Every four years, CONMEBOL Copa América takes place, with national soccer teams from the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football coming together to compete. As the oldest still-running continental soccer competition that is watched across the globe, COPA America provides ample opportunities for brands to score with sports fans.

So this year, which brands showed up? What does it mean for soccer in the U.S.? And why should marketers care?

In this episode of Yeah, That’s Probably an Ad, community editor Luz Corona and Europe brand editor Rebecca Stewart are joined by Sara Garibaldi, president at BODEN Agency, and Lee Maicon, global chief strategy officer at The Community. Together, they discuss this year’s COPA tournament that took place in the U.S., the role of the Lionel Messi brand and the future of soccer culture driven by the growing majority that is the Hispanic audience.

Listen to the latest episode of the Yeah, That’s Probably an Ad podcast and learn more about how brands have shown up to Copa America.

Some brand campaigns are still missing the mark

This year, we have witnessed the “Messi Effect” in brands’ involvement with the Copa tournament. One such example is MasterCard’s “Giving Back” campaign, which comes across as very authentic due to Messi’s down-to-earth personality. There has also been a strategic move for Puma in sponsoring Copa, challenging the likes of Nike and Adidas.

Maicon praises brands for their efforts but points out that there has been a lack of cultural impact in campaigns. In the past, Puma had very innovative marketing and Adidas worked with indigenous communities in Mexico.

Hispanics are born into fútbol culture

Research suggests that 54% of soccer fans are under 45, and the sport has a younger and more diverse demographic compared to other major U.S. sports. U.S. Hispanic fútbol fans drive much of the fandom, with the community significantly influencing soccer culture and viewership across the U.S.

These factors are what make the “Messi Effect” effective, as he appeals to a wide range of demographics, from all age ranges and cultures. However, brands struggle to engage with soccer fans due to a range of challenges, such as the minimal ad breaks featured in televised matches. They need to find ways to integrate organically into soccer culture, like in-stadium experiences.

Athletes are the OG influencers

Around 40% of Generation Z spends over four hours every day on social media, with many sports fans using social media to consume content related to their chosen sport.

Social media has become more pertinent in connecting fans, as well as idols and teams, with influencers taking on a crucial role in promoting athletes and sports. Brands need to be aware of these trends ahead of big sporting events like the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup 2026. The group discusses Formula 1 as a model for the future of sports marketing, as brands draw on the athletes’ charisma and cultural impact, and not just their skill.

Soccer can learn from Women’s National Basketball Association marketing

Soccer players, especially big names like Messi, have been acting as the primary influencers for the sport, significantly impacting the fandom and popularity of teams like Argentina, who were historically disliked. Messi’s presence has also boosted local game attendance and ticket prices in the U.S.

Brands are starting to tap into non-sports influencers who are soccer fans to drum up conversation. The group discusses the idea that the U.S. soccer community cannot rely on international stars to build their popularity; sponsors will need to help build a long-term soccer culture in the U.S., potentially drawing on the successful promotion of female athletes in other sports like basketball as a model for soccer.

Brands should strategize accordingly for World Cup 2026

Ahead of World Cup 2026, Garibaldi recommends that brands focus on Hispanic culture due to its influence on sports and mainstream culture, as well as look to capitalize on the mass passion for soccer in the U.S., especially with the World Cup being hosted locally. To do so, brands must engage deeply with subcultures and communities through authentic activations and consider soccer’s impact on other areas, like fashion and music, for a holistic strategy.

Maicon recommends starting with rich multicultural insights at the core of any marketing strategies, and integrating sports sponsorships into broader marketing dynamics. Brands can use the World Cup to rethink marketing approaches, drawing inspiration from successful brands like Nike and Adidas. The World Cup can be used as an opportunity to enhance both the mental and physical availability of your brand.

Dove‘s global chief marketing officer (CMO), Alessandro Manfredi, is leaving Unilever after 28 years.

The marketer is one of the architects behind the brand’s pioneering and commercially successful “Campaign for Real Beauty,” which has used advertising to challenge traditional societal beauty standards since 2004.

