From Amazon’s car boot deliveries to Samsung’s foldable phones, technology took us in some strange directions during 2018. In this special article, we celebrate the 10 weirdest news stories of the year.
2018 was another big year for digital marketing, with the rise of voice search, AI going mainstream and Walmart buying FlipKart. This was the year that Spotify went public, Huawei overtook iPhone and a video game sparked a dance craze. In this special report, we’ve identified 17 of the biggest trends of the year.
Sales momentum remains weak across the grocery industry, with headline growth of +2.3% over the last four weeks, according to data released by Nielsen.
Pepsico-owned brands Doritos and Mountain Dew combined forces to issue a creative ad that aired during the Super Bowl which combined a social media hashtag campaign with celebrity power as Morgan Freeman and Peter Dinklage faced off in a lip-sync rap battle.
One of the worst (and most dangerous) viral trends of the year was the Tide Pod challenge featured people making videos of biting or eating the extremely hazardous detergent pods. The P&G- owned laundry brand responded with this short video featuring a well-known NFL star to set the record straight.
YouTube has revealed its annual UK ‘Bumper ads’ leaderboard, which ranks the best six-second spots of the year.
Social media marketing company Socialbakers has been looking into the brands interacting with this year’s Great British Bake Off on social media. Besides its sponsors Dr Oetker, the main players are supermarket and food brands, though wellness brands also feature regularly.
Manchester design studio MERó (worksbymero.com) has created bespoke branding and a new packaging design for Beauty Bay’s exciting collaboration with popular beauty, fashion and lifestyle vlogger Jordan Lipscombe.
Burger King has launched a new social media campaign in the UK, marking the first project from its new creative agency BBH London.
Brewdog is rolling out a subscription video on demand service, featuring shows, game shows and documentaries, as the Scottish craft beer firm looks to expand its reach in the US.
Young’s Seafood has appointed behavioural planning agency Total Media to support the brand’s three-year growth strategy.
Marketing agency Jaywing has launched Frontrunner, a white label sales promotions framework designed to make the planning and execution of on-pack promotions faster and less prone to risk.
Nearly two thirds of UK consumers (64 per cent) expect Brexit to trigger a surge in high street prices next year, according to new research.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is investigating celebrities and social media influencers for failing to disclose brand deals, as influencer marketing becomes a more popular way of brands reaching audiences.
Mars has removed all advertising from YouTube after the confectionery firm’s ads appeared alongside drill music videos on the streaming platform, which have been linked to violent crime in London.
Premium burger chain Five Guys is using Looker’s data platform to boost insights and decision making both inside and outside of store locations.
KFC partnered with Super Deluxe to run a four-hour live stream of cats exploring a model of the brand’s mascot and founder Colonel Sanders.
France may have lifted the Jules Rimet trophy, but they were not the only winners as big brands basked in World Cup glory, according to new research.
The most effective World Cup ads tell relatable stories that capture the joyful spirit of the event, and celebrities and big budgets are no passport to success, according to new research.
Adverts for Cadbury eggs and Chewits and Squashies sweets have been banned for breaking new rules prohibiting the advertising of junk food to children.
