Ad Age Ad Lib

Why Rick Astley is never gonna give up snacks or drums

The 80s pop star takes a break from shooting a Frito-Lay commercial to discuss the music industry, becoming a meme, and what he's been up to during the pandemic.

How The Lincoln Project’s endless stream of viral ads were actually made (in record time)

Ben Howe of Howe Creative, one of The Lincoln Project’s key video collaborators, on the making of ‘Mourning in America’—and what it takes to go viral

Behind Hendrick's Gin's quirky ad approach

On this week's episode of Ad Lib, E.J. Schultz is joined by Harvey Purchese, senior VP of marketing at liquor marketer William Grant & Sons. We get behind Hendrick's quirky ad approach, which has included stunts like the" [https://www.hendricksgin.com/us/hendrickshighwheel/]Hendrick’s High Wheel,” [https://www.hendricksgin.com/us/hendrickshighwheel/]a decidedly old-fashioned exercise bike. It's part of the brand’s Luddite marketing shtick, which has included the Horatio, a“somewhat smart” speaker [https://www.hendricksgin.com/us/horatio/]and the Hendrick’s Streaming Service, which consists of videos of actual streams—yes, running water. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1Jm-8ACjAo&feature=emb_title]

Behind Calm's unexpected Election Night win

In this week's episode Ad Age's Jeanine Poggi is joined by Katie Shill, senior director of brand marketing at Calm. The meditation app won election night with its sponsorship of CNN’s “Key Race” alerts, encouraging viewers to take a break and find a moment of calm. Shill discusses how the sponsorship came together, results of the buy and how the meditation company plans to sustain the momentum moving into 2021.

How Activision Blizzard found success amid a global pandemic

On this week's episode of Ad Age Ad Lib, senior editor Jeanine Poggi speaks with Brandon Snow, senior VP, chief revenue officer, esports, Activision Blizzard. Pandemic lockdowns were a boon for esports, with viewers flocking to gaming as other live sports and entertainment were shut down. Activision Blizzard was one of the benefactors of the pandemic, garnering impressive momentum around its leagues, including the inaugural season of the Call of Duty league.