A Marketer’s Guide To DEW 2019 Panels & Fireside Chats

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The Digital Entertainment World (DEW) conference returns to bring back leaders, creators and brands in the digital space to discuss the most important changes and innovations.

This year’s theme is “The Power of Creativity and Influence” and there are a few marketing-focused panels you don’t want to miss. Unless otherwise noted, all panels on this list will take place at the Marina Del Rey Marriott—4100 Admiralty Way, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292.

Monday, February 4

The Power of Creativity & Influence

This opening panel gets you warmed-up by discussing the importance of influencers and creators in digital entertainment and dissects the conference’s theme.

When: 10:15 a.m.

Where: Bayview Ballroom

Speakers:

Clark Stacey—CEO and co-founder, Wildworks

Dan Weinstein—president and co-founder, Studio71

Chris M. Williams—CEO and founder, pocket.watch

Shelley Zimmerman—co-head, Awesomeness

Adapting To The Changing Distribution Landscape

Digital marketing strategies can be a gamble, with distribution platforms constantly changing. Also, lets not forget about pop-up blockers! Hear what’s worked and what hasn’t, I’m sure you’ll relate to their experiences.

When: 12:15 a.m.

Where: Promenade

Speakers:

Chris Borelli—VP of brand partnerships, IMGN Media

Andi Frieder—global head of industry, entertainment, Spotify

Katie Ioffe—director of marketing and digital strategies, Mattel

Robert Schefferine—VP production, ABC Entertainment Marketing, Disney ABC Television Group

Russell Schneider—head of sales and business development, 9GAG

Building Immersive Marketing Campaigns: A Fireside Chat With Universal Studios

It’s no secret Universal Pictures has extremely successful franchises. But how do they keep it going? The landscape has changed and tools like AR and VR have helped their campaigns. This fireside chat is moderated by Kimberlee Archer, head of developer marketing—AR/VR for Facebook.

When: 2:30 p.m.

Where: Bayview Ballroom

Speakers:

Hilary Hoffman—executive vice president, global marketing, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment

Doug Neil—executive vice president marketing, Universal Pictures

Gen Z Essentials – How To Resonate With The Next Generation Of Cultural Influencers

Marketers are still trying to figure out how to best reach Gen Z. Charneski will share some insight based on research to help you better understand the demo.

When: 3:15 p.m.

Where: Pacific II

Speakers:

Jayne Charneski—founder, Front Row Insights and Strategy

How Games Are Transforming The Rest Of The Entertainment Industry 

Video games continue to grow and it’s going to impact all aspects of entertainment. Listen to how some companies are adapting.

When: 3:15 p.m.

Where: Pacific III

Speakers:

Carter Rogers—principal analyst, SuperData, a Nielsen Company

The Evolution Of Brands, Content And Marketing

You hear it all the time, it’s about content, content, content. Panelists will show examples of how brands are creating engaging content and how it impacts consumers.

When: 3:30 p.m.

Where: Promenade

Speakers: 

Lisa Bilgrei—branded content expert, Google

Adam Hua—SVP of business development, CitizensNet, A Conde´ Nast Company

Folayo Lasaki—VP of marketing, SoulPancake

Tina Walsh—VP of content strategy, Tongal

Kat Jones—founder, Motiv PR

Influencer Marketing: Strategies For Success

Influencers are essential to digital advertising. However, it’s still ambiguous on how to best work with influencers and the legal rules. This panel will reveal effective influencer strategies and even touch on the issue of metrics.

Time: 3:30 p.m.

Where: Pacific II

Speakers:

Phil Hickey—EVP brand and marketing, Seriously

Brittani Kagen—head of talent, Portal A

Kamiu Lee, CEO, Activate

Julia Moonves—VP of sales and business development, pocket.watch

Mia von Sadovsky—SVP/group strategic planning director, RPA

Allison Dollar—CEO, ITV Alliance

Expanding Music Festivals Through Live Streaming: Connecting Brands With Viewers Around The World

Video content is the focus of many brands, big and small. Music festivals are events many consumers want to be part of and video can be there only way to experience it.

When: 3:30 p.m.

Where: Malibu/Santa Monica

Speakers:

Kevin Chernett, EVP—global partnerships and content distribution, Live Nation

John Petrocelli—CEO, Bulldog Digital Media

Kim Owens—VP of strategy and operations, FestiFi

Chystine Villarreal—President, MIXhalo

Creators And Influencers Roundtable

Tips on how brands can more efficiently work with influencers for digital campaigns.

