1) 2017 has been an uneasy year for most people. We’re living in a political and socially charged climate, which has caused brands to take notice and create more purpose-driven work. Brands are increasingly paying attention to Millennials who value authenticity and have real concerns about our leadership, equality and gender. They are progressive and non-traditional so all bets are off if anyone is trying to reach this demographic through traditional means. Mobile content, Snapchat and Facebook ads (short-form content) are a regular part of my conversation when discussing long-form content with a producer and creative team.
2) Hey Wonderful has worked on several projects this year I’m most proud of that speak to the power of adverting and our responsibility to take action. Peking (Nat Livingston Johnson and Gregory Mitnick) directed Doritos’ “No Choice” award-winning campaign with Goodby, Silverstein & Partners. The goal was to demonstrate that when you’re not registered to vote, you don’t get a choice and if you don’t vote, you don’t get the chance to get what you want. We went to a college campus in Michigan and spoke to kids about voting and the majority had no interest. We knew pretty quickly from Nat and Greg’s interviews that the election was not in the bag and that the Midwest was in real danger of swinging.
Another project was for PUR water, “Know Your Water” directed by Sam Cadman via Arnold Worldwide, which literally brings the Flint water crisis into your home by way of a pop up “water bar” that we set up in NYC. We filmed real people sampling an array of tap water from around the country that contained legal levels of mercury and lead in it. I promise you no humans were harmed during filming but everyone did leave questioning what contaminants are in the water they drink.
It was also gratifying to see “Fearless Girl” become one of the most honored initiatives in Cannes Lion history. It single handedly brought attention to woman leadership and gender equality in the most simple, yet forceful way.
3) The National Geographic “Genius” short films directed by our wonderful Sam Spiegel are a perfect mesh of advertising and entertainment. We were given a tremendous opportunity to create two original short films inspired by Albert Einstein’s imagination to promote the series “Genius” and ideally reach a broader audience via their social and digital platforms. Nat Geo’s goal was to have people share this original content and attract new viewers in ways their other media hadn’t. It was a huge win for everyone and proved that if we can use branded content to get people engaged with the broader subject matter, an audience will take the extra time to check out and, most importantly, stick with, a new series. This was Sam’s first branded content campaign and the agency (Pereira & O’Dell) and the folks at Nat Geo were the best creative partners we could ask for.
4) I think purpose driven and socially fueled advertising are here to stay and that mobile and immersive content will become a greater piece of the pie. Virtual reality will become a greater force in advertising thanks in large part to the entertainment industry that is leaps and bounds ahead of us. In order to get there, the advertising industry needs to figure out how to place the consumer into the brand and not the way other around.
5) Fearless Girl becoming the most awarded initiative in Cannes Lions history gives me hope that we are using our voice to affect change and move the needle forward. It’s a message and permanence that will not be soon forgotten.
I’m also thrilled we made an impactful change to the AICP show by adding a social cause category, and as a juror this year, it was the strongest field of entries I’ve ever seen in an award show.