High-octane sports typically go hand in hand with caffeinated dudes downing energy drinks to enhance their performance. Case in point: Category leaders Red Bull and Monster Energy posted videos on their respective social channels of quarantined athletes riding minibikes around their homes. It might not be this way for long, though. As the energy drink…
Prior to the economic chaos caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent havoc it has wrought on the media industry, ad tech’s biggest priority was cookies–or its identity crisis, to be precise. In January, Google announced the 2022 the elimination of third-party cookies in its market-leading Chrome browser, prompting talk of Project Rearc, aka…
A year and a half ago, Lucasfilm announced that writer/producer Jon Favreau’s new Star Wars series would be called The Mandalorian and would feature Bryce Dallas Howard as director for its fourth episode. For Howard, already a seasoned actress, Mandalorian would not only be her first major directing gig, but also the first time a…
Most of the professional sports world came to a screeching halt in early March in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. But instead of sitting idle, well-known athletes, their teams and leagues got busy. Not on competitive courts, stadiums or fields, of course, but in their communities and through their charities. Early standouts include Cleveland…
One of the WWE’s highest-profile superstars, John Cena, has made a career of being self-referential, in the cheekiest way, often showing up for matches in T-shirts with his own face plastered across his impressively ripped chest. But today he’s pumping up someone else instead: Dr. Evan Shannon, an internist and young father who’s working nearly…
When the coronavirus shut the country down in March, it also halted professional sports. The NBA, NHL, MLB and others suspended their seasons. Top tennis tournaments, including the Miami Open and Wimbledon, were canceled, and the Olympic Games in Tokyo were paused until 2021. The implications were enormous for athletes, coaches, employees, fans and the…
It’s safe to assume homemade dessert has become a commodity. In recent weeks, sales of nearly all baking products are through the roof. Flour (up 203% year over year); baking chocolate and cocoa (156%); baking powder and baking soda (136%); and mixes like brownies, cookies and bars (164%) are up more than refrigerated cookie and…
As Americans began sheltering in place in mid-March and were eager for new entertainment options following the cancellation of live sports, Sir Patrick Stewart came to their rescue. On March 24, the day before the Season 1 finale of his new CBS All Access series Star Trek: Picard, Stewart announced on Instagram that the streaming…
In 2019, Victoria’s Secret closed over 50 stores across North America due to lagging sales performance. Victoria’s Secret marketing campaigns featuring supermodel Angels no longer resonated with women who see themselves and their bodies in a different light. Consumers react to market offerings according to their needs, values and preferences, as informed by their culture….
Shaun Sheikh’s advertising career began as a precocious college student. As a college sophomore at the University of Rochester working as a content writer, he was getting a lot of requests for SEO optimization. It led him down a rabbit hole and he developed a consuming passion for the then-budding digital advertising space. After learning…
Bush’s Beans was founded in 1908. Since then, it’s been a pantry staple, becoming a necessity for any American summertime grilling event or kid-friendly dinner plate. While Bush’s has long offered dozens of flavors of canned-bean products, this January the company ventured outside of the canned foods aisle with the launch of a new line…
Were the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to proceed as planned this summer, Team USA would have boasted a truly world-famous member. A deal inked in February officially announced Team USA’s Global Ambassador for Inclusivity–“an iconic symbol for equal opportunity, fair play and global harmony.” And who was this vaunted dignitary? Hello Kitty. Alas, the mouthless white…
These days, Chris Mohney, editor of food website Zagat Stories, knows that his kids are spending more time in front of a screen than usual, watching videos on YouTube Kids and playing games. While he and his wife, a partner at a law firm, are both working from their home in Westchester County, N.Y., their…
Agencies have long dealt with clients that are happy to push the limits when it comes to paying the bills. The issue came to the forefront once again this year when a survey of more than 100 marketers conducted by the Association of National Advertisers found that agencies wait an average of 58 days for…
After three decades in the industry, veteran animator Mike Moon is sure of one thing: Adult animation–i.e., animated projects aimed at grown-ups, not kids–is currently in its golden age. “There are so many different tones that are being tackled, there are so many different styles,” said Moon, who has headed up the adult animation division…
Being a transwoman can be a daunting challenge. Many of us struggle to find consistent employment at all, let alone one with a living wage. While we want to believe discrimination is no longer an issue in the workplace, according to the Human Rights Commission nearly 50% of people who identify as lesbian, gay or…
Media can no longer be put into a box. Brands are asking agencies for more guidance than ever as they try to navigate consumer privacy, personalization, heaps of data and more. This year’s Media All-Stars offer not only expertise in their respective fields, but also the innovative thinking needed to usher clients into a future…
While TV news consumption has grown significantly during the coronavirus pandemic, more people are also streaming entertainment as a respite from the news, the economy, finances, politics and health concerns. That’s according to new data from Omnicom. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, people have been watching live TV, browsing social media and binge watching shows on…
Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) is a busy man these days. In the last week or so, he’s thrown his weight behind numerous initiatives to help his home state, including SBA loans, food distribution and the procurement of a COVID-19 testing machine. But another of Portman’s maneuverings affects people across the entire nation. That’s because Ohio…
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced brands to postpone or cancel in-person events for the foreseeable future, so marketers are adapting their experiential strategy to connect with people in self-isolation. “Pivoting” is the buzzword experts have pushed the past few weeks, and brands are beginning to show what that means with stunts and digital experiences that…
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