When: 4:00 p.m.

Where: Pacific II

Speakers:

Wesley “Wuz Good” Armstrong—Influencer

Gabriela Bandy—Influencer

Nick Carreras—VP talent and brand strategy, Bent Pixels

Tess Finkle—founder and CEO, Metro

Kate Mcguire—talent manager, Fullscreen

Music As An Original Video Content Strategy

What are the best ways to advertise music in videos? What are consumers reacting to? These panelists will discuss what they believe is the future is and which strategies marketers should use.

When: 4:00 p.m.

Where: Malibu/Santa Monica

Speakers:

Hisham Dahud—brand manager and digital strategist, Junkie XL, Desert Hearts, Poolside and more

Verena Papik—chief marketing officer, TuneMoji

David McTiernan—director of label relations, VEVO

The Future Of The Videos/TV/Movies Business

These top decision-makers will get into the monetization of video content across various platforms. It takes a lot of time and effort to create content and with all the devices and platforms consumers use, it can be tricky to know which steps to take.

When: 5:00 p.m.

Where: Bayview Ballroom

Speakers:

Jesús Chavez—CEO, Vertical Networks

Ashley McCollum—general manager, Tasty

Ira Rubenstein—chief digital and marketing officer, PBS Digital

Tuesday, February 5

The Future Of Brands, Marketing And Entertainment

What’s in store for years to come? The presentations discuss two different tools for brands to stay ahead of the game: AI, omniculturalism and decentralized virtual marketplaces.

When: 9:40 a.m.

Where: Bayview Ballroom

Speakers:

David Kulczar—senior product manager, IBM Watson Media

Linda Ong—chief culture officer, Civic Entertainment Group

William Quigley—CEO, Clearstone Ventures, OpSkins, and Wax

The Future Of Content Marketing

Traditional advertising is slowly becoming old news being replaced by digital. These panelists will show examples of brands retaining customers through relationships and relatable content.

When: 10:15 a.m.

Where: Bayview Ballroom

Speakers:

Russell Arons—SVP and general manager, Machinima

Kym Nelson—SVP of client strategy west, Twitch

Tina Pukonen—head of entertainment strategy, Pinterest

Keynote Conversation With Facebook And Warner Media

Consumers have more control over what they watch and when. Facebook and Warner are leaders in the space, but even they have to adapt to the changes.

When: 10:15 a.m.

Where: Bayview Ballroom

Speakers:
Celiena Adcock—head of streaming, Facebook

Katie Soo—SVP, Warner Media

XR For Creative Storytelling 

Marketers are always trying to find ways to tell authentic, engaging stories. Parisi explains how XR can help in storytelling.

When: 11:45 a.m.

Where: Promenade

Speakers:

Tony Parisi—head of AR/VR ad innovation, Unity Technologies Inc

The Age Of Consumer-First Marketing: Bridging Content And Commerce

Looking at a consumer’s purchase decision can help marketers make more successful content to drive more sales.

When: 12:15 p.m.

Where: Promenade

Speakers:

Tom Bash—VP, product, ChefsFeed

Javon Frazier—EVP of strategy and business development, Studio71

Chang Kim—founder and CEO, Tapas Media

Jon Vlassopulos—CEO, Tribalist

Which Platform Is Right For You?

We all know there are many platforms to choose from, but it can be overwhelming to chose. What are the differences and what’s best for your brand? Let’s narrow it down.

When: 12:15 p.m.

Where: Pacific II

Speakers:
Eyal Baumel—CEO, Yoola

Max Levine—co-founder, MC Projects

Sephi Shapira—founder and CEO, Escapex

The Future of Esports: The Opportunity For Brands, Agencies And Marketers

Some brands have collaborated with esports, but what is working? This panel explains which activations have stood out and other opportunities for marketers jump in.

When: 12:15 p.m.

Where: Pacific III

Speakers:

Mike Lee—esports Agent, United Talent Agency

Marco Mereu—co-founder and CEO, Framerate

David Mok—director of developer partnerships, Skillz

Peter Trinh— managing director of international and independent film, ICM Partners

Using Immersive Marketing

This panel will reveal the in’s and out’s of immersive content formats. We all know VR, AR and 3D are used in marketing, but what are industry leaders seeing?

When: 3:30 p.m.

