ad industry?

@the_madmix

Season 3, episode 12! Here's what Dak and Malick discuss:

[02:20] Reactions to the Derek Chauvin trial and the Las Vegas Raiders tweet

[13:05] McDonald’s announces a new BTS meal - why aren’t we seeing other QSR’s implement celebrity collabs like this?

[22:51] Rogers fumbles the bag with a nationwide power outage - Missed opportunity from other telecommunication brands?

[26:55] Rolling Loud festival announced for July - when will we be comfortable in large gatherings like this again?

[36:25] The viral #JoshFight and the randomness of social media

Be sure to subscribe to our podcast channel so that you're the first to know when new episodes drop! All The MAD Mix content can be found at themadmix.com

@the_madmix

Season 3, episode 11! Here's what Dak and Malick discuss:

[10:05] Follow up on NFT’s - How can you sell a moment that hasn’t happened yet?

[17:57] Continuous performative allyship amongst ad agencies - the receipts are overdue.

[31:15] Strategy’s 2021 Creative Report Card results are in - a ranking system for advertisers and creatives.

[38:40] Freshii upgrades their product offering and introduces vitamins and supplements.

[43:13] Google’s new ad for the vaccine, saying farewell to virtual lockdown activities.

Be sure to subscribe to our podcast channel so that you're the first to know when new episodes drop! All The MAD Mix content can be found at themadmix.com

@the_madmix