Manfredi confirmed his departure in a LinkedIn post: “Ending my adventure with the 20th anniversary of Real Beauty is such a beautiful closure of a circle.

“Throughout my career within Unilever, I was allowed to cultivate these incredible assets and inject them into the brands I was lucky to work on, which makes me forever grateful to this company,” he said.

He has held various roles in his tenure including global vp of the Dove master brand, vp of global marketing for haircare and executive vp for Dove. He was appointed as Dove’s CMO in 2022.

“Real Beauty,” still stands as one of the most awarded campaigns of the last few decades, having helped the brand grow its customer reach for 10 years. In 2023, Dove fueled the growth of Unilever’s Personal Care, which noted a sales boost of 8.9% for the year and represented 23% of its $64 million turnover.

Dove has set the standard for purpose-driven marketing that drives the bottom line, pinning its proposition around self-esteem, inclusivity and body positivity for women and kids.

More recent work spearheaded by Manfredi includes Dove’s “Reverse Selfie” push which documented the extent to which people edit their images online and the turmoil of a girl trying to take the perfect selfie.

He also launched a commitment from the brand never to use AI-generated imagery to represent real people in its campaigns.

ADWEEK has reached out to Unilever to confirm how it will fill the role left vacant by Manfredi, at the time of writing it has not yet responded.

Change at Unilever

Manfredi’s decision to step down marks the latest change at the top of Unilever’s marketing team, following the exit of its brand and inclusion chief, Aline Santos, in February.

In late 2023, the Dove and Ben & Jerry’s owner announced Esi Eggleston Bracey, who previously led its U.S. business and oversees the personal care division across North America, was to take on the new position of chief growth and marketing officer (CGMO).

Bracey’s appointment dovetailed with a shift in tone from Unilever’s (then recently appointed) CEO Hein Schumacher, who hinted at plans to dial back on attaching a purpose to each of the CPG’s 400-plus brands; a strategy initiated by predecessor, Allan Jope.

“Not every brand should have a social or environmental purpose. And we don’t want to fit that on brands unnecessarily,” Schumacher told the Financial Times. He said purpose could be an “unwelcome distraction” in his mission to build a “performance” culture.

Now, as it navigates a cost-of-living crisis and tries to reclaim its market share in tough economic conditions, Unilever is focused on its top 30 “power brands” which are growing faster than the company average and generating more than 70% of turnover. These include Dove, Knorr and Paula’s choice.

Speaking at Cannes Lions 2024, Bracey said purpose was still central to this mission, but the company couldn’t take a “one-size-fits-all” approach.

As part of Schumacher’s “action plan,” the group has been shedding brands. In 2023, it sold the DTC razor brand Dollar Shave Club to private equity group Nexus Capital Management, and it plans to spin off or sell its ice cream division.

For the first time in my 14 years in a row attending Cannes Lions, I spent most of the first half of the festival in the bowels of the Martinez, sitting in conference rooms, some without any windows. But it was pure joy because we had the good fortune of having to prepare for Titanium, Glass and Innovation Lions presentations. The involvement, care and focus this required made it one of the highlights of my week. Ideas shape differently, relationships and bonding between clients and agency get stronger and campaigns suddenly have a second life. It was great. All of us, together, focused on the work.
 
When I finally abandoned those beige-carpeted rooms, I found a different picture. Here are my thoughts on the 2024 Cannes Lions.

Calendar obligations took over

We were busy this year. No one seemed to have time for anything as if an evil AI update had taken over our calendars to steer us away from the most important thing: seeing and talking about the creative work.
 
This is our own doing. As the festival has grown to include more activations, more marketers, tech platforms, media giants and social media creators, it can’t force us to go downstairs in the Palais and walk around to see the work. We have to impose it on ourselves, against our crazy ambitions to meet every possible client, shine in three different panels at the same time and give free hugs to everyone.

