1. Instagram Is Pivoting to Video
Taking cues from TikTok, the head of Instagram announced that the app is now focused on four areas: Creators, Video, Shopping, and Messaging: “[W]e’re no longer a photo-sharing app or a square-photo-sharing app.” He also notes that the primary reason people use the platform is to be entertained. Going forward, this will include features like recommendations and topics designed to serve up content in new ways.
2. Hot Vax-Campaign Summer
Over 159 million people in the United States are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 (about 48% of the population), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How are vaccines being discussed in advertising?
Some organizations are encouraging vaccinations in ads. Beer company Heineken launched its “Fresh Beginnings” global campaign featuring the line “The night belongs to the vaccinated,” showing the increased possibilities for activities around the world with increased vaccination records. The Philadelphia Flyers also released their own “Take Your Shot” campaign earlier this year.
There are also many government campaigns encouraging vaccinations. Chicago firm Flowers Communications Group, hired by the city of Chicago, developed a campaign to reach a more diverse group of residents. While utilizing local influencers and shops, they are providing small-business spaces, such as barber shops, as vaccination sites that are familiar locations that people are comfortable visiting. Additionally, the Ad Council and the COVID Collaborative launched the “It’s Up to You” campaign, which will “feature ads in English and Spanish for TV, billboards, bus shelters, social media, and publications to tailor messaging to the Black and Hispanic communities, where COVID-19 has hit hard but where vaccine uptake has lagged.”
