Monday: June 19, 2023
Aleph x Snapchat
Starting off the week strong, our first official event was a panel on Aleph’s Yacht to hear valuable advice from the President and VPs of Snapchat. Walking through the line of yachts on our first day was a pretty insane way to begin the festival. Our class was the small group of students lucky enough to listen as Aleph’s educational video series was filmed live. This panel was one of my favorite experiences because I got to speak one-on-one with industry experts at a company I have always loved. Some of the best career advice they gave was always come to an interview over-prepared, be a problem solver (no easy way out), and stay humble. ​
Digital #ADvice
Meta
The Reels Creative Supercharger
Next, I explored Meta Beach, which had so much to offer. I tuned in to a talk from Instagram about Creative reels and found myself very surprised at some of the statistics they gave about the rise of short-video entertainment:
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2 Billion Reels are shared every day - doubled since 6 months ago
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84% of young people agreed “I like it when content from brands is not perfect”
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2/3 of people purchased a product or service after watching reels
Overall, this presentation seemed geared toward millennial marketers trying to attract Gen Z consumers. Personally, most of this information was common sense since I'm already familiar with Instagram and TikTok. However, I gained insights that led me to better understand how reels are being used in the advertising world.
Levi's & Droga5
The success story of the Levi 501 jeans was made possible by keeping the product at the forefront of advertising efforts the past 150 years. Levi's campaign, “The Greatest Story Ever Worn”, was the perfect tribute to honor the iconic brand's history because each pair of jeans has its own story. The team's dedication to making a culturally significant campaign demonstrated how creativity is a crucial aspect in maintaining a brand's life cycle. One thing that really stood out to me was the power of “emotional storytelling” and how all strong brands make you feel something (think Patagonia or Apple). Levi’s has always stuck to that formula; by making their product the hero in every story. Their 1989 ad, “Pickup”, is a classic example where they use the pair of jeans to tow a car. Levi’s historian brought back the exact pair of jeans for the campaign to depict the brand’s rich history and honor its future through a single pair of jeans.
The Product, the Hero
Louis Vuitton
Creativity Inside With Faye McLeod
This conversation with Faye McLeod, Visual Image Director at LVMH, was a great listen about how creatives can improve brand image and drive sales. It was incredible to hear from the person in charge of every Louis Vuitton window display, as I always find myself captivated by their uniqueness. Her talent of turning a simple object or idea into a visually stunning display is something I really admire and hope to achieve someday.
TikTok
How Community and Entertainment are Transforming Purchasing Habits Globally
Sofia Hernandez, the Global Head of Business Marketing at Tiktok, led this interactive talk about how the platform is changing the advertising game. Specifically, how the community has changed the purchase cycle from a linear to infinite loop. When people share their experiences and receive engagement about a product or service, brands should use it to plan and inspire new Ad campaigns and strategies. As TikTok continues to prove that it is an essential part of digital marketing, all brands should establish a presence and form a community to connect directly with their consumers. Hernandez shared TacoBell’s story of how they brought back their Mexican Pizza by collaborating with Doja Cat; after she publicly dissed the company for discontinuing it. Taco Bell’s approach gained massive publicity because they knew their audience and listened directly to their commands, while still incorporating fun and humor.