2023 ANA Brand Activation & Creativity Conference

TIME	EVENT DETAILS	LOCATION
Tuesday, September 12, 2023
10:30am - 10:31am	HOST REMARKS Tia Cummings-Hopkins Former SVP of Global Brand Marketing Square	Main Stage (Virtual)
10:31am - 10:45am	OPENING REMARKS Mike Kaufman SVP, Brand & Media ANA View Video	Main Stage (Virtual)
10:45am - 11:20am	REPOSITIONING THE ICONIC LA-Z-BOY BRAND WITH CREATIVITY AND “LAZY” BRAND ACTIVATIONS La-Z-Boy is known the world over for inventing the recliner more than 95 years ago. But the last two years have been about discovery for the iconic brand — understanding what the brand stands for, exploring the consumer landscape and evaluating a go-to-market strategy. As a result, 2023 is all about repositioning La-Z-Boy from a sleepy brand steeped in nostalgia to an active, dynamic and distinctive brand for modern audiences. Hear from CMO Christy Hoskins about efforts to transform the beloved brand with creative and innovative brand activation strategies that are driving growth while helping it to reclaim “lazy.” Christy Hoskins Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer La-Z-Boy Inc. View Event Recap and Related Materials	Main Stage (Virtual)
11:20am - 11:51am	SIP + SAVOR: HOW SLURPEE IS BUILDING 7-ELEVEN’S CULTURE-FIRST APPROACH Is it ironic for an icy drink to be a hot commodity? Well, when about two thirds of trips to 7-Eleven stores are driven by a beverage, you can understand why the Slurpee drink is a signature brand for the convenience retailer that was name one of the Top 20 Most Valuable Global Retail Brands by Kantar this year. For the first time in 57 years, Slurpee’s undergone a massive makeover—charting a new era for the brand that’s equally a blueprint for what separates entities that cameo in culture from cultural mainstays: • Devising a distinctive POV that’s big enough to power brand reappraisal and promotion of priority products. • Mixing community engagement approaches to tap into Gen-Z’s love of self-expression as well as niche sub-cultures. • Investing in Horizontal Creativity for campaigns connecting modern creativity, media and CXM to optimize how consumers experience the brand and its reach. In this session, we’ll take attendees deep into the brain-freeze trust to unpack how Slurpee’s refresh is informing 7-Eleven’s approach to partnerships, measurement and how the brand manifests in culture. Marissa Eddings Senior Director, Brand & Digital Marketing 7-Eleven Paulo Fogaca CEO Dentsu Creative U.S. View Event Recap and Related Materials	Main Stage (Virtual)
11:51am - 12:31pm	USING SOCIAL IMPACT TO INNOVATE MEDIA PRACTICES With the rapidly evolving media and marketing landscape we operate in today, it is critical to keep innovation front of mind and continually modernize media practices to stay ahead of each next big shift. Global media entities like Boston Globe Media have a responsibility to position themselves as groundbreakers by adapting their approaches, utilizing new technologies, and creating new products and platforms that cater to audiences of all ages and backgrounds – meeting their varied subscribers where they are consuming their information. And while the landscape is changing, audiences have become more and more attentive to social issues and DEI, making it vital for mission-driven practices to drive consistent and dedicated connections between audiences and media brands. Peggy Byrd Chief Marketing Officer Boston Globe Media View Event Recap and Related Materials	Main Stage (Virtual)
12:31pm - 1:07pm	TOGETHER WE WIN – CREATIVELY DRIVING IMPACT THROUGH SPORTS Through a shared belief in elevating women’s sports and athletes, Frito-Lay and FOX Sports came together to create a one-of-a-kind partnership around one of the greatest sporting events in the world: The FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™️. After making its biggest investment ever in women’s sports, Frito-Lay sought to align their passion for celebrating soccer and building connections through fandom. By leveraging FOX Sports’ creative Content Studio and Brand Partnership teams, engaged audiences, award-winning talent, and mass reach and scale, Frito-Lay + FOX Sports created a memorable multi-platform campaign that broke through the clutter to engage fans on-air, online, and at home – and inspire the next generation of female athletes. Bryan McAleer SVP, Digital Sports Partnerships & Content Studio FOX Sports Tina Mahal Senior Vice President, Frito-Lay, Marketing PepsiCo View Video	Main Stage (Virtual)
