Isabelle Simi was a pioneer in the American wine industry, taking over her family’s Northern California company in 1904–before women could legally vote–and keeping it alive through Prohibition by selling sacramental wine to churches. And in the 1930s, as soon as booze could flow freely again, Simi became an early experiential marketer, opening one of…
Making its upfronts week debut as a combined company, ViacomCBS went light on details and heavy on its overall content slate as it closed out the annual marketing event Wednesday afternoon. Unlike most of the week’s other presenters, ViacomCBS didn’t individually break out most of its linear and digital brands, aside from running through CBS’…
Welcome to Upfronts Download, Ad Age’s special pop-up TV upfronts roundup where we bring you breaking news and some of the best (and worst) of TV’s (virtual) dog-and-pony show, curated by Jeanine Poggi, assistant managing editor.
The usual fan fair of the upfronts is certainly more muted as once again we watch presentations from our home offices and dining room tables. On this last day of the upfronts, I am working from the dead zone in my house to recreate the experience of having no wifi in Carnegie Hall and frantically trying to tweet pictures of whatever get-up CBS’ JoAnn Ross came on stage wearing.
WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar kicked off the company’s upfront presentation by assuring advertisers things will be business as usual in the upfronts despite the news this week that the company would be combined with Discovery in a mega-deal.
“Ours is a rapidly evolving industry and we are transforming with it,” Kilar said. “Together we will form a new company, super-serving our advertisers with a promise to unite WarnerMedia brands with Discovery brands, all under one banner.”
Of course, for Kilar, the future remains uncertain, as Discovery CEO David Zaslav has been tapped to lead the combined entity.
In an effort to drive awareness and sampling for HBO Max, WarnerMedia is bringing some of the originals from the streaming platform to TBS and TNT. Dubbed “Front Row,” these programs will air with limited commercials. Of course, WarnerMedia predecessor Turner has been touting lighter commercial loads on TV since at least 2015, when it said primetime originals on truTV would run with just 10 minutes of commercial time per hour. But, ultimately, it was a challenge to get the math on those efforts to add up.
WarnerMedia also provided some new details on the ad experience for HBO Max’s ad-supported tier. Kilar called the upcoming ad experience “elegant,” and the company hinted to new ad products like the ubiquitous “pause” ads that have become a mainstay of other streaming platforms; “branded discovery,” which allows brands to surround the content discovery process as consumers explore HBO Max recommended programming; and “brand block,” where brands own a block of content. There will be no more than four minutes of ads per hour with many shows, including HBO originals, airing with no ads. The highly anticipated “Friends” reunion will run with commercials. The ad-supported tier, which will debut next month, will cost $9.99 per month.
Speaking of the return of our favorite group of friends, WarnerMedia unveiled new details regarding the special, which will debut on May 27. Stars David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc appeared via videoconference to talk up the reunion, which will include the return of the iconic apartment set, readings of some classic lines from old scripts, and special guest appearances from stars like Tom Selleck. Watch the trailer here.
How is the TV industry responding to the streaming wars? On May 24 and May 25 hear from ad sales leaders, agency executives and top brands on the state of the TV ad marketplace and how streaming is poised to reinvent the $20 billion upfront marketplace. RSVP here.
CBS will lean on the tried and true in the fall with new versions of “CSI,” “FBI” and “NCIS,” as it looks to drive viewership with shows that already have a built-in audience.
The Eye network will add “NCIS: Hawaii,” starring Vanessa Lachey; “CSI: Vegas,” a sequel to the original show; and “FBI: International,” which follows the FBI’s International Fly team, to its fall lineup.
CBS’ move to double down on these franchises comes as attention is shifting to streaming platforms, including its own Paramount+. By adding shows that are familiar to both consumers and advertisers, the hope is to keep loyalists tuning in to linear TV in some fashion.
I spent at least an hour of my day today watching what felt like a loop of content jumble. Both WarnerMedia and ViacomCBS opened their virtual presentations with incredibly long skits that tried to cram in nearly every program and high-profile talent (human and otherwise) in an attempt to show just how deep their portfolios stretch. While I will take all the Leslie Odom Jr. I can get, these celebrity mashups went on far too long, making the hodgepodge of content practically indistinguishable.
For the first time, the Super Bowl will air on a Spanish-language broadcast network. NBCUniversal-owned Telemundo will air the Big Game on its sports network, Telemundo Deportes, in 2022. As part of the deal with the NFL, the network will also air “Sunday Night Football” for the next 13 seasons.
That does it for Upfronts Download—thanks for reading.
