Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2023 i Adweek

When Cynthia Ángel first watched Silence of the Lambs, she was drawn to the 1991 horror film—but not for the reasons she first thought. “I wanted to be Clarice,” recalled Ángel, now co-owner of D L A Films, a full-service production company that creates branded content and commercials for Nike, Ikea and Amazon, and megastar talent like Bad Bunny, J Balvin and Janelle Monáe. “So I applied to John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and I studied forensic psychology with a view to becoming an FBI agent.” During the soul-searching that often happens in the postsecondary education years, Ángel questioned her career path, especially after finding herself more empathetic to the victims and their stories. In the end, it was a drama class that shined a light on the real…

For Gigi Robinson, a health and wellness creator who works with brands such as Adobe and Shopify and has 178,000 followers on Snapchat, the lack of clarity around what to disclose for paid-for partnerships is adding more confusion to the marketplace. In early April, Robinson checked into a luxurious D.C. hotel. As part of a collaboration, she was asked to create content for the hotel—which she declined to name, to maintain her business relationship—in exchange for the property comping her stay. When she posted the content on Instagram, where she has nearly 40,000 followers, Robinson didn’t include the disclosure that it was a #sponsored or #ad post—a requirement that is usually mentioned by brands in their contracts. “The lines are murky with that because technically it’s a media stay,” said…

The default approach for brands working with creators is broken. Too many marketers approach creators with a transactional mindset, where the process (and the outcome) is akin to purchasing media. It’s ad-buying via creators. This type of creator marketing almost always emanates from a brand’s media budget—not creative, culture or brand—and filters through the brand’s media agency. Typically, marketers instruct media agencies to work with influencers as part of their overall media plan. Media agencies ship RFPs to a set of influencer marketing agencies. The brand then chooses an agency based on who can offer the most views, impressions or engagements for the least amount of budget. Briefs are sent out to creators, an Instagram post or TikTok is created, and voila, the transaction is complete. Creators are commoditized as…

Emmanuel Duverneau became a TikTok sensation during the pandemic by combining a passion for performing arts with a desire to delight with delicious recipes for the at-home chef. Most of Duverneau’s videos feature him experimenting with different recipes and putting meals together while performing some of users’ favorite TikTok dance routines. This year, Major League Baseball invited Duverneau to participate in its latest MLB Creator Class, a yearly brand ambassador program to bring the league’s joy to new audiences. TIKTOK: @EMMANUELDUVERNEAU FOLLOWERS: 3.7 MILLION…

Since launching her YouTube channel in 2012 and producing shows for BuzzFeed from 2017 to 2021, Kelsey Impicciche became a creator synonymous with the rise in popularity of The Sims 4. Best known for her “Single Girl Tries the 100 Baby Challenge in The Sims 4” viral YouTube video, Impicciche’s strong grasp of multiplatform distribution and community-building are her greatest strengths. Today, you can find Impicciche trying a host of new Sims 4 challenges with her 146,000 followers on Twitch. YOUTUBE: @KELSEYDANGEROUS SUBSCRIBERS: 824,000…

“Got Wood Milk?” The ad from MilkPep, the Milk Processor Education Program, was supposed to be a parody of plant-based dairy alternatives starring Aubrey Plaza. But it only riled up the nut milk-loving young people it was meant to woo back to traditional milk, eliciting online anger at Plaza and sincere responses like “I’d try it”—echoing Plaza’s alt-milk inventor in the ad: “Have you ever looked at a tree and thought, ‘Can I drink this?’ I did!” Oops.…

What’s even harder than becoming a star? Remaining one. Fewer and fewer celebrities are able to parlay their success into decadeslong careers. These days, it’s nearly impossible to pull that off without reinventing oneself along the way—and often more than once. And that’s what Drew Barrymore has managed to do. Barrymore, our cover subject, first won our hearts as Gertie in the 1982 film E.T. And despite battling more than her share of demons over the years, she kept thriving as an actor. But Barrymore knew that she needed to start creating her own opportunities instead of just waiting for them to come her way, so she became a hit producer, branched into product lines, launched her own quarterly magazine and has now conquered daytime TV with The Drew Barrymore…

