Join us Dec. 1-3 in Nashville for the Digiday Programmatic Marketing Summit
Creating relevant and intriguing content is not an easy task, but brands have little choice as they fight for consumers’ short attention spans.
With the Digiday Content Marketing Awards accepting submissions for one more week, we thought we’d review the latest trends in brand content, from the downright funny to the controversial. Check out our round-up below. Then, if you think your own content marketing campaigns are worthy of some recognition, enter the Content Marketing Awards before it’s too late. Submissions close Mar. 14.
Rethinking old platforms
Airlines are invigorating what used to be boring material that passengers tried their hardest to ignore by turning their pre-flight safety videos into pieces of content that aren’t only on-brand but highly entertaining.
Adopting new platforms
While the implementation was sometimes confusing, McDonald’s dove into Snapchat, offering another way for consumers to connect with a restaurant chain giant that has seen mixed results with its social media efforts. Is this really content?
Becoming visual storytellers
Meanwhile, retail and apparel brands have chosen to make their stand on Instagram, taking advantage of user-generated content (either seeded or organic) to project a certain lifestyle and aesthetic.
Subverting social
After discovering a near-perfect match between the demographics of dating-website users and those likely to adopt animals, the ASPCA created OkCupid profiles for pets looking for a long-term relationship, hoping to pair them off with lonely singles.
Mashing up media
Finally, in partnering with Sports Illustrated for the annual swimsuit issue, Barbie managed to both empower through a brand of “lipstick feminism” and offend by embracing the objectification of the “perfect” (i.e., unnatural) female body.
More in Awards
Adidas and Gamefam, Poppi and Walmart Connect are winners for the 2026 Digiday Awards
The 2026 Digiday Awards winners reflect a media and marketing landscape in which cultural relevance, audience participation and measurable business impact increasingly go hand in hand. From immersive digital experiences to campaigns that turned social media conversations into product launches, this year’s honorees demonstrate how brands are finding new ways to earn attention. Their work […]
Amazon News, Politico and Warner Bros. Discovery are finalists for the 2026 Digiday Awards finalists
This year’s Digiday Awards finalists demonstrated how innovation, audience insights and multiplatform storytelling can work together to create more engaging and accessible experiences. Their work reflected a focus on understanding audiences, reaching them across channels and turning creative investments into measurable results. These nominees represent a media landscape where effective storytelling must balance experimentation with […]
PolyAI, Taboola, Contentful and Docusign are 2026 Digiday Technology Awards winners
This year’s Digiday Technology Awards honor the companies embracing AI and automation tools to enhance personalized experiences, enable precise targeting and drive performance across platforms and channels. Winners are also integrating advanced e-commerce technologies and focusing on integrated measurement and analytics solutions that unveil deeper performance tracking. In the Best AI Tool category, PolyAI — […]