1:07pm - 1:48pm	BRINGING GREATER CREATIVITY TO COMMERCE EXPERIENCES The collision of Commerce and Creativity is unlocking a new canvas for marketers and talent to build brand, drive engagement, and produce tangible business growth. No longer reserved for that 60 second ad, commerce is producing creative opportunities in new and unfamiliar places as consumers demand added benefit in the form of experience. Explore award winning creative commerce work that is shaping the future of how brands engage and convert today's modern consumer across growing channels and formats. The session will highlight new areas such as sustainable / equitable commerce, entertainment commerce, new payment solutions, metaverse and beyond. Steve McGowan Head of Shopper Activation & Strategic Partnerships Mondelez Manuel Bordé Global Chief Creative Officer VMLY&R Commerce View Event Recap and Related Materials	Main Stage (Virtual)
1:48pm - 1:58pm	BREAK	Main Stage (Virtual)
1:58pm - 2:29pm	BEYOND LOGOS AND LABELS: UNLEASHING THE POWER OF PURPOSE IN YOUR BRAND Join David Baldwin, founder of Baldwin& and Chief Marketing Officer of Ponysaurus Brewing, as he explores the transformative power of brand building from scratch — one that goes beyond logos, colors, and tone of voice into creating a living entity fueled by values that propel long-term growth. Baldwin will share invaluable insights, real-world examples and actionable strategies designed to empower entrepreneurs, marketers, and business leaders as they embark on their own transformative brand-building journeys. David Baldwin Chairman Emeritus at Baldwin& Ponysaurus Brewing Co. View Event Recap and Related Materials	Main Stage (Virtual)
2:29pm - 3:06pm	FROM CHOICE TO CHECKOUT: INSIGHTS FOR WINNING THE SHOPPER JOURNEY What’s currently working for consumers? And how can brands effectively navigate consumer expectations and preferences to win hearts, minds and wallet share? In this session, Matthew Tilley shares new consumer research from Vericast and offers insights to drive effective and creative marketing strategies for 2024. You can expect to learn: • What’s really driving choices – from health priorities to where to eat • What people expect from brands – from privacy to social responsibility • How people want to discover products -- the channels and messages that resonate • What people say it will take to engage and convert them Matthew Tilley Executive Director, Marketing Vericast View Event Recap and Related Materials	Main Stage (Virtual)
3:06pm - 3:34pm	THE PSYCHOLOGY OF BRAVERY Tired of playing it safe in your marketing strategies and campaigns? Do you want to learn how to take bold risks and innovate in a way that drives business and helps people? Join us for an engaging discussion on the correlation between principles of psychology and marketing strategies. We will explore the power of curiosity, openness, collaboration, flexibility, and feedback in achieving success. We will then have a discussion with a brave marketer from Unilever, Jayme Jansky, to showcase how these psychology principles were applied to recent commerce driving campaigns, and how embracing bravery led to award-winning, effective and memorable work. Don't miss this opportunity to learn how to up the bravery in your marketing game and create something irresistible. Jayme Jansky Beck Head of Field Shopper Marketing Unilever Elizabeth Harris Chief Strategy Officer Arc Worldwide View Event Recap and Related Materials	Main Stage (Virtual)
3:34pm - 4:06pm	HOW A DUCK, 2 GOATS AND A RENEWED STRATEGY SOARED BRAND AWARENESS IN THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY Carla Guy, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Dagger, will be interviewed by Luci Rainey, former senior marketing executive at Comcast and PODS, to learn more about Dagger's Strategy behind the Aflac GOAT campaign and how leveraging a new strategy and personality, and supporting women's initiatives, drove brand awareness and consideration for a 60+ year old insurance provider. Topics to be covered: • How humor can help educate consumers and reinforce insights • The importance of understanding key social opportunities and leaning in • How taking the right risks can earn Brands recognition and respect Luci Rainey Owner Day One Training and Coaching and former CMO PODS & Comcast Carla Guy Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer Dagger View Video and Presentation	Main Stage (Virtual)
