It’s been an eventful first half of 2023, prompting SHOOT in its latest Midyear Report Card Survey to once again seek feedback from the advertising agency community in terms of pinpointing trends, developments and issues which have emerged as the most significant.
For the first time in six decades, we have dual strikes in the entertainment industry as members of SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America have hit the picket lines.
Issues of contention include new streaming business models and the lack of substantive residuals that go with it, as well as concerns over artificial intelligence and its potential to adversely impact work opportunities for union rank and file.
The advertising sector figures to feel the ripple effect of a prolonged strike or strikes. And agencies, brands, the production and post communities are all grappling with how to handle AI.
Geneva Wasserman, EVP, TV and film development and financing at Dentsu, observed, “In response to the WGA and SAG AFTRA strikes, content creation will be focused on the unscripted and podcast models as the dual strikes largely affect the scripted market. As SAG is providing waivers to independent film, I do think we will see some amazing projects produced in the second half of this year. Once the strikes are settled and business resumes, I am hopeful that we will see independent films find more exposure and traction in the marketplace.”
Meanwhile it’s also been a year in which entertainment and brands have connected in an impactful way, a prime example being the box office success of Barbie.
Wasserman said she was “impressed with the role that brands have taken in entertainment content this year. From Barbie to Flamin’ Hot, to Air to Tetris to Blackberry – products have been the IP rather than comic books or other sources of storytelling.
As for the aforementioned, oft-cited topic of AI, Rachel Carlson, co-founder and creative agency of Foul Mouth Creative, affirmed, “We’re using AI for social listening and insight-gathering to help eliminate unconscious bias in the work. While we’ll continue to use technology for strategic short-cuts where it makes sense, we’ll always put human talent first across creative and production. Great work has soul; robots have none.”
It’s also been a year where brands taking a stand for inclusion–such as Target for prominently displaying Pride-related merchandise and Bud Light for marketing featuring a transgender influencer–have been feeling significant backlash.
Abby Allen, founder and chief creative officer, Neon Butterfly, Inc., related, “We build brands that make people feel seen which involves giving voice to those who don’t feel seen–those who often come from underrepresented groups. So, the “D&I fatigue” and cultural backlash to equity initiatives is not only disappointing and upsetting but scary. Since I am a bi-racial woman with Black skin, companies have always tried to limit and pigeonhole me and the work I do and cast it aside as just being “multicultural” and irrelevant to any work that isn’t targeting people with Black or Brown skin. (I refuse to say “general market” for reasons that should be obvious). The fear now is that companies will double down on that bias and behavior. So as a creative agency, it means that we have to find new language for talking about the importance of representation and what it really means without watering down the message. We have to make it clear that representation isn’t about replacing cis-gendered white people, but about accurately telling the stories and experiences of everyone else as well. We are all different but also very much the same, and that’s the truth we have to remember and keep reminding companies and organizations as we develop new messaging and initiatives. It is not “either, or,” it is “both, and.”
Jason G Lau, VP, content production at Giant Spoon, added, “Showing up for underrepresented communities and using creativity as a means for positive change is a commitment that we make every day. Especially this year. With so much political violence, discriminatory legislation, and hateful rhetoric targeted at queer communities, we’ve doubled down on our support for the LGBTQIA+ communities within our company, our industry and beyond every day of the damn year.”
Survey
Allen, Carlson, Lau and Wasserman were among a cross-section of agency professionals who were surveyed to gain their takes on the industry a little more than halfway through 2023.
- What trends, developments or issues would you point to thus far in 2023 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of this year and beyond?
- What’s the biggest takeaway or lessons learned from work (please identify the project) that you were involved in this year? Or if you prefer, what’s the biggest takeaway or lessons learned from work you were involved in that won, was or is in the running for current awards season consideration (i.e., Emmys, Cannes Lions, AICP Awards, etc.)
- Have you been involved or experimented with AI, AR or other emerging disciplines or new technologies? If so, relative to experimental or actual projects, briefly tell us about the work and what you’ve taken away from the experience. If the work is complete and you’d like to share a link to it, please include.
- Have any societal issues–including DEI, recent Supreme Court decisions and/or recent backlash against advertisers like Target (for Pride merchandise) and Bud Light (for marketing featuring a transgender influencer)–impacted the way you do business, company policies and/or selection of projects/creative content?
- What work (advertising, entertainment, documentary, etc.)–your own or others–struck a responsive chord with you so far this year and why?
- While gazing into the crystal ball is a tricky proposition, we nonetheless ask you for any forecast you have relative to content creation and/or the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2023 and beyond. (250 words max)
- Has the first half of 2023 caused you to redefine or fine tune the goals of your company–and if so, in what way(s)?
What follows is the feedback we received from a wide range of respondents… to page through the survey responses click on the NAME or HEADSHOT below (shown in alphabetical order by last name).