Where: Venice/Peninsula

Speakers:

Sarah Bachman—SVP of digital experiences lead, Horizon Media

Emily Rosen—associate creative director, BBH LA

Jason Steinberg—managing partner, Pretty Big Monster

The Intersection Of Cannabis And Brands

Cannabis is slowly becoming legal in various states across the US. How can cannabis marketers still be successful despite all the regulations?  How can we move on from the stigmas? These panelists discuss their experiences.

When: 3:30 p.m.

Where: Sierra

Speakers: 

Yvette McDowell—board member, CCIA, former Pasadena City prosecutor

Tracy Ryan,—founder and CEO, CannaKids

Curtis Stafford—founder and CEO, ZYRS Group

Jackie Subeck—CEO, Hey Jackpot!, Door Number Six

What’s Next In Experiential Marketing

Experiential marketing events can be quite a hit with consumers. The panelists talk about the various aspects that get audiences engaged before and after the event.

When: 4:00 p.m.

Where: Promenade

Speakers: 

Karen Morgan—co-founder and creative director, Soma Innovation Lab

Chris Sumner—senior vice president of business development and strategy, Refinery29

Johanna Salazar—co-founder & chief media disrupter, Two Goats, Inc

Brands And Music

Brands and music have a partnership in order to connect with consumers, but are long-term or short-term deals better? This panel dives into current opportunities and future ones. Let’s discuss.

When: 4:00 p.m.

Where: Malibu/Santa Monica

Speakers:

Samantha Fernandez,—senior director, AEG Global Partnerships

Shutterstock Just Made Their Own Fyre Festival Trailer… Entirely Out Of Stock Footage

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If there’s one thing to be said about the Fyre Festival, it’s that the marketing was slick. Unfortunately for many involved in the push, it wasn’t apparent it was false advertising until it was too late.

As the fated event has made its way back into the social consciousness by way of two recently released documentaries—Fyre and Frye Fraud, Shutterstock is capitalizing on the conversation with a new video that looks incredibly similar to the original event trailer.

The catch? It’s made entirely stock footage.

 

In the Netflix and Hulu documentaries, a key observation is just how much the would-be creators of the festival had spent on marketing the event instead of the actual production of it: a private island had been rented for use, a full camera crew was employed and a stunning number of celebrity influencers were invited to the days-long shoot.

While we can only guess at the extraordinary costs incurred from producing such a spectacle, Shutterstock is out to prove that none of that was really needed after all. Even the original footage of swimming pigs.

According to Shutterstock’s CMO, Lou Weiss, the video took under a day to compile, was a compilation of 18 different clips, and if all the footage had been licensed through Shutterstock, would have cost all of $2062 to create.

“After watching the documentary and getting a better understanding of what it took to create the first trailer we knew we could create the same thing much cheaper and from our desks, so we decided to have some fun and do it,” said Weiss to AList.

“We thought it would be a great way to show marketers and creative teams that you can truly create anything you want from our 12 million video clips and tens of thousands of music tracks in our Premiumbeat.com library at an amazing value compared to shooting original footage or creating your own music.”

Shutterstock has plans to put some paid media behind the video on its social channels, which is the first video released as part of the company’s “It’s Not Stock” campaign.

The Fyre Festival, which was supposed to have taken place in Spring 2017, notably booked influencers like Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner, Emily Ratajkowski and more to participate in the campaign, in both the content and the promotion of it on their channels. Those influencers are now reportedly facing subpoenas to disclose just how much they were paid for their involvement.

HBO’s ‘High Maintenance’ Activation Hands Out CBD Lattes in Venice, Brooklyn

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HBO’s third season of High Maintenance premiered on Sunday, January 20 and it was promoted using the show’s prime product: cannabis. HBO placed green food trucks serving CBD coffee and lattes in New York City and Los Angeles.

The show’s Twitter posted pictures of the truck inviting fans to stop by on January 18, “Spread the word, Brooklyn. #HMonHBO is here to help you maintain. Swing by N 6th and Bedford for CBD lattes and coffee today.” The excitement reached beyond New York. One person replied, “Bring that to DC—lots of people here could use some good vibes!”

The Venice event happened the following day and similar to the Brooklyn invite, they posted a picture of the truck to entice locals.

The experiential event not only encourages the public to watch High Maintenance, but it taps into the growing cannabis industry—one that is quickly gaining mainstream momentum due to its legalization in several states. There is still a great deal of stigma around marijuana. However, at this event, no attendee left a truck “high.”

