VML is pleased to announce a new  leadership lineup with the appointment of Zak Treuhaft and Mike Wente as joint Managing Directors of VML’s New York office. Both Zak and Mike have been a valuable part of VML’s unprecedented growth; Treuhaft was previously a Group Account Director and Wente served as a Group Creative Director.

Together, Zak and Mike will oversee office operations in New York, including new business. Zak will continue to lead a strong account team focused on strategy, client services and business development. Mike will extend VML New York’s creative expertise.

VML’s Managing Director of Client Services, Beth Wade, was recognized as one of Kansas City’s most influential business leaders in Ingram’s 40 Under Forty program. Now in its 13th installment,  Ingram's 40 under Forty honors business leaders that share proficiency in business acumen and relationship building, as well as a genuine commitment to community service.

VML continued its commitment to foster profound moments of inspiration, creativity, provocative thought and discovery by bringing the TED National Conference to Kansas City last February. TED, a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, started in 1984 as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. The TED Conference, which has been held annually for the past 25 years, has long since transcended its original mission to become a platform to bring together the “world’s most fascinating thinkers and doers” to make 18-minute talks about their work to an invitation-only audience.

2011 marks the 10th anniversary of Shave to Save of Kansas City, and VML continues its support of this cornerstone event. Shave to Save is one of the American Cancer Society’s most exciting and unique fundraising events and the only event that donates 100 percent of its proceeds to the Society’s Hope Lodge in Kansas City, a FREE place for cancer patients to stay during treatment.

VML was recognized at the Kansas City ADDY Awards program on Saturday, February 19, 2011, winning Best of Interactive honors for the VML-produced Xerox Real Business B2B website.

Overall, VML was honored with an agency record 40 awards across categories including websites, cinematography, online media and printed collateral, including 16 Gold ADDY awards and 16 Silver ADDY awards. 

VML is pleased to share exciting news about VML's executive leadership team.

After serving as VML's first and only CEO since 1998, Matt Anthony has named his longtime business partner, Jon Cook, to the executive leadership position of CEO and President. Jon will assume the CEO role, effective immediately. Matt will retain the responsibilities of Global Chairman.

With its G Series iPad campaign and the recent launch of its social media hub, Mission Control, Gatorade is leading the way in new media innovation with direction from VML.

Gatorade launched the Flick Football interactive ad in the iPad edition of Sports Illustrated (www.SI.com) in support of its G Series product line launch.

In September, VML opened an office in Geneva, Switzerland. Coinciding with the launch, VML released the results of its research into Switzerland’s strongest brands and their online reputations using SEER™, a social monitoring tool.

Rolex and Nestlé were found to have the highest share of voice among Swiss brands, followed by Roche. Rolex came first with the highest number of mentions in the past eight months (314,000) with peaks in online mentions coinciding with the launch of new products. Nestlé came second with 142,000 online mentions, most of which were linked to the public relations involving environmental activist groups and their call to Nestlé to stop using palm oil from unsustainable sources. In third place was Roche with almost 100,000 online mentions.

For the second year in a row, VML led the planning and implementation of TEDx in Kansas City. This year’s program attained new heights with approximately 750 on-site attendees at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, and it drew an additional 900 viewers worldwide via a live webcast on Livestream.

The program theme was “What the World Needs Now,” and the event served as an intellectual and creative platform for thinkers and doers. TEDxKC 2010 featured four live presentations and a special performance by Quixotic Fusion, a Kansas City multimedia and dance troupe. VML’s Mike Lundgren served as the event moderator; he also curated the conference. TEDxKC is an independently organized event, licensed by the national TED program. (The TED acronym is short for technology, entertainment and design.)

VML spent its sixth annual VML Foundation Day using its talent and energy to make tangible improvements in our community. More than 400 employees supported three leading community groups: Hope Faith Ministries, Harvesters Food Network and the Kansas City Zoo.

“Building on last year’s Foundation Day, we wanted to continue to partner with organizations that meet critical needs in our community,” said Matt Anthony, VML Chairman and CEO. “VML has been fortunate to grow our business in these tough economic times, and we consider it our privilege to give back and contribute to our community as much as we can.”