Adweek October 4, 2021

and we’re back!

While the delta variant has disrupted plans for a return to normalcy this fall, it hasn’t hampered advertising’s resurgence. U.S. ad sales are projected to increase 23% this year, to $278 billion, according to Magna’s latest quarterly forecast. Already, advertising spending has jumped 32% in the year’s first half to hit $130 billion. And Magna anticipates that U.S. spend will grow an additional 12% in 2022, hitting $300 billion for the first time ever, thanks to the midterm elections and a return to normal business conditions across all categories. All of the top advertising categories increased ad spend in the first half, with automotive, finance, restaurants and retail up more than 50% over 2020 numbers. Magna estimates triple-digit growth for travel and entertainment in the second half as Americans venture out to…

this is awkward

While Ryan Reynolds is a frequent face in ads for the brands he owns and movies he stars in, some of the most celebrated work from his agency, Maximum Effort, has barely featured the actor at all. And maybe that’s a good thing. MNTN, the connected TV company that recently bought Maximum Effort Marketing and brought Reynolds on as chief creative officer, did an A/B test using two spots: one where Reynolds extols the virtues of MNTN in person, and another in which he only narrates the spot. It wasn’t even close. The Reynolds-voiced ad generated 117% more site visits than the one featuring him on-camera. Ouch.…

ravi amaratunga hitchcock

Starting an agency right before the onset of a pandemic triggered some soul-searching for Ravi Amaratunga Hitchcock. “It’s existential every day,” he said. “What is an agency and what does it do? What is a client? Everything seems to be in this shifting period.” Besides world events, Hitchcock’s ruminations spring from his unusual and winding path into the ad industry. Soursop, the 19-month-old business he runs with his wife, Lucy Hitchcock, bills itself as a “next-gen creative agency” and is a culmination of his experiences in TV, entertainment and branded content. After studying history at the University of Cambridge, Hitchcock dreamed of becoming a film director. But stints at film production companies revealed “the process of it was too slow,” so he applied for a diversity internship at U.K. broadcaster Channel 4.…

the streaming wars’ mvp? verizon

In August, AMC+ landed what has become every streaming service’s holy grail: a coveted Verizon partnership. As part of a deal between the two companies, certain customers of Verizon’s broadband and unlimited phone plans are entitled to a free year of the AMC Networks streamer, featuring ad-free programming across its entertainment networks and early access to original shows. The giveaway offered a major marketing boost to the streaming service, which is aiming to clear 9 million subscribers by year’s end. “This was an aspiration of mine and the company for a good amount of time,” said Josh Reader, AMC Networks’ president of distribution and development. “It’s a really powerful combination to be able to marry our streaming ambitions with [Verizon’s] knowledge of their customers and their ability to target those customers and…

green is the new black

Climate coverage, while getting more urgent and ubiquitous, is big business for publishers. But for this sector to keep growing, the buy- and sell-side need to get comfortable showing their cards and agree on how to measure that credibility. Bloomberg Media’s 2-year-old vertical Bloomberg Green is one of the media company’s strongest platforms for driving subscription growth. In terms of ads, it’s seen an increase of around 82% in environmental, social and governance (ESG) briefs this year compared to last, according to its insight tool Bloomberg AiQ. Meanwhile, the Financial Times said the value of campaigns related to sustainability has tripled over the last 12 months. Globally, between 50% and two-thirds of ad briefs received by BBC Global News are focused on sustainability. And ESG topics will only grow in boardroom importance:…

color it red

There’s a dichotomy in the feelings tweens have about menstruating. On one hand, many menstruators have no idea what’s happening to their bodies. Dana Roberts, a former teacher, recalls how a student in her fifth-grade class in Atlanta 13 years ago asked another classmate if they were dying after getting their first period. On the opposite end of the spectrum are young social influencers, like Ladies of Lavender, who unabashedly unbox period kits, post product reviews and offer explainers about the menstrual cycle. RedDrop is one organization working to bridge the gap. Roberts and co-founder Monica Williams launched RedDrop in December 2019 to address the lack of period products for elementary school-aged tweens and create an online destination to guide parents in talking about menstruating. While the messaging on RedDrop is directed at…