CBD or Cannabidiol is a cannabis plant-derived, non-psychoactive compound. A World Health Organization report found “cannabidiol does not appear to have potential or cause harm.” It’s also been linked to many health benefits alleviating seizures and anxiety.

While many brands have encountered several barriers when it comes to advertising, the High Maintenance activation illustrates a way to safely use cannabis in marketing.

In August, HBO did a similar interactive event with Bumble. For two weeks, Bumble Date and BFF users were invited to watch movies at the Brownstone in New York. It was part of their ‘Stay Home to the Movies’ campaign. HBO wanted to target a younger crowd because their core audience tends to be in their late 40s.

Ben Sinclair—the show’s leading man—made an appearance to the Brooklyn event to meet fans. Both trucks sold out of the lattes and altogether served around 1,000 drinks. According to Marketing Dive, the CBD Latte event “drove about 12,000 in-person impressions from customers walking around with branded coffee cups and sleeves.”

The comedy-drama TV show follows the New York City nameless deliveryman called “The Guy.” In each episode, he is the thread tying all the storylines together as he delivers weed to his clients. The show started as a web series on Vimeo in 2012 and got an HBO deal in 2015.

Digital Entertainment World 2019 Showcases 75+ Unique Sessions; 200 Speakers

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Recognized by Hollywood insiders, digital influencers and industry leaders throughout the world as a “must-attend” event, now in its 6th year, Digital Media Wire’s Digital Entertainment World (DEW) is where you want to be if you are in the business of creating or monetizing digital entertainment content.

Digital Entertainment World 2019 focuses on “The Power of Creativity and Influence” and will cover topics from OTT to Innovation to eSports to Millennials to Content Marketing to VR/AR to Music to Rights to Startups, etc., as this theme guides all talks, discussions, meetings and presentations over the two days: February 4-5, 2019. We’ll hear from the creators, brands and platforms that are growing audiences and engaging fans and showcase the innovative partnerships between technology and content companies that are bringing new entertainment experiences to life.

We are pleased to announce the addition of the “Creators & Influencers” track–two days of sessions devoted to the dynamic creators and influencers and their tech and brand partners.

DEW includes more than 75 unique sessions and 200 speakers on topics essential to the future of video, music, brands, marketing, gaming, AR/VR and AI. The fast-growing two-day conference includes six tracks: Video/TV/Movies; Brands/Advertising; Games/Interactive; Music; RightsTech; and Creators/Influencers.

This year’s event will be held in the hip and modern Marina del Rey Marriott just steps from the beach and located in the heart of LA’s thriving Silicon Beach with easy access to Santa Monica, Venice and Playa Vista. The event includes keynotes, fireside chats, presentations, panel discussions, tech demos, startup showcase, innovative exhibitions, daily DJ music and performers and the best networking in the hotel’s Sinder Lounge.

Join DEW 2019 on February 4-5 at the Marriott Marina del Rey and be a part of the future of connected entertainment.
For more information, including schedule and speaker details, please visit: www.dewexpo.com.

Amazon’s Weird And Wonderful Marketing For ‘The Grand Tour’ Season 3

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The third season of The Grand Tour recently returned to Amazon Prime and to promote it, the company used new strategies on different platforms. Amazon launched The Grand Tour Game, an episodic video game for fans to feel like they’re part of the show, and they concocted a clever hashtag not everyone wholly understood.

The Grand Tour, hosted by James May, Richard Hammond and Jeremy Clarkson, premiered its third season on January 18. It’s a spinoff of the original BBC series Top Gear which the trio presented until 2015. However, this version focuses on more than just the cars but on “three middle-aged men” traveling the world.

The show’s YouTube channel recently shared a promotional clip with May and Richard Hammond brainstorming for a new slogan for the upcoming season—meanwhile, Clarkson is in Sweden driving a Lamborgini around a frozen lake. The banter goes back and forth until hey arrive on “hit” as the correct descriptor. Hammond proceeds to make it “snappier” by working it into a hashtag: #amazonshitcarshow.

The clever marketing work by Amazon’s team got about 15-thousand likes on the initial tweet. Due to the deadpan delivery of the joke, there were mixed reactions. One user replied: “Not sure advertising it as ‘amazon shitcarshow’ was the best move…” The Grand Tour reacted, “??? We’re proud of #TheGrandTour being Amazon’s hit car show.” Other fans loved the play on words. Also, both primary hashtags for the show, #amazonshitcarshow and #thegrandtour, generate a Twitter-specific emoji of the three hosts—adding to the hilarity of it all.

