Driving relevance means driving growth. Join global brands and industry thought leaders at Brandweek, Sept. 11–14 in Miami, for actionable takeaways to better your marketing. 50% off passes ends April 10.
During this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Andy Markowitz, vp of Digital Retention and Acquisition Marketing at the New York Mets, highlights the importance of adapting digitally, maintaining strong professional relationships and continuously building value in the fast-paced marketing landscape.
Markowitz delves into his role at the Mets, focusing on the value of thoroughly understanding a company’s audience and explains how the Mets utilize strategies like propensity modeling and journey automation to captivate existing fans and attract new ones. By leveraging the Met’s digitally enabled buying experiences and entry points, he explains how this data is employed to gain a deeper understanding of customer behavior.
Markowitz defines the importance of analyzing various digital channels, such as organic search, display and paid social media placements to optimize a company’s marketing efforts. After landing his new role at the New York Mets, he shares that his secret to securing rewarding future opportunities later in his career was fostering relationships and maintaining adaptability in the face of a constantly evolving digital landscape.
Key takeaways:
Revolutionize audience engagement by becoming more approachable, accessible and relatable
Optimize marketing efforts by exploring various channels, including search, paid advertising, display and paid social media
Nurturing relationships is essential for maintaining future professional prospects
Driving relevance means driving growth. Join global brands and industry thought leaders at Brandweek, Sept. 11–14 in Miami, for actionable takeaways to better your marketing. 50% off passes ends April 10.
Todd Kaplan, chief marketing officer of Pepsi at PepsiCo, joins Suzy Founder and CEO Matt Britton on the latest episode of The Speed of Culture podcast in collaboration with Adweek. Together, they discuss the growth of AI and Web3, the evolution of content creation and how context matters now more than ever.
Todd became an assistant marketing manager at PepsiCo in 2006 and has since moved up in the company. Thanks to his disruptive approach to revitalizing the brand, Todd was named one of Business Insider’s Top 25 Most Innovative CMOs in the World.
Since 2018, Todd has propelled Pepsi back into the cultural conversation by rejuvenating the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show platform with historic performances from Jennifer Lopez and Shakira, Dr. Dre, Eminem and others, as well as introducing groundbreaking new products such as Nitro Pepsi.
Key Takeaways:
04:56 – 07:17—The Rise of Digital Marketing – When Todd began his career in marketing, TV commercials and nationwide campaigns were the primary focus. However, as time passed, the marketing landscape evolved, placing more emphasis on digital channels for consumer interaction, engagement and brand development.
07:17 – 09:43—Consumer-Centric Content Marketing – In the world of content, you have to start with the consumer’s needs and work your way backward. Pepsi focuses on understanding the consumer in all their campaigns, including TV shows, full-length documentaries and reality shows. However, as the consumers’ needs change quickly, Todd believes brands should develop a relevant message that will encourage the consumer to come to them.
15:54 – 17:10—The Macroeconomic Context – Businesses should always consider the macroeconomic environment as a variable that impacts every industry. In the past, brands could reach most people through TV, radio or an ad on a billboard. Today, context is critically important for every message, especially when trying to reach people through their phones.
17:19 – 19:21 – The Moment of Choice—In terms of retail media, Pepsi focuses on leveraging the “moment of choice,” the critical moment when a consumer is in the store and decides which product to purchase. The ultimate goal is to entice the consumer into the store and have the right marketing tactics to secure the sale. This includes having the perfect point-of-sale display, pricing and promotional offers to attract the consumer’s attention and encourage them to make a purchase.
Driving relevance means driving growth. Join global brands and industry thought leaders at Brandweek, Sept. 11–14 in Miami, for actionable takeaways to better your marketing. 50% off passes ends April 10.
Nike Air Max Day launched in 2014, long after the sneaker had become a staple of grime and hip-hop scenes from the late ‘80s well into the 2000s. Though the early days of these subcultures have come and gone, these movements live on in new music scenes around the world. The historical connection between underground music and Air Max remains undeniable.
For 2023’s Nike Air Max Day on March 26, the brand paid tribute to the music scenes that helped catapult it into legendary status. Teaming with JD Sports alongside agency partner AKQA, Nike created ON.AIR.MAX, a radio show broadcasting live from JD Sports’ Times Square location.
Featuring a day of live broadcasts, the show allowed audiences to revisit the vibes of classic pirate radio while remaining rooted in the present by highlighting modern-day artists. Giving a nod to the radio giveaways of days gone by, the promotion offered old-school listener call-ins for prize packs while in-store customers unlocked the JD Sports exclusive launch of the new Air Max Pulse.
