Project has acquired its first international full service creative agency, MNSTR, marking a significant milestone in extending cross-Atlantic work for some of the world’s most significant culture-driving brands. MNSTR has crafted and executed innovative campaigns for prestigious clients such as Adidas, Netflix, Heineken, Deezer, Dior, Guerlain, Accor, Lacoste, and the Paris 2024 Olympics.

The LA Clippers partnered with Spinifex, best known for crafting immersive fan experiences, to bring a fresh perspective on sports venues. Spinifex mapped every seat and pixel, ensuring that every fan has a comprehensive view of the Halo Board, and resulting in the most realistic motion graphics ever seen.

George P. Johnson (GPJ), the world’s leading strategic experience marketing agency and a member of Project, an employee-owned alliance of creative agencies, announces the hiring of an Executive Director of Sports Activations to lead its sports practice and address the growing desire of brands wanting to dive into the dynamic world of experiential sports marketing. With over two decades of experience, Jenn Houston is an expert in brand building, business development, and integrated communication strategy. She has collaborated with top global brands in the US, Canada, and Europe including Visa, Anheuser-Busch, Nike, Coca-Cola and Google to name a few.

Event Marketer sat down with the Head of Production at OS Studios, Megan Kuhlenschmidt, to discuss career advice, her favorite brand experience from the year and how she got her start in the industry.

If we learned anything in 2023, it was the sheer size and power of Taylor Swift’s army of fans—and the awakened desire in consumers for tangible, real-world experiences. The unprecedented frenzy the world witnessed around Swift’s Eras Tour ticket sales was as shocking as it was contagious, causing a literal craze around scoring a “Golden Ticket” and underscoring for advertisers the key touchpoints around experiences like these. “This year demonstrated consumers’ thirst for experience, and how people are willing to splurge on must-see moments, with savvy marketers deftly promoting or quickly capitalizing on these tentpole events,” said Nat Wittstruck, senior creative director at George P. Johnson (GPJ). “Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour showed the world that even multicity concerts could be unmissable.”

Ad Age interviewed top advertisers about their favorite Women's History Month campaigns and included insights from George P. Johnson. OS Studios and Wondersauce. “It’s encouraging to see brands wanting to celebrate and advocate for equality, especially in a climate where execs are understandably cautious of the backlash that anything controversial could cause,” said Sheila Srinivasan, creative director at Wondersauce. “This year, it felt particularly important to see campaigns successfully highlighting trans women, like that of Hershey Canada.” Srinivasan also pointed to Lottie London, Strava and Miller Lite as brands that met the challenge for Women’s History Month.

Zara Kerwood, creative technology director, George P. Johnson UK: "From a creative technology perspective, these technologies are a springboard to creativity. All great experiences have an idea at the heart of them. We use these tools to unlock experiences. Those experiences can be richer, deeper, and better shared with groups of people. That’s what will lead to value in the experiential space."

“Collabing with well-known artists that resonate with three different generations and having them participate in a contest in Decentraland’s virtual venue, Triangle Studios, is the perfect recipe for pop-culture success! Doritos continues to create ads that stick to their brand values, allowing them to keep their fans engaged and retained.” —John Higgins, CEO, OS Studios

As we close the books on another year, it’s time to take a closer look at the major themes that defined these past 12 months, from the highs to the lows and everything in between. “If we look back at the start of this year, we can see the rise of things like crypto, the secret place where you can get rich fast, or Web3 being the ‘promised land,’” said John Higgins, CEO and cofounder of OS Studios. “When brands heard about the buzz, they wanted to have a seat at the table first or at least make their presence known immediately. Many people believed NFTs would be the next big thing and have a great impact as opposed to the impact they actually have today. The hype for what could’ve been is almost silent now following the many failed metaverse collabs and projects. The past 12 months have been fairly difficult for the metaverse.”