Does anyone else feel it in the air? It took a month to settle in, but the 2023 renaissance has arrived, and I’m not only talking about the Beyonce tour announced this AM.
This weekend is music’s biggest night, then the Super Bowl is right on its heels. The commonality between the two is the amount of money advertisers and brands pour into each of these cultural tentpole moments. Between the ads, shows, pre-parties, afterparties, traditional TV spots, and guerrilla marketing stunts, this month represents the biggest spend of the year for many of the biggest brands.
While both events celebrate and honor the best of the best in music and sport, what has always been missing is a place and space to honor the best of the best in branding and advertising. Many years back, Nue Agency had an award show that ended up spawning Beats + Bytes. For many years, Billboard did too. But there truly is a void that needs to be filled.
Sure, there are plenty of “Best Super Bowl Commercial” posts after the game, but where are we honoring the creatives and collectives that seamlessly marry culture and commerce to deliver best-in-class marketing campaigns while simultaneously entertaining the world? Brands are what make our industries boom. They give life (and capital!) to ideas and concepts that might not otherwise be conveyed.
As we build back from a global downturn, brands are going to be the difference maker. Spotify, which was previously focused on subscriptions and premium content through podcasts, is showing its hand for 2023: their big growth opportunity centers around advertising.
So, if you’re itching to roll up your sleeves and help honor this marketplace of branding ideas, hit me up! I’ve got a game plan and want to identify strategic partners who can meet me at the crossroads of entertainment, technology and marketing. Too many brilliant minds are going unrecognized. I’m certain we can change that.
Also published on Medium.