Rebellion and passion in a sneaker
Up-and-coming artists, including Kilopatrah Jones, Grabba Ranks, Khalil and Hu Dat, were featured throughout the day. Bel-Airstar Jabari Banks also made a personal appearance in-store.
“It’s so inspiring to see the new generation come together to celebrate what Air Max truly is about—passion and rebellious creativity—two traits that underground artists embody the best,” said Luciana Cani, AKQA executive creative director, in a statement.
The Air Max has a special place in advertising history. Its debut ad in 1987 was the first TV advertisement to feature a Beatles song. Air Max Day 2023 was accompanied by OOH promotions paying tribute to the Air Max 1 via a 3D billboard in Hangzhou, China.
“We’re especially thrilled that this celebration comes to life through a radio station—because it’s super impactful for underground artists to hear their music on a mainstream broadcast. And for a generation that rarely interacts with radio, this is such a memorable and unique way to connect them with new artists and Air Max,” Cani said.
CREDITS:
AKQA – Creative
Luciana Cani: Executive creative director
Pedro Sanguiné: Associate creative director
Enoch Lui: Senior copywriter
Cindy Sim: Associate copywriter
Teiano Lesā: Art director
Matt Ostler: Copywriter
Mariana Reis: Senior art director
Teresa Pinho: Senior copywriter
Matthew Morgan: Senior product designer
Osamu Akatsu: Senior designer
Nora Molinaro: Designer
LungYi Lin: Motion
AKQA – Strategy
Jeff Burgin: Strategy director
Rachel Smith: Strategist
AKQA – Delivery + Production + Technology
Brian Breach: Head of delivery
Heather Harlow: Executive producer
Victor Covington: Project manager
An Doan: Technical director
Kurt Steinke: Director of music production (Townhouse)
Driving relevance means driving growth. Join global brands and industry thought leaders at Brandweek, Sept. 11–14 in Miami, for actionable takeaways to better your marketing. 50% off passes ends April 10.
In this week’s episode of Yeah, That’s Probably an Ad, community editor Luz Corona is joined by Adweek’s Europe brand editor Rebecca Stewart and Adweek reporter Kyle O’Brien to discuss the evolving role of today’s executive creative director.
From keeping up with the latest tech to increasing managerial responsibilities, today’s creatives must be the ultimate multitaskers and so much more.
Driving relevance means driving growth. Join global brands and industry thought leaders at Brandweek, Sept. 11–14 in Miami, for actionable takeaways to better your marketing. 50% off passes ends April 10.
In this week’s episode of To Dine For, host Kate Sullivan is joined by Gloria Estefan, singer, songwriter, actress, businesswoman and living legend.
Over Cuban food at The Wave in Vero Beach, Florida, Gloria discusses her journey, hard-earned lessons she’s learned along the way and the road she paved for so many other Latin artists.
Join iconic brands and world-class marketing leaders at Brandweek to unlock powerful insights and impact-driven strategies. Attend in Miami or virtually, Sept. 11–14. Save 50% with early-bird passes.
As one of the NCAA’s “Corporate Champions,” AT&T is typically granted carte blanche to have year-round activation presence at all its championship games.
It comes as no surprise that the tech and telecom juggernaut expanded its omnipresence to include the airwaves during the hotly anticipated March Madness tournament.
This year, the brand unleashed “Madness Loves Company,” a full 360 campaign that includes four spots from creative partner BBDO LA that will run throughout the games airing on both CBS and Warner Bros. Discovery.
The first of the four spots, “Vicky’s Squad,” premiered during Selection Sunday (March 12). It features former NCAA players for Gonzaga and South Carolina, Chet Holmgren and A’ja Wilson.
In the spot, Holmgren and Wilson—who now play for the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder and the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, respectively—are part of a squad watching the game on a driving range, completely unfazed by the balls hitting their cart, but are momentarily inconvenienced by an incoming “car warranty” spam call interrupting the action on the phone.
The scenario presents a perfect opportunity for AT&T’s longtime spokesperson, Lily, to inform the squad about the ActiveArmor feature that protects customers from unsolicited calls.
In “Arms for Days,” former Pitt Panther and current Memphis Grizzlies player Steven Adams lends his extensive limbs (and shoulders) to Lily and a couple of grateful fans for an elevated game-viewing experience in a nod to the reach of the brand’s 5G network.
The tongue-in-cheek “One and Done” might hit Kentucky Wildcats fans in the feels. In addition to taking place in the office of the team’s famed coach, John Calipari, it finds the ever-helpful Lily trying to encourage senior player Jacob Toppin to “Do the Kentucky thing” and take advantage of AT&T’s Galaxy Phone Trade-in policy to upgrade his phone and “go to the next level.”
