Good Riddance to Holiday Parties

In a new campaign, Miller Lite celebrates the best gift of 2020: The comforting lack of awkward holiday office parties. But this party is even more unnerving and surreal than usual—because its scenes, apparently frozen in the midst of workplace revelry, are created using statues instead of real actors. The brand and agency DDB worked with artist and photographer Alex Prager to create the video, which includes 15 lifelike sculptures reenacting typical party moments.

Enter the uncanny valley: Prager says it explores “the line between reality and artifice.”

The Brandweek Sports Marketing Summit wrapped up yesterday with a forward-thinking batch of sessions with some of the most innovative minds in the industry. The event carried a familiar tune that we’ve heard throughout 2020—that it’s the year of brand purpose. In one particularly powerful session Thursday, Nascar’s Jill Gregory, MLS’ JoAnn Neale and NLL’s Jessica Berman had a frank and compelling discussion about the future of sports and the reason that their “unique ability and power to effect social change” will make all the difference.

Discover key insights from these three leagues.

Also at the Summit:

With two Senate seats still up for grabs in Georgia—which will determine which party controls the U.S. Senate—a group of industry professionals have joined the fray. Creatives for Georgia is composed of more than 850 designers, video editors and web developers whose goal is to produce a massive line of digital content in support of Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, the Democratic candidates in the races. They’ll coordinate with the campaigns, activist groups and party organizations to align the messaging and creative.

Applying ad savvy to the challenge: The scale of this creative movement is unprecedented.

As the already dying American mall is dealt further blows by pandemic challenges, fashion titan Gap is suffering from a loss of identity. The retailer has suffered sharp declines this year—a 43% drop in Q1—and announced plans to close 350 stores. Within three years, 80% of Gap stores will be outside of malls. Part of the problem, too, is that Gap’s customers no longer have a clear sense of what it is and who it’s for because it ventured too far into the promotional.

Leaning into legacy: But there’s hope for the retailer if it can continue to zero in on the key distinctive factors that made consumers fall in love in the first place.

The 150th episode of the CMO Moves podcast will be hosted live via Zoom on December 19 at 11a.m. EST—and you’re invited to join in the experience. In this special episode on the business of marketing, Nadine Dietz will talk with some of the top CMOs and marketing leaders in the industry about how the role has shifted in 2020 and how it’s likely to evolve in the coming year.

Learn more and RSVP.

More of Today’s Top News & Highlights:

Color schemes over the past decade have been notably vibrant, but after 2020, it looks like we might be a bit burned out on high saturation. Shutterstock’s Color Trends Report says the next year will be one of calming, natural hues, specifically Set Sail Champagne, Fortuna Gold and Tidewater Green. Enjoy some relaxing videos dedicated to the colors.

Join Adweek and the OAAA for Elevate: Out-of-Home to explore how, after a year of unprecedented challenges, the out-of-home industry is poised for substantial growth and innovation in 2021. You'll hear from OAAA President and Chief Executive Officer Anna Bager, Vice President of Consumer Marketing for Comedy Central Sara Eaton, Chief Marketing Officer of Hyundai Angela Zepeda, and more.

Save your virtual seat and join us on December 1.

Jonah Peretti will lead the combined company.

The Alexa-enabled eyewear seeks to succeed where Google Glass failed.

Retailer partnered with some of the best people on the internet to encourage thanks and reflection.

Streamer uses actors and data to surprise guests during a virtual coffee-making experience.

The Heroes Tour is a pandemic-era initiative inspired by an Eisenhower-era restaurateur.

In a “crowded” space, marketers see promise if the format is more purposeful.