Programmatic Advertising Comes to the New York Subway

Buying ads on the New York City subway is moving into the digital age. In recent years, ads on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s trains and platforms have helped grow digitally native startups, firms like Casper and Hims, into household names. But despite being a place for buzzy brands to advertise, the process of buying ads…

Lego DreamZzz Big With 3D Billboards Where Fantasy Enters the Real World

Lego DreamZzz, the latest TV series based on the classic toys, follows a group of kids who discover that they can journey into the dream world. The company is promoting the show’s May 15 launch with a multimedia campaign meant to capture the same sense of wonder. The Lego Group’s internal creative agency Our Lego…

This Bombas Campaign Targets Those Who Were Conditioned to Look Away

In the middle of her interview, Air Force veteran and single mom Colleen Bushnell pauses to ask someone behind the camera if her responses are helpful. After facing three years of homelessness, it isn’t that she doesn’t know how to articulate her experiences–she just isn’t sure what to say to get people to care. “If…

How KFC Canada Quickly Reclaimed the Chicken Narrative During McDonald’s Chicken Big Mac Debut

After months of teasing the launch, it’s official: Starting Tuesday and for a limited time only, Canadian McDonald’s fans can enjoy the Big Mac with chicken patties instead of beef. Yet, judging from the follow-up social media exchanges with fellow fast food brand KFC, that doesn’t mean that there is no beef to be had….

Tinder ‘Swipes Right’ on Inclusive Global Campaign to Court Gen Z Daters 

Over its 10-year existence, Tinder has not only introduced the concept of “swiping” to indicate interest (or lack thereof) into the cultural lexicon; it has also sparked a reputation as a place where daters could find a noncommittal encounter–or as it’s known more widely, a “hookup.” But now, the popular dating app is optimistic its…

The 30 Best Ads of 2022

When we look back on 2022, we’ll likely recall a number of defining moments that underscored the ad industry, such as the meteoric rise (and unceremonious fall) of crypto, the push to get back to pre-pandemic normalcy and the ability to band together in the face of unspeakable tragedy, just to name a few. But…

Outfront Media Takes Social, OOH Combo to Next Level With Revamped Prime Offering

The math is simple for full-service out-of-home media company Outfront Media: Social plus out-of-home equals social out-of-home. Chief marketing officer Jodi Senese told Adweek the OOH sector has been undergoing a digital evolution over the past decade, adding, “A lot of the assets have turned digital, with live boards that look like giant iPads on…

Ted Lasso Offers Words of Encouragement Via Billboards Ahead of World Cup

With the 2022 FIFA World Cup approaching, excitement is certainly building both on and off the field. However, there is one person that feels the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team (USMNT) needs a bit of encouragement ahead of the games–Ted Lasso. To motivate members of the USMNT, a series of mysterious and inspirational messages emulating…

BrewDog Declares Itself ‘Proud Anti-Sponsor’ of 2022 FIFA World Cup

BrewDog has declared itself the “proud anti-sponsor” of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in a series of billboards protesting the human rights record of host country, Qatar. The brewer has unveiled a punchy campaign, created by Saatchi & Saatchi London, condemning what it said was the “corruption, abuse and death” associated with the tournament. Describing…

In the Game: 3 Reasons Why Brands Should Leverage Live Sports

Whether it’s MetLife Stadium in metro New York or Lumen Field in Seattle, America’s sports arenas have been filling up the past several months. And with that, there’s the chance for every marketer to follow fans through the turnstiles. Thanks to technology and sweeping changes in how out-of-home ads are sold and delivered, marketing at…

Uplifting Women in Sports Is a Running Theme for MilkPEP

With more people around the world getting wise to the extreme gender disparity in sports coverage, there is no better time than the present to tap into that momentum to create real, lasting change. The race to create a more equitable athletic world is, as the saying goes, a marathon and not a sprint–in some…

HSBC Put on Notice for Greenwashing Following ‘Misleading’ Sustainability Claims

British bank HSBC is the latest advertiser to have its ads spiked for “misleading” customers over green initiatives. The brand has been warned by the U.K.’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) after running a series of posters under the tagline “Climate Change Doesn’t Do Borders.” Following 45 complaints from the public, the regulator said the bank’s…

What Accounts for Performance Marketers’ Reluctant Embrace of Out-of-Home Advertising?

Performance marketers have heretofore been reluctant to explore the waters of out-of-home advertising, and with good reason: By and large, the industry was slow to adapt to the digital landscape. A global pandemic that forced most of the world inside didn’t help much, either; after all, nobody wants to buy a billboard that nobody is…

Jollibee’s Chicken Ads Look So Tasty, Other Billboards Can’t Resist

New York’s Times Square is packed with eye-catching digital billboards from international brands marketing luxury products. So an OOH campaign to mark the opening of Jollibee Foods Corporation’s new flagship restaurant in Times Square felt like a natural move–but also one that plays on the visual clutter by tempting its billboard models with a bucket…

Marketing Morsels: Piccadilly Lights for the Queen, Butterfinger’s Baddie, Curious Cucumbers and More

Welcome to Marketing Morsels, a menu of delightful news items from the past week. Enjoy the assortment! Morsel #1: The Piccadilly Lights go dark for the Queen Piccadilly Lights Yesterday, the media owners with space on the iconic Piccadilly Lights, which is operated by Ocean Outdoor, suspended all commercials showing on the screens and came…

Google Display & Video 360 Adds Digital Out-of-Home to Mix

Google’s Display & Video 360 digital campaign management platform added a digital out-of-home component Thursday. The company said Thursday that digital OOH ads are now available to all Display & Video 360 users, encompassing screens in public places such as airports, bus stops, elevators, shopping centers, stadiums and taxis, adding that brands can run different…

Marketing Morsels: A Licker on the Loose, Glow-in-the-Dark S’moregazing and More

Welcome to Marketing Morsels, a menu of delightful news items from the past week. Enjoy the assortment! Morsel #1: A Licker breaks loose from Netflix’s 3D billboard Resident Evil bursts onto Netflix in 12 hours! Just like this Licker burst out of a NYC billboard! pic.twitter.com/z4SvlJk0Pv — Netflix (@netflix) July 13, 2022 A new 3D…

These Shocking ‘Fat C*n’t’ Billboards Are Actually Meant to Challenge Body Bias

Every once in a while, a billboard demands a second look, and the latest creative from inclusive U.K. cycling brand Fat Lad at the Back is no exception. The business, which sells plus-size sportswear, is running a series of attention-grabbing out-of-home (OOH) ads up and down the country which read: “Fat C*n’t. Actually Fat Can.”…

Summertime Posters Celebrate Underexposed Black British Talent

To promote the positive representation of Black British creatives, a poster campaign is featuring a series of portraits of cultural contributors and activists to build their profiles. The campaign from Underexposed Arts, an organization that celebrates and promotes positive representation of Black British and Dual Heritage African/Caribbean people, sees the first series of portraits released…

In Uncertain Times, a ‘Play It Safe’ Strategy for Brands Will Be Anything But

Procter & Gamble’s chief brand officer Marc Pritchard said it best: It’s time to “double down.” That sentiment may feel counterintuitive right about now. Indeed, as we head into the back half of this year, there seems to be little doubt that the advertising industry, along the rest of the U.S. economy, is bracing for…