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Stagwell is a contender for Network of the Year at The 2024 Webby Awards with 23 nominations
With nominations across categories including Marketing, Innovation, Health & Wellness, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and more, Stagwell and its agencies are on course to take home big wins at the 28th Annual Webby Awards, the leading international award recognizing excellence on the internet. Twelve Stagwell agencies are up for consideration in the People’s Voice vote: 72andSunny, Code and Theory, Doner, Instrument, GALE, PRophet, Rhythm, Left Field Labs, Movers+Shakers, Anomaly, Allison, HUNTER and Mediacurrent. Every vote counts—click through the nominations listed below to cast your vote.
Voting takes less than ten seconds:
- Click through the links to each nomination
- Create an account
- Click VOTE
Voting closes on April 18.
72andSunny
Advertising, Media & PR
Wisp: Anti-Choice Ads — Online Guerilla & Innovation
Wisp: Anti-Choice Ads — Video Ad Shortform
United: Believing Everything Changes — Best Media Strategy
Social
Wisp: Made By Choice — Public Service, Social Impact & Activism
NFL: The Table Read — Sports
Anomaly
Video
Johnnie Walker Red Carpet Strides — Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Code and Theory
Advertising, Media & PR
YETI: Map The Gaps — Products & Services
YETI: Map The Gaps — Best Use of Online Media
Amazon: Ads That Work As Hard As You Do — B2B Campaign
Apps & Software
Scout by Sutter Health: A Powerful Tool For Building Resilience in Today’s Youth — Health, Wellness & Fitness
Doner
Advertising, Media & PR
The NIL Student Nurse Initiative — Health, Wellness & Pharmaceutical
The NIL Student Nurse Initiative — Best Partnership or Collaboration
Social
Hungry Howie’s: The Missing Slice — Public Service & Activism
GALE
Advertising, Media & PR
Chipotle: Doppelganger — Best Use of Data Driven Media
Video
MilkPEP: Wood Milk — Comedy
HUNTER
Advertising, Media & PR
Lactaid: Kelis Partners With Lactaid to Get You to Drink Real Dairy — Best Influencer Endorsements
Instrument
Websites and Mobile Sites
Catona Climate — Corporate Social Responsibility
Figma: Shortcut by Figma — Business Blog/Website
Microsoft: The hidden power of feelings — Health & Wellness
Microsoft: The future of work is neurodiverse — Responsible Innovation
Left Field Labs
Websites and Mobile Sites
Google AR & VR Website — Best Visual Design – Function
search.google — Web Services & Applications
Mediacurrent
Websites and Mobile Sites
Rhode Island School of Design — School/University
Movers+Shakers
PRophet
Rhythm
Websites and Mobile Sites
Prometheus Real Estate Group — Real Estate
Allison
Additionally, Allison is supporting several clients who are up for Webby nominations.
Niantic:
- Periodt – Experimental & Innovation, AI Apps and Experiences
- Periodt – Technical Achievement, AI Apps and Experiences Features
- Wol – AI, Metaverse & Virtual – Best Use of Augmented Reality
- Ask Santa Anything – AI, Metaverse & Virtual – Technical Achievement (honoree)
IHG:
- Apps & Software – App Features: Best User Experience
- Apps & Software – General Apps: Travel
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Stagwell’s agencies led the show at this year’s Campaign U.S. Agency of the Year Awards, one of the biggest U.S. award shows recognizing creative excellence and outstanding business performance across marketing firms.
Assembly was crowned U.S. Media Agency of the Year, reflecting the impact its investments in data, talent, and technology have had on its clients’ businesses. The agency achieved a record client retention rate of 95%, which has resulted in tremendous growth, securing $30 million in new contracts and 25 net new clients including Carter’s Cole Haan, Vera Bradley, ONE, Inogen and Brooks Running. Additional factors contributing to the win include:
- Driving the largest revenue growth yet in a seven-year partnership with Ace Hardware;
- Executing a rebranding and repositioning at the holding-company level in collaboration with partners at Elevance Health and;
- Launching a first-of-its-kind loyalty program that helped Vivid Seats distinguished itself from competitors such as SeatGeek and StubHub, yielding a 250% growth in repeat user base and quadrupled brand searches.
