Brands seize on Cinco De Mayo, Star Wars Day and Mother’s Day: The Week Ahead
May 3
VaynerMedia CEO Gary Vaynerchuk appears on Ad Age Remotely today at 12:30 p.m. EDT. The agency exec and hype master has been plugging a May 5 announcement for an “NFT project.” He will also discuss the NewFronts.
The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania kicks off its five-day Analytics Conference, including discussions about the use of artificial intelligence and data analytics in advertising.
Interactive Advertising Bureau’s 2021 NewFronts start online today at noon EDT, with presentations from Amazon, Samsung Ads, Vizio and others. The annual advertiser showcase runs through Thursday, and will feature digital publishers and platforms from Snapchat and Twitter to Condé Nast and Vice.
It’s Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage month and HBO Max is celebrating by putting AAPI creative talents at the center of a new brand film and content showcase. A new ad, titled “See Us,” cuts together scenes of a broad lineup of programming featuring AAPI celebrities and creators. Watch it here.
May 4
Raise your light sabers to celebrate Star Wars Day, which also happens to coincide with the first-ever Taco Moon.
Under Armour reports first-quarter earnings. The sportswear brand reported a 3% decline in its fourth-quarter revenue to $1.4 billion, though like many retailers, it has seen an uptick in e-commerce.
Former Mindshare CEO Nick Emery, who was recently tapped to run a media division for global brandtech group You & Mr Jones, appears on Ad Age Remotely at 10:30 a.m. EDT to discuss topics including how brands are bringing their media capabilities in-house.
Brandcast, YouTube’s NewFronts special, starts streaming at noon EDT today. YouTube is providing brunch to invitees in the form of a $50 gift card to Uber Eats, since this year’s event cannot be in person.
May 5
Let the tequila flow. Brands (and much of the world) celebrate Cinco De Mayo.
MDC Partners reports first-quarter earnings. Rival holding companies IPG and WPP reported last week, projecting mid-single digit revenue growth for 2021 in a sign that the agency industry could return to normal after pandemic disruptions. MDC is finalizing a merger with Stagwell Media that is expected to close in the first half of the year.
May 6
Today is the deadline to nominate candidates for Ad Age Leading Women (formerly Women to Watch), which honors women who are changing the industry in the U.S. and making names for themselves at companies of all kinds—brands, agencies, technology providers or media platforms. Enter here by 5 p.m. ET today.
TV streaming platform Roku is set to announce its 2021 first quarter results at 11 a.m. EDT. It comes amid Roku’s public feud with Google over the YouTube TV app, culminating in a recent letter from Roku to its customers claiming Google is making anti-competitive demands.
Allstate will report first-quarter earnings. The insurer, which rolled out a new brand campaign last fall, is expected to show a year-over-year increase.
May 7
The April jobs report is released, and experts are predicting it will be a good one, with expectations of more than 1 million new jobs added during the month.
You probably saw this coming: In its new house-hunting series “Happily Wherever,” premiering Friday at 8:30 p.m. EDT, HGTV says it will “tell the story of couples whose ability to work remotely has opened up a new world of living locations.” Watch the trailer here.
May 8-9
Sunday is Mother’s Day. Some brands have given consumers the chance to opt out of getting marketing around the holiday in recognition that people who have lost their parents recently might be turned off by pitches.
