Welcome, 2023! To kick off the new year and prepare the work ahead, we’ve rounded up the biggest marketing and advertising stories of the week. Catch up on what we’ve been reading in our Weekly Must Reads.

The Biggest Brand Blunders of 2022

In many ways, 2022 was a tough year for all businesses – we faced inflation, fears of recession, supply shortages and more. Unfortunately, for some brands, the year was made even tougher due to PR missteps and misguided business choices. There was Balenciaga’s catastrophic campaign that seemed to encourage child abuse, Twitter’s ongoing string of questionable policy changes, and the crypto meltdown, just to name a few.

Studying these brands’ crises and subsequent responses can be a helpful way to learn what not to do, and how to avoid getting in a similar situation in the first place. If you want to feel better about your own brand’s performance in 2022, check out the list of biggest ad blunders of the year here: https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/a-look-at-some-of-the-biggest-branding-bloopers-and-blunders-of-2022/?itm_source=parsely-api

2022’s Surprisingly Successful Celebrity Ads

This year, social media influencers – and especially micro-influencers with small but engaged followings – seemed to dominate many brands’ marketing strategies. Although celebrity spokespeople aren’t as prevalent as they once were, some entertainers still brought major star power for their brand partners this year – especially ones that tend to spark conversation. Taco Bell and Manscaped both tapped Pete Davidson to appear in ads this year, while Coach and League of Legends chose Lil Nas X as their new celebrity partner.

The way brands utilize celebrities in advertising has also changed. Given consumers’ growing preference for authenticity, we’ve noticed many businesses select partners that clearly align with their brand (like Taco Bell and comedian Davidson). They have also started to build campaigns around the celebrity’s known talents or personality to make the message feel less manufactured. Find more celebrity success stories from 2022 here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/marketing-micro-influencer-tiktok-instagram/636885/

YouTube Wins NFL Sunday Ticket Rights

There are more changes coming to NFL broadcasts in 2023. Just before Christmas, YouTube announced their new multi-year $2 billion agreement to host the NFL Sunday Ticket on their YouTube TV streaming service starting next season. Sunday Ticket is a popular subscription package that lets football fans watch any Sunday NFL game that isn’t available to them locally. In addition to the features previously offered through DirecTV, YouTube also plans to add new features and functionalities.

YouTube TV isn’t the first streaming platform to make the jump into live sports. Amazon Prime Video began its 11-year deal to air Thursday Night Football in 2022. Amazon, Apple TV and ESPN also reportedly bid to take over the Sunday Ticket. You can read more about YouTube’s strategy and plans for their new program here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/youtube-nfl-sunday-ticket-streaming-sports-rights/639301/

H&R Wishes You a Merry Tax Season

The holidays may be over, but according to H&R Block, there’s another fun season right around the corner. In a series of new ads, the online tax service compares tax season to several other timely holidays, including Christmas, weddings, and football season. The spots will run on TV and digital, with a focus on matching the ad’s theme to the broadcast. For example, the football-themed commercial will run most often during Sunday Night Football.

The new campaign marks a different approach for the brand, which hopes to change consumers’ perception of tax season from a time of stress to a time of excitement. According to the IRS, about 75% of taxpayers receive a refund each year – a result worthy of celebration. Check out the first ads from the campaign here: https://adage.com/article/marketing-news-strategy/hr-blocks-first-ogilvy-campaign-looks-turn-tax-season-christmas/246160