GALE won U.S. Advertising Agency of the Year for its remarkable blend of advisory/consulting services, media, and storytelling expertise – a model that has driven clear results for client partners such as Chipotle and MilkPep. Editors celebrated the impact of GALE’s work in 2023, including:
- Chipotle’s Doppelganger campaign which generated $4.8 million in incremental revenue for the brand and
- MilkPEP’s Wood Milk campaign exceeded expectations, garnering 18,000 Instagram followers in a week and 77 million social views.
Congratulations are also in order for 72andSunny and Code and Theory who were recognized as honorable mentions in the Advertising Agency and Digital Innovation categories. The agencies have a proven track record of recognition for business and creative transformation.
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Stagwell Chairman and CEO Mark Penn + MNTN President and CEO Mark Douglas to Hold 1:1 Briefings at CES 2024
NEW YORK and AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW), the challenger network built to transform marketing, is partnering with connected TV (CTV) advertising leader MNTN to broaden the market of performance advertising for brands. With the partnership, brands will now have access to a comprehensive set of buying solutions that combine the best of MNTN’s Performance TV platform with Stagwell Marketing Cloud products, providing added streaming, performance PR and performance influencer capabilities in a one-stop shop.
Stagwell and MNTN’s strategic partnership allows for a more unified approach to brand and performance media, offering brands access to advanced technologies and a comprehensive suite of tools enabling brand campaigns on television to now seamlessly coexist with other digital channels.
“For too long, brand and performance media have battled to co-exist in an industry that worships creative ideas and measurable metrics separately,” said MNTN President and CEO Mark Douglas. “Now Stagwell’s performance-focused clients can see their brand campaigns at work through MNTN Performance TV and not only qualify but quantify results of traditionally less measurable media.”
“Stagwell believes all media is performance media, and our partnership with MNTN is our next step in creating an integrated ecosystem of technology and media solutions that enable speed to market, improved outcomes, and ultimately, scaled brand performance for clients,” said Stagwell Chairman and CEO Mark Penn. “In combination with SMC tools, including social, streaming, and PR capabilities, brands can now attach metrics to their big marketing ideas in a granular way.”
Meeting Client Demands
The partnership between Stagwell and MNTN Performance TV addresses the growing importance of performance advertising for modern brands, offering a comprehensive suite of buying solutions that feature cutting-edge targeting, measurement, and automated optimization technology. The collaboration introduces an innovative approach to television advertising, offering brands metrics that matter together – reach and revenue.
Expanded Toolset
MNTN clients will now benefit from an enhanced suite of tools, incorporating products from the Stagwell Marketing Cloud. This includes:
- PRophet, a generative and predictive AI platform for PR professionals
- Koalifyed, an influencer discovery and campaign management platform
- ReachTV, the largest streaming television network targeting travelers in airports
Together, Stagwell and MNTN aim to meet the evolving needs of modern brands in a performance-driven landscape. Stay tuned for insights from Stagwell’s Mark Penn and MNTN’s Mark Douglas at CES next week, where they will discuss the power of this collaboration. Brands and/or journalists interested in connecting on the ground should contact ces2024@stagwellglobal.com for more information.
About MNTN
MNTN is the Hardest Working Software in TV, bringing unrivaled performance and simplicity to Connected TV advertising. Our self-serve technology makes running TV ads as easy as search and social and helps brands drive measurable conversions, revenue, site visits, and more. MNTN is one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of 2023 and was recently named one of the Next Big Things in Tech for its upcoming VIVA creative suite. For more information, please visit https://mountain.com/.
About Stagwell
Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) is the challenger network built to transform marketing. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world’s most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our 13,000+ specialists in 34+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for their clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com.
