Nike's Anthem of Hope; Spam's Big Moment: Tuesday'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. Nike’s Latest Anthem, Narrated by LeBron James, Is Filled With Hope for a Broken World Nike's back with another uplifting ad designed to give us the courage to get through the pandemic. This 90-second narration from LeBron James reminds us how sports are the ultimate beacon for hope. No matter how far you might be down, like say three games to one or behind 28-3 in the Super Bowl, there's always hope. The campaign comes on the heels of a number of spots, including a rallying cry to play inside, a challenge to compete with your favorite athletes and a salute to those staying active. Watch it: Wieden + Kennedy Portland is behind the ad, which features elite Nike athletes, including Serena Willams, Naomi Osaka, Tiger Woods, Cristiano Ronaldo, Rafael Nadal, Megan Rapinoe and others. Related: ESPN's iconic 'This Is SportsCenter' campaign turns 25 this year. Adweek staffers selected their 10 favorite ads out of the hundreds in the campaign. My personal favorite? Y2K, which is the perfect blend of absurdity and ESPN personality. That ad features the legendary "Follow me. Follow me to freedom." line. Watch our favorites here. More Consumers Are Seeking Solace in an Unlikely Quarantine Ingredient What brand shows up in most Washington Post TikToks and has experienced six straight years of growth? Spam. It's been a long-winning streak thanks to a number of factors, including it's popularity in recipes from the Asia-Pacific region, which has a growing influence in American cooking. More recently, Spam's sales are surging because of a confluence of factors like Americans are cooking more at home and stocking up on nonperishable items. Analysis: The brand's marketing strategy is leaning into the factors causing its surge. Some Companies Question Dmexco’s Move to Hold Ad Tech’s Biggest Event Right now, Germany has given Dmexco the green light to hold its yearly conference in late September. That said, some ad-tech companies are hesitant to attend the industry's biggest event for several reasons. Exhibiting at Dmexco can cost tens of thousands of dollars, which is a hard cost to justify when companies are struggling to stay afloat. Dmexco is all about building relationships with a global audience. If it mostly only attracts German companies, it loses its appeal. If a company cancels in the final six weeks before the event, it would lose 25% of its deposits. Analysis: The risks and negatives don't outweigh the positives for some companies, as an event like Dmexco could be make or break. Barefoot Wine's New Ad With Aubrey Plaza Takes Place in Kenan Thompson's Dreams Here's another case of a brand pivoting its entire campaign for the new normal. Barefoot Wine planned to debut its first TV campaign with stars Aubrey Plaza and Kenan Thompson. The brand filmed the spot, but its footage was quickly rendered useless, as the ad takes place at a not social distance approved pool party. To salvage everything the brand had shot, it created a new story line with the help of a voiceover from Thompson. Watch it: A pool party ad still feels a little odd in these times, but Kenan Thompson saying Moscato is a joy. Best of the Rest: More Top Stories Home Improvement Retailers Boast Sales Growth, Reaping Rewards From Tech Investments LinkedIn Stopped 7.8 Million Fake Accounts From Being Created in the Second Half of 2019 Some Companies Question Dmexco’s Move to Hold Ad Tech’s Biggest Event OOH Metrics Firm’s Data Shows More Outdoor Activity Across the U.S. GoDaddy Looks to Rally Small Business Founders Through Hard Times

First Things First

Nike's Anthem of Hope; Spam's Big Moment: Tuesday's First Things First

Plus, Covid-19 conspiracy theories are bleeding into the real world

Jameson Fleming

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Jameson Fleming