The Media Tracker: Advent Calendar Week 1

Welcome to December where we invite you to The Media Tracker’s second annual advent calendar series. Each week, we’ll highlight the year’s top trends with prediction on what’s to come in 2025.

Author

Melanie Singer
December 05, 2024

The Media Tracker

Welcome to December where we invite you to The Media Tracker’s second annual advent calendar series. Each week, we’ll highlight the year’s top trends with predictions on what’s to come in 2025.

While this may not be as exciting as Murray’s 12 Days of Cheese or of course my favorite, Bonne Maman’s advent calendar, I hope the remaining issues add some intrigue heading into the new year.

P.S. The Media Tracker offers corporate subscriptions! If you’re interested or still on the cusp, reach out and I can send you a customized 1-sheeter for your team/company. If you’re at an associate or coordinator level, I’m happy to chat out a payment plan so you can continue receiving this tool to level up at your job :)

2024 Advent Calendar 🗓️

Week 1: Finance

The theme: financial based companies really flexed their ad dollars this year. In 2023, there was far less ad spend from J.P. Morgan to Goldman Sachs and others as they experienced the current event rollercoaster. This led ad campaigns to be turned on and off throughout the year. Yet, financial companies folded a new leaf and dished out ad spend consistently throughout 2024.

  • Well Fargo stood out this year with a strong media mix across various sites. They stuck to multi-part studio pieces on Bloomberg to newsletter sponsorships across Axios, WaPo, Politico, and Punchbowl. Messaging primarily focused on the impact they’ve had helping clients grow their businesses.

  • Silicon Valley Bank was a big ad spender across publishers like Axios, Fortune, and WSJ, as they continued to rebuild the public’s trust. They stuck to RON, HPTO’s and newsletter sponsorships to promote Yes, SVB.

  • J.P. Morgan, Merrill, Citizens Bank, UBS, US Bank, Goldman Sachs and others appeared within stream takeovers to HPTO’s, all promoting their expert services.

Thoughts & Notes: we know this sector’s ad spend is very dependent on current events and how they’re perceived in the news and public’s eye. While volatile, we can expect the new year to continue on a strong note for financial companies, similar to this past January, with messaging that taps into kicking off the new year by getting financials in order.

Ads across the web this week

Notable Campaigns 

The Root 100 ad on Quartz

The Root 100 ran a HPTO across Quartz on 12/2, promoting their show at The Apollo Theater.

Jobs Ohio ad on Forbes

Jobs Ohio is running a week-long HPTO across Forbes, promoting the success in JobsOhio clients.

Chevron ad on Axios

Chevron ran a HPTO across Axios on 12/2, driving to their studio piece on their core beliefs and the future of energy.

Van Cleef & Arpels ad on Air Mail

Van Cleef & Arpels is running a week-long HPTO across Air Mail, driving awareness to their new boutique on Madison Ave, NYC.

Ralph Lauren ad on The New Yorker

Ralph Lauren ran a HPTO across The New Yorker on 12/2, promoting their Holiday 2024 collection.

FX Networks ad on Puck

FX Networks ran a HPTO across Puck on 12/2, with FYC messaging around season 2 of The Old Man.

Meta ad on Politico

Meta ran a HPTO across NYTimes on 12/4, Politico on 12/3 and today, 12/5, promoting their Instagram Teen Accounts.

Doctors Without Borders ad on WaPo

Doctors Without Borders ran a HPTO across WaPo on 12/3, promoting their Giving Tuesday matching.

Celebrity Cruises ad on WSJ

Celebrity Cruises ran a HPTO across WSJ on 12/3, driving awareness to their Black Friday Event.

ACLU ad on Vox

ACLU ran a HPTO across Vox, The Atlantic, and The New Yorker on 12/3, calling for signatures to put lawyers in courtrooms around the country who will stop the Project 2025 agenda.

Tumi ad on WSJ

Tumi ran a HPTO across WSJ on 12/4, promoting their best sellers for gifting this holiday season.

Meta ad on Axios

Meta ran a HPTO across Axios on 12/4, promoting their Open Source AI, available to everyone.

Prada ad on The New Yorker

Prada is running a two day HPTO across The New Yorker from 12/4 to today, 12/5, promoting their Women’s Holiday Collection.

Elastic ad on The Atlantic

Elastic is running a HPTO across The Atlantic today, 12/5, running general brand awareness around their Search AI.

Newsletter Tracker

J.P. Morgan sponsorship in Axios Closer

Here's a link to the full newsletter list

Across the newsletter tracker, this week has a STR of 71%, 46% up from last week 💸

New Branded Content

AWS studio piece on WaPo

Here's a link to the full branded content list

Industry News + Product Launches

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