Deep Dive
Industry insights from our journalists
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Courtesy of Levi's
Nostalgia-washing: How brands can look back without getting hung up to dry
As marketers continue to look for inspiration in campaigns and culture of the past, the savviest will focus on brand truths to make meaningful connections.
Chris Kelly • Dec. 10, 2024 -
Courtesy of Gap
7 top campaigns from 2024 and the tactics that drove success
These breakthrough strategies propped up brand results, serving as examples for marketing leaders feeling the pressure to do more with less.
Peter Adams, Jessica Deyo, Sara Karlovitch and Chris Kelly • Dec. 3, 2024 -
Courtesy of True Religion
‘Merry and bright’: How marketers are evolving for ambitious holiday shoppers
Amid record spending intentions by shoppers, holiday marketing campaigns reflect more diverse media mixes and experiments with artificial intelligence.
Jessica Deyo • Nov. 13, 2024 -
Courtesy of Aloft Hotel
Brands lean into fractious election with messages of unity and humor
With tensions running high, some consumer brands are trying to make an emotional connection and avoid landing in hot water.
Christine Blank • Oct. 29, 2024 -
Permission granted by FCB
What FCB’s stealthy data unit says about the future of agency creativity
FCB/Six is seeing double-digit growth at an otherwise sluggish time for the industry, speaking to rising client demand in areas like CRM and loyalty.
Peter Adams • Sept. 23, 2024 -
Courtesy of Grocery TV
What will it take to unlock in-store retail media?
The technology is advancing rapidly, but without a consistent way to measure the impact of ad campaigns, grocers and CPGs may be left grappling with data, according to experts.
Peyton Bigora • Sept. 13, 2024 -
Courtesy of Apple
‘The year of implementation’: How marketers are leveraging AI on mobile
While AI has its place in the realms of social media, mobile commerce, apps and more, a sea of questions remains around regulation and brand safety.
Jessica Deyo • Sept. 5, 2024 -
Courtesy of Urban Outfitters
Back-to-school 2024: How brands can win younger consumers as uncertainty endures
The power of Gen Z and Gen Alpha to influence their parents to consider a brand could be the key to success amid another turbulent season.
Jessica Deyo • Aug. 8, 2024 -
Scott Olson via Getty Images
As retail media networks widen their scope, is a reckoning inbound?
Expanding into offsite media like open-web programmatic could alleviate supply pressures but opens a whole new can of worms for the category.
Peter Adams • July 30, 2024 -
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
And just like that, Google won’t be deprecating cookies. What now?
The tech giant backs off plans to implement a huge shift in digital marketing that faced pushback from adland and regulators around the world.
Chris Kelly • July 23, 2024 -
Courtesy of CeraVe
6 campaigns that signaled a creative resurgence in H1 2024
As marketers emerged from two strenuous years, innovative media strategies and bets on buzzy technology like generative AI stood apart from the pack.
Peter Adams and Jessica Deyo • July 10, 2024 -
Courtesy of Ocean Spray
Why marketers keep refreshing brands instead of betting on splashy ads
The widespread appetite for brand building is evident in how rebrands continue to proliferate alongside an advertising upswing.
Chris Kelly • July 10, 2024 -
Shaun Lucas/Marketing Dive
Marketing in 2024: H1 by the numbers
CMO budgets continue to fall as pressure to automate mounts and fears of signal loss reach a fever pitch.
Jasmine Ye Han • July 10, 2024 -
Courtesy of PVH Corp.
Calvin Klein’s Jeremy Allen White ads turned heads, but the biggest impact may be to the brand’s image
“The Bear” star’s images generated $74 million in media impact value amid a years-long effort by holding company PVH to make the line more desirable.
Laurel Deppen • June 27, 2024 -
Max Kegfire via Getty Images
Why marketers increasingly downplay sustainability efforts
Greenhushing on climate-related initiatives is becoming more widespread amid an intensifying regulatory environment and consumer backlash.
Nicole Ortiz • May 14, 2024 -
metamorworks via Getty Images
Legacy media makes new bets on CTV and retail media convergence
Disney’s new partnership with Walmart Connect and Amazon’s latest streaming TV ad formats demonstrate how the growing channels can work together.
Chris Kelly • May 8, 2024 -
Permission granted by Antoine Reid
Digital’s media-buying bonanza wrestles with an industry at crossroads
Cookie deprecation and a potential TikTok ban cast this year’s NewFronts in a different light while attendees noticed fewer pitches centered on content.
Peter Adams • May 6, 2024 -
Courtesy of CIMM
Meet the 4 firms setting the agenda for measuring TV ads amid rapid change
Battles around big data and panels continue as currency certification efforts pick up and the possibility of consolidation looms.
Chris Kelly • April 8, 2024 -
Anna Moneymaker / Staff via Getty Images
Why the latest TikTok ban attempt is different — and what it means for marketers
A ban could benefit Meta, weakening competition and options for advertisers, while a potential suitor will need to be well-versed in data management.
Jessica Deyo • March 21, 2024 -
Courtesy of Dunkin'
‘Advertisers tried too hard’: Few Super Bowl LVIII ads win as celeb takeover continues
Brands that forged true connections to culture broke through the clutter of a broadcast heavy with sociopolitical messages from some advertisers.
Peter Adams and Chris Kelly • Feb. 12, 2024 -
Justin Sullivan / Staff via Getty Images
What Apple’s adoption of RCS for iPhones could mean for marketers
Apple confirmed this week that RCS is coming, opening the door for marketers to include high-quality photos and videos in messages.
Jessica Deyo • Jan. 25, 2024 -
CreativaImages via Getty Images
How generative AI could solve the cookie deprecation puzzle in 2024
Marketers could turn to artificial intelligence to solve for the tracking and targeting issues caused by the death of the third-party cookie.
Chris Kelly • Jan. 16, 2024 -
simplehappyart via Getty Images
Inside the creator marketing trends expected to go viral in 2024
Some marketers are betting creator-led advertising is the way forward, while social commerce and artificial intelligence could yield fresh potential.
Jessica Deyo • Jan. 11, 2024 -
CreativaImages via Getty Images
8 predictions for 2024 as marketing seeks a new normal
Following a period of extremes, key trends like retail media and ad-supported TV could settle down while experiments in areas like AI ramp up.
Peter Adams, Jessica Deyo, Chris Kelly and Sara Karlovitch • Jan. 9, 2024 -
Courtesy of McDonald's USA
How the best marketing campaigns of 2023 mastered pop culture nostalgia
Brands faced a preponderance of global challenges this year and opted for a familiar playbook as the industry arrives at a crossroads.
Chris Kelly, Sara Karlovitch and Jessica Deyo • Nov. 29, 2023
