Photo Source: Grammy.com
From the Red Carpet glamour to star-studded performances, the Grammys never fail to entertain, and this year was no exception. The 59th Grammy Awards celebrated artists old and new with tributes and recognition for iconic musicians including the late David Bowie and George Michael.
The night clearly belonged to Adele with five awards including Album Of The Year. With this accomplishment, she became the second solo female act to win the category twice, following Taylor Swift’s second win in 2016.
February is a big month for brands marketers with the Super Bowl, Grammy Awards, and Oscars. In today’s roundup of online and partner marketing news and opinion, we look at some of the coverage and commentary around how brands (including the Grammys) used new campaigns and channels to engage with audiences for the music industry’s biggest night.
Lincoln Amps Up Grammys Platform for Continental In 4th Straight Year On Music’s Tentpole Event
“Tentpole” events on television are all the rage for luxury automakers nowadays, because they attract huge audiences, and people mostly watch them live instead of storing them on a DVR and skipping the commercials. And at least for individual luxury brands, relationships with major pop-culture awards shows have become as significant as other automakers’ associations with the Super Bowl. Forbes contributor, Dale Buss analyzes Lincoln taking its Grammys platform to a new level this year with a collaboration with blues singer and guitar virtuoso Gary Clark Jr.
How Mastercard Is Mastering The Grammy Awards
Literally with each passing day—or so it seems—consumers are shifting their spend away from material things and to experiences and those retailers that can deliver both an experiential in-store environment, as well as an engaging digital environment are thriving. At the same time, digital payment capabilities are making the point of sale experience seamless and secure. Forbes contributor, Steve Olenski looked at Mastercard’s Masterpass #ThankTheFans initiative, which used the Grammy Awards as a launchpad for the campaign.
The Grammys are using Snapchat to lure younger viewers
This year, the music industry’s Recording Academy used Snapchat to get younger people interested in the 59th annual Grammy Awards. As reported by Digiday, on Saturday, Jan. 21, The Recording Academy premiered a four-part Snapchat video series called “Pop Before the Drop,” a man-on-the-street-style game show in which host and YouTube star Jack Baran grilled people on the streets of Los Angeles about past Grammy winners in various categories. Contestants had 10 seconds to answer questions to win various Grammy-branded apparel and merchandise.
Sonos Tackles ‘The Silent Home’ with Thin Lizzy in New TV Ad to Air During Grammys
In the increasingly crowded wireless audio category, brands like Bose, Google Home and Samsung Radiant360 are all jockeying for a retail market that accounted for nearly $2 billion worth of sales in 2016 alone. Yet for Sonos, 2016’s No. 2 wireless audio brand in overall sales, the real competition exists within the home itself, where sometimes little to no music is played during many of life’s key moments. As reported by Billboard, Sonos tackled its “silent home” enemy in a new 90-second spot that debuted Thursday (Feb. 9) and aired during Sunday’s Grammy Awards.
See Nike’s Stirring ‘Equality’ Ad That Aired On the Grammys
Nike on Sunday unveiled a star-studded campaign called “Equality” that made its TV debut during the Grammy Awards broadcast. As reported by AdAge, the black-and-white 90-second ad by Wieden & Kennedy stars LeBron James, Serena Williams, Kevin Durant, Megan Rapinoe, Dalilah Muhammad and Gabby Douglas. Actor Michael B. Jordan provided the voiceover. The soundtrack is Alicia Keys signing Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come.” The director is Melina Matsoukas, whose credits include Beyonce’s “Formation” video, which was a Grammy nominee in the best music video category.
What was your favorite moment during the 59th Grammys?
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