MullenLowe Sri Lanka’s Post

Cannes Lions hosted 16000+ advertisers from around the world, to celebrate advertising. The secret sauce of Cannes Lions is that the energy here is contagious, and the inspiration is boundless. PS: After last week full of black tie events, this week has been such a refreshing change to dress for the beach, while we deep dive into a sea full of learnings! 🤌 PS2: we are here till Friday eod, Meetesh Kothari Jigar Zatakia and me would love to catch up if you are around. 🫶 #Cannes #CannesLions #Advertising

Thank you Festival of Media for an amazing opportunity to be a part of the judging panel for the 2024 awards! After reading countless global entries, scoring them, watching case study videos over six hours, and having a spirited dialogue on brand work, here is what I took away: 1. There is an art to debating with people - It's a conversational sparring match in which intellectual intentions yield respectful disagreements and civil resolutions. 2. Human truths add meaning to lifeless products - Not every product from a brand has a needed purpose in our lives. The products aren't the star of the lifestyle show we all individually star in ("Previously on Being Me") and often need an injection of humanity to make it make sense. 3. Internal bias is a reflection of our absorbed experiences - That voice inside your head, the internal dialogue and debate you have within yourself to be heard, to be right, to be loudest, to be fastest, to be better, to be smarter, CONSTANTLY needs to be checked. Shelving my psychological proclivities in place of the actual definition of the award category being judged and listening to my gut instinct when it comes to inclusivity and marginalized experiences being catapulted into the mainstream via advertising. 4. The global outlook on life > the local lens on life - In other parts of the world, brands show up in a way that replaces or challenges the government. They provide philanthropic solutions for those with no way forward or connect people to possibilities that change the immediate quality of their lives. Thank you Leah Mellard for the coordination throughout the entire process! #wavemaker #awards #media #judge #panel #creative

🌴 Leading AdFest 2024's "Let's Talk QSR" roundtable is Caleb Hutchings from Mediahub Worldwide! Learn more about AdFest @ www.islandadfest.com and follow our socials for updates! #AdFest #AdFest2024 #AdMedia #AdvertiserSummit #AdvertiserEvent #MarketerSummit #MarketerEvent #SpeakingEngagement #SpeakingOpportunity

Attention Seekers POV 💡 🧠 🗣 As the awards season returns, a fun question emerges: What's the key to winning a Golden Globe, Oscar or Emmy? 🏆 The answer lies in the "For Your Consideration" (FYC) campaign—a B2B marketing campaign where studios attempt to sway influential voters holding the keys to those coveted golden statues. Traditionally, these campaigns manifest through FYC billboard ads scattered around major movie studios, lavish wining and dining events for voters, and various solicitation efforts. Yet, this year, an intriguing shift has caught our attention—a surge in B2C FYC advertising on popular social media platforms like YouTube and TikTok. You may have even seen these FYC-labelled movie trailers popping up yourself. The question arises: Why target fans who cannot cast votes? 🤔 A symbiotic cycle comes into play here. When a film generates awards buzz, fans eagerly fill the cinemas to experience it. Simultaneously, when fans generate a compelling buzz around a film, they craft a narrative that significantly boosts its chances of clinching the coveted award. This is highlighted by the 'nomination bump,' where the ten best picture nominations in 2023 generated an extra $80 million in sales after receiving the nominations. Also, remember the fan campaigns that propelled Leonardo DiCaprio to win his first Oscar for "The Revenant"? Was Leo the standout performer that year? Arguably. However, the studio wholeheartedly embraced the narrative, and fans rallied behind it, creating a compelling force that made it increasingly difficult for voters to overlook - whilst also bagging that extra box office revenue. So, in short, want to win an award this year? Unleash the power of fans and witness the influx of golden statues and extra revenue! -- For regular insights on fandom, subscribe to Attention Seekers POV Digest ⤵️  https://lnkd.in/eFxgyFNX #awardseason #oscars #fans #fanengagement #awardwinning

the best way to bridge political divides, make people consider different points of view, etc. - make them watch this ad. did it increase sales in the short term? probably. maybe not as much as a price promo though. should the price promo have been executed instead and the hassle of making this avoided?

