The best brands influence culture, and Warner Bros. and Mattel nailed this by merging entertainment, brand and experiences, even creating a Malibu Barbie DreamHouse with Airbnb. But the real ending is Greta Gerwig becoming the highest grossing U.S. female director of all time. That is Barbie-core at its best.
Ellie Lloyd, executive creative director, Glow
I cannot not give my jealous shout-out over to the Barbie movie. Hands down it took over 2023 and made sure it was everywhere. As an agency that works closely in the entertainment space and a huge fan of the movie, I was thoroughly impressed and fangirling over all the marketing initiatives. My personal favorite was the brand partnership with Airbnb’s Malibu Barbie DreamHouse [that agency Verb created].
Taylor Swift | Eras Tour
Jeff Benjamin, chief creative officer, Tombras
The clear winner of campaign of the year goes to Taylor Swift. She simultaneously got back to her roots by remastering her old stuff, then brought the hammer down with the Eras Tour, putting the TS brand into that rarefied air. We bow down.
Heinz | ‘Ketchup Fraud’ by Rethink
Checha Agost Carreno, ecd, Founders Agency
Such a great observation. Or strong insight. Call it however you like. This campaign shows the power of truth, the guts and the cleverness to make this happen. I can imagine many clients rejecting this campaign for many reasons. That’s why we should celebrate this as an industry. Because this idea is the perfect example of how you can keep building a relevant brand like Heinz and a unique product like ketchup.
Shanky Das, co-founder & CCO, Tilt
It’s not often that a brand takes on this sort of subject matter so publicly. To their credit, Heinz did, and they did so in a way that will make you ponder whether the ketchup you just grabbed at the local deli is, in fact, Heinz. Because that’s what it should be, right? Actually, according to Heinz, it probably is.
