It’s the time of the year for many “best” lists to come out. Today, we look at the 2020 Advertising Age best marketers of the year list.
This post is a good complement to Leading National Advertisers 2020.
The Top Ten: 2020 Advertising Age Best Marketers of the Year
The 10 brands that comprise our 2020 Marketers of the Year list didn’t just survive the pandemic, they thrived.
Number one? TikTok, which emerged as a major pop culture force and must-stop for an increasing number of brands, including several on our list. That includes cosmetics upstart e.l.f., which had the foresight to jump on the platform back in late 2019 with its 15-second “Eyes Lips Face” song. Since then, it amassed 10 billion views for its TikTok content. Other new economy brands on the list include meditation app Calm, whose Election Day marketing set a new standard for timely product placement. Online marketplace Etsy smartly tapped into trends like DIY and masks.
But breakthrough marketing in 2020 was not confined to plucky startups. Stalwarts like State Farm (nearly 100-years-old) cracked the list, thanks to a reinvention strategy. That included putting a new spin on its iconic “Like a good neighbor” tagline. McDonald’s, number two, found ways to reach new audiences. Such as its wildly successful Travis Scott collaboration.
To access examples from each of the marketers on the list, click on the image. The examples are multimedia in nature.
