What. A. Year: Ad Age looks back on the highs, lows—and more lows—of 2020

Jill Greenberg for Ad AgeWhat. A. Year.Farewell, 2020. This is what you put us throughBy Ad Age Staff. Published on December 21, 2020Ad Age looks back on the highs and lows—and more lows—of the past 12 months. There was plenty of heartbreak—the shocking death of Kobe Bryant at the start of the year, the devastation of COVID-19 on lives and livelihoods, the racial strife and social upheaval following the death of George Floyd, the turmoil of the election. Yet through it all, we saw plenty of innovation, ingenuity and change for the better at the hands of individuals and industries. We hope this review of the year will show you just how far we’ve come and will help you to look forward to a brighter 2021.JanuaryJanuary 14CPB Co-Founder Alex Bogusky departs the agency—again.January 27The death of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others in a helicopter crash in California shocked the world.Top of MonthFebruaryFebruary 3Back when things still felt kind of normal, all eyes were on the Super Bowl. Jeep won AdMeter, followed by Google, Hyundai, Doritos and Rocket Mortgage.Top of MonthMarchMarch 6SXSW calls off its big event, beginning a domino effect of major confab cancellations.March 12As the country begins to reel from COVID-19, brands halt campaigns, re-conceive messages, close offices and begin working from home.March 12Ford is one of the first out of the gate to pull a planned push and shift focus to those in need.March 12TV network groups cancel upfront presentations.March 13Agency layoffs start, with Anomaly among the first to cut staff.March 18When socially distanced logos were kind of cool.March 20When socially distanced logos were not cool.March 20Animal Crossing debuts on March 20 and goes on to become one of the year’s hottest games...March 20…later spawning several tie-ups with numerous brands from KFC to Grubhub as well as presidential candidate Joe Biden.March 23Jigsaw puzzles have a moment, but good luck finding one.Top of MonthAprilApril 2Netflix’s “Tiger King” captivates audiences around the world as the quarantined find a lot more time to feed their bingeing habits.April 4Cannes Lions pulls the plug on its awards fest in France, resurfacing later with the Lions Live virtual event in June.April 17Creatives start to parody all the COVID ads...…for starting to look the sameApril 16The pandemic continues to take its toll on agencies as layoffs continue. High-profile veterans including BBDO’s Greg Hahn and Dave Rolfe are among those let go.April 17As marketers feel the effects of COVID, delayed payments to agencies become a reality.April 17As we settle into lockdown Ad Age launched the “Creatives Under Quarantine” series, documenting how creatives and marketers manage working from home.April 19ESPN finds a bright spot during the absence of live sports with the Michael Jordan documentary, “The Last Dance.”Top of MonthMayMay 4After announcing its arrival in December, 2019, The Lincoln Project emerges as a powerful voice in the campaign against President Donald Trump’s reelection with numerous creative and attention-getting ads.May 4Brands start to figure out how to make ads that aren’t all sentimental stories filled with user-generated content.May 4Small agencies are thrown a lifeline and get access to PPP loans.May 26Agencies begin planning for a slow return to the office, with Pittsburg agency Smith Brothers reopening its doors to employees who are open to going back. Others say they will never return to the office.May 26The U.S. COVID death toll reaches 1,000 and The New York Times releases an unnerving front page to mark the moment.May 30The death of George Floyd on May 25 sparks unrest around the country. Marketers are forced to again weigh what sort of messages they should be creating.Top of MonthJuneJune 1Though the pandemic led to numerous layoffs, it’s also given rise to a number of new, more nimble shops, including Mischief, co-founded by ex BBDO exec Greg Hahn.June 5Reddit Co-Founder Alexis Ohanian resigns from the board of his company, calls for Black leader to fill his seat.June 9A group of Black advertising executives, led by Nathan Young and Bennett D Bennett sign an open letter ...