Wednesday, September 13, 2023
10:30am - 10:31am	OPENING REMARKS Tia Cummings-Hopkins Former SVP, Marketing Square	Main Stage (Virtual)
10:31am - 11:08am	BUILDING TRAJECTORY FROM A POWERFUL LEGACY – POSITIONING MARTIN GUITARS FOR THE NEXT 200 YEARS Founded in 1833, Martin Guitar has been a category leader, with an enviable list of players, including Eric Clapton and Elvis Presley to Johnny Cash and Kurt Cobain. But like any category, competition arises, and their competitors were doing better at connecting with today’s musicians. With Martin’s fiercely loyal customer base aging, the brand needed to something to better engage the next generation of loyalists. In this presentation, Mike Nelson, VP of Marketing at Martin Guitar and Jenn Szekely, President of Coley Porter Bell will unpack the legacy brand’s history and the journey that took place to refresh an already iconic brand. They will provide the audience with a snapshot of the rebranding process and learnings, focusing on the creativity needed to successfully reposition this heritage brand. Mike Nelson Vice President, Marketing Martin Guitars Jenn Szekely President USA Coley Porter Bell View Event Recap and Related Materials	Main Stage (Virtual)
11:08am - 11:41am	#SEEHERGREATNESS: JUMPSTARTING A MOVEMENT TO DRIVE CHANGE AND GROWTH In 2022, Buick set out to leverage their status as a longstanding partner with the NCAA to launch #SEEHERGREATNESS – a provocative, integrated campaign designed to increase visibility for women athletes by showing the fans and the media what they were missing. What started as an effort to engage female car buyers and collegiate sports fans, turned into Buick’s first, purpose-driven sponsorship campaign. Now in its second year, the campaign lives on as an effort to support women athletes and their fans in the fight for equal visibility and media coverage. Looking to drive change through brand partnerships? Learn the dos and don’ts for how to authentically connect with consumers and drive growth through thought-provoking marketing and grassroots dialogue. Hear how Buick worked both internally and externally to create an extensive experience across channels to not only deliver brand lift but kept it at the forefront of an important industry conversation. Seckin Mart Associate Director, Buick Brand, Advertising & Media General Motors Darcie Law Vice President, Senior Account Director Jack Morton View Video and Presentation	Main Stage (Virtual)
11:41am - 12:18pm	THE GREAT DIVIDE – HOW AI MARKETING WILL MAKE SOME FIRMS DUMBER & OTHERS FAR SMARTER AI's ability to enhance creativity & marketing impact depend on 4 critical, differentiating aspects: Quality & creativity of data sources, creativity & insights in generating prompts, choosing the best KPIs to optimize results, and creative interpretation & application of generative AI outputs. AI marketing both saves work and creates more work by suggesting new creative stimuli & communication paths to explore, each of which can offer more paths. For some firms, quantity is prized above quality, & AI can generate non-exceptional content faster. For those seeking more original content, AI can point creatives in less obvious directions they otherwise might not have considered. We'll share creative, non-obvious AI data sources, use cases, prompts, and resulting marketing applications. Michelle Greenwald CEO Catalyzing Innovation View Event Recap and Related Materials	Main Stage (Virtual)
12:18pm - 12:56pm	CAN A NEW FORM OF CREATIVITY HELP CLOSE THE GLOBAL HEALTH EQUITY GAP? Humanity is in a state of emergency against one of the greatest threats we’ve ever faced — health inequity. Billions have been spent to tip the scales. Hundreds of Lions awarded to innovative brand work targeting underserved communities. And yet, the crisis continues to grow unchecked, leading millions to die prematurely. Most of us spend countless hours consuming media every day, so what if truly entertaining creative is the answer to lasting behavior changes in health and wellness? Join Havas for a lively introduction to Welltainment™: a new style of creativity to help bridge the global health equity gap through entertaining experiences that help people build a more authentic relationship with their health. Eric Weisberg Global Chief Creative Officer Havas Health & You Andre Gray Chief Creative Officer ANNEX88 View Video	Main Stage (Virtual)
