The 80s pop star takes a break from shooting a Frito-Lay commercial to discuss the music industry, becoming a meme, and what he's been up to during the pandemic.

Ad Age Ad Lib

Why Rick Astley is never gonna give up snacks or drums

Ben Howe of Howe Creative, one of The Lincoln Project’s key video collaborators, on the making of ‘Mourning in America’—and what it takes to go viral

How The Lincoln Project’s endless stream of viral ads were actually made (in record time)

On this week's episode of Ad Lib, E.J. Schultz is joined by Harvey Purchese, senior VP of marketing at liquor marketer William Grant & Sons. We get behind Hendrick's quirky ad approach, which has included stunts like the "Hendrick’s High Wheel,” a decidedly old-fashioned exercise bike. It's part of the brand’s Luddite marketing shtick, which has included the Horatio, a “somewhat smart” speaker and the Hendrick’s Streaming Service, which consists of videos of actual streams—yes, running water. 

Behind Hendrick's Gin's quirky ad approach

In this week's episode Ad Age's Jeanine Poggi is joined by Katie Shill, senior director of brand marketing at Calm. The meditation app won election night with its sponsorship of CNN’s “Key Race” alerts, encouraging viewers to take a break and find a moment of calm. Shill discusses how the sponsorship came together, results of the buy and how the meditation company plans to sustain the momentum moving into 2021.

Behind Calm's unexpected Election Night win

On this week's episode of Ad Age Ad Lib, senior editor Jeanine Poggi speaks with Brandon Snow, senior VP, chief revenue officer, esports, Activision Blizzard. Pandemic lockdowns were a boon for esports, with viewers flocking to gaming as other live sports and entertainment were shut down. Activision Blizzard was one of the benefactors of the pandemic, garnering impressive momentum around its leagues, including the inaugural season of the Call of Duty league. 

How Activision Blizzard found success amid a global pandemic

On this week's episode of Ad Age Ad Lib, senior editor Jeanine Poggi speaks with Christy Tanner, executive VP and general manager of CBS News Digital, and Elaine Quijano, anchor, CBSN, about the state of the streaming news marketplace. 

How streaming news channels made their mark in the 2020 election

Senior editor Jeanine Poggi and agency reporter Lindsay Rittenhouse, speak with industry leaders Jill Kelly, U.S. chief marketing officer, GroupM, Kimberly Paige, exec VP and chief marketing officer, BET Networks, Soon Mee Kim, chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer and executive VP at Omnicom Public Relations Group, and Tiffany Edwards, global head of diversity and inclusion, Droga5, on how to move multicultural marketing beyond a check box. 

How to not miss the mark in multicultural marketing

Lisa Mann, a former CPG marketer who recently joined an executive search firm, joins to discuss CMO hiring trends and look at how the role is changing—in some cases for the worse.

The state of the CMO

When Karuna Rawal got a call from a recruiter about a marketing gig at a startup using a microbe to make protein-packed, animal-free food, she was intrigued. The lifelong vegetarian joined the company, now called Nature's Fynd, as its chief marketing officer and first marketing hire. Now, she and her Chicago-based team are just starting to get the company's name out in the world while preparing to launch its first products next year. 

How a microbe from Yellowstone could shake up the food industry

Ad Age spoke with Penry Price, LinkedIn’s VP of global sales, to understand how the site managed through the crises that have hit all industries. The pandemic affected digital advertising as sectors like travel pulled back on spending while other industries pulled ads temporarily to make them more appropriate for the national mood.

LinkedIn’s head of global sales on the early pandemic ad panic

In a time period when there seems to be little cause for optimism, Ad Age spoke with Omnicom Media Group CEO Scott Hagedorn on where he sees bright spots starting to emerge within his agency and the industry overall.

Omnicom Media Group CEO on how covid has changed the ad landscape

Oscar Martinez, Senior Brand Director of Tecate, joins the pod to talk about the brand’s marketing overhaul, which includes a move away from boxing and into music. We break down the brew’s “Mexico is in US” campaign that emphasizes the brand’s border-town heritage while seeking to appeal to drinkers who are unapologetically Mexican-American. 

Marketing a Mexican import

Curtis Hougland, the founder and CEO of communications and strategy shop Main Street One, explains the social and political science behind voter/consumer persuasion, and why the time is right for campaigns and brands to leverage older (55+) influencers.

Main Street One CEO Curtis Hougland on the launch of a senior political influencer network

4A's Executive VP of Government Relations Alison Pepper discusses how she and other industry organizations fought a 3 percent tax on advertising services and the sale of “personal information" proposed by The Washington, D.C. City Council as part of a plan to combat a growing budget deficit, and won. She says the fight isn't over though.

Defeating D.C. Council's ad and personal information tax description

Pernod Ricard North America CEO Ann Mukherjee describes why the liquor marketer will resume social media spending after pausing it in July. The longtime marketer also describes what it’s like moving into the CEO job, and she explains her leadership style, which involves bringing your personal experiences to the job.

Moving from CMO to CEO

Ad Lib features unscripted conversations with some of the biggest personalities in media and marketing, speaking off the cuff with Ad Age editor Brian Braiker. The goal here is to do away with spin and jargon, and get to know some of the more influential and innovative people in this space — and understand the humans behind the titles. 

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Ad Age Ad Lib

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