Welcome to your final This Week in Marketing of 2024 from The Drum. This one’s a little bit chunkier than usual, so feel free to come at it in a few sessions. Enjoy and we look forward to seeing you in 2025.
I saw a post on Instagram this morning reminding me about an ad I covered way back in August. It was nice to see one of my favorite spots of 2024 again.
It was for Palliative Care Queensland and put a whole new spin on death. It genuinely moved me to tears which, I think, is quite some feat when you watch as many ads as I do. Soundtracked to The Pixies’ Here Comes Your Man, the ad was poignant and thought-provoking, offering a different take on how we think about dying. The animation from Rowdy was also just bloody lovely, too.
I then went down the rabbit hole and picked out a few more faves for you.
Next up, AMV BBDO’s entire body of work for Bodyform is great but above the rest is ‘Never Just a Period’. It made me laugh, it made me nod in agreement and it left me in awe of the sheer craft that went into the spot. It’s entertaining, informative and has a sense of comradery and togetherness which is cool.
I also flippin’ loved KFC’s ‘Believe in Chicken,’ which is kind of weird because I’m actually vegetarian. But alas, the ad from Mother felt like a new direction for the brand. It was a dark, humorous take on current affairs, such as the rise of AI and people’s disdain for politics, that referenced horror flick 28 Days Later and Stranger Things.
Sticking with food, when this Marmite ad from Adam&EveDDB dropped in April, I thought it was captivating, funny and a little bit sneaky. It’s one that is ingrained in my memory for sure. When I get excited to write up an ad, I’m almost certain it’s Ad of the Day worthy. The spot adopted the style of an investigative documentary and nailed the look and feel completely. It’s so unserious, and I loved it.
Lastly, it wouldn’t be a list from me if I wasn’t banging on about how good Loewe is at marketing and advertising. What made this ad with Aubrey Plaza and Dan Levy so brilliant was that the brand showed how in tune it is with people’s struggle to pronounce its name. Clever.
So, here’s to the weird, the entertaining and the craft-led ads. More of this in 2025 please!
As ever, get me here. Don’t be shy! amy.houston@thedrum.com
I like things to be nice and tidy so I’d like to thank Omnicom for bookending the year with the two most significant agencyland deals of the year – Flywheel in January and IPG in December.
2024 also saw many of the holding companies showing their hands in AI, revealing the staggering amount of investment in the development of new AI tools – $318m for WPP and $428m for Havas. I can see that escalating, and impacting teams, workflows and wage bills!
The results from Publicis pretty much led the way through the year, and it finally announced it would be the world’s biggest holding co in 2025, hoorah! Enigmatic leader Arthur Sadoun made a video with Snoop Dogg to proclaim Publicis was ‘top dogg’ only for Omnicom to announce days later its IPG takeover, making it the top dogg at some point in the future. Publicis responded by immediately announcing its LePub agency was expanding globally and Arthur put out another video to reassure staff things were still on track. 2025 promises more sparring between these two.
2025 is going to be a fascinating year for agencies of all sizes. I didn’t say a good year, however. Budgets are set to be pretty stagnant, so agency leaders will have to be wiley in how they look for growth. Omnicom will integrate with IPG and that will mean fallout in terms of clients, agency brands and good people becoming available. WPP, Publicis, Havas, Stagwell, Dentsu et al will be watching keenly and there’ll be many more stories for The Drum to analyze in 2025. See you there.
As 2025 approaches, spare a thought for advertising’s storytellers who will be soon commanded to “embrace” Gen AI. Can these tools inspire better creativity or is the industry chasing another tech MacGuffin?
I’ve long been skeptical of adland’s storytelling claim, rolling my eyes at its prophets equating ads to timeless tales. Yet, now I side with these creatives. Can ads be art? Most aren’t, but the best ones are. Can ads made using Gen AI be art?
I guess we will find out in 2025.
Gen AI excites shareholders, tech creators, and overworked staff churning out endless “content.” But can you truly be a storyteller with Gen AI? The answer lies in intentionality.
Today’s GPTs approximate internet norms, often veering toward vague, shabby plagiarism in text, and tired tropes in visual formats. True storytelling demands singular vision, a voice unclouded by algorithmic randomness.
Yet, Gen AI can probably save time and cut costs. But maybe the industry is solving the wrong problem. Adland’s problem isn’t speed – I know the people running these businesses keep saying it is – but quality. Faster tools risk flooding the market with even more mediocre work. Worse, by undervaluing talent in favor of tech, agencies risk undermining their core proposition.
Still, Gen AI could reclaim precious hours for strategic thinking, provided creatives control the narrative. Like indigestion at a holiday party, Gen AI is unavoidable and will result in a lot of gas. We might as well brace ourselves and come prepared.
This year, brands had to grapple with culture war politics, find ways to cut costs using AI and think up new ways to structure the marketing function, oh and also change all campaigns and products to Brat green.
When I looked back at my 2023 wrap-up story, there were actually a lot of trends that have carried through into 2024. For example, the adoption of AI, the growth of TikTok as a marketing channel, a boom in retail media and a move towards micro-influencers are all what I would have said about 2024 as well as the previous year. This is good I think, instead of marketers hopping on the hot new thing, this year has been all about maturing the channels that are already working, putting in more sophisticated strategy and crucially more spend.
Meanwhile, some major household names have had a tough year, brands like The Body Shop and TGI Friday’s slipped into administration, Dr Martens and Nike have seen their cultural creds weaken and the likes of Boeing and Tesla have suffered PR blow after PR blow.
Looking at the year ahead, budgets might still be tight in 2025 but greater political stability with the elections in the UK and US over should hopefully help marketers put more long-term plans in place. It’s all to play for, then; I can’t wait to see what you all get up to in 2025.
