This week, a number of 2020-inspired advertising campaigns have captured our attention. Check out some of the most-talked-about stories of the week in our Weekly Must Reads.

2020 Meets Her Match

Ryan Reynolds’ content studio Maximum Effort has finally given us an explanation for why 2020 has been so rough. In a new ad for Match, Satan himself meets his perfect partner, 2020, via Match’s dating app. The ensuing relationship looks just like a classic rom-com movie, only it’s tinged with dumpster fires, toilet paper raids and fiery asteroids. In addition to a commercial, Match also created fake profiles for both Satan and 2020, giving us insight into their background and motivations. (Satan’s biggest regret is “going down to Georgia,” while 2020 calls herself “spontaneous” and is from Florida, naturally.)

The ad features a remastered version of Taylor Swift’s “Love Story,” as the accompanying music. This is fans’ first peek at Swift’s re-recording of her early albums, which do not yet have a release date. Check out the commercial here: https://www.adweek.com/retail/2020-is-satans-soulmate-in-new-match-ad-from-ryan-reynolds-maximum-effort/

Hulu’s Latest Branded Series

Brands have taken yet another step deeper into the world of streaming. Diaper brand Huggies has partnered with publisher Scary Mommy and Hulu to create “Up Early Tonight,” a mom-centric take on late-night talk shows. Each of the four 20-minute episodes, hosted by comedian Abbi Crutchfield, will feature monologues, sketches and interviews focusing on the realities of parenthood. The show’s target market, new mothers, are among the most likely consumers to watch streaming content, especially when they’re up at odd hours of the night.

Streaming services, which were already on the rise for years, have seen an especially significant boost in viewership during the pandemic. In response, brands like Huggies have flocked to Hulu to create branded content and differentiate from traditional TV ads. Find out more about the new series here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/huggies-scary-mommy-cater-to-night-owl-new-mothers-with-hulu-comedy-series/591643/

Wrapping Up 2020

Spotify’s end-of-year Wrapped is always a hit with listeners. This year, the brand has made it even easier for users to share their results on Instagram Stories. Wrapped is now entirely mobile-based, and the feature is presented in the Story format with easy exporting to Instagram. In order to view all of their Wrapped data, users must click through a series of slides, much like we click through Stories. Spotify has also introduced other new features this year, including personalized quizzes, badges and more information on podcast listening habits.

On Twitter, it’s come out that the idea for Wrapped Stories may have come from a Spotify intern last summer. Twitter user @whateverjewel posted a photo of her 2019 intern project, which outlined the idea for interactive Wrapped Stories. Spotify has since responded, saying that hundreds of employees have contributed ideas to turn Wrapped into what it is today. Read more here: https://techcrunch.com/2020/12/02/spotify-launches-2020-wrapped-with-new-features-including-quizzes-badges-and-yes-stories/

Microsoft’s Puppy-Loving Ad

In Microsoft’s new holiday ad, the brand highlights a number of their products and services, including Minecraft, Microsoft Flight Simulator and Xbox games. However, we see all of these experiences through the eyes of man’s best friend. In the ad, we follow the journey of a dog whose humans are all busy with their digital devices during quarantine. When the pup falls asleep, he dreams he’s been put into his own Microsoft world. He’s able to fly through the skies in the Flight Simulator, fight in Halo and even host his own Teams meeting with his puppy friends.

To support the campaign, Microsoft actually created a real version of the Minecraft dog world we see in the ad. Dog-loving gamers can now download “Dogtopia” for free in Minecraft’s Marketplace. Watch the ad and let us know what you think here: https://adage.com/creativity/work/dog-experiences-minecraft-teams-calls-halo-and-more-microsofts-holiday-ad/2298576