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The Stagwell (STGW) agency partnered with Talon to activate a first-of-its-kind connected commerce solution designed for all brick-and-mortar retailers
NEW YORK, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Today, global media agency Assembly announced the latest in retail media innovation – a first-of-its-kind planning tool called ShopConnect that marries programmatic buying with digital out-of-home (DOOH) to create more effective and meaningful real-time experiences for consumers.
The tool was designed in partnership with Talon, an independent OOH media agency, and Place Exchange, a programmatic SSP, to connect Assembly’s media activation capability to DOOH inventory located inside, outside, and in proximity to retailers across the United States. Assembly is committed to delivering omnichannel, full-funnel connected experiences to help clients’ brands perform, and ShopConnect is an embodiment of that.
ShopConnect redefines how advertisers strategize and execute their DOOH campaigns, targeting audiences at multiple touchpoints as they engage with brands on the path to purchase. ShopConnect ingests users’ behavioral data in real-time, optimizing delivery to ensure the right ads are served at the right time to consumers most likely to engage or convert. Whether consumers are commuting to work, shopping for a special occasion, or simply treating themselves to one of life’s simple pleasures – ShopConnect reaches consumers as they normally interact with the world and brands around them, natively integrated into their day-to-day routines.
“As advertisers seek smarter and more efficient ways to reach their target audiences, ShopConnect is the game-changer they’ve been waiting for and a significant leap forward in brand performance advertising,” said Andrea Montano, Executive Vice President of Insights & Connections at Assembly. “At Assembly, we find the change that fuels growth, and with ShopConnect, we’re pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and giving brands the power to harness the full potential of a data and tech-powered insights tool that makes retail campaigns more targeted, efficient, and measurable. Every impression should drive an outcome and ShopConnect pushes us further toward that goal.”
ShopConnect provides media buyers with direct access to strategic retail media – enabling them to identify, evaluate, activate, and report on DOOH inventory within specific retailer and venue types and drive lifts in consideration, brick-and-mortar visits, and sales. By automating the buying process and targeting specific audiences, ShopConnect reduces the wastage of ad budgets, resulting in higher ROAS (return on ad spend).
“Marketers are increasingly prioritizing omnichannel strategies, and the digitization of OOH has become a powerful element in cross-platform consumer engagement throughout the customer journey,” said Jim Wilson, CEO of Talon U.S. “Our collaboration with Assembly represents a pivotal moment at the crossroads of OOH and retail media. We are equipping brands and agencies with cutting-edge tools and insights to unlock the full potential of OOH in reaching and engaging consumers throughout their purchase journey and driving full-funnel outcomes.”
For more information related to the ShopConnect retail planning tool, contact Andrea Montano, andrea.montano@assemblyglobal.com. For retail activation, contact Jack Politis, jack.politis@assemblyglobal.com.
ABOUT ASSEMBLY
Assembly is the modern global omnichannel media agency, bringing data, talent, and technology together to find the change that fuels growth for the best brands on the planet. Our approach connects big, bold brand stories with integrated, global media capabilities that deliver performance and drive large-scale business growth. Our work is powered by our proprietary, in-house technology solution, STAGE, and led by our global talent base of over 1,600 people around the world. We’re purpose-driven at our core and pioneers in social and environmental impact in the agency world. Assembly is a proud member of Stagwell, the challenger network built to transform marketing. For more information, visit assemblyglobal.com.
ABOUT TALON
Talon is a pioneering global independent Out of Home (OOH) media agency focused on delivering effective, creative, data-driven integrated OOH communications. Combining independence with a collaborative approach, Talon promotes open and transparent working relationships between many of the world’s leading agencies, clients, and media partners. Headquartered in London with offices in Dubai, Dublin, Frankfurt, Manchester, New York, Toronto and Singapore, Talon delivers expertise at the global, national, regional, and local levels. Additionally, the agency has built a global OOH planning and buying network – Talon International – covering 100 markets across the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Latin America. For more information, please visit www.talonooh.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
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How Spike Lee Helped Make Air Jordan One of the Coolest Sneaker Brands on Earth
The one and only Spike Lee talked about his relationship with Nike and Michael Jordan, what Denzel Washington taught him about creativity, and his biggest regret as an investor. (Hint: It involves Crocs.) Watch the clip.