Get me on hannah.bowler@thedrum.com
Well, the TikTok drama continues to make my head spin. It has for most of the year and will continue into ’25.
On Wednesday, the US Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments over the law that could ban TikTok nationwide. The decision came after the company and its Chinese parent ByteDance filed an emergency request urging the Court to pick up the caseahead of a ban set to take effect January 19.
TikTok’s CEO Shou Zi Chew also met with president-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago Monday. Trump has expressed interest in “saving” the platform, and a deal between Trump and TikTok could potentially thwart the ban – a move likely welcomed by users, creators and brands.
What’s next? The Court will hear arguments on January 10. Happy New Year to us, amiright?
Meanwhile, the industry waits with bated breath for a federal judge’s forthcoming ruling on Google’s landmark adtech antitrust case. Could we get a Christmas miracle?!
What is clear for the coming year, we shouldn’t take it for granted that our media channels will remain constant in our campaigns because there is a lot of change in the post ahead.
As always, share pitches and tips to kendra.barnett@thedrum.com, and subscribe to the weekly Media & Tech Briefing here.
Since I joined The Drum in June, the design industry raced ahead. As the year ends, it’s time to reflect on some of my highlights and observations.
In the summer, I analyzed UK party manifestos for creative industries’ insights and unpacked the government’s impact. Culture secretary Lisa Nandy, tasked with revitalizing the sector, has stayed – a rare political feat.
Premier League clubs rebranded as global entities. Aston Villa launched a “fan-first” identity, while The Drum explored design’s future with leaders like Sophie Thomas and Emma Follett.
Microsoft aims to be carbon-negative by 2030 and it is relying on innovative CSR guidelines from Design Studio to do so. Meanwhile, design agencies are quietly opening LA outposts, reflecting shifts in creative and economic climates.
The AI narrative shifted to positive use cases for design. However, concerns linger over job impacts, as discussed with David Russell of Collaborative Thinking.
Kraft-Heinz’s in-house team, The Kitchen, excels in leveraging consumer “love for Heinz” to create cultural stunts, winning six Drums. We got close with them to understand how said love is inspired by design. In consumer tech, Fairphone highlighted usability over sustainability, a decade into its mission.
I explored fashion’s post-“blanding” era with Paul Austin and Paula Scher. And with Chester Zoo, we detailed how a rebrand can tackle shifting perceptions of “zoo.”
Closing the year, Collins founder Brian Collins teased his new series, “101 Design Rules,” setting the stage for 2025.
From AI’s evolution to design’s resilience, it’s been a year of transformation. Here’s to the future.
It’s the last work week before the holidays, and while festive cheer fills the air, it’s not all smooth sailing.
This week, Amazon workers took to the picket lines in the largest strike in the company’s history, threatening delivery delays during the busiest season. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola Middle East claimed the soda emoji with its playful ‘Emoji Coke’ campaign in Saudi Arabia, and Jane Fonda brought her retro fitness legacy to VR in Meta Quest’s new Supernatural campaign.
Don’t let the year wrap without pitching your most creative campaigns. Got a story to tell? Let’s chat: audrey.kemp@thedrum.com.
From Google’s cookie U-turn to Jaguar’s ridiculed rebrand to Omnicom’s shock swoop for IPG, it’s been quite the year in marketing. Today I just want to say a massive thank you to all our readers and contributors for helping us make sense of 2024’s big stories (who knew you were so interested in Tupperware?) and for making The Drum part of your marketing media diet. Onwards, then, to 2025. What do you want to see more of from our coverage and what’s really going to set the agenda in the new year? Drop us a line on editorial@thedrum.com.
As 2025 approaches, spare a thought for advertising’s storytellers who will be commanded to “embrace” Gen AI in 2025. Can these experimental tools be wielded with vision, or is this ailing industry chasing yet another tech MacGuffin? John McCarthy explores.
Since I joined The Drum in June, the design industry has been hurtling along at its usual breakneck pace and, as is tradition, tis the season to reflect on some personal highlights.
From Oatly’s Santa taste test to Puma’s streetwear motorsports, this week delivered surprises.
With the year drawing to a close, agency leaders give us their key takeaways from 2024. In this installment of Agency Advice, we hear what they’ve learned about AI and tech and where it’s heading in 2025.
Themes this year include truth bombs, sports teams and subtle digs at digital fads from shops such as Isobel, BMB and Atomic London.
Strategists should give poetry a try in 2025. Shook’s Gemma Moroney rhymes off the reasons why.
Seed’s Ananya Ranjit wants to see more Christmas ads that sleigh… for Gen Z. She explains what is working this season.
In this week’s My Creative Career, Rob Doubal and Laurence ‘Lolly’ Thomson – the duo who worked on campaigns including Aldi’s Kevin the Carrot and Snoop Dogg’s Just Eat jingle – are now taking the helm as global creative leaders at M&C Saatchi, which they hope to “reinvigorate.”
The president-elect reportedly met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew on Monday, just hours after the company made a formal plea to the Supreme Court to block an impending ban.
The copywriting legend passed away from lymphoma on December 8 at the age of 87. Here, School of Communication Arts 2.0 dean Marc Lewis looks back on the life and work of his friend Brignull who leaves a legacy as a “towering figure in UK advertising.”
The designer and business owner dips into the musings and principles that have defined his career.
Tim Healey talks to the toilet paper purveyor’s head of consumer to find out how it is doing things differently.
Lameya Chaudury has been heading social impact at Lucky Generals for a year now. She came from outside the industry and has a unique perspective on the troubles it needs to avail itself of.