12:56pm - 1:24pm	THE BUSINESS CASE FOR MAKING “GOOD” CREATIVE WORK TO DRIVE GROWTH How to make creativity more effective. What makes creativity work? Join WARC as they share some of the principles of creative effectiveness, developed from years of research across the world. This session will help you understand why creativity is so powerful, and how to maximize its commercial impact. David Tiltman SVP, Content WARC View Video	Main Stage (Virtual)
1:24pm - 1:34pm	BREAK	Main Stage (Virtual)
1:34pm - 2:14pm	HOW ADVERTISING CAN SAVE LIVES Due to the opioid crisis in the city of Baltimore MD, Helping Up Mission (alongside their agency partner, BDI) wanted to develop a creative, wide-reaching omnichannel public awareness campaign to spread Helping Up Mission's name throughout the community, increase the number of men in their recovery programs, and expand their services to women for the first time by alerting people that help is available to them. Learn how this creative, cutting-edge public awareness campaign successfully expanded Helping Up Mission's services, elevated their brand, and reached record breaking results! Jennifer Bedon Chief Philanthropy Officer Helping Up Mission James Read Senior Vice President Creative BDI View Event Recap and Related Materials	Main Stage (Virtual)
2:14pm - 2:47pm	BREAKING THROUGH THE CLUTTER OF SPORTS SPONSORSHIPS There has never been a better time for brands to partner with sports teams and leagues than right now, given how many opportunities there are. From in-venue to virtual signage, broadcast to streaming, audio, gaming and more, brands have more spaces than ever to put their name and attain visibility. However, with so many ads out there, how can brands truly stand out? How can they break through the clutter and compete with legacy sponsors that have been there for ages? Join Michelle Harmon-Madsen, Chief Marketing Officer of SponsorUnited, and Jennifer Matthews, Vice President of Brand Strategy at FanDuel, as they discuss how brands are creatively gaining attention and fueling engagement, pointing to insights and trends to make sponsorships count. Jennifer Matthews Vice President of Brand Strategy FanDuel Michelle Harmon-Madsen Chief Marketing Officer SponsorUnited View Event Recap and Related Materials	Main Stage (Virtual)
2:47pm - 3:14pm	SCARY MARKETING IS GOOD MARKETING: HOW DARING TO BE DIFFERENT PAYS DIVIDENDS Marketing that isn't built to stand out rarely does. When it comes to making impactful marketing campaigns, understanding when to zig when other people zag and how to do it can unlock massive wins for your brand and product. In this session, Patrick will review the strategic foundations of a daring campaign, what "daring" really means, and examples of how that has moved the needle for the brands he's worked with. Patrick Holly VP of Creative Upwork View Video and Presentation	Main Stage (Virtual)
3:14pm - 3:49pm	ENGINEERING CURIOSITY IN CREATIVITY: HOW EXPLORATION FUELS INNOVATION Curiosity is the driving force behind our industry, challenging ourselves — and our clients — to break new ground everyday. In this discussion, we consider the profound relationship between curiosity and creativity, exploring how the spirit of exploration fuels innovation and resulted in a full-funnel approach designed to engage consumers at all stages of the decision journey. From sparking curiosity through unexpected communication methods, to nurturing it through digital content and offering augmented reality experiences, learn how The Shipyard and San Diego Tourism Authority and Wanderlab (TripAdvisor) effectively harnessed the power of curiosity to engage and captivate its target audience. Adam Ochman Global Director, Marketing Solutions Tripadvisor’s Wanderlab Casey Soulies Vice President, Digital Media The Shipyard View Event Recap and Related Materials	Main Stage (Virtual)
3:49pm - 4:07pm	THE NEED FOR CREATIVITY IN AN AGE OF DISRUPTION Creativity is more than just bright colors and artistic expression. Allison Sitzman presents a method to redefine our view of what exactly creativity looks and feels like. In the age of new disruptive technology such as generative AI and content, she invites the audience to explore using this type of creative disruption as a tool to uncover a greater truth about us all and emphasizes the importance of it in brand transformation. Allison Sitzman VP of Integrated Brand & Product Marketing Shutterstock View Event Recap and Related Materials	Main Stage (Virtual)

