It was back to normal, then it wasn’t. Reports of COVID-19’s delta variant causing a surge in new cases, coupled with a return to mask mandates in many regions, are leaving many consumers—and brands—with a sense of déjà vu. Yet the situation is also creating an obstacle course for marketers, several of which have already begun ad campaigns welcoming customers back to pre-pandemic normalcy.

“We don’t know what life is going to be like in three months, in six months or 24 months—we don’t know,” says Kimberly Whitler, Frank M. Sands, Sr. associate chair in business administration at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. “Brands that start suggesting that everything is normal may look like they aren’t in touch with reality.”

It’s a conundrum for brands that have long waited patiently to run optimistic, forward-looking campaigns. Such commercials now run the risk of appearing tone deaf in the face of rising hospitalizations, which are skyrocketing after months of declines. In New York City, all indoor businesses, including fitness brands like Equinox, now have to show proof of vaccination. At the same time, retailers such as Target and Home Depot, and restaurant chains such as McDonald’s, are requiring workers to wear masks. Several businesses, like Esby a small clothing store in Austin, are extending that mandate to customers as well—including those who are vaccinated.

Some marketers that had plans for fresh advertising are now having second thoughts. One fitness brand that had planned to debut a campaign welcoming members back in early August just delayed the launch indefinitely. Others are still running back to normal work. Uber, which is currently airing an Olympics campaign encouraging customers to “go get it” regarding pre-pandemic behavior like attending parties and bars, did not return a comment about the status of such marketing. Extra Gum, which in May began a campaign around consumers getting back into the swing of things, kissing included, was one of the earliest brands to debut such work. That campaign is currently running, according to a spokeswoman for BBDO Energy, the agency behind the campaign, though Extra parent Mars Wrigley did not return a call requesting comment.

Agencies and clients are having active discussions about delaying or pausing “back-to-normal” ads, and some have already done so, according to people familiar with the matter.

But brand experts say that navigating the situation can be particularly tricky because most consumers are tired of the doom and gloom of the last 18 months and are now craving optimistic, forward-looking marketing. In particular, the Olympics have given brands like Uber permission to celebrate and create uplifting work at a time when lukewarm or neutral campaigns that don’t take a stand get lost in the clutter.

“This new normal is a minefield and you have to navigate it on a much more sensitive basis, a much more real-time basis, when you’re a global brand,” says Mario Natarelli, managing partner at global branding agency MBLM, noting that many marketers’ natural inclination is to look at the glass as half full. “You can expect some missteps for the next half year while brands try to recalibrate.”

Some brands are pursuing a more measured approach. Samsung, an Olympics sponsor, ran an ad that acknowledges the uncertainty of the situation as spectators were not allowed to see the Games in person due to delta caseloads. Others are simply plowing forward. This week, Apple TV+ is holding an experiential event in Los Angeles around its "Ted Lasso" show, that includes a "massive immersive tailgate" and live DJ.

Yet if the pandemic taught brands anything, it was to expect the unexpected. In recent months, many executives have spoken about the nimbleness they learned from the unpredictability and swift rise of COVID-19 in the pandemic’s early days. Brands were able to turn on a dime and deploy flexibility with content, which typically included alternative plans depending on news and regulations. It’s time to put such skills to work.

“The muscle memory of, ‘Hey wait a minute, we should be smarter, we should have learned to be more nimble and so on’ that’s true for the brands that coasted or thrived through the pandemic,” says Natarelli.

A 'fine line'

Alaska Airlines this week introduced a new campaign from Mekanism where it pledges to be the “official airline of rescheduled events.” The push, which promotes consumers to reclaim the “missed moments” of birthdays, weddings and graduations from the pandemic, includes massive deals on flights consumers can book from Sept. 7 to Nov. 17 as well as Nov. 30 to Dec. 15. The long lead time of including a December flight was intentional, according to Natalie Bowman, managing director of marketing and advertising at Alaska Airlines.

“Because of the delta variant we want to make sure we continue to be respectful of when people are ready to travel,” she says. In the spring, when COVID appeared to be nearing the rearview, the brand pulled back from imagery around mask wearing and social distancing guidelines in its marketing, Bowman says, but Alaska Airlines recently brought such themes back to the forefront. Yet it is still showing a balance by not returning to doom and gloom and somber messaging.

“There’s a fine line between entertaining and educating and being respectful,” says Bowman. “Once you find that fine line, it pays dividends with the loyalty you get and better engagement—people want to live their lives and not always be worried.”

Last week, Tripadvisor partnered with Lysol on an expert panel designed to help hospitality and tourism businesses cope with new regulations and guidance. The panel continues a partnership that developed during the pandemic.

“The delta variant is definitely a catalyst for us to bring this to market but the need for consumers to feel like they’re safe and that connection between safety and cleanliness has been a common theme throughout the summer and we expect will be a theme through the immediate future,” says a Tripadvisor spokesman. “What a business is doing [about] best practices to clean is what consumers will be looking at.”

If it’s too late to pull a tone-deaf campaign, experts say there are alternatives for marketers to continue to connect with customers. Email is one way to manage ever-changing regulations, for example.

“Things change so rapidly right now—many companies are well on their way to Super Bowl ads,” says Whitler. “I would manage the evolution through email—if the government regulation changes today and Target decides all their customers have to wear masks, they can send out an email today, they can’t go create an ad today.”

She says that for existing ads, brands could try to adapt the audio, moving away from a welcome back message to one around adapting to a new normal, for example. They can also use extra film to adjust imagery to feel more in keeping with the current consumer sentiment.

“There’s a small tweak there that can make it feel it fits better in the current era where it’s uncertain again,” Whitler says.