…calling for the industry to take action to address systemic racism in the industry, later formalizing their movement as the nonprofit 600 & Rising.June 12Agencies begin to respond to 600 & Rising by releasing diversity staff figures and committing to more concrete DE&I actions. IPG is the first holding company to release diversity stats.June 15AdAge’s celebrates its 2020 A-List and Creativity Awards and A-List virtually, with Wieden and Droga taking top awards.June 15Ad Age's Future of Creativity Week begins.June 19Starting with the North Face, major brands join the NAACP and Anti-Defamation League’s Stop Hate for Profit campaign.June 30Netflix taps Bozoma St. John as CMO.Top of MonthJulyJuly 12Agency cuts continue; Wieden+Kennedy lays off 11 percent of staff.July 24With the sports world on hold, leagues seek ways to carry on.Top of MonthAugustAugust 1President Trump puts the fate of TikTok in question.August 5Ad Age honors its Small Agencies of the Year; Chicago’s Highdive takes top prize.August 7600&Rising dissolves its current structure and co-founder Young steps down following his controversial comments about industry nonprofit ADCOLOR.August 12A federal court dismissed former Martin Agency CCO Joe Alexander’s lawsuit against Diet Madison Avenue and Adweek.August 13Epic Games parodies Apple’s “1984.”August 17Diageo acquires Ryan Reynolds’ Aviation Gin and its parent company Davos Brands in a $660 million deal, retaining the marketing talents of the actor and his agency Maximum Effort.August 31Ad Age explores why industry activism hasn’t been working.Top of MonthSeptemberSeptember 3McDonald’s debuts a Travis Scott partnership; fans go wild.September 10R/GA leadership in major shift as key execs depart to form their own business transformation group...…with more to follow, including CMO Jess Greenwood, who left to join Apple.September 14Macy’s announces its Thanksgiving Day parade will be a lot different this year.September 17Campaigns to get out the vote begin to roll out, with many brands on board.September 18Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passes away, the country mourns and we see powerful tributes from The New Yorker......the Washington Post......State Street Global Advisors, and more.September 28Trump’s TikTok ban is blocked.Top of MonthOctoberOctober 3Upheaval at the Richards Group after racist remarks by Founder Stan Richard. Longtime client Motel 6 fires the agency...…and Richards eventually fires himself.October 7Home Depot wins Halloween with its giant skeletonOctober 7TikToker Nathan Apodaca propels Ocean Spray into the spotlight. His chill vibes—skating in a TikTok video as he chugged a bottle of Cranberry juice—was the soothing sentiment we all needed after such a turbulent year. The brand won by rewarding his creativity...…while others, including TikTok, capitalized on his move.October 12The Lakers win the NBA Championship in the Orlando Bubble.October 21IPG names Philippe Krakowsky successor to Michael Roth...…and he’s not your average CEO.October 22Quibi calls its quits fewer than six months after its debut.October 28Wieden+Kennedy announces shift in leadership bench, elevating top execs in the New York office to agency-wide roles.Top of MonthNovemberNovember 2Domino’s parts ways with CPB and hires WorkinProgress......marking the end of a storied creative relationship......and the latest big move indicating brands’ shift to working with smaller, more nimble companies.November 3Election Day. With states tallying scores of mail-in votes, we didn’t know until days later that Joe Biden would be our next President, but one brand proved to be the night’s big winner.November 11Dentsu announces plans to reduce agency brands from 160 to just six as consolidation continues in the agency world. Mcgarrybowen is first to see impact from this restructuring.November 20Grey and AKQA merge, leaving the fate of the Grey name in question.Top of MonthDecemberDecember 7Ad Age announces its Marketers of the Year, with TikTok topping the list ......along with others including McDonald’s and The Lincoln Project, which dished about which of its ads were most effective.December 11Coca-Cola announces massive global agency review, making every media and creative account up for grabs.Top of MonthWeb production by Corey Holmes

What. A. Year: Ad Age looks back on the highs, lows—and more lows—of 2020

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