Adweek September 12, 2022

The NFL season kicked off Sept. 8, but if brands want to see themselves in the Big Game, they better move fast. Two months after Fox wrapped its upfront negotiations, its Super Bowl 57 ad inventory is nearly gone, with 95% of in-game slots already sold five months before the event. “We came out of the upfront marketplace with over 90% sellout in the Super Bowl, which has never happened before,” said Mark Evans, evp of ad sales for Fox Sports. This was Fox’s biggest upfront ever because of Super Bowl 57, which will take place Feb. 12, 2023. Multiple 30-second spots sold for more than $7 million, according to sources close to negotiations. The majority of 30-second spots sold in the mid-to-high $6 million range. Last year, the most expensive spot NBCUniversal…

Indie creative agency Mother’s latest venture is a design and development company called Mother Goods, which creates and sells socially conscious products, ranging from absurd accessories to advocacy apparel. It’s an extension of the agency’s mission, “Make Our Children Proud,” developing ideas that mirror what’s happening in society and popular culture, with a bent toward deserving causes and social issues, from gun control to LGBTQ+ and women’s rights. The products are available to buy—or rent.…

Like many brands on TikTok, Microsoft Windows is seeking attention. And it started with the one person who wouldn’t listen: comedian Emily Zugay, known for her goofy redesigns of brand logos. When she finally did, Microsoft put Zugay’s version of its logo on one of its stores and made a TikTok that’s become the most-watched video on its account. The stunt is emblematic of the brand’s strategy: leaning on how people already see it, making silly puns and playing into nostalgia for old Windows products. It’s worked, gaining more than 1 million followers in less than a year. “[The Windows account] is not about demand gen or performance marketing,” said Kelley Myers, director of social media at Windows. “It’s that brand space driving that brand love.”…

‘We are intentionally expanding the ecosystem of who we serve to better match today’s definitions of “sport” and “athlete.”’KALEN THORNTON, CMO, GATORADE‘You have to focus on the present but invest in the future.’ANGELA ZEPEDA, CMO, HYUNDAI‘Our marketing vision in particular rests on the idea that we need to invite more people to the bar … people of color, but also women and members of the LGBTQ+ community.’SOFIA COLUCCI, GLOBAL VP, MILLER FAMILY OF BRANDS AND ECONOMY‘As long as there are opportunities to organically link a metaverse activation back to broader marketing strategy and efforts, we will stay on the edge of discovery.’BRIAN POVINELLI, SVP OF BRAND, LOYALTY AND PORTFOLIO MARKETING, MARRIOTT‘I am both excited and humbled when big national global partners want to get on board with us.… They see…

We are certainly fond of awards and honors at Adweek, and while they’re all special in their own way, Brand Genius remains the crème de la crème. That’s why our annual Brand Genius issue continues to be a highlight of each year. Long considered “the Oscars of marketing,” Brand Genius spotlights 10 industry leaders who are at the very top of their respective games, finding novel and masterful ways to connect with consumers in challenging times. From Airbnb’s Hiroki Asai to AB InBev’s Marcel Marcondes to Google’s Lorraine Twohill, 2022’s Brand Genius honorees are among our most impressive ever. We’ve given a much-deserved spotlight to Planned Parenthood, our Purpose Brand winner, which has proven more essential than ever following the Supreme Court’s landmark decision overturning Roe v. Wade in June. As…

The age of the reanimated brand is stumbling forth to a new future. Formerly irrelevant retailers and torpedoed platforms of yore are clawing their way from brand history into today’s zeitgeist—but in some cases, the association with the original brand is only skin deep. Following two bankruptcies and an acquisition by Alex Mehr- and Tai Lopez-owned holding company Retail Ecommerce Ventures (REV), RadioShack rose from the grave and shuffled to social media, unleashing a near-constant stream of crude, R-rated commentary that has gone on for weeks and prompted an astronomical surge in social engagement. Meanwhile, LimeWire has also emerged from the netherworld. In 2010, the platform was shut down due to copyright infringement, but over a decade later, the brand has returned to reestablish itself as a legitimate venture. Neither RadioShack nor LimeWire…