S T U D I O 1 2 : 18 Tips on Advertising During the Coronavirus Crisis

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First Things First

April 7, 2020

By Jess Zafarris

18 Tips on Advertising During the Coronavirus Crisis

"How do I speak to my audience at a time like this?" That's the question every creative is asking right now. But even when it seems like there's no right thing to say, brands still find ways to be relevant to their customers. Here's a look at what some brands have done:

Offer a public service: We're all going a little stir crazy, and brands are stepping up with free trials of their services. T-Mobile is giving away a year's subscription to the upcoming short-form streaming service Quibi, while Apple TV+ made Oprah's coronavirus talk show available for free.
Keep levity; it's appreciated: RPA in Los Angeles, for example, is moving ahead as scheduled with new work for Apartments.com starring Jeff Goldblum, with the hope that audiences will find its lighthearted humor helpful in anxious times.
Break the most sacred rule: Logos are usually sacred, but these are not normal times. Brands from McDonald's to Chiquita, Coca-Cola and Audi have altered their world-renowned trademarks in the service of promoting social distancing (in Russia, Audi also shouted out healthcare workers).

Wendy Clark Reflects on Her Time at DDB and the Growth Potential of Dentsu Aegis

After two years of leading Omnicom agency network DDB Worldwide, Wendy Clark has joined the London-based Dentsu Aegis Network as global CEO, the holding company announced today. While taking the reins at Dentsu Aegis marks an opportunity for Clark to play a leadership role on an even bigger stage, it also comes at a time of disorienting uncertainty for the network, the ad industry and the global economy.

As Video Conferencing Becomes the Norm, Some Question Whether It's Hurting Business

If there's a trend that's emerged as much of America works from home, it's this: Even in the age of the casual workplace, a new era of informality has arrived. But the question is whether it's affecting business itself. Experts say it's clear that the looks we are getting into one another's private lives are changing us—sometimes in ways we aren't even aware of.

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Broadcast Scheduling Is More Important Than Ever During a Pandemic

Assembling a network schedule is like putting together a puzzle: determining how viewers will react to the shows and maximizing audience flow to get the highest ratings, while simultaneously planning for both the short and long term. But with live events canceled and no concrete idea of when show production will resume, broadcast schedulers find themselves in an unprecedented position.

More in TV news:

NBCUniversal is reducing the number of ads across several categories in its portfolio—including news and late-night—in a permanent effort to move some of the ad formats and innovations (announced at the Peacock investors day in January) over to linear TV.
CBS' freshman courthouse drama series All Rise, which began airing last fall, will return to virtually produce the first scripted coronavirus-themed episode of a television show. In this groundbreaking episode, the series' characters will be shown endeavoring to manage their "new normal" professional and personal lives, mirroring the challenges that the nation is confronting.
"By understanding where sports fans have migrated, advertisers will be ready to press play once the pause on live sports has ended," says SpotX's Mike Evans. Here's how to identify each type of fan and where to find them in during this live sports pause.

Best of the Rest: Today's Top News and Insights

One Club Recruits Ad Veterans to Offer Students Free Online Portfolio Reviews

The One Club for Creativity is aiming to connect the next generation of creatives with top industry execs for feedback on their work. The nonprofit will debut a virtual platform on Wednesday where students can have their portfolios critiqued by top creative directors and marketing execs.

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