And it is a must. Going to the Palais and experiencing people’s reactions to the work in real life reminds us of the impact of our creativity and our efforts. Observing our clients’ excitement (or plain jealousy) over great ideas is the validation we need to keep pushing. Missing that because we are running from meeting to meeting is a shame.

So, first takeaway: We need to make more room to collectively experience the amazing work while we are here.

The only other moments to do so are the Galas. McCann Worldgroup had the collective experience to see the Golds and Grand Prix in the Award Galas, introduced by the booming voice of media personality Juan Señor, the Lions’ resident emcee.

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We missed laughing

Second takeaway: Humor is back in all forms from quirky to weird to dark.  Four of the biggest winners (Grand Prix) were truly funny campaigns: “The Last Barf Bag” for Dramamine; Specsavers’ “The Misheard Version” with Rick Astley, CeraVe’s “Michael Cerave” and Weber Shandwick’s “Edible Mascot” campaign for Pop Tarts. Also, the adorable “Marina Prieto,” without being strictly humorous, combines a Spanish little town sensibility with social media ambitions.
 
Those winners show that comedy and a light-hearted tone of voice can be transformative for a brand. Specsavers has a history of great comedy, but they were able to channel that into a new demographic for those with hearing loss. CeraVe, not in a category that typically stands out during the Super Bowl, nevertheless became the talk of the (advertising) game. Kellanova’s Pop-Tarts reached an entirely new audience by injecting dark humor to toaster pastries and giving the world something truly meme-able.

And that’s just the funny stuff. Other big winners, like what we did for Mastercard with “Room for Everyone” and Xbox’s “Everyday Tactician” as well as W+K’s Titanium Grand Prix winner, the Doordash Super Bowl campaign that averted viewers’ attention away from the game itself and onto all of the ads, were ideas that inspired an array of emotions. Empathy, triumph, even greed!
 
In the end, these executions make a point that you can extend to the festival: When we laugh, when our barriers are brought down by an unexpected twist or a surprising human connection, we are more able to feel.

This is the exact reason we come to Cannes: we want to feel, in real life, what it’s like to belong to this industry, to be on the winning side and celebrate, to be on the not-winning side and recharge ourselves with envy as the fuel, to be amazed about what people who do the same job as us are capable of achieving and question ourselves.

Feeling is what separates us from, yes, machines. At least for now.

So, (final takeaway) it is on us to keep coming here. Let’s continue our day-to-day jobs to connect with those emotions through the only thing that justifies the existence of Cannes or any other festival: The work we love.

Microsoft chief brand officer Kathleen Hall is stepping down after 16 years with the business, continuing an era of flux for the tech giant’s marketing team as it lays the foundations for a “new era of artificial intelligence.”

In a LinkedIn post, Hall—who also served as corporate vice president of brand, advertising and research—said she would relocate from Redmond, Wash., to her home state of New York to take some time off before her “next adventure.”

Hall is credited with launching Windows 7.8 and 10 and Microsoft’s Surface and Cloud products. She was also the executive behind the brand’s first national Super Bowl ad, holiday campaigns and its National Football League and National Basketball Association partnerships.

Microsoft chief marketing officer Takeshi Numoto confirmed the news in a memo seen by ADWEEK, outlining other changes to the marketing department. These include:

• Xbox CMO Jerret West is also departing to join Roblox. The console’s current vp of integrated marketing, Kirsten Ward, will now lead a newly unified gaming marketing team.

• Global creative, advertising, branding and operations teams will be bundled under the leadership of consumer CMO Yusuf Mehdi. Mehdi will work closely with Stephanie Ferguson, who oversees Microsoft’s centralized global sales and marketing engine.

• As Microsoft gears up for a cookieless landscape, Numoto hired Google exec Bryson Gordon as a corporate vp to lead its global media, partnerships and agency management efforts.

• The brand has “realigned” its events, studios and communities team: 26-year veteran Vivian Eickhoff will lead event production and studios, while Alyssa Schutter will join from Amazon Studios to lead event creative experiences.