10:30am
- 10:31am

HOST REMARKS

Tia Cummings-Hopkins: Former SVP of Global Brand Marketing Square

Main Stage (Virtual)

10:31am
- 10:45am

OPENING REMARKS

Mike Kaufman: SVP, Brand & Media ANA

View Video

Main Stage (Virtual)

10:45am
- 11:20am

REPOSITIONING THE ICONIC LA-Z-BOY BRAND WITH CREATIVITY AND “LAZY” BRAND ACTIVATIONS

La-Z-Boy is known the world over for inventing the recliner more than 95 years ago. But the last two years have been about discovery for the iconic brand — understanding what the brand stands for, exploring the consumer landscape and evaluating a go-to-market strategy. As a result, 2023 is all about repositioning La-Z-Boy from a sleepy brand steeped in nostalgia to an active, dynamic and distinctive brand for modern audiences. Hear from CMO Christy Hoskins about efforts to transform the beloved brand with creative and innovative brand activation strategies that are driving growth while helping it to reclaim “lazy.”

Christy Hoskins: Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer La-Z-Boy Inc.

View Event Recap and Related Materials

Main Stage (Virtual)

11:20am
- 11:51am

SIP + SAVOR: HOW SLURPEE IS BUILDING 7-ELEVEN’S CULTURE-FIRST APPROACH

Is it ironic for an icy drink to be a hot commodity? Well, when about two thirds of trips to 7-Eleven stores are driven by a beverage, you can understand why the Slurpee drink is a signature brand for the convenience retailer that was name one of the Top 20 Most Valuable Global Retail Brands by Kantar this year.

For the first time in 57 years, Slurpee’s undergone a massive makeover—charting a new era for the brand that’s equally a blueprint for what separates entities that cameo in culture from cultural mainstays:

• Devising a distinctive POV that’s big enough to power brand reappraisal and promotion of priority products.

• Mixing community engagement approaches to tap into Gen-Z’s love of self-expression as well as niche sub-cultures.

• Investing in Horizontal Creativity for campaigns connecting modern creativity, media and CXM to optimize how consumers experience the brand and its reach.

In this session, we’ll take attendees deep into the brain-freeze trust to unpack how Slurpee’s refresh is informing 7-Eleven’s approach to partnerships, measurement and how the brand manifests in culture.

Marissa Eddings: Senior Director, Brand & Digital Marketing 7-Eleven

Paulo Fogaca

CEO Dentsu Creative U.S.

View Event Recap and Related Materials

Main Stage (Virtual)

11:51am
- 12:31pm

USING SOCIAL IMPACT TO INNOVATE MEDIA PRACTICES

With the rapidly evolving media and marketing landscape we operate in today, it is critical to keep innovation front of mind and continually modernize media practices to stay ahead of each next big shift. Global media entities like Boston Globe Media have a responsibility to position themselves as groundbreakers by adapting their approaches, utilizing new technologies, and creating new products and platforms that cater to audiences of all ages and backgrounds – meeting their varied subscribers where they are consuming their information. And while the landscape is changing, audiences have become more and more attentive to social issues and DEI, making it vital for mission-driven practices to drive consistent and dedicated connections between audiences and media brands.

Peggy Byrd: Chief Marketing Officer Boston Globe Media

View Event Recap and Related Materials

Main Stage (Virtual)

12:31pm
- 1:07pm

TOGETHER WE WIN – CREATIVELY DRIVING IMPACT THROUGH SPORTS

Through a shared belief in elevating women’s sports and athletes, Frito-Lay and FOX Sports came together to create a one-of-a-kind partnership around one of the greatest sporting events in the world: The FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™️. After making its biggest investment ever in women’s sports, Frito-Lay sought to align their passion for celebrating soccer and building connections through fandom. By leveraging FOX Sports’ creative Content Studio and Brand Partnership teams, engaged audiences, award-winning talent, and mass reach and scale, Frito-Lay + FOX Sports created a memorable multi-platform campaign that broke through the clutter to engage fans on-air, online, and at home – and inspire the next generation of female athletes.

