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Games brand Electronic Arts has claimed Consumerist.com’s 2012 Worst Company In America title, setting a record for the most votes cast in a single round with 50,575 total submissions. EA easily claimed the prestigious Golden Poo Award with a 64% share of the votes, ahead of perennial nominee Bank Of America.

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is partnering with philanthropic foundation The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to launch a call to action to generate communications ideas to help change the world, writes Steve Mullins. Any individual, agency or brand can submit a two-page comms idea based on a challenge issued through the foundation’s Grand Challenges Explorations programme.

UK fashion retailer River Island has allied with the British Fashion Council Fash/On Film initiative, which aims to support and develop relationships between fashion designers and filmmakers, writes Maria Stadtmueller. Fash/On Film will provide a regular showcasing opportunity at London Fashion Week.

Microsoft has launched the Microsoft Advertising Story Awards, tasking marketers from 30 countries with submitting a campaign idea for a brand or non-profit using Microsoft Advertising’s storytelling platforms.

Microsoft Advertising has created an online hub to house and share videos from Chevrolet’s Chevrolet Route 66 global filmmaker contest launched back in June, writes Steve Mullins. The car brand’s campaign attracted close to 200 submissions from 32 countries, and the competition’s clips can now be viewed on the web in nine markets.

midem has unveiled the 10 finalists in the midem Marketing Campaign Competition to identify the most innovative and creative use of music in a marketing campaign. Those shortlisted include Converse Rubber Tracks presented by Cornerstone and Converse, Carte Musique presented by Euro RSCG C&O and The Hours, and The Vaccines Wetsuit Instagram Video presented by Anomaly.

TED has announced that five agencies entering the Ads Worth Spreading initiative will be randomly selected for a visit, with the TED team curating a special session and meeting one-on-one with each agency. These visits – slated the first half of 2012 – are designed to spark deeper conversations between TED and the global advertising and marketing community.

McKinsey has been busy crowdsourcing, and over the past couple of months has been calling for 60-second videos to showcase innovative social projects, says Steve Mullins. The move elicited 150 clips from 30 countries and the public has been given the opportunity to vote on them.