Table of contents for September 19, 2022 in Adweek

As people grieved the passing of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II on social media, brands also offered their own messages of grief—but they often fell flat, according to YouGov. After the death of the 96-year-old monarch Sept. 8, companies such as Domino’s, Playmobil, Stella Artois and Thomas Cook—and even the British Kebab Awards—quickly released ads and social media tributes. However, YouGov’s survey found that more than half (58%) of Britons felt those messages were driven by PR rather than sincerely paying respects. Asked which brands the public felt were appropriate to speak about the queen, 83% said those granted with a royal warrant, followed by tourist attractions affiliated with the royal family (81%), then supermarkets (60%). Jonathan Wilson, professor of brand strategy and culture at Regent’s University, told Adweek he thought that…

Our biggest event of the year took over the Miami waterfront for five days of panels, fireside chats, VIP lucheons—and a whole lot of soaking in the vibes. Take a look inside the fifth annual Brandweek summit, from morning exercises on the terrace of our host hotel, the InterContinental Miami, to sessions with spirited discussions about the state of marketing today to the nightly parties that reminded us that this industry is about having fun.…

LAST YEAR, IT WAS A BIT OF A STRUGGLE to honor innovative and breakthrough IRL campaigns, given that the world was still largely hunkered down during the pandemic. But for our fourth annual Experiential Awards, there was no shortage of outstanding activations to highlight as consumers began to adapt to the new normal—and were champing at the bit to once again embrace out-of-home offerings. This year’s impressive roster of winners includes everything from a pizza shop that simulated the effects of gerrymandering to shoelaces that smelled like cooked bacon to an interactive AR version of Pac-Man on pizza boxes. Here are the brands and campaigns that more than met the challenge of making their mark in a forever-changed world. RESY Experiential BRAND OF THE YEAR For many, a major part…

Lumping myriad cultures together under one common—yet incredibly varied—language is a great way to alienate multiple audiences at once. As Hispanic Heritage Month begins, Expedia Group and agency Anomaly are using passion fruit and its many names as a metaphor for this dilemma: a maracuyá in parts of Mexico, granadilla in Ecuador, parchita in Venezuela and much more. With a voiceover by Salma Hayek Pinault, the ad is a glimpse into “the richness and diversity of Latino identities and cultures,” according to Expedia.…

Their parent companies have been prioritizing streaming—and ad dollars further shifted from linear to digital in this year’s upfront—but the broadcast networks are still seeing some momentum heading into the 2022-23 TV season. Last season, three of the broadcasters—CBS, NBC and Fox—posted year-over-year gains in total viewers. Now, all the networks are looking to build on those numbers as the new TV season kicks off this week. Adweek spoke with the broadcast chiefs at ABC, CBS, NBC and The CW (Fox Entertainment CEO Charlie Collier declined to participate) about their biggest swings and top priorities this fall, and how they plan to break through in a cluttered TV landscape. Adweek: What is your biggest swing this fall? Frances Berwick, chairman, entertainment networks, NBCUniversal television and streaming: Our biggest new swing…

There is a perpetual discourse around social media managers: Are they the wizards of the online realm, or are they just interns who know how to make cool videos? Love us or hate us, you can’t do without us. Social media is crucial to all businesses. Worldwide, 4.48 billion people use it—that’s more than half of the entire human population. The responsibility of communicating with hundreds, millions and someday billions of people often rests on a team of one to three people. Yes, that is a heavy load, and yet those who carry it are often deemed not worthy of holding leadership positions. So how can social media managers earn their seat at the table and validate their candidacy for leadership? And, more importantly, can they ever become CMOs? More than…

Adweek’s April cover star Quinta Brunson made history at the Emmy Awards, becoming the first Black woman nominated for comedy series, acting and writing categories in the same year for Abbott Elementary. But her win for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series went viral for the wrong reason, as host Jimmy Kimmel overcommitted to a bit that left him sprawled on the stage for her entire acceptance speech. “I have talked with Jimmy since,” Brunson said at a Television Critics Association virtual panel. She’s also since appeared on Kimmel’s late-night talk show to prove there are no hard feelings. Abbott Elementary’s second season, which has expanded from 13 episodes in Season 1 to 22, debuts Sept. 21 on ABC.…

If you’ve ever found yourself in an argument about climate change, you know the terminology around it can be a bit charged. The issue is uniquely political in the U.S., making it hard to have productive conversations about the problems global warming is creating. The Potential Energy Coalition, a nonprofit research and creative shop with more than 100 advertising, analytic and media agencies within its network, is working to transcend the noise. Using reams of original data on how specific demographics respond to issues related to climate change, the group creates targeted ad campaigns with national or regional cable TV ad buys to get folks thinking about it on their own terms. While some campaigns are election-focused, others simply aim to shift the narrative on things such as the transition…

MEDIA COMPANY His new global media company, Hartbeat, which merged his two entertainment entities Laugh Out Loud and HartBeat Productions, includes Hartbeat Studios (finances and produces content), Hartbeat Media (events, gaming and Web3 initiatives) and Hartbeat Pulse (branded content studio). ENTERTAINMENT He has expansive deals with Netflix (new comedy film Me Time), SiriusXM (hosting on the audio platform’s Laugh Out Loud channel) and Audible (new audiobook Monsters and How to Tame Them: Taking Charge of the Voices in Your Head). Plus, there are projects at Peacock (his Hart to Heart talk show and Olympics Highlights specials with Snoop Dogg), Roku (comedy series Die Hart), E! (hosting game show Celebrity Game Face) and BET+ (limited series revival of Real Husbands of Hollywood). BRANDS Hart has longtime partnerships with companies like Chase,…

There isn’t a single farmer on staff at TBWA\Chiat\Day N.Y., but that didn’t stop the agency from creating a program for Lay’s called Golden Grounds that had roots—literally—in the soil. The early 2022 project, launched in the football-frenzied lead-up to Super Bowl 56, took dirt from NFL stadiums around the country and used it to plant potatoes. After harvest, those spuds were made into limited-edition, team-specific chips in full gridiron regalia-decorated bags, unveiled by beloved Hall of Famer Jerry Rice. Golden Grounds, a winner in multiple categories in Adweek’s fourth annual Experiential Awards, was an instant hit with consumers and media, clocking nearly 2 billion impressions, high-profile talk show mentions and outrageous eBay bids. Beyond the eye-popping numbers, the activation highlights the elastic—and evolving—definition of experiential marketing as it surges…