How to Human; The 15 Most Trusted Brands: Wednesday’s First Things First

Welcome to First Things First, Adweek’s daily resource for marketers. We’ll be publishing the content to First Things First on Adweek.com each morning (like this post), but if you prefer that it come straight to your inbox, you can sign up for the email here. Accor Recruits Neil Patrick Harris to Remind Travelers How to Act Human in Public I don’t know about you, but the aspect of returning to “normal” life that I’m most anxious about is definitely interacting with other people. And it would seem I’m not alone, according to a new ad from hospitality company Accor, which stars beloved celeb Neil Patrick Harris to provide etiquette lessons for those of us who are feeling awkward about the social side of traveling in the coming months. Learn how to be human from NPH himself. More of today’s hottest creative news: For cannabis marketers, 4/20 is quickly becoming the hottest event of the year—becoming a gigantic sales, promotional and bottom line-driving extravaganza. See how weed brands lit up the celebration this year.Amazon and Droga5 have released the latest installment in their epic, sweeping ads in which viewers immersively interrupt dramatic moments using Alexa’s features. This time, a man seeks knowledge amid the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.Culver’s has made its Pretzel Bites a regular menu item, and its campaign surrounding the move is sure to transport you back in time with a sing-along ‘80s-style power ballad “Dunked in Love.”Halo Top is continuing its line of body-positive ads with a whole trio, starring both men and women and assuring consumers that no “shoulds” are necessary. Adweek is partnering up with The Wall Street Journal for a limited time. Subscribe to Adweek for $199 and get unlimited access to all of our content—plus a year of digital access to The Wall Street Journal. Check out the offer. Streaming News: Ted Lasso Season 2 Details | Netflix Boom Slows It’s a big week for the TV and streaming world. Ted Lasso fans will be thrilled after AppleTV+ announced that Season 2 of the heartwarming show will arrive in July. After massive subscriber boosts in 2020, Netflix reported that its pandemic boom is slowing down, with the streamer missing its subscriber growth forecast by more than 2 million. The streamer says it’s due to a slowdown in new content, rather than competitor activity. But things are far from doom and gloom for the streamer after The Baker and the Beauty, which debuted on linear, has proven to be a smash hit for Netflix, rising to the top of its most popular list. As for whether Netflix’s ad-free model is working, recent research from Deloitte suggests younger adults are especially interested in nixing them, with 48% of Gen Z and 46% of millennials preferring pay to avoid ads on streamers. Related: At yesterday’s Adweek Elevate: Hispanic TV Summit, leaders from TV and streaming giants discussed the importance and benefits of connecting with the surging growing Hispanic market, both in terms of representation in content and in marketing efforts. Morning Consult Names Google, PayPal and Microsoft the Most Trusted Brands of 2021 Based on responses from 300,000 consumers in 50 countries, Morning Consult released its list of the 15 most trusted brands, headed up by Google, PayPal and Microsoft. These three were joined by other tech companies, which gained trust by addressing privacy concerns via programmatic advertising transparency. Brands that responded to the pandemic by building relationships with consumers also built trust. See the full list of brands and the factors that made them trustworthy. Ads That Defy Gender Stereotypes Also Perform Better, New Research Shows More inclusive advertising that doesn’t portray typical gender stereotypes boosts the performance of those campaigns, according to research from Kantar. In fact, more progressive ads in general show better results—and that’s an important part for marketers to play, considering that advertising itself created and perpetuated many harmful stereotypes. Check out the data. Slice’s Free Pizza Program Is a Response to Delivery Apps’ Image Problem Many delivery apps, including DoorDash and Uber Eats, have sometimes been the subject of consumer ire over their policies that impact restaurant owners. But pizza delivery app Slice has launched a “pizza points” program that responds to that perception and aims to protect local operators. Adweek’s Robert Klara talked to founder Ilir Sela about it and the rise of the “small delivery app.” Briefly: Artsy Fills Newly Created Post Promoting Growth MarketingDoubleVerify Eyes $4 Billion Valuation in IPOApple Enables Subscription PodcastsHavas Media Hires North America CSO From Publicis’ ZenithOmnicom on ‘Clear Path to Growth’ Despite 1.8% Decline for Q1YouTube Expands Select Sponsorship Program Ahead of NewFrontsKohl’s Adds Tommy Hilfiger to Its Growing Stable of BrandsP&G Sees Growth in Earnings as Consumers Cling to Pandemic CleanlinessDisney Bolsters Ad Sales Unit, Promoting Adam Monaco and Several Others For Earth Day, New Belgium Brewing Created a Beer With Post-Climate Apocalypse Ingredients The brand's new beer, Scorched Earth, is inspired by how climate change could impact beer crops. Using only ingredients available in a future that the brand says it “hopes doesn’t exist,” including smoke-tainted water, dandelions and drought-resistant grains, New Belgium brewing did its best to create a drinkable brew. The result? Not great. More of the Latest: Top Email Marketing Trends to Watch For in 2021California Avocado Commission Puts the ‘CA’ in ‘Avocado’Simmons Taps the D’Amelio Sisters to Promote a Co-Designed Mattress on TikTokFor 4/20, Weedmaps Towered Over Times Square With a Message Against Incarceration‘We Are Team USA’ Campaign Champions Diversity on the Road to the Tokyo OlympicsLG Teams Up With Round Two for Cross-Country Clothing Swap to Reduce Waste

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How to Human; The 15 Most Trusted Brands: Wednesday’s First Things First

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Accor Recruits Neil Patrick Harris to Remind Travelers How to Act Human in Public

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Accor Recruits Neil Patrick Harris to Remind Travelers How to Act Human in Public

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Jess Zafarris