Oklahoma City Thunder player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander—himself a Kentucky “one and doner”—makes a cameo appearance to chime in on the decision, alluding to the school’s reputation for churning out early NBA Draft picks, as the team’s mascot acknowledges the cheeky jab, and Toppin deftly declares his intent to switch (phones) when he’s ready.
The final of the four (get it?), “One Shining Moment,” incorporates the tournament’s iconic theme song—the first time a brand has received permission to do so from its writer, David Barrett—to convey the power of the games’ ability to bring fans together for memorable moments through the brand’s 5G network.
Wilson, Holmgren and Adams return and are joined by Lily and NBA veteran (and former Duke Blue Devil) Christian Laettner, NBA veteran (and former Ohio State player) Greg Oden, NBA veteran (and former Gonzaga player) Adam Morrison, New York Liberty (and former Oregon Ducks) player, Sabrina Ionescu and Cassidy Cerny—the Indiana University cheerleader who went viral for plucking a stuck ball out of the backboard during a Hoosiers game—for a beachy keen spot the brand hopes will propel awareness and attention for the equally action-packed women’s bracket (even though Lily gets her thunder stolen by Oden).
“It’s called March Madness, not March Mildness,” says Ash Tavassoli, BBDO’s executive creative director, in a shared statement. “While other big events are perfectly fine when you watch them solo, the women’s and men’s tournaments are built for madness. And madness is always better with friends.”
A comprehensive game plan
AT&T began rolling out the campaign prior to Selection Sunday with the release of its bracket manager. In addition to the four linear spots, the full campaign will also include OOH signage with illustrations by artist Andrew Rae in and around the stadiums where the men’s and women’s Final Four games will be held, several 15- and 6-second online videos, a Snap lens for social and a halftime integration featuring Lily alongside special co-anchors.
Critical Mass and Hearts & Science are additional creative and media agency partners for the campaign.
“The ‘Madness Loves Company’ campaign celebrates the connections with others that make March Madness fandom more fun,” Valerie Vargas, svp, advertising and retail marketing, AT&T, shared with Adweek. “Winning, losing, breaking records and busting brackets—they’re all that much better in good company. Our target audience data shows college basketball fans want to stay connected to their fandom all tournament long, and AT&T is an expert in the business of connection. Whether at home, on the go or attending the tournament events, fans can rely on AT&T to enjoy the Madness together.”
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Foria wants women to find the beauty in moments of pleasure—and be their own muses in the process.
The pioneering female sexual wellness brand—which will celebrate a decade in the space next year—has launched its latest campaign centered on finding and creating these moments and sharing them for fun. Another enticement for consumers to participate? Cool swag.
Created in-house, the brand’s “OG O-Face” campaign has brazenly lifted classical works of art depicting women in various states of … um … enjoyment and cheekily snuck some of its best-known plant-based products, such as Awaken Oil, into the centuries-old pieces.
The amusingly unsubtle (and semi-NSFW) visuals are a nod to the history of women’s pleasure as depicted in famous paintings and portraits. That tradition is being revisited and adapted in the modern world, despite still being a taboo subject that continues to battle censorship and stigma.
“Foria’s ‘OG O-Face’ campaign is a celebration of women’s sexual pleasure throughout history, acknowledging how expressions of pleasure in art and media have informed our understanding of sexuality,” Liz Dolinski, Foria’s CMO, told Adweek. “As the original brand to address the need for products supporting women’s sexual pleasure, Foria is dedicated to destigmatizing sexual wellness and sensuality as a foundational part of human health.”
Foria’s previous marketing includes an ad series in 2022 that aimed to normalize masturbation, backed by research that found more people masturbate than practice yoga, run or read. The work came from TDA Boulder.
Finding the ‘O’ spot
The “OG O-Face” campaign includes a nationwide scavenger hunt, in which the brand has encouraged fans to capture art and images “in the wild.” The goal is to represent real-world O-faces—which the brand defines as a look of arousal, seduction or, more specifically, an orgasm—and share them on social.
Adventurous participants can share shots of their own O-faces, with each entrant having a chance to win a year’s supply of the brand’s selected hero products, a $100 gift card or a membership to their local museum when they tag the brand.
Foria
For fans located in New York, Foria and its PR agency, RVD Communications, partnered with the Brooklyn Museum, which hosted an after-hours activation to kick off the campaign. Guests received booklets containing images and trivia on the art curated by the museum’s staff, especially for the “Scavenger Hunt Celebrating Female Pleasure and Power.”
