Budweiser’s Clydesdales and Puppy Reunite to Sponsor Your First Post-Vaccine Beer

Last June, Budweiser released an aspirational ad showing its most adorable mascots—Clydesdales and their puppy friend—reuniting (responsibly) to the tune of “Don’t Stop Me Now.” Now the ad is running again, but this time their reunion has a more specific goal: to encourage people to get the vaccine—so they can grab a free beer. Watch the inspiring ad and learn how to redeem the offer.

• Related: This campaign from agency Hanson Dodge and Milwaukee health org HealthyMKE is going local, leveraging residents’ stories to encourage its community to “show up” for one another and encourage vaccines.

How the Pandemic Accelerated a Transformation Across Connected TV

It may come as no surprise to those of us who have binged most of the shows on Netflix and Disney+ in the past few months that streaming is soaring while linear TV got slammed. But it’s not just the platforms that are growing amid this shift—the entire connected TV landscape, including advertising, has skyrocketed as cord-cutters give way to cord-nevers. At Mediaweek yesterday, leaders at Vizio and NBCUniversal explained how the shift has impacted advertisers. Find out how advertisers are “breaking legacy” and getting what they need out of this new connected TV landscape.

More from Mediaweek:

• The Partnership for Responsible Addressable Media (PRAM) is made up of trade orgs and companies across the industry. The ANA, IAB Tech Lab and Venable LLP’s Stu Ingis discussed PRAM’s work and what’s next for cookie alternatives as ad targeting shifts.


• Marketers are increasingly embracing strategies tied to customer acquisition, retention and more. Saleel Sathe, vp of performance marketing at Walmart dived into Walmart’s best practices to reach customers in organic, yet unexpected ways.

Wendy McMahon, Neeraj Khemlani Named Co-Chiefs of CBS News and CBS TV Studios

In a major restructuring, CBS is uniting the journalistic and businesses resources of CBS News and CBS Television Stations, and tapping Wendy McMahon and Neeraj Khemlani to jointly run it. The news comes after the surprise departure of McMahon from her role as president of ABC Owned Television Stations the day before, and after news that Susan Zirinsky would be stepping down as the CBS News chief. The restructure and leadership change seeks to shift CBS’ trajectory, repositioning it “for the future.”

Also in TV news: 

• NBCUniversal had thus far held out on committing to a return to upfronts week, but yesterday the company said it’s joining the frayonce again. However, The CW will be sitting out the event for the second year in a row.


• Last week the Video Advertising Bureau (VAB), which represents major networks, accused Nielsen of undercounting overall TV use. Now the organization is demanding a third-party audit to verify the measurement company’s accuracy.

How Brands and Agencies Are Navigating Relationships During—and Coming Out of—the Pandemic

Adweek worked with The Harris Poll to find out how brands and agencies are working together and how things have changed amid the pandemic. Proving ROI has long been the crux of agency-client relationships, but the pandemic has only exacerbated pressure to do so, with 48% of respondents saying they had a client terminate an agency over the past year and 45% saying they moved marketing in-house this past year. Discover more data. 

More in agency news:

• Audrey Melofchik joins Wunderman Thompson as CEO, responsible for overseeing all of the agency’s operations in New York, including Wunderman Thompson Health.


• TBWA announced several changes in leadership for its New York offices, including the promotion of Nancy Reyes from president to CEO of TBWA\Chiat\Day New York.


• Rebecca Routs, formerly senior account director for Google initiatives at S4 Capital’s Firewood agency, has joined MDC Partners as its senior director for key client relationships.

3 Big Takeaways From Jeff Bezos’ Final Shareholder Letter as Amazon CEO

Amazon Prime now has 200 million members, a significant leap over the 150 million Jeff Bezos said it had 15 months ago. Bezos announced this in his 24th and final shareholder letter yesterday, which is hefty and filled with news about the ecommerce giant. Here are our top three takeaways, including his thoughts on how employees are treated.