Bryan McAleer: SVP, Digital Sports Partnerships & Content Studio FOX Sports

Tina Mahal

Senior Vice President, Frito-Lay, Marketing PepsiCo

View Video

Main Stage (Virtual)

1:07pm
- 1:48pm

BRINGING GREATER CREATIVITY TO COMMERCE EXPERIENCES

The collision of Commerce and Creativity is unlocking a new canvas for marketers and talent to build brand, drive engagement, and produce tangible business growth. No longer reserved for that 60 second ad, commerce is producing creative opportunities in new and unfamiliar places as consumers demand added benefit in the form of experience. Explore award winning creative commerce work that is shaping the future of how brands engage and convert today's modern consumer across growing channels and formats. The session will highlight new areas such as sustainable / equitable commerce, entertainment commerce, new payment solutions, metaverse and beyond.

Steve McGowan: Head of Shopper Activation & Strategic Partnerships Mondelez

Manuel Bordé

Global Chief Creative Officer VMLY&R Commerce

View Event Recap and Related Materials

Main Stage (Virtual)

1:48pm
- 1:58pm

BREAK

Main Stage (Virtual)

1:58pm
- 2:29pm

BEYOND LOGOS AND LABELS: UNLEASHING THE POWER OF PURPOSE IN YOUR BRAND

Join David Baldwin, founder of Baldwin& and Chief Marketing Officer of Ponysaurus Brewing, as he explores the transformative power of brand building from scratch — one that goes beyond logos, colors, and tone of voice into creating a living entity fueled by values that propel long-term growth. Baldwin will share invaluable insights, real-world examples and actionable strategies designed to empower entrepreneurs, marketers, and business leaders as they embark on their own transformative brand-building journeys.

David Baldwin: Chairman Emeritus at Baldwin& Ponysaurus Brewing Co.

View Event Recap and Related Materials

Main Stage (Virtual)

2:29pm
- 3:06pm

FROM CHOICE TO CHECKOUT: INSIGHTS FOR WINNING THE SHOPPER JOURNEY

What’s currently working for consumers? And how can brands effectively navigate consumer expectations and preferences to win hearts, minds and wallet share? In this session, Matthew Tilley shares new consumer research from Vericast and offers insights to drive effective and creative marketing strategies for 2024.

You can expect to learn:

• What’s really driving choices – from health priorities to where to eat

• What people expect from brands – from privacy to social responsibility

• How people want to discover products -- the channels and messages that resonate

• What people say it will take to engage and convert them

Matthew Tilley: Executive Director, Marketing Vericast

View Event Recap and Related Materials

Main Stage (Virtual)

3:06pm
- 3:34pm

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF BRAVERY

Tired of playing it safe in your marketing strategies and campaigns? Do you want to learn how to take bold risks and innovate in a way that drives business and helps people? Join us for an engaging discussion on the correlation between principles of psychology and marketing strategies. We will explore the power of curiosity, openness, collaboration, flexibility, and feedback in achieving success. We will then have a discussion with a brave marketer from Unilever, Jayme Jansky, to showcase how these psychology principles were applied to recent commerce driving campaigns, and how embracing bravery led to award-winning, effective and memorable work. Don't miss this opportunity to learn how to up the bravery in your marketing game and create something irresistible.

Jayme Jansky Beck: Head of Field Shopper Marketing Unilever

Elizabeth Harris

Chief Strategy Officer Arc Worldwide

View Event Recap and Related Materials

Main Stage (Virtual)

3:34pm
- 4:06pm

HOW A DUCK, 2 GOATS AND A RENEWED STRATEGY SOARED BRAND AWARENESS IN THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY

Carla Guy, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Dagger, will be interviewed by Luci Rainey, former senior marketing executive at Comcast and PODS, to learn more about Dagger's Strategy behind the Aflac GOAT campaign and how leveraging a new strategy and personality, and supporting women's initiatives, drove brand awareness and consideration for a 60+ year old insurance provider.