Brands can’t tap into culture without tapping into communities And this report from Brands&Culture is a great example of the brands that are winning big with that mentality #culture #communities

🌴 Our next featured AdFest 2024 roundtable leader is Anthony So from Starcom, leading "In Search of Excellence." Learn more about AdFest @ www.islandadfest.com and follow our socials for updates! #AdFest #AdFest2024 #AdMedia #AdvertiserSummit #AdvertiserEvent #MarketerSummit #MarketerEvent #SpeakingEngagement #SpeakingOpportunity

A big shoutout to Momentum Worldwide for this insightful look at the incredible experiential marketing activations at this year's Final Four! We especially loved seeing their creative concepts come to life for The Coca-Cola Company and Powerade, putting fans in the spotlight and truly capturing the essence of the game. Forget static displays and endless free samples – brands went above and beyond to create immersive experiences that truly engaged fans. Here are some key takeaways that caught our eyes: The Rise of Tech-Powered Experiences: Gone are the days of basic photo booths. AT&T's "Dream Court" with AI-powered gameplay and Capital One's interactive stores featuring Charles Barkley and Magic Johnson showcased the power of technology to personalize the fan experience. Blending the Physical and Digital: Brands like Samsung Electronics and Fierce Lab understood the power of connecting online and offline communities. Their "CreatHER Dinner" fostered real-world connections while empowering women in sports, further extending their reach online. A Nod to Social Currency: From Capital One's branded swag to the chance to win LG Electronics, activations offered fans tangible takeaways that fueled social media sharing and created lasting memories. Celebrity Power: Leveraging star power remains a potent strategy. Shaq appearing with The Home Depot, Isaiah Thomas with Ritz, and Barkley's iconic blimp for Capital One all added an undeniable buzz factor. Community Focus: VISIT GLENDALE's activation, aimed at boosting local tourism, reminds us that successful activations can have a positive impact beyond the event itself. Looking Ahead: The future of experiential marketing at sporting events is bright. As technology continues to evolve and brands become more innovative, we can expect even more immersive and interactive experiences that not only entertain fans but also create lasting brand loyalty. By focusing on personalization, social currency, and community building, brands can leverage the power of experiential marketing to truly connect with their target audience in this competitive landscape. What are your thoughts on the 2024 Final Four activations? What trends are you excited to see emerge in the future? Let's continue the conversation in the comments! #BrandActivation #ExperientialMarketing

Driving the 1.5 hours back and forth yesterday for a Philly Ad Club event, I was a little nervous to get so far out of my cozy little safe space. Not just out of my house, but out of my city. With real people. Who I don't know. And have to like... talk to. And despite my ability to chatter incessantly on calls with my team and our clients, talking to strangers is not my jam. (See my blog post on networking.) However, once again, I'm happy I did the hard thing. Being there gave me the chance to hear from the CMO of Athletic Brewing Co., a brand I've been following for a minute now as my love/fascination of the NA sector continues. Andrew Katz shared some great insights from the perspective of a founder-led company, hitting on so many of the tides we swim in at 51. The tightrope walk of long-term and near-term, and the importance of being *genuinely* mission driven. How to look outside your sector for inspo... it was all such music to me ears. I met some lovely people. I explored an adorable little town I'd never seen. And I scribbled almost two pages of notes that I can understand about 50% of reading through today. TL;DR - do hard things. Get out. Meet people. It's good for the soul. #brandstrategist #femalefounder #agencylife #businessstrategy #networkingainteasy

We collaborated with Red Bull on a highly effective activation at Wilderness Festival in Oxfordshire. The Red Bull Lab Bar featured live music and bars, but the highlight of the activation was a series of daily cocktail masterclasses for the festival attendees. These sessions were incredibly popular, fully booking within hours for the entire duration of the festival. The success of this activation lay in its ability to create meaningful connections with Red Bull's target audience. It offered the brand an extended opportunity to build a rapport with consumers in an engaging and memorable way. In today's market, people crave experiences above all else. As a brand, it's crucial to establish how you will connect with your audience through events and activations. It's no longer just about the size of the budget or the scale of the activation; it's about the quality of the experience you provide. A great example of this was a recent activation by Botivo Drinks. The Botivo Sampling piano is a pop up piano with a pianist on one side and a mini sampling activation on the other - all in the footprint of a small stand up piano. Not big budget but BIG impact. Having worked on hundreds of events and activations, we can confidently say that the most effective ones are those that offer consumers a genuine experience and evoke real emotions. Even something as simple as a cocktail masterclass can achieve this, demonstrating that thoughtful, well-executed experiences resonate most deeply with audiences. #brandactivation #events #drinksindustry #drinksmarketing