The creator economy is growing exponentially, as more people claim to be creators and influencers. In 2022, Forbes noted that the creator economy was worth upward of $100 billion. And a study last year from Adobe found the creator economy had grown by more than 165 million people globally in the last two years—an increase of 119%. To address that rapid rise, holding companies and networks are acquiring influencer agencies, strengthening their expertise and offerings. Adweek talked with agency leaders about how to keep pace. “Modern marketing campaigns work with influence,” said Mark Read, CEO of WPP. “It’s hard to imagine a successful campaign that isn’t either using or embraced by influencers.” Those shaking it up Holding groups like Cheil Worldwide and WPP have made acquisitions in the space to…

Over the years, social media has evolved beyond basic communication to become an all-encompassing necessity for creativity and progress. As creators look to carve out a differentiated space for themselves and their community of supporters, they often bring about the very disruption that seasoned industry professionals strive for. Adweek’s third annual Creator Visionary Awards spotlight the innovators and influencers who have not only entertained us, but also wholly shifted our approach to marketing, media and connection. This year’s winners, selected by a jury of Adweek experts, continue the mission of Social Media Week, established in 2009 to foster an elevated conversation around the impact of social media on advertising, media and culture. Once again, we are delighted to honor these dynamic creative forces who have forged lasting connections with global…

KFC had no hesitation in defending its turf in the chicken sandwich war. Less than 24 hours after McDonald’s Canada announced its chicken-themed Big Mac in March, the KFC Canada team and its AOR Courage launched a counter-campaign to “fix” its sandwich, replacing the signature Big Mac patties with KFC chicken fillets. The recent campaign was a full blitz across social media that generated nearly 9.7 million in earned media impressions. The campaign featured invitations to influencers like @mukbangmaxwell to try the fixed sandwich while making the brand’s presence felt in person with a billboard and truck-sized ad in front of McDonald’s locations across Toronto. INSTAGRAM: @K F C FOLLOWERS: 1.7 MILLION…

If you’ve ever found yourself asking in-depth questions about the PR moves of celebrities, Girlbosstown is the TikTok channel for you. Breaking down the media savvy of the rich and famous from a marketing standpoint, Robyn DelMonte has been living up to her self-appointed title as “the internet’s agent” since quitting her corporate job more than two years ago. For DelMonte, creating compelling breakdowns is only the beginning, as many of her videos also feature creative ideas for how celebrities could improve their strategies, which has the internet taking notice. TIKTOK: @GIRLBOSSTOWN FOLLOWERS: 618,900…

Part of a family of dance enthusiasts, Bailey Sok began dancing at age 2, and was appearing in competitions four years later. Now 19, Sok has built an impressive résumé in a short time, choreographing music videos for K-Pop groups like K/DA, Red Velvet, SHINee and Kai. Having shared the stage with superstars like Janet Jackson, Meghan Trainor, Marshmello and Steve Aoki, her TikTok tends toward short, minimalist clips of her stunning dance moves that speak for themselves. That’s led to recent brand partnerships with Samsung, Nike and YSL Beauty. TIKTOK: @BAILEYSOK1 FOLLOWERS: 2.2 MILLION…

London-based creator and now author Chloé Pierre has cultivated a dedicated audience of people who are passionate about honest health, wellness and interpersonal relationships. Through her experiences as a Black woman, mother and multi-hyphenate creator, Pierre has inspired thousands of men and women to authentically show up for themselves through her thy.self and thy.self.men communities. Her new book, Take Care, features actionable guides to help Black women prioritize their mental, emotional and physical health. With more than 25,000 followers across her platforms, Pierre’s community trusts her as the guide to help them navigate their journeys. INSTAGRAM: @CHLOEPIERRELDN FOLLOWERS: 14,400…