Featured items include Egyptian artifacts, a work by renowned modernist painter Georgia O’Keefe, and Judy Chicago’s “The Dinner Party,” the museum’s permanent installation of a triangular table with 39 intricate place settings based on famous historical and mythical women surrounded by tiles inscribed with the names of 999 others.
Booklets for the hunt will also be available to museum visitors through the event, which ends March 31.
“Pleasure has always been a natural part of humanity,” Dolinski said. “In encouraging folks to explore depictions of pleasure in art and media—both ancient and contemporary—we hope to help women reconnect with their nature and encourage conversations on why women, in particular, are being left out of the pleasure narrative.”
Join iconic brands and world-class marketing leaders at Brandweek to unlock powerful insights and impact-driven strategies. Attend in Miami or virtually, Sept. 11–14. Save 50% with early-bird passes.
Recruiters are calling Austin Anglin, an art director at the independent Atlanta agency 22Squared. They aren’t interested in interviewing him. Instead, they want to reach an art director named Alex Irving.
The caveat? Irving isn’t human. They’re the pseudonym behind the AI-produced creative portfolio Anglin created with his co-worker, 22Squared senior copywriter Emma Murf.
Using ChatGPT and Midjourney AI tools, the creatives dreamed up Irving (who they’ve deemed the first AI art director), built a portfolio for the digital entity and applied to real job listings using AI-generated work. The experiment helped answer a question that troubled them: Can AI replace take their jobs?
Can AI replace creatives?
Anglin, who works across agency accounts like Toyota, had been using online AI tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney to determine how 22Squared could use them advantageously. As Murf conducted her own research in tandem, eventually, the co-workers learned of their mutual interest in the technology.
They traded notes, noticing a surplus of ominous online content insinuating that AI might soon, or could eventually, replace creatives.
Alex Irving’s ChatGPT and Midjourney-generated work for the Chicago Transit Authority.22Squared
“We really kept finding a lot of articles about how it’ll replace everything…There were quite a few about creatives, especially copywriters, as well as art directors. You know—the jobs we do every day,” Anglin told Adweek.
Creating Alex Irving
That’s when Murf and Anglin decided to conduct an experiment, and asked ChatGPT’s AI tool to develop a creative profile for a fictionalized art director.
“We basically aggregated the power of several AI software to create what we have deemed the world’s first AI art director. Their name is Alex Irving–AI,” Murf said. The duo asked the AI to create a portfolio featuring six different projects, which it completed, guided by Murf and Anglin’s promptings, in just three days’ time.
To gauge if the AI-generated portfolio was impressive enough to score Irving interviews for real jobs, the creatives used it to apply to open postings.
“We think of it almost like a CAPTCHA test for the advertising industry. Like, can you spot that fingerprint of artificial creativity?” Murf said. Some recruiters couldn’t, with Irving’s portfolio garnering their interest.
The creatives gave ChatGPT’s AI feedback, pushing it to produce better ideas.22Squared
To design visually attractive campaigns, the creatives fed the AI prompts and asked it to craft creative concepts for a particular brand. In one case, they asked ChatGPT to develop a campaign for the Chicago Transit Authority, for which it produced creative executions and named the campaign “Riding The Wave Of Chicago.” Despite the two pitching Irving to recruiters as an art director, they relied entirely on AI to produce all the copy within the fictionalized portfolio. They even asked ChatGPT to decide what the campaign’s creative executions should look like.
The software suggested custom bus wraps complete with CTAs. Later, the duo shared the concept with Midjourney, an AI imaging tool, which produced the creative.
The AI tools developed Irving’s portfolio over the course of just three days, confirming the creatives’ hypothesis that an AI tool could create a finished product much more efficiently than a human art director. “There’s absolutely time saved by using these tools. There’s no doubt about it,” said Anglin.
It ‘couldn’t get into deeper concepts’
There were two significant problems.
First, the AI-generated images failed to generate clear text.
“They’re all very intentionally prevented from doing that,” said Anglin. “‘Ride The Wave Of Chicago’ was more of like a blob that had letter forms. It was that font, it just wasn’t all white words that you could read,” he added.
The creatives helped the AI create the campaign’s text components, which they did using Adobe Photoshop’s font finder tool.
Second, Murf and Anglin found the AI couldn’t develop deeper creative concepts. “The Chicago Transit Authority, the Audible campaigns, are really visually stunning and really well written, but the concepts are very ‘first thought,’” the art director said.
The tool itself explained why. After it completed the project, Murf interviewed the ChatGPT AI about its experience crafting the portfolio.
“I cannot have spontaneous breakthroughs, be surprised by my own creations, or have the subjective experience of feeling creative,” the AI told her.