More Big Tech News: Google unveiled a new brand safety featurethat enables resource-strapped media buying teams to create “dynamic exclusion lists” that can be updated seamlessly and continuously over time.

Read the full story at Adweek.

As Covid-19 vaccines roll out and restrictions are lifted, there’s a growing sense of optimism among consumers indicating a post-pandemic surge in spending.

Historically, an economic boom begins when a pandemic ends—and strong indicators show that this time around seems to be no different. Recently, Goldman Sachs upped their 2021 GDP growth estimate to a whopping 6.8% and the unemployment rate is expected to drop to 4.1% by December.

What do brands need to do to prepare? Here are five steps marketers should take to prepare for this boom.

Be ready to join the party

As we reemerge from Covid-19 seclusion and social gathering spaces become increasingly repopulated, a resurgence in brand experiences and out-of-home (OOH) advertising is likely to follow. Events, malls and movie theaters are a few places that come to mind for brands to play in. Brands can celebrate the return to these spaces with timely messaging or by bringing added value with digital utilities or experiences to help people get even more out of their return. As we travel and return to urban centers again, brands can invest in experiential activations that include additional layers of digital utility, entertainment or an IRL experience that ensures consumers share their memories. Brands that create magical experiences to build connections will reap the rewards.

Tap into the pent-up demand for travel

People have been longing for travel and just under half of Americans are planning a vacation this summer. Brands can find immense cultural relevancy by tapping into travel, especially outdoor experiences that are hugely in demand. Mountain Dew is a great example of a brand finding an adjacent role and avid community among new anglers and boaters who discovered these passions amid the pandemic. And even if there isn’t a direct connection to travel, brands can still appeal to the higher-order longing for freedom, fun and exploration. Like North Face’s fall campaign that encouraged consumers to reset their lives through exploration and the company is dedicating $7 million to initiatives that make the outdoors more inclusive.

Promote brand benefits for self-expression

As the restrictions enforcing isolation and small bubbles lift, we’ll remember self-expression through discovery and appearance. The things that make us feel good will be in high demand. Many new trends will emerge to reflect the identities that underwent a metamorphosis during lockdown. The fashion, footwear and cosmetics sectors are ready for a rebound as consumers spend money on personal style again. Adidas, for example, is bullish on growth over the next five years. Brands have an opportunity to connect with new consumers willing to experiment and to dial up targeted marketing to capture those dreaming of a new and improved versions of themselves.

Keep streaming

Hybrid off- and online-living and the consumption of digital video and content will continue after the pandemic. According to a Harris Poll, digital has gone from the next generation to the only generation: Americans of many kinds are shopping, working and entertaining online. During Covid-19, appointment viewing continued to decline and smart marketers should rethink the user experience rather than dump all investment in these areas. Investing in digital video remains a smart way to go since viewership of connected TV is increasing. Streaming audio is growing too, with nearly 75% of all U.S. adults expected to be streaming audio in some way (podcasts, live terrestrial radio online, etc.) by 2025. Even when we’re on the go, traveling or otherwise away from home, those subscriptions and digital videos come with us wherever we go.

Increasing expectations on social issues

As the pandemic winds down, we’ll have the time, space and capacity to consider other important matters or social issues that may have taken a backseat, like the environment and sustainability. Brands should be prepared for increasing expectations (and scrutiny) from consumers on these issues. 2020 has confirmed that they could face backlash if they don’t but be rewarded if they do. Brands that take the time to develop a brand citizenship framework to address the issues that are important to their consumers will nurture credible advocacy and neutralize reputational threats that might arise.

Addressing these five areas of opportunity can set up brands to thrive during the Roaring 2020s. This time of great change should inspire a great reset for brands. Consumers have fundamentally changed, and they are not going back to pre-pandemic brand expectations. This is the time for brands to experiment and explore new ways to connect and engage with consumers as they re-emerge ready for new experiences.

Read the full story at Adweek.