It’s time again for upfront week, TV’s annual advertising showcase in which Madison Avenue descends on decked-out Manhattan venues. But ahead of this year’s week of presentations, which kick off May 15, many buyers are wondering whether the storied tradition—which returned last year in person following two years of pandemic shutdowns—is still necessary. “[Upfront week] used to feel much more valuable. And then quite honestly, to some extent, Covid made everyone realize that it’s a little bit silly,” one buyer said, speaking anonymously. “We don’t need to do the song and dance anymore, right?” The consensus among the buyers Adweek spoke to was that the upfront pageantry is more for the broader marketing community, junior personnel, the media and clients. But the value of big, flashy, star-studded presentations remains in…

Drew Barrymore is on the floor. It’s a weekday afternoon in her Manhattan apartment, and the Emmy-winning actress, producer, writer and entrepreneur—who is also Adweek’s Creator Visionary of the Year—has eschewed her sofas in favor of the carpet. For fans of The Drew Barrymore Show, this is a familiar habit. Throughout the syndicated show’s three-season run (distributor CBS Media Ventures has already re-upped for Season 4) Barrymore has sat, lain and even rolled on the floor during exchanges with George Clooney, Eddie Murphy and Hillary and Chelsea Clinton, among others. Indeed, even by the vacillating standards of daytime talk, Barrymore has thrown the rule book out the window: dressing as Glinda the Good Witch, interviewing an American Girl doll and cooking alongside a lizard named Jeremy. Still reminiscent of the…

Mixed martial artist Keith Lee has been posting a wide array of videos since 2020, including everything from personal clips with his family to restaurant reviews. One of these videos was in response to a clip in fellow TikTok influencer Alexis Frost’s “Eating What Employees Would Order” series, focusing on Chipotle. This spontaneous team-up led to the popularization of the “fajita quesadilla,” inspiring countless variations to appear across the internet. In February, the brand spotlighted this innovation by offering it as a digital-only menu item, and surprising Lee and Frost with signs reading “Chipotlee” and “Chipotlex” in their honor at a Las Vegas branch. TIKTOK: @KEITH_LEE125, @ALEXIS.FROST FOLLOWERS: 12.1 MILLION, 2.5 MILLION…

Working in PR crisis management by day while tackling related news items on social media in her “off” time, Molly McPherson has become a go-to source for many seeking to better understand modern-day media scandals. Hosting the Indestructible PR podcast as well as offering consulting, workshops and keynote speaking, McPherson’s high-energy read of news items from minor slip-ups to major PR catastrophes have made her a trusted voice for everyone from casual consumers to industry experts. Yet it’s her advice on handling these often preventable missteps that make her an icon, giving helpful tidbits of advice to up-and-comers and seasoned pros alike. TIKTOK: @MOLLYBMCPHERSON FOLLOWERS: 199,400…

A champion on TikTok for teachers who often feel overlooked, Arielle Varanasi uses social media to address mental health for teachers and offer tips for engaging with young students as @Mrs.Frazzled. When the boundaries of political discourse began to extend into education, she joined in the conversations around the increasingly outlandish behavior of politicians by creating videos showing how kindergarten teachers would moderate their debates. With sharp wit and a bold demeanor, Varanasi navigates her 1.2 million TikTok followers through the experiences of educators as they tackle challenges for the benefit of students across the country. TIKTOK: @MRS.FRAZZLED FOLLOWERS: 1.2 MILLION…

Warner Bros. Pictures’ marketing for the upcoming Barbie movie is a master class in hyping up an audience, and it’s created buzz in the unlikeliest of places. A second trailer launch in April left most details vague around the Greta Gerwig-directed film, maintaining an air of mystery about the July 21 release, counterbalanced by an interactive strategy that thrives off the film’s unique aesthetic. Between mobilizing the cast to post individual posters across their social media accounts and dropping the Barbie selfie generator that allows anyone to create their own memes with the template, the campaign has cast a much longer shadow than the trailer alone (with 19 million views and counting) could have. YOUTUBE: @WARNERBROSPICTURES SUBSCRIBERS: 10.8 MILLION…