Topics to be covered:

• How humor can help educate consumers and reinforce insights

• The importance of understanding key social opportunities and leaning in

• How taking the right risks can earn Brands recognition and respect

Luci Rainey: Owner Day One Training and Coaching and former CMO PODS & Comcast

Carla Guy

Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer Dagger

View Video and Presentation

Main Stage (Virtual)

10:30am
- 10:31am

OPENING REMARKS

Tia Cummings-Hopkins: Former SVP, Marketing Square

Main Stage (Virtual)

10:31am
- 11:08am

BUILDING TRAJECTORY FROM A POWERFUL LEGACY – POSITIONING MARTIN GUITARS FOR THE NEXT 200 YEARS

Founded in 1833, Martin Guitar has been a category leader, with an enviable list of players, including Eric Clapton and Elvis Presley to Johnny Cash and Kurt Cobain. But like any category, competition arises, and their competitors were doing better at connecting with today’s musicians. With Martin’s fiercely loyal customer base aging, the brand needed to something to better engage the next generation of loyalists.

In this presentation, Mike Nelson, VP of Marketing at Martin Guitar and Jenn Szekely, President of Coley Porter Bell will unpack the legacy brand’s history and the journey that took place to refresh an already iconic brand. They will provide the audience with a snapshot of the rebranding process and learnings, focusing on the creativity needed to successfully reposition this heritage brand.

Mike Nelson: Vice President, Marketing Martin Guitars

Jenn Szekely

President USA Coley Porter Bell

View Event Recap and Related Materials

Main Stage (Virtual)

11:08am
- 11:41am

#SEEHERGREATNESS: JUMPSTARTING A MOVEMENT TO DRIVE CHANGE AND GROWTH

In 2022, Buick set out to leverage their status as a longstanding partner with the NCAA to launch #SEEHERGREATNESS – a provocative, integrated campaign designed to increase visibility for women athletes by showing the fans and the media what they were missing. What started as an effort to engage female car buyers and collegiate sports fans, turned into Buick’s first, purpose-driven sponsorship campaign. Now in its second year, the campaign lives on as an effort to support women athletes and their fans in the fight for equal visibility and media coverage.

Looking to drive change through brand partnerships? Learn the dos and don’ts for how to authentically connect with consumers and drive growth through thought-provoking marketing and grassroots dialogue. Hear how Buick worked both internally and externally to create an extensive experience across channels to not only deliver brand lift but kept it at the forefront of an important industry conversation.

Seckin Mart: Associate Director, Buick Brand, Advertising & Media General Motors

Darcie Law

Vice President, Senior Account Director Jack Morton

View Video and Presentation

Main Stage (Virtual)

11:41am
- 12:18pm

THE GREAT DIVIDE – HOW AI MARKETING WILL MAKE SOME FIRMS DUMBER & OTHERS FAR SMARTER

AI's ability to enhance creativity & marketing impact depend on 4 critical, differentiating aspects: Quality & creativity of data sources, creativity & insights in generating prompts, choosing the best KPIs to optimize results, and creative interpretation & application of generative AI outputs. AI marketing both saves work and creates more work by suggesting new creative stimuli & communication paths to explore, each of which can offer more paths. For some firms, quantity is prized above quality, & AI can generate non-exceptional content faster. For those seeking more original content, AI can point creatives in less obvious directions they otherwise might not have considered. We'll share creative, non-obvious AI data sources, use cases, prompts, and resulting marketing applications.

Michelle Greenwald: CEO Catalyzing Innovation

View Event Recap and Related Materials

Main Stage (Virtual)

12:18pm
- 12:56pm

CAN A NEW FORM OF CREATIVITY HELP CLOSE THE GLOBAL HEALTH EQUITY GAP?

Humanity is in a state of emergency against one of the greatest threats we’ve ever faced — health inequity. Billions have been spent to tip the scales. Hundreds of Lions awarded to innovative brand work targeting underserved communities. And yet, the crisis continues to grow unchecked, leading millions to die prematurely.

Most of us spend countless hours consuming media every day, so what if truly entertaining creative is the answer to lasting behavior changes in health and wellness?

Join Havas for a lively introduction to Welltainment™: a new style of creativity to help bridge the global health equity gap through entertaining experiences that help people build a more authentic relationship with their health.

Eric Weisberg: Global Chief Creative Officer Havas Health & You

Andre Gray

Chief Creative Officer ANNEX88

View Video

Main Stage (Virtual)

12:56pm
- 1:24pm

THE BUSINESS CASE FOR MAKING “GOOD” CREATIVE WORK TO DRIVE GROWTH

How to make creativity more effective.

