Guest Column Archives -

The rise of TikTok during COVID-19

TikTok’s popularity has reached a new level during the pandemic, but brands have to play differently than with the OG platforms.

COVID-19, Guest Column

Ego vs. COVID: Is creative work without awards enough?

Creatives may be unsure about entering awards right now, but once the crisis passes, awards will be as coveted as ever, says BRIAN HOWLETT

COVID-19, Guest Column

It’s not always easy, but let’s focus on the good in these difficult times

Choose positivity and good energy to counter the anger and fear that grows with isolation, says Stephen Brown

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Crisis is the mother of community

Gratitude, mutual respect and trust all grow when we share the same fears and anxieties, says Patrick Gladney.

COVID-19, Guest Column

Marketing in an era of profound uncertainty

Brands have a role to play, but it may not be the role many are thinking of, says MARK TOMBLIN

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Props to the real risk takers

Since so much award show hardware goes to non-profits, ANGUS TUCKER wanted to recognize four campaigns for commercial brands.

Brands, Guest Column

Champagne Charlie, the birth of celebrity sponsorship and branded entertainment

In the music halls of late 1800s London, characters regularly performed on-stage odes to two iconic champagne brands.

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The value of creative partnership

Ian Mirlin on the very special chemistry that comes when two creative minds come together in just the right way.

Brands, Guest Column

The two most important charts in marketing—and why they’re more important than ever

Marketers’ continue to pursue short-term activation at the expense of future brand health says MARK TOMBLIN.

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Crunching the numbers on BK’s Mouldy Whopper. It was a creative gambit that worked

In competitive categories, ‘moonshot’ creative concepts can be one of the few avenues for meaningful growth.

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Celebrating talent and fighting invisibility for Black History Month

Gavin Barrett’s daily profiles help debunk the excuse that it’s hard to find black talent in advertising.

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Business as usual: I’m a CEO and ‘the only Black person in the room’

Why the MediaCom Canada CEO is working with young, black professionals to develop their strong, confident inner voice.

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Hey Canada, you don’t need Jimmy Fallon to create a great Super Bowl ad

Canadian brands may lack big budgets, but with some creative thinking, they can win during Super Bowl season—when people want to see their ads, says Peter Ignazi.

Brands, Guest Column

Why Super Bowl simsub is a big loss for Canadians

If U.S. Super Bowl ads are being blocked from the Canadian broadcast, advertisers here should step up their creative game, says David Pullara.

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Ottawa wants an agency to instil pride in Canadian food—but like any political objective, it’s tricky

It will require a careful balancing act in Quebec, and the memory of Adscam leaves some anxious about government ads.

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Creating time in a world where this is none

Slow has already permeated industries including food, fashion and travel—why not marketing?

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What to do about the effectiveness crisis: lessons from EffWeek

Sid Lee’s MATT FOULK on the ‘worrying’ shortfall in brand understanding, data seduction, and fostering an effectiveness culture.

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Are there still people in your agency at 8 p.m.? Send them home

Great creative can only be made by people who are truly living life, not chained to their desk, says DON SAYNOR.

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How Gen Z is forcing creators to get real

Younger consumers are showing a clear aversion to carefully curated look and feel that typified early days of influencer marketing.

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The future of data and marketing after the cookies are gone

With privacy protections being strengthened, digital marketing based on third-party data will be changed forever, says JED SCHNEIDERMAN