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Benjamin Spiegel, global chief digital officer for Procter & Gamble’s beauty segment, is not afraid to admit that some changes in consumer behavior he thought might occur during the pandemic … well, did not occur. “There were a lot of things that we assumed would happen early on that, in the end, didn’t quite pan…
Following a challenging 2020, fast-fashion retailer Uniqlo hopes to reconnect with consumers with a message that emphasizes both its clothing for everyday life and its efforts tied to sustainability and community engagement. The clothing chain, owned by Japanese-based apparel conglomerate Fast Retailing, recently unveiled its campaign running through mid-July under the existing tagline, “LifeWear: Made…
According to a Facebook study, more than half of consumers don’t feel represented by advertising, while more than 70% expect companies to include diversity in their promotional materials. For the demand-driven stock footage library Storyblocks, that meant “Re:Stocking” its archive with videos that better reflected the world in which we live. “For too long, stock…
When kicking off a discussion about improving diversity in artificial intelligence–specifically increasing the number of Black women present in the industry–Angle Bush was blunt. “There has not been significant progress,” she said. Still, Bush, who founded Black Women in A.I. last year to address the underrepresentation she’d been witnessing in her field, is encouraged by…
MDC Partners agency Doner has just hired its first leader dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion. The Detroit-based agency, which became the center of a network of seven agencies formed by MDC Partners back in December 2019, announced it hired Shelia Minetola as director, DEI earlier this month. Minetola had worked with Doner in a…
A Apple anunciou nesta quarta (19) uma série de novos recursos focados em acessibilidade. A partir da próxima quinta, 20 de maio, clientes da empresa podem usar o SignTime, um serviço que será disponibilizado na Apple Store e no Apple Suport e auxilia pessoas que se comunicam por libras a dialogar com os funcionários da …
Leia Apple anuncia novos recursos de acessibilidade para produtos e serviços na íntegra no B9.
At the height of the pandemic’s first big wave in August 2020, international fast-food chain KFC dropped its world famous slogan “Finger Lickin’ Good,” as it clashed with government hygiene advice to deter the spread of the virus. The move came four months after British watchdog the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received 163 complaints about…
Em meio aos trabalhos do evento de divulgação dos novos lançamentos da temporada (o famoso “upfront”), o HBO Max anunciou nesta quarta (19) duas novas séries de animação que são inspiradas em alguns dos principais heróis da DC Comics. Mas ainda que a produção focada no Superman tenha seu mérito, o destaque de novo fica …
Leia HBO Max vai reunir criador de “Batman: A Série Animada” com o herói em nova animação na íntegra no B9.
Omnicom Media Group’s PHD looked outside the agency world to hire its first U.S. head of commerce. In the latest agency investment into commerce practices, PHD hired Sarah Clayton in the role, tasked with leading the expansion of the commerce practice and ensuring alignment with the retail marketplace as the U.S. gradually moves past the…
Harry’s promotes its range of deodorant protection for men—for light, medium and heavy sweaters.
(TrendHunter.com) The Lian Li DK-05F and DK-04F gaming desks are an all-in-one furniture solution for avid gamers that will enable them to enjoy their choice of eSports title in a new way. The gaming desks maintain a…
Last June, the nonprofit organization Cityside launched The Oaklandside, then a seven-person newsroom, to cover hyper-local Oakland, Calif. news. Despite launching just a few months into the pandemic, the publication has since surpassed many of the internal benchmarks it set to measure success. The modest venture of launching a local newsroom caught the eye of…
Facebook introduced its new Transparency Center Wednesday, billing it as a single destination for information on its integrity and transparency efforts. Resources available via the Transparency Center include: Facebook’s policies and how they are developed and updated. The company’s approach to enforcing content policies by using human reviewers and machine learning technology. Facebook’s efforts to…
TV spots suggest if plants taste like meat, you can do anything—and seed kits emphasize the brand’s ingredients.
With new CDC guidance around face coverings for the vaccinated, stores are grappling with how to communicate their new policies and maintain shopper comfort.
Uma nova parceria entre a Fórmula 1 e “Rocket League” vai permitir que os veículos das montadoras participantes de um dos circuitos de corrida mais prestigiados do planeta joguem bola. A Epic Games confirmou nesta quarta (19) que o jogo vai ganhar um novo Fan Pack dedicado à F1, com um modelo básico de veículo …
Leia Agora você pode jogar “Rocket League” com os carros da Fórmula 1 na íntegra no B9.
Após mais de 25 anos de história, o Internet Explorer finalmente vai ser aposentado. O navegador da Microsoft foi, por boa parte dos anos 90 e durante o começo dos anos 2000, o principal browser da internet, mas logo ficou datado e foi substituído pelos usuários por concorrentes como Mozila Firefox e Google Chrome. O …
Leia O fim de uma era: Microsoft finalmente vai aposentar o Internet Explorer na íntegra no B9.
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