U.K. CMO Bonnie Pelosi was also recently promoted to EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) CMO.

So what’s going on at Microsoft?

Numoto took over the CMO job after Chris Capossela left the post in October 2023, following a 32-year run.

At the time, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said the company was gearing up for a “new era of AI.”

Microsoft has been pouring investment into generative AI to power its growth. In January 2023, the company invested $13 billion in AI startup OpenAI, home to hit product ChatGPT. It has also been spending big on its cloud division, integrating AI across its software and services via its Copilot chatbot.

In April 2024, the company’s heavy bets paid off when it beat Wall Street expectations, increasing its quarterly revenues by 17% year-over-year to $61.86 billion.

On the latest changes, Numoto told staff: “[These] will help us continue to lead the AI platform shift. Heading into fiscal year 2025, we will rally around Copilot, Copilot+ PC, and the Copilot Stack as the AI platform framework that will catalyze the reinvention of our offerings across our broad portfolio and reinvigorate the Microsoft brand.”

Microsoft reclaimed the top spot as the world’s most valuable company by market capital at the start of 2024, overtaking technology rival Apple.

The former chief marketing and communications officer of General Electric, Linda Boff, has a new gig: CEO of global creative services agency Said Differently.

Boff’s move is the latest instance of a top marketer climbing the corporate ladder to chief executive at a time when CMOs are tasked with taking on more responsibilities in a changing marketplace.

Other examples include Starbucks promoting its global CMO, Brady Brewer, to CEO of its international business and former Taco Bell chief brand officer Sean Tresvant moving into the chief executive role at the quick service chain.

“Coming from the CMO role, I know what marketers need to win and how to help brands through significant transformations,” Boff told ADWEEK via email about how her past experience will benefit her in the new position. “Sitting on the client’s side of the table for so many years has allowed me to speak their language and identify the opportunities and the pain points.”

In tandem with Boff’s new role, Said Differently also announced it had merged with the tech firm Brainvire, which has more than 1,000 employees in offices around the world.

In April, Said Differently named creative leader and advertising industry veteran Josh Combs as its first chief marketing officer.

The Washington, D.C.-based agency, which debuted in 2020 and assembles teams of freelancers around the globe to work on specific client projects, was one of ADWEEK’s top three Fastest Growing Agencies in 2023.

“As someone who’s had the privilege of working with many great agencies, I know that talent is the only real differentiator,” Boff posted on LinkedIn. “With a fully remote workforce, Said Differently is fast and flexible—two of my favorite things—which enhances, rather than sacrifices, creative excellence.”

If you’re finding it tough to keep up with the UTA and Michael Kassan’s mud-slinging, don’t worry we’ve got you covered.

If you haven’t already read ADWEEK’s cover story interview with Kassan, then you might not know that he’s been quietly plotting his next move: 3C Ventures.

Kassan has claimed the consulting firm has already signed 10 clients. And the firm is prepared to leverage Kassan’s vast connections while pushing beyond the services he installed at MediaLink.

In this episode of Yeah, That’s Probably an Ad, ADWEEK brand editor Rebecca Stewart sits down with editor-in-chief Ryan Joe to discuss what he and Kassan spoke about, what 3CV’s debut means for the industry and why his departure from MediaLink has captured Ad Land’s attention.

Stream the new episode below, listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, or find it on Spotify.

Four key takeaways

3CV will go where MediaLink did not.

Kassan shared with Joe that one of the differences between 3CV and his work with MediaLink is that he could now go into areas like Merchant Banking where he was not allowed to go with MediaLink. The outcome of how successfully Kassan will be able to meet his lofty aspirations for 3CV is yet to be determined.

But 3CV’s right to exist as a MediaLink competitor will be questioned in an arbitration hearing.

After Ascential purchased MediaLink in 2017, it was sold to United Talent Agency in 2021. Kassan’s business practices and handling of company funds have led to today’s public legal dispute. There will be an arbitration over whether Kassan’s employment was terminated for cause by UTA over allegedly misappropriating at least $2.3 million, or if Kassan quit.