The Grand Tour Game launched its first installment “Detroit Drift City” the same day as the show’s release date. The game and show will release simultaneously every Friday. Amazon Games Studios told Variety the game lets fans “emulate” situations from the show. Players can drive through Detroit, the city featured in the first episode, in a Demon, Exorcist or RTR. As more shows are released, players will have access to more events, tracks and cars. Additionally, there is a multiplayer option.

“This is not a game based in the universe of The Grand Tour, there have been video games based on movies or TV shows.  It’s literally playing the show—other game companies I think would be interested in and probably will end up making something like this as well,” Amazon Game Studios creative director Craig Sullivan said to Variety. 

It’s not the first time Amazon used gaming to promote The Grand Tour and market two of its properties at the same time. In 2017, Amazon created a livestream event through Twitch, which Amazon acquired in 2014, to promote the show’s second season. The interactive experience featured a battleship-style game board where players could blow up cars.

“We were looking for a way to get young adults to sample The Grand Tour,” Michael Benson, head of marketing at Amazon Prime Video, told AList at the time. “We knew that gamers on Twitch love live gaming, and [hosts] Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May love to execute incredible stunts with vehicles of all kinds on their show. So, we wondered if we could combine live gaming with car stunts on a global scale.”

Inside Kabam’s In-House Rebrand

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After 12 years, three offices, dozens of games and $300 million in yearly revenue, game developer Kabam has decided to rebrand. Out goes the “bomb” image and in comes a bold, ombré orange ‘K’ and a new typeface. The project was incredibly intensive for the company.

For the last two years, Kabam’s team has listened to their users’s feedback to incorporate them into the rebranding process. They didn’t want their players just to love the games but also the changes surrounding the entire brand.

It took a year for Kabam to complete the rebrand and according to the company, it’s more than just an updated label—it’s a visual example of how far they’ve come. It’s blood, sweat and tears.

When Kabam was founded over ten years ago, the Motorola RAZR was alive and well, and the thought of playing a video game with other people on your phone was fiction. Kabam was originally conceived by Kevin Chou, Michael Li and Holly Liu under the name Watercooler, to connect sport and entertainment fans on various social media platforms. In 2009, they launched the game Kingdoms of Camelot on Facebook and transformed into a gaming company.

In 2016, the company was acquired by NetMarble, a South Korean game publishing company. It was a rough transition for Kabam, but the challenges made them who they are today. The new logo is a representation of Kabam’s resurgence.

“We wanted a brand, a logo that would capture that multiplicity of emotions and experiences, as opposed to the static logo that is more in line with the old days of the web,” said Tim Fields, CEO of Kabam. Fields has been making games and software professionally since 1995 and his resume includes Microsoft and Capcom.

“It really took us about a year after that acquisition to get back on our feet and figure out who’s who and [what] the world will look like. That kind of thing is transformative to a company,” Fields added.

The rebranding isn’t just representative of Kabam’s technological advances, business changes, but also indicative of the sense of community at the company.

Instead of contracting out the job, the gaming company put together an in-house team that consisted of multiple disciplines to work on the brand project. They wanted to guarantee representation and input from intersectional views and backgrounds within the company.

At one point, Kabam finished a new logo design but came to the realization they need take a step back, and eventually concluded they need scrap it. The team engaged in healthy debates and worked on communicating with each other to make sure they were on the same page. It was vital everyone was happy with the project.

“I don’t know exactly what the final cost was, but I will tell you that it is insignificant to me compared to what we accomplished which is to make sure that everybody here at the company really loves the way they’re represented now,” said Fields. “I wish you could see everybody here in Vancouver wearing their new shirts.”

The rebranding process took an enormous amount of internal resources. Kabam did commission a video announcing the new logo from an outside vendor. The 1:10-second video appeals to consumers’ emotions while playing games and kicks off with blue butterflies forming the new logo with the words “Embrace zen-like calm,” alongside meditative music. The colors gradually change as the video progresses and it finishes by declaring “Unleash your emotions, experience Kabam.”

“We wanted to celebrate all the different emotions that players experience, while they are playing our games. And we also decided to encourage some of those emotions a little bit more. It’s really representative more of our personality: we are passionate, we are fighting and gaming and adventurous. That’s the whole basis of the rebrand,” said Callie Jenkins, Kabam’s senior director of product marketing.

