Mastercard spent two years developing sonic brand identities for numerous consumer touchpoints, which help bolster brand differentiation, image, identity and emotional connectivity, said Greg Boosin, executive vice president of global business-to-business and product marketing. "Sonic brands [appeal] directly to your subconscious and they do that through logos, music tracks, live music events, phone sounds and computer sounds...If you're not thinking about this, you ought to be," Boosin said.

Petco has launched a new subscription wellness plan for pets called Vital Care, which costs $19 per month and includes routine services, veterinary exams, nail trims and Petco loyalty program membership. The new plan is expected to bring more pet owners back to brick-and-mortar locations for Petco's in-store veterinary services, which the company has been building up over the past year.

Nextdoor and Party City have partnered to create an augmented reality Halloween experience on the neighborhood social app that enables neighbors to share how they're celebrating via a treat map. Users can unlock Halloween-themed "virtual visitors" and share them via the app, and find Party City locations for Halloween shopping.

Procter & Gamble's Secret, with YWCA USA and the Women's National Basketball Association, unveiled an in-house "#RaiseItUp" campaign that spotlights the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on women, particularly minorities. An anthem 60-second spot is set to an original poem by Black poet Jasmine Mans, and the push includes a social challenge promoted by WNBA players and actress Gabrielle Union as well as national and regional newspaper ads.

The Association of National Advertisers Educational Foundation, with Cannes Lions, WARC and other industry trade groups, has teamed with the Business Deans Roundtable from Historically Black Colleges and Universities to boost Black marketing talent. The initiative, valued at $1 million, gives free access to marketing content to students at 100 HBCUs.

Freeform, Impossible Foods and Uber are among the brands creating drive-thru experiences after curtailing in-person events due to coronavirus lockdowns. WarnerMedia's premiere for HBO Max's "Unpregnant" included virtual and physical versions, with in-person guests experiencing a roller coaster replica, a roadside convenience store and a green screen video station, as the combined effort yielded more than 75 million social impressions.

Marketers trying to get a head start on holiday promotions and capitalize on e-commerce trends are considering retail media networks such as the media-selling arms of Kroger and Walmart. "Working with those platforms boosts [advertisers'] ability to target the right audience segment, and in some cases, even offer the ability to safely upload first-party data into a clean room to create unique audience segments with the retailer's data," writes Seb Joseph.

Volumetric 3D video, which enables viewers to see people, products or live action from a 360-degree angle, is gaining traction among brands as a tool to boost consumer engagement and customer retention. Nike was one of the early users of the 3D imaging technique, which it used to film influencers for a series of videos and digital display ads.

Faced with monumental change, brands have been forced to make a significant pivot in their advertising strategies. This is where brands with a close connection to their customers -- and first-party data -- have been able to shine.

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