This also marks a new chapter for UTA-owned MediaLink.

Joe confirms this will be a big test for the advisory firm and whether the power of MediaLink is Michael Kassan and his connections.

The public’s interest in the Kassan Versus UTA story shows the power of a personality-driven narrative.

Stewart and Joe draw comparisons between the story of Michael Kassan and that of WPP founder Martin Sorrell, who left under a cloud of misconduct allegations and accusations of misusing company assets. The situations lead to a lot of speculation, scandal and media interest, but traditionally the industry is fueled by these larger-than-life figures at the top who look to leave lasting legacies behind.

Dentsu Creative’s U.S. CEO Abbey Klaassen and Phil Gaughran, who leads global business strategy for Dentsu Creative and Dentsu Americas, are expanding their roles in the interest of creating a cohesive global brand.

They aim to grow Dentsu Creative’s international creative products and offerings and attract more business, amid a recent winning streak that includes the Lowe’s and T-Mobile creative accounts.

Klaassen will retain her current role, while also assuming a global brand president title. Gaughran will take on a new title, as president of Dentsu’s global creative product, growth and strategy. Klaassen’s role involves fostering relationships with an increasingly global client roster. She is also building a consistent standard and plans to showcase that a more streamlined, globally scaled agency can still connect with target audiences at a local level.

The leaders will closely collaborate with Yasu Sasaki, the holding company’s global chief creative officer and creative practice lead, and both will undertake increasingly global purviews. In their expanded roles, both executives will work together to streamline global branding and scale service offerings and strategies that historically varied based on geographic market.

Gaughran will oversee business growth and product offerings, and also lead the holding company’s branding and positioning. He plans to scale data, tech and AI adoption across Dentsu Creative by deepening the agency’s integration with its production company, Tag Worldwide, which it acquired last summer.

After consolidating the holding company’s creative agencies in 2022 to create Dentsu Creative, the company went through a series of leadership changes and strategic pivots. Klaassen assumed the chief executive role last November, replacing the agency’s former CEO Paul Fogaca.

Now moving “beyond” its transformation in the U.S., Dentsu Creative’s leaders told ADWEEK they’re turning their attention to international markets with an aim to create consistent experiences for Dentsu clients around the world. Dentsu Creative’s recent big-budget wins in the U.S. market follow a period of change that saw agency brands including McGarryBowen and 360i absorbed by the overarching Dentsu Creative brand.

The recent wins suggest the holding company’s new approach is gleaning some results, and its leaders are keen on driving more.

“Marketing organizations aren’t necessarily growing, which means they need more simple agency relationships. They don’t have time to manage 12 different partners,” Klaassen said of the previous consolidation, and the agency’s single P&L structure.

Building a cohesive, globally scaled Dentsu Creative

Recently, Dentsu Creative unveiled its new “Transformative Creativity” tagline. The messaging refers to Dentsu Creative’s 2022 launch, and how combining creative agencies led to greater market impact.

“The transformational part is not just stopping at the brief as it is, but fundamentally looking to solve business problems through myriad means, using end-to-end creativity,” Gaughran said.

For years, he championed the holding company’s One Dentsu vision, having previously led strategy at McGarryBowen. Eventually, he began working on corporate strategy initiatives that allowed him to play a key role in planning Dentsu Creative’s consolidation. He ensured the consolidated agency’s capabilities could meet its clients’ needs and that its work met a quality standard.

“When we see our creative practice now, that’s encompassing Dentsu Creative as a brand, Tag as our scaled production partner that we’ve been integrating over the last year, and then the bringing together of Dentsu Japan into the creative fold as well. It’s the embodiment of all three,” Gaughran told ADWEEK.

Creating an architecture for global integration will be a key part of Gaughran’s new role—an effort the leaders hope will spur further new business growth.

“When we say growth, we’re talking about really new logo growth, primarily … making sure that we meet the need for increasingly global clients that we’re adding into the family, and making sure that we’re consistent around the world,” he said.