Kabam’s rebranding turned out to be more than just a new logo, it was an essential process for the company itself.

“We have a very strong culture of gaming; we play our games together. Every single day. My mom would say, ‘Tim, you don’t do anything at work but play games.’ I don’t think that’s entirely true, but I do think that that’s one of the things that allows us to keep a small-company-feel that remains very important to us.”

Amazon’s IMDb Announces Free, Ad-Supported Video Channel

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Amazon is joining the realm of free, ad-supported (AVOD) streaming services through IMDb. The company announced its launching Freedive, a channel offering viewers in the U.S. the ability to watch a large library of TV shows as well as popular films.

The subscription-free content can be streamed through a laptop, personal computer and on all Amazon Fire TV devices. Previously, IMDb only offered short-form original series, trailers and celebrity interviews—and no IMDb isn’t going away, everything will be integrated into Freedive like The IMDb Show and No Small Parts. 

“Customers already rely on IMDb to discover movies and TV shows and decide what to watch,” said Col Needham, founder and CEO of IMDb, in a press release.

“With the launch of IMDb Freedive, they can now also watch full-length movies and TV shows on IMDb and all Amazon Fire TV devices for free. We will continue to enhance IMDb Freedive based on customer feedback and will soon make it available more widely, including on IMDb’s leading mobile apps.”

The Amazon-owned company will also feature X-Ray, a playoff on what IMDb is popular for, information on cast, crew, trivia and more.

Ad-supported streaming is changing the video subscription-based landscape. The World Advertising Research Center (WARC) expects the service’s ad spend to double to $47 billion by 2023. in 2019, its expected AVOD will receive around $23 billion in brand investment.

During the 2018 holiday season, AVOD competitor Roku launched its first-ever “Stream-a-thon,” to allow their users to stream certain movies and TV shows for free. The Roku Channel offers ad-supported movies, TV, news, sports and other shows. Last May, the company saw more profits with ads and licensing fees than hardware—a first for Roku.

At CES 2019, Plex—a client-server media player system—also announced it would launch an ad-support service. According to TechCrunch, it could come as early as this year.

Freedive is available now at www.imdb.com/freedive. Fire TV customers can see the IMDb Freedive icon in the “Your Apps & Channels” line.

Pepsi, Walmart Debut Ads During Golden Globes; Netflix Rebukes Commercials

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The Golden Globes pulled in 18.6 million viewers this year. Pepsi and Walmart, in what seems like a pre-Super Bowl test, premiered new campaigns during the event.

Pepsi’s 60-second spot featuring William H. Macy was met with positive reviews. It’s not a campaign, but more a content series Pepsi will release through 2019. Walmart, on the other hand, launched its “Walmart Grocery Pickup” campaign, featuring famous film automobiles, appropriate for the show which recognizes excellence in film and TV.

Netflix did its own stint, but with a tweet. The streaming service got awards for a few of its shows.  However, Netflix doesn’t submit its audience to ads and they recently made big waves with its hit “Bird Box.”

Pepsi’s Alien Encounter with William H. Macy

The hilarious spot features an Arrival-like alien invasion and the military has hired “the best decoders in the world” in order to communicate with the extraterrestrial creatures. However, a lonely janitor—played by William H. Macy—breaks through with Pepsi. Macy looks at the ship, walks over to it without fear and offers the alien the carbonated drink.

Todd Kaplan, vice president of marketing for colas at Pepsi, told Variety they want to create entertainment and “something people want to look for and lean into.” The ad will only be online for viewers to watch and not be aired on TV again. Kaplan added he wants consumers to “find it on their own.”

Walmart Promotes Their Grocery Pickup With ‘Famous Cars’

The “Walmart Grocery Pickup” campaign kicked off during Golden Globes. It’s the company’s inaugural cross-platform national marketing campaign for the service. In their press release, the company said they chose these “famous cars” because it would be “instantly recognizable to our customers.” The cars were also picked to indicate how simple and easy the service is and most importantly it’s for all walks of life and all types of vehicles.

The 60-second spot features the Ghostbusters car, Ecto-1, the Dumb and Dumber dog van, Scooby Doo’s Mystery Machine and several other iconic rides. It demonstrates various Walmart employees delivering the goods to the vehicles. The main platform for the campaign will be TV, but the “famous cars” content will be seen on social media, radio and Walmart stores.

