2017 Brand of the Year

Every year at the end of the year, I pick my pick for Brand of the Year. 2017 is no different, but it does seem to get harder and harder every year to just pick one. But I must, I must, I must!

(note that this is based on marketing campaign work in the US)

Mid-way through the year, I declared that Amazon was the busiest brand of the year. No doubt about that. Acquisitions, brick and mortar openings, and of course the biggest Prime Day ever (not to mention Cyber Monday's biggest day ever!). Definitely the busiest brand of the year, but not necessarily THE Brand of the Year.

And then there’s Cheetos. Love brand Cheetos. The online museum where consumers could post pictures of different Cheetos shapes was sheer brilliance. As was the pop up gourmet restaurant with a celebrity chef in Manhattan. Brilliance once again. But THE Brand of the Year...not quite.

The 2017 Brand of the Year is...Budweiser. Their work this year was iconic and dramatic, with an ongoing presence that kept it fresh and top of mind all year long. The year started with one of the most talked about ads in the Super Bowl, featuring the company’s immigrant roots. Over the summer we saw Americana cans pop up at retail. We saw real-time marketing with the Chicago Cubs World Series win, with overnight video inspired by the fans and their momentous occasion. And then later in the year, Budweiser brought back its original Prohibition recipe for a limited time to celebrate the anniversary of the end of Prohibition. And then of course, who can forget (really!) the pop culture phenomenon that was...Dilly Dilly from Bud LIght!

Every year we see great work from Budweiser, and it generally kicks off the year at the Super Bowl just like in 2017. But never, to my eye anyway, have we’ve seen such consistently creative and impactful work come from this brand or any brand really. Well done, Bud. "Born the Hard Way!"

What’s your pick for Brand of the Year? What’s your experience? JIM