Media Story of the Week
This week a 33-second ad by Emirates was released featuring a woman standing on top of the Burj-Khalifa. The ad went viral on social media as users were shocked, doubting the authenticity of the stunt. In response, Emirates Released a behind the scenes video showing how they used a custom platform attached to a pole for skydiving instructor Nicole Smithy-Ludvik to stand on. The climb commenced from level 160 of the building and took 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete. The ad is one of the highest ever filmed, shot at 828 meters.Diversity Story of the Week
Campaigner Zoe Scaman calls for change in the advertising industry to stop discrimination against women. Scaman released a blog post presenting her own and others struggles within the industry, focusing on shocking stories of discrimination, sexualisation and abuse. She draws attention to the fact that there are even more stories out there as many women were too nervous about having their stories published online, fearing the consequences. She suggests funding a body to tackle these issues, rather than making an easily forgotten pledge, stating, 'They don't work. What I really want to see is policy change.'Industry Story of the Week
Brooksfield Properties, the US-based owner of a network of shopping centres, has made a deal to offer exclusive rights to virtual air space in its properties. Partners will now use the space to create augmented reality (AR) opportunities for brands to advertise. This comes as the pandemic has advanced use of QR codes and AR, increasing opportunities for collaboration between the two. Notable campaigns include Barclaycard’s summer campaign starring Anne-Marie, with over a thousand billboards coming to life after scanning. Another example comes from Doritos, who used QR to create a competition mechanic, encouraging people to come back day after day.Market Story of the Week
Company P&G has seen a 12% jump in their annual adspend over the past two years, marking a strategic shift after four years of previous cuts. The company spent £6bn in the year to June 2021, in a sign that the world's biggest consumer packaged goods advertiser has rediscovered the importance of investing in its brands. David Taylor, the outgoing chief executive, said this was made possible through improved 'efficiency and effectiveness' and focusing on placing ads with greater precision based on data to reduce waste and simultaneously increase effectiveness.Product Launch of the Week
PepsiCo and Sam Adams brewer Boston Beer have formed a partnership to create an alcoholic Mountain Dew drink. The drink is expected to hit shelves in early 2022, Boston Beer will develop the drink and Pespi will focus on delivery. Early images of the product show it will belong to the flavoured malt category, containing 5% ABV. The partnership with PepsiCo comes after Boston Beer's projections for its Truly hard seltzer fell 26% in one day, forcing the brewer to cut its full-year forecast.