Adweek September 19, 2022

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 brands responding by…

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.…

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.…

As the head of collaborations and experiential at Complex Networks, where he has been charged with launching and overseeing franchises like ComplexCon and its virtual sister event, ComplexLand, Neil Wright has come a long way from his first foray into event marketing: canvassing music festivals at dawn to promote underground raves in 1990s Los Angeles. Back then—before the internet and Coachella—tying together the disparate elements needed for a one-night festival involved more art than science. On a nightly basis, Wright booked talent, cajoled handlers and wooed attendees, giving him his first glimpse at the world of activation marketing in the process. In search of a steadier paycheck, he took a job at a local retailer, eschewing college to become a visual merchandiser. He discovered a knack for the work and soon joined…

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 is Quantum Leap,…

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 to…