How AI can enhance creative work
The duo doesn’t plan to take the hiring experiment further. After finding that the AI tools couldn’t develop original ideas, and the extent to which they required human prompting, Murf and Anglin felt more at ease.
The process also revealed how AI tools can aide junior creatives in becoming more strategic. The two felt momentarily able to assume the role of creative director, as they developed the software’s ideas and provided it guidance. In addition to a time-saving idea generator, they found, it also presents opportunities for creatives to pressure test their strategic vision and develop professionally.
“As is often the case with with social experiments, the question that you start with doesn’t end up being the real question in the end,” said Murf. “The question started to become, not how will AI replace us, but how can it enhance us.”
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Cannes Lions has named Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) as Creative Marketer of the Year for the second consecutive year–the only brand to achieve this in the history of the festival.
The award, introduced in 1992, honors a marketer that has created Lion-winning work over a sustained period of time and has “established a reputation for producing brave creative and innovative marketing solutions,” according to the festival.
At last year’s Cannes Lions, AB InBev won 49 Lions–including one Grand Prix, 10 gold, 19 silver and 19 bronze–across 10 brands from seven countries. The Grand Prix was in the Creative Effectiveness category for Michelob Ultra Pure Gold’s 2021 “Contract for Change” campaign, which supported farmers as they moved into organic farming.
AB InBev has also demonstrated that its creative excellence is driving business growth. In 2018, it set a five-year goal to improve their creative marketing and drive organic revenue for the business. Last year, it reported an all-time high in sales volume, organic growth and improved creative and financial performance, according to the company.
“This is truly unprecedented to win such a prestigious award two years in a row,” AB InBev chief executive Michel Doukeris said in a statement. “It is a testament to the creativity of our entire marketing organization and the relentless focus on connecting in meaningful ways with consumers.”
AB InBev will receive the award at the final awards show of the festival on Friday, June 23. It will also host a seminar on June 19 about their five-year journey.
“AB InBev has raised the bar once again and embedded a culture that ensures continued success is inevitable. This win bucks the trend and demonstrates an ongoing commitment to creativity as a driver for growth,” Cannes Lions CEO Simon Cook said in a statement.
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Get ready to log in: Adweek’s Creator Visionary Awards are back for a third year.
Over the years, social media has evolved beyond basic communication to become an all-encompassing necessity for creativity and progress. With an aim to carve out a differentiated space for themselves and their community of supporters, creators are often born of the very disruption that seasoned industry professionals strive for. This year, we continue to honor the innovative minds that have not only entertained us, but wholly shifted our approach to marketing, media and connection.
Please take a moment to explore our categories and submit your nominations below. The deadline for submissions is March 29th.
Artistry Creator of the Year – A digital creator who has transformed their platform to test the boundaries of artistry and animation.
Beauty and Fashion Creator of the Year – A digital creator who has transformed their platform into a celebration (or knowledgeable critique) of beauty and fashion.
Business Insights Creator of the Year – A digital creator who has transformed their platform into a reliable resource by sharing their proven knowledge of business with their audience.
Careers Creator of the Year – A digital creator who has transformed their platform into a reliable resource by sharing their proven knowledge of careers with their audience.
Celebrity Crossover Award - A mainstream celebrity, musician or actor who has successfully crossed over and made a significant impact on social. Comedy Creator of the Year - A digital creator who shares their unique point-of-view through a comedic lens.
Community Spirit Award - A creator who has provided a safe environment for its users and advertisers while discussing social justice on their platform.
Culinary Creator of the Year – A digital creator who has transformed their platform into a celebration of food
Dance Creator of the Year - A digital creator whose love of dance has made a clear impact on the digital community.
Entrepreneur of the Year - A Creator who has built a successful, sustainable and equitable business by leveraging the power of social media.
Gamer Creator of the Year – A digital creator who has transformed their platform into a community for gamers at all skill levels. RPG communities/networks also qualify.
Health and Wellness Creator of the Year - A digital creator who has transformed their platform into a reliable resource by sharing their proven knowledge of health and wellness with their audience.
Marketing Leader of the Year – A marketing leader who had an outsized impact on the ideation and/or execution of a Creator-led campaign.
Parenting and Family Creator of the Year – A digital creator who has transformed their platform into a supportive community for parents and families. Personal Finance Creator of the Year – A digital creator who has transformed their platform into a reliable resource by sharing their proven knowledge of personal finance with their audience.
Small Business Creator of the Year– A digital creator who has transformed their platform into a reliable resource by sharing their proven knowledge of small businesses with their audience. Sports Creator of the Year – A digital creator who has transformed their platform into a celebration (or knowledgeable critique) of sports.