What makes creativity work? Join WARC as they share some of the principles of creative effectiveness, developed from years of research across the world. This session will help you understand why creativity is so powerful, and how to maximize its commercial impact.

David Tiltman: SVP, Content WARC

View Video

Main Stage (Virtual)

1:24pm
- 1:34pm

BREAK

Main Stage (Virtual)

1:34pm
- 2:14pm

HOW ADVERTISING CAN SAVE LIVES

Due to the opioid crisis in the city of Baltimore MD, Helping Up Mission (alongside their agency partner, BDI) wanted to develop a creative, wide-reaching omnichannel public awareness campaign to spread Helping Up Mission's name throughout the community, increase the number of men in their recovery programs, and expand their services to women for the first time by alerting people that help is available to them.

Learn how this creative, cutting-edge public awareness campaign successfully expanded Helping Up Mission's services, elevated their brand, and reached record breaking results!

Jennifer Bedon: Chief Philanthropy Officer Helping Up Mission

James Read

Senior Vice President Creative BDI

View Event Recap and Related Materials

Main Stage (Virtual)

2:14pm
- 2:47pm

BREAKING THROUGH THE CLUTTER OF SPORTS SPONSORSHIPS

There has never been a better time for brands to partner with sports teams and leagues than right now, given how many opportunities there are. From in-venue to virtual signage, broadcast to streaming, audio, gaming and more, brands have more spaces than ever to put their name and attain visibility. However, with so many ads out there, how can brands truly stand out? How can they break through the clutter and compete with legacy sponsors that have been there for ages?

Join Michelle Harmon-Madsen, Chief Marketing Officer of SponsorUnited, and Jennifer Matthews, Vice President of Brand Strategy at FanDuel, as they discuss how brands are creatively gaining attention and fueling engagement, pointing to insights and trends to make sponsorships count.

Jennifer Matthews: Vice President of Brand Strategy FanDuel

Michelle Harmon-Madsen

Chief Marketing Officer SponsorUnited

View Event Recap and Related Materials

Main Stage (Virtual)

2:47pm
- 3:14pm

SCARY MARKETING IS GOOD MARKETING: HOW DARING TO BE DIFFERENT PAYS DIVIDENDS

Marketing that isn't built to stand out rarely does. When it comes to making impactful marketing campaigns, understanding when to zig when other people zag and how to do it can unlock massive wins for your brand and product. In this session, Patrick will review the strategic foundations of a daring campaign, what "daring" really means, and examples of how that has moved the needle for the brands he's worked with.

Patrick Holly: VP of Creative Upwork

View Video and Presentation

Main Stage (Virtual)

3:14pm
- 3:49pm

ENGINEERING CURIOSITY IN CREATIVITY: HOW EXPLORATION FUELS INNOVATION

Curiosity is the driving force behind our industry, challenging ourselves — and our clients — to break new ground everyday. In this discussion, we consider the profound relationship between curiosity and creativity, exploring how the spirit of exploration fuels innovation and resulted in a full-funnel approach designed to engage consumers at all stages of the decision journey.

From sparking curiosity through unexpected communication methods, to nurturing it through digital content and offering augmented reality experiences, learn how The Shipyard and San Diego Tourism Authority and Wanderlab (TripAdvisor) effectively harnessed the power of curiosity to engage and captivate its target audience.

Adam Ochman: Global Director, Marketing Solutions Tripadvisor’s Wanderlab

Casey Soulies

Vice President, Digital Media The Shipyard

View Event Recap and Related Materials

Main Stage (Virtual)

3:49pm
- 4:07pm

THE NEED FOR CREATIVITY IN AN AGE OF DISRUPTION

Creativity is more than just bright colors and artistic expression. Allison Sitzman presents a method to redefine our view of what exactly creativity looks and feels like. In the age of new disruptive technology such as generative AI and content, she invites the audience to explore using this type of creative disruption as a tool to uncover a greater truth about us all and emphasizes the importance of it in brand transformation.

Allison Sitzman: VP of Integrated Brand & Product Marketing Shutterstock

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