Maria Sharapova on Her ‘Crazy Journey’ to Tennis and Business Success
Carmelo Anthony Will Never Play Pickleball (But He Would Invest)
Future Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony broke down how he chooses business opportunities, the importance of travel, and how went from a wine novice to launching his own wine brand. Watch the clip.
Alan Shearer on How Lionel Messi Could Transform Major League Soccer
Soccer star Alan Shearer talked about how money has changed the Premier League, his experience at the World Cup in Qatar, and how social media has changed being an athlete. Watch the clip.
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Bonjour! We were at Cannes LIONS, hitting the Palais, fringe stages, and SPORT BEACH to bring you fresh insights every day of the festival. Today in 3 Quick Things: Brands and agencies at Cannes LIONS get creative trying to make the world a better place. (Miss anything at Cannes? Catch up on LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.)
- IT CAN BE PROFITABLE BEING GREEN Is carbon-free advertising a possibility? Felipe Thomaz, deputy director of the Oxford Future of Marketing Initiative, thinks so. At his Ad Net Zero panel in the Palais, he claimed as clients start factoring in carbon as an operating cost, agencies will follow. “Once I win your business away from you by being greener … you will be under tremendous pressure to match me.” SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS: GALE becomes largest agency to cut ties with fossil fuels
- WOMEN DESERVE BETTER Companies can’t “just pink it and shrink it,” said Wilson Brand’s Amanda Lamb at SPORT BEACH. In the same panel, Olympic champion Allyson Felix said she started her shoe company, Saysh, because other women’s sneakers were built on molds of men’s feet. The message: Brands can’t just pander to women, they have to meet their specific needs in products and marketing. Hopefully, more women in top marketing positions will help. At The Female Quotient’s Equality Lounge, Kory Marchisotto, Chief Marketing Officer at e.l.f. Beauty, shared a stat: Women now make up a majority of CMOs for companies in AdAge’s list of top 100 advertisers. WATCH: Building for the Female Athlete
- MORE AI, MORE PROBLEMS? Forget the robot apocalypse. Will AI lead to rampant copyright abuse? Lost jobs? Boring content? Those were the big questions on the Croisette. Two big takeaways from Cannes LIONS: 1) AI tools that create video and images will need to be trained on copyright-free material to be useful for (responsible) agencies. 2)
Relying solely on generative AI for creative tasks is a bad idea. As Google’s Robert Wong said at the Palais, “You always need someone with taste to choose the best line. AI does not have taste.” DIVE DEEPER: Embracing Generative AI: A Responsible Approach
Beyond the Stage
Stagwell talked to C-suite marketers, sports luminaries, and other innovators at SPORT BEACH and the Palais. You’ll find fresh, insightful videos on our YouTube page from every day of Cannes LIONS.
On the sand at SPORT BEACH, Anton Vincent, President, Mars Wrigley, North America, talked to the NFL’s Mack Hollins and Damaune Journey, Global Chief Growth Officer, 72andSunny, about treating business like sports, sustainable growth, and the importance of the Black Executive CMO Alliance (BECA).
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Bonjour! We were at Cannes LIONS, hitting the Palais and fringe stages, working hard to bring you fresh insights every day of the festival. On the first day of Cannes, Maria Sharapova, Alan Shearer, and other sports and business legends spoke at Stagwell’s Sport Beach. Catch up on the action on LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.
Let’s talk creativity at Cannes LIONS, from how creativity was rewarded to how tech can help creatives do their jobs.
- WHAT MATTERS TO JURIES NOW Hot topic on day one: How would purpose be rewarded? This year, award juries could weigh the emotional impact of ads with their financial impact, thanks to new submission rules. Some creatives told Adweek they were hoping for “more scrutiny” on whether “purpose-based work actually drove real results for brands.” Creativity + results could be the new formula for success. DIVE DEEPER: Political Season Is in Full Swing. Brands Beware.
