Biggest Marketing Moments of 2023
Counting Down from 10 to 9 to 8 to ….
Photo by Behnam Norouzi on Unsplash
I love a good year-end list. And every year, I rank the Biggest Marketing Moments of the Year. And like every year, this one was a unique one … we saw a lot of brands come back from a more quiet pandemic mode, as did the world. Lots of new creativity, lots of collaborations, lots of change, and yes lots of celebrity. And lots of music as you will soon see me reveal. Here’s my take on the Biggest of the Bigs …
#10 … Cherlato: Cher had a big year this year, so I have to start the countdown with her as now the only solo artist to have a #1 song in seven decades, thanks to her debut Christmas album. Note that the Rolling Stones is the only other “artist” who can make that claim. And now Cher has an ice cream brand to top it all off.
#9 … We Love NYC: The iconic “I Love NY” campaign got a redo to celebrate the coming back of New York City post-pandemic. I remember fondly as a kid when the original launched way back in the day; it became early inspiration for me to go into marketing. And yes, I do love my hometown and my home state.
#8 … Martha Stewart on “Sports Illustrated”: Proving age has no age limit, Martha Stewart made headlines and made heads turn with her swimsuit cover on “Sports Illustrated.” A very smart pop culture move from the brand. Beautiful.
#7 … Tony Bennett Day: You know you’re a brand and a cultural force when the U.S. Senate names a day after you. RIP Tony Bennett, just one of many great creators we lost this year. Too many.
#6 … Tiffany’s x Beyonce: Can’t have a year-end countdown in 2023 without mentioning all that is Beyonce. Her longtime collab with Tiffany’s produced a line of jewelry to commemorate her “Renaissance” tour. Not sure we’ve seen that level of concert swag before!
#5 … New Johnson & Johnson Logo: My alma mater changed its iconic and instantly recognizable logo to signal change and progress. It did, and lots of people had lots to say about it. One of many logo updates this year from the likes of Eddie Bauer (also got rid of its cursive logo), Pepsi (to celebrate its 100th year), and JELL-O.
#4 …. Door Dash at Cannes Lions: The Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity was back in full force this year, as if there had never been a pandemic. It was great to celebrate the creativity of our industry, and the impact it has on the world. Door Dash took top honors in the PR category with lots of smiles and head-shakes to go along with it.
#3 …. Brand British Gets a Boost: The coronation of a new King in England brought back the brand that is British, with much delight and fanfare, signaling a new era.
#2 … The Birth of X: The world let out a big gasp when owner Elon Musk rebranded Twitter and changed it to X. Did X mark the spot?
#1 … Barbie, the Brand and Movie: Barbie was also my pick for “Brand of the Year,” so it clearly must take the top spot for the Biggest Marketing Moment of the Year. To say the movie and all of its collaborations was huge is the understatement of the marketing year. Game Changing. Impactful. Thought Provoking. Pink. And those Birkenstocks!
Honorable Mention … Taylor Swift: Acknowledging here that I could have picked Taylor Swift for the top spot as well, as her brand soared once again in 2023. But I think being named “Person of the Year” by “Time” kind of cements her place so I simply nod along! Congratulations, Taylor! What a year!
What are you picks for the Biggest Marketing Moments? What’s your experience? JIM