Being able to retire on your terms is a luxury in this business, but Allen Bosworth, co-founder and president of EP+Co, is managing to do so after over 40 years.

“It is an opportunity for me to go do some things that I love,” Bosworth told ADWEEK, adding that he will be retiring from the industry but will be teaching at his alma mater, the University of North Carolina.

The IPG agency has revealed its leadership succession plan following Bosworth’s departure, naming Kat Shafer the new president of the agency, a role she will assume on Sept. 1. Shafer will take over leadership from Bosworth, who has been with the agency since he helped found it 36 years ago.

After serving for the last eight years as EP+Co’s president, Bosworth is set to retire at the end of 2024. Following the transition, Shafer will report directly to Alex Leikikh, IPG executive vice president of Interpublic Group.

“It’s time for Kat and the rest of the leadership team. We have an incredibly experienced leadership team. Kat and this team have been with us anywhere from 10 to 20 years. It’s a true opportunity for them to continue the path that they’ve been on,” said Bosworth.

An easy transition due to long-term employees

Shafer has been with the agency for nearly 20 years, serving most recently as chief client officer and chief growth officer. During her time at EP+Co, she has with the acquisition, growth and retention of numerous clients, including the Verizon account, which she led for nine years. Over the past two years, Shafer has helped EP+Co achieve 100% client retention and solid organic growth with clients including John Deere, Michelin, General Mills brands, Planet Oat, The UPS Store and others. 

As Shafer transitions into her new role, she looks to bring a higher profile to the agency while keeping on the same successful trajectory Bosworth helped guide.

“We often hear from our clients what a hidden gem we are. Our ultimate goal is we don’t want to be a hidden gem anymore,” Shafer told ADWEEK.

Shafer stated that the long tenure of its executive leadership team—14-and-a-half years with Bosworth’s tenure excluded—provides consistency to its clients. She will work with CCO John Cornette, chief strategy officer Chris Plating and others to work towards the agency’s mission, which is “creativity that builds belief,” while elevating the creative product and “remaining obsessive about growth.”

Employee tenure comes down to the culture, which they describe as entrepreneurial and supportive.

“It is a very entrepreneurial place, and people feel that they can truly make an impact,” said Shafer, using herself as an example. She started as a junior account executive and now she’s nearly at her 20^th anniversary because she felt all along she could make an impact.

She praised Bosworth for setting up the culture as one that cares, for its employees, its clients, its way of conducting business and how it interacts with the communities it’s in—Greenville, S.C. and New York—with the southern culture leading the way.

“The big, hairy, audacious goal that we’ve set for ourselves…is to be a place people crave to work at and a place people crave to work with,” said Bosworth.

Advice to the next generation

Bosworth acknowledges that the industry is rapidly changing and that EP+Co has done its best to meet those changes head-on.

The agency has made big investments of money, belief and time in AI and other technologies. Two years ago, the agency wrote its code of ethics around AI to keep a human element to the technology.

“I think humanity is the key to this. Yes, we’re going to do things faster. Yes, we’re going to do things more efficiently. But while we’re doing that, I believe that the digital pendulum is going to continue to swing,” said Bosworth, adding that the human, analog element is going to swing the other way to balance things out.

His advice to Shafer and the industry is to bet on both because the integration of humanity with technology is what is going to drive this business.

After his four decades in the industry, Bosworth looks forward to his passion for teaching young people. He has served as the president of the board of advisers for the University of North Carolina’s Hussman School of Journalism and Media for the past several years and has enjoyed teaching many of the school’s advertising and marketing classes, which he will continue.

“One of the sayings we have at EP+Co is, “always be humble enough to be a student, and always be generous enough to be a teacher,” said Bosworth, who is looking forward to continuing to serve others.

At the agency, he would always ask people: Did you try your hardest? And did you do it in the best interest of others?

“If you can say that in your heart, then you are leading a worthy life. And what I hope to do is I hope to continue to lead a worthy life in the service of others,” concluded Bosworth.