Every day the inbox brings a flood of predictions for 2014 and best-of-2013 collections. We’ve grabbed a smattering of examples that we liked for one reason or another, and we hope you find that at least one makes you smile, makes you think, or inspires your creativity.
Video: Lots of brands had a good year on YouTube. The YouTube Ads Leaderboard for 2013 (ads uploaded from January through November) is determined by an algorithm that factors in paid views, organic views and audience retention (how much of a video people choose to watch). Catch the top ten, including the enchanting Evian “Baby” spot here. This ad speaks to the child in all of us.
Print: We keep hearing that print is dead. It’s not. It’s still a marvelous way to convey a concept, and a great cross-channel partner for electronica. Check out Adweek’s The World’s Best Print Ads, 2012-13 to see the top 59 winners from the Press Lions at Cannes. The Apple iPad mini won the Grand Prix for these ads, which were placed on the back covers of several national magazines – including Time, Wired and The New Yorker. The ads showed the tablet at actual size, with its display featuring the actual front cover of that issue of the magazine – on an iPad. We can’t show it full-size here, but you get the idea.
Email: Check out MarketingSherpa’s Email Marketing Awards 2013. Seventeen winning B2B and B2C campaigns are analyzed and evaluated. The NFL’s newsletter won the Gold award in the Best Personalization/Segmentation category and was also selected as Best in Show. Read the story to learn how the NFL’s team managed to tailor each message on a very personal level, including segmenting each recipient by their favorite team and including a live countdown to their team’s game.
Radio is another traditional channel that has much to offer. Done well, it can be a powerful 30- or 60-second drama. The Radio Advertising Bureau produces the Radio Mercury Awards to encourage and reward the development of effective and creative radio commercials; the 2013 Radio Mercury Award Winners is a collection of stellar spots that nail a sales message to an emotional connection beautifully.
- These Ragu radio spots empathize with the pain of growing up, while making you laugh.
- These Milky Way radio spots tell entire ironic stories in 60 seconds.
Marketing trends: Uberflip created an infographic that encapsulated all 2013’s major trends, from channels to SEO to advertising to mobile to responsive design.
Twitter: Adweek scores again, with the funny/sad 5 Epic Branded Twitter #Fails of 2013….
…and the inspiring 5 Awesome Branded Twitter Plays of 2013. We still love this one, in which Oreo looked poised and confident while making the most of an unforeseeable opportunity:
Branding: More from Adweek – a cautionary tale: The 25 Biggest Brand Fails of 2013
Web sites: And last but not least, the Webbys. Established in 1996 during the Web’s infancy, The Webbys is presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS), a 1,000+ member judging body. The Webby Awards presents two honors in every category — The Webby Award and The Webby People’s Voice Award — in each of its five entry-types: Websites, Interactive Advertising & Media, Online Film & Video, Mobile & Apps and Social.
In 2013, DuJour won for Best Home/Welcome Page. And hey! The deadline’s been extended to January 31; you can still enter for the 2014 awards.