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The five advertising trends emerging in 2021
October 12, 2021
Anyone predicting advertising trends in 2020 certainly had their work cut out. The pandemic constantly challenged agencies and advertisers while making the digital transformation of companies inevitable. At Pumpkin, we work with an amazing bunch of world renowned agencies, and looking at some of their activities gives a good insight into the key trends in advertising in 2021, so far.
- Brand engagement/activism
For a few years now, brands have been more willing to embrace the societal and environmental issues that agitate people. We are living in an increasingly polarised society, especially on social networks, where people are encouraged to post their opinions and speak out. The Trump presidency prompted many brand responses, from the likes ofPatagonia and The North Face denouncing his policies, to Footlocker, Under Armor, Levi’s, Snapchat, Gap, Spotify et al calling on Americans to vote without necessarily taking sides.
Elsewhere, some brands are louder and have championed overcoming specific taboos. For example, Ogilvy created a standout campaign for charity Relate aiming to destigmatise older age sex.
- Gaming and entertainment
In a confined but connected world, budgets have often been reoriented towards digital as brands have logically wanted to seek out this growing audience. We’ve had Travis Scott creating an event in full lockdown on Fortnite, as well as the fashion world – like Louis Vuitton with Final Fantasy or League of Legends – turning to video gaming.
And let’s not forget TikTok; the statistics for this app have exploded in the past year – in terms of the number of users, but also in terms of their average age, which is increasing. Read about VaynerMedia UK latest campaigns with TikTok here and here
- Problems…and solutions
The past year has brought its share of uncertainties which has meant the industry has had to rapidly adapt and sometimes transform itself. Complicated filming and production logistics, remote working, reduced budgets were all problems the advertising industry had to solve. The good news is that adversity forces us to be all the more creative as shown by our client Joint’s stunning campaign for Amazon Prime during lockdown.
- Being different
With the plethora of brands communicating on social networks, it often feels as if none of them really manage to stand out in this mass of communication. Consumers are overloaded with similar messages as advertising copies advertising. But Covid19 changed many behaviours, and we’ve seen brands standing out and helping each other – one of our favourites was Burger King urging people to buy from other restaurants including rivals like McDonald’s, KFC, Subway, Domino’s Pizza and Pizza Hut.
- The return to the office
The move to WFH was brutal and swift in March 2020. Although no one knew exactly how working from home would work, everyone adapted and work, as we knew it, changed completely.
As we enter October, many agencies and brands have adopted a 3:2 model (like Ogilvy did, you can read about its new office here) or let their employees choose what worked best for them. At Pumpkin, we are slowly returning to our beloved Soho office, a few days a week. What did your company choose to do?
Manon Durin