- BARBIE HAS A STORY TO TELL Like Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in spandex, creative branded entertainment is hot. Richard Dickson, president and COO of Mattel, spoke at the Palais about reinvigorating the Barbie brand ahead of the buzzy movie release in July. In an interview with WWD, he stressed “we are storytellers” who “create narratives out of our brands” and want to be “where our consumer is.” DON’T BE BORING: What an ‘MBA in Entertainment’ Can Teach Us About Brand Content
- EVERYONE IS OBSESSED WITH AI. SERIOUSLY. If ChatGPT was a real person, they’d be shmoozing at the Hotel Du-Cap, Sport Beach, and every other Cannes hot spot. What we’re obsessed with? The ocean-inspired work artists created with the help of generative AI at Microsoft Beach, done in partnership with Instrument. THE POWER OF AI: How A.I. Could Help You Craft the Perfect Media Pitch
On the Main Stage
Stagwell talked to C-suite marketers, sports luminaries, and other innovators at SPORT BEACH and the Palais. You’ll find fresh, insightful videos on our YouTube page from every day of Cannes LIONS.
Carmelo Anthony spoke at SPORT BEACH about how he approaches business opportunities, his love of wine, and the current state of the NBA.
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As the marketing landscape continues to evolve, Stagwell is proud to lead the charge as the only digital-first marketing services network. Today, we’re excited to announce that 9 of our network agencies have been recognized by the prestigious Webby Awards for their outstanding work in pushing the boundaries of the internet. They include Anomaly, ARound, 72andSunny, Code and Theory, GALE, HUNTER, Instrument, Observatory, and YML.
With a total of 13 Webby Award nominations and 14 honors received to date this year, Stagwell’s agencies are shining bright on the shortlist. It’s a testament to the innovative and creative minds within our network who are driving forward the future of digital marketing. Join us in celebrating this remarkable achievement and cast your vote for Webby’s People Choice Award by Thursday, April 20th.
72andSunny
- Call of Duty Modern Warfare “Squad Up” – Nominee – Video > General Video > Trailer – VOTE HERE
- NFL “We See You” – Honoree – Advertising, Marketing & PR > Advertising Campaign > Corporate Social Responsibility Campaign – VIEW THE WORK
- HubSpot “Success Stories” – Honoree – Advertising, Marketing & PR > Craft > Best Copywriting – VIEW THE WORK
- Bumble “Fall in Love with Dating” – Honoree – Advertising, Marketing & PR > Individual > Video Ad Shortform > VIEW THE WORK
- Google “Helping You Help Them” – Honoree – Advertising, Media & PR – Advertising Campaigns – Best Partnership or Collaboration – VIEW THE WORK
Anomaly
- Make Time for the Life Artois – Nominee – Advertising, Media & PR > Craft > Best Video Editing – VOTE HERE
ARound
- ARound Stadium – Honoree – Apps, dApps and Software > App Features > Best Use of Augmented Reality – VIEW THE WORK
Code and Theory
- Skidmore, Owings & Merrill – Nominee – Websites and Mobile Sites > General Websites and Mobile Sites > Architecture, Art & Design – VOTE HERE
- Code and Theory Inclusive Design & Marketing – Honoree – Video > Branded Entertainment > Diversity, Equity & Inclusion – VIEW THE WORK
- Windows (Consumer) – Honoree – Websites and Mobile Sites > General Websites and Mobile Sites > Web Services & Applications – VIEW THE WORK
- Fatherly – Honoree – Websites and Mobiles Sites > General Websites and Mobile Sites > Travel & Lifestyle – VIEW THE WORK
- Amazon Ads – Honoree – Advertising, Media & PR > Branded Content > Products & Services – VIEW THE WORK
GALE
- 26.2 You’re Gonna Need Milk For That with MilkPEP – Nominee – Advertising, Media & PR > PR Campaigns > Best Event Activation > VOTE HERE
HUNTER
- Johnnie Walker and Lilly Singh Join Forces for Gender Parity in Leadership – Nominee – Video > Branded Entertainment > Corporate Social Responsibility – VOTE HERE
Instrument
Observatory
- “Live From The Upside Down” Netflix Stranger’s Things and Doritos from Observatory & Slap Global – Nominee – Advertising, Media & PR > Branded Content > Media & Entertainment – VOTE HERE
- “Live From The Upside Down” Netflix Stranger’s Things and Doritos from Observatory & Slap Global – Nominee – Video > Branded Entertainment > Media & Entertaniment – VOTE HERE