Netflix’s Snide Golden Globes Tweet

The streaming service tweeted “Shoutout to everyone who is watching commercials for the first time in several months.” The tweet got approximately 64,000 likes and about 5,000 retweets. One tweet user responded by saying “Skipped the Golden Globes and just watched #BirdBox instead.” Certainly relevant, after the movie got about 45 million subscriber accounts to watch it during its first week.

Netflix wasn’t ignored at the Golden Globes. They won five awards, two for The Kominsky Method, The Bodyguard got one for best performance by an actor and Roma got one for best director of a motion picture.

Bumble’s Super Bowl Campaign Stars Serena Williams; Produced Entirely By Women

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Tennis champion Serena Williams will star in Bumble’s year-long marketing campaign “The Ball is in Her Court.” The campaign will debut during the 2019 Super Bowl on February 3 and will appear across multiple platforms. It was also produced entirely by women.

A 30-second video preview with Bumble CEO and founder Whitney Wolfe Herd and Serena Williams has been released. The two women are sitting in a tennis court discussing the campaign—aimed at female empowerment. It will also promote the social networking app’s newer, platonic features, Bumble BFF and Bumble Bizz.

“When the ball is in your court, we have the opportunity to take the first step,” said Williams in the spot. “Is it in life, is it in relationships, is it in career, it’s in your court and it’s for you to make that decision.”

Williams isn’t only the face of the campaign. The new Bumble advisor also used her creativity to help the all-female team develop it. In a highly male-centric sport like football, debuting it on Super Bowl Sunday is a notable step especially after 2018’s #MeToo movement.

Founded in 2014, Bumble requires female users to initially message—or make the first move—when matched with a male user. In the last four years, the app has boomed and branched out, now allowing users to search for platonic friends through Bumble BFF and business relationships through Bumble Bizz.

The company has also experimented with getting users to connect in person.

In November, Bumble partnered with Moxy Hotels to create “Bumblespots,” staging an event where users could meet up. The event launched in New York City and appeared in other cities like Chicago, Denver and Seattle. The experiential partnership was designed to highlight Bumble’s friendship features and business networking.

The event offered a consultation with Bumble’s profile doctors who gave users advice on filling out their profiles. Attendees could also show the app at the bar to get food discounts and a customer drink menu.

Last summer, Bumble and HBO invited a few select people to watch movies and mingle in a New York brownstone, encouraging them to spend a night in. The Bumble Date and BFF app users could sign up, but only 65 people could attend each night. The event had 10 screening rooms on different floors and branded areas to take pictures with the hashtag #StayHometotheMoves.

Currently, Bumble has about 47 million app users worldwide.

Google Leverages ‘Home Alone’ Nostalgia For Voice Assistant Marketing

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Google is capitalizing on a holiday classic to demonstrate its virtual assistant. “Home Alone Again” stars Macaulay Culkin as an adult Kevin McAllister who still has a few tricks up his sleeve—and one of them is Google Assistant.

A new holiday campaign for Google’s connected products launched on Wednesday with a parody of the 1990 film Home Alone. Now 38 years old, McAllister wakes to find himself once again alone in the house but this time, he has Google Assistant to help out. He recreates key scenes from the original film—jumping on the bed, using aftershave, ordering pizza and staging a fake party to discourage burglars. Each of the scenarios now includes a Google device that helps make the process easier, from setting reminders to wash the sheets and order aftershave to reading one’s schedule and turning on home automation.

The campaign runs through January 3 and will be distributed across broadcast, digital, social, and movie theatres. In the meantime, Google Assistant users can access Home Alone Easter eggs by asking the following questions:

  • Hey Google, how much do I owe you?
  • Hey Google, did I forget something?
  • Hey Google, the Wet Bandits are here.
  • Hey Google, it’s me Snakes. I got the stuff.
  • Hey Google, I’m the man of the house.

Google Assistant’s creative team paid special attention to the original film down to framing the shots, decorating the sets and shoot sequences. Google displays side-by-side shot comparisons and a look behind the scenes here.

Nearly 30 years after its release, the movie continues to capture audience attention and creates nostalgia for multiple generations. In fact, Google reports that consumers search for Home Alone every year. Interest in the title spiked 1900 percent in a month last December, with the highest traffic occurring Christmas Day.

Nostalgia gives consumers a sense of security in that it’s a brand or product they already know and love. As we continue to enter an “Emotional Economy,” tugging at the consumers’ heartstrings will become more of a priority for marketing leaders in the future.