- “Live From The Upside Down” Netflix Stranger’s Things and Doritos from Observatory & Slap Global – Nominee – Metaverse, Immersive & Virtual > General Virtual Experiences > Entertainment, Sports & Music – VOTE HERE
YML
- YETI Year in Preview: Plan your wildest year yet – Nominee – Websites and Mobile Sites > General Websites and Mobile Sites > Events – VOTE HERE
- Albertsons: Simplifying Grovery Shopping for Millions – Nominee – Apps, dApps and Software > General Apps > Shopping & Retail – VOTE HERE
- Chopt: Building an End-to-End Experience for a Challenger Brand – Nominee – Apps, dApps and Software > General Apps > Food & Drink – VOTE HERE
- FIREWATCH: Using NFTs to Fight California Wildfires – Honoree -Websites and Mobile Sites – Responsible Innovation – VIEW THE WORK
- Albertsons: Simplifying Grocery Shopping for Millions in the Websites and Mobile Sites – Honoree – Best Mobile Visual Design – Function – VIEW THE WORK
- Champion: Evolving an Iconic Brand For a New Generation – Honoree – Websites and Mobile Sites > Shopping & Retail – VIEW THE WORK
- Chopt: Building an End-to-End Experience for a Challenger Brand – Honoree – Apps, dApps and Software > Technical Achievement – VIEW THE WORK
- FIREWATCH: Using NFTs to Fight California Wildfires – Honoree – Websites and Mobile Sites > Sustainable Technology: VIEW THE WORK
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By: Brandon Dixon, Director, Communications
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The success of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” at the end-of-2022 box office sparked a question at Stagwell: “When is Black Futures Month?” Brands flocked to the marketing table for the Black Panther sequel, and for good reason: in a 2020 study from National Research Group 52% of Black Americans selected the original film as the “best example of representation and inclusion” in American entertainment. But, marketers still rely too much on Black History Month as the main chance to elevate Black stories.
The success of “Wakanda Forever” shows we should focus on Black futures, not just history, in our marketing efforts. As brands and entertainment converge, how can we drive complex representation for Black consumers and tap into growth opportunities?
Multi-Dimensional Blackness
Despite an increase in Black characters and stories in mainstream media, authentic and complex representation is still lacking. 91% of Black Americans still see negative stereotypes as a top pain point. Brands can challenge these narratives through speculative storytelling and Afrofuturism, offering new contexts for Black characters.
Investing in sci-fi, fantasy, or superhero genres can be a potential goldmine for brands. The 2020 National Research Group study shows Black Americans praised “Black Panther” and “Black Lightning” as the best examples of authentic Black representation in American media. These two shows showcase the potential growth in futuristic, fantastical genres that bring Blackness to the masses. The study also found that 77% of American consumers and 85% of Black Americans find Black content in a futuristic setting appealing.
Future-Forward Creativity
Brand creativity that only mines the past for visions of Blackness may dwell on traumatic storylines. Joy exists in the past, but clumsy brand storytelling often leads to the platforming of the same recurring stories about Black oppression. If brands can build Future narratives in concert with Black creatives and think expansively about the potential forms Blackness might take in the future, we’ll see more stories of Black joy and transcendence enter the mainstream.
Potential for Transformation
Ninety-one percent of consumers are confident in the ability of media to influence society, per the 2020 National Research Group study cited above. As brands blur the line between Hollywood and Madison Avenue with branded entertainment, future-leaning visions are the way forward to connect meaningfully with Black consumers.
Let’s use Black Futures Month to challenge our brands to think about what’s next.
What kind of Black Future can your brand imagine, and help create?
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