Broken Marketing by Anvara - Week 3

Welcome to Broken Marketing

Welcome to the 3rd weekly edition of Broken Marketing by Anvara, where we discuss marketing that breaks. Every Wednesday we’ll discuss the most innovative marketing and advertising news of the week, and what marketers on the leading edge are doing to get their edge. 

We’re Nick and Andrei, the co-founders of Anvara. We’ve included you here because one way or another we’re connected. We’re happy to have you a part of the Anvara family. 

Marketing that breaks

Severance Reminds Us the *Real* World Is Your Oyster

Apple TV+’s “Severance” is returning for season 2. The marketing team at Apple TV+ took over NYC last week with IRL marketing stunts that went absolutely viral. The cast of Severance appeared in a glass box in Grand Central Station, going about their day as they do in the office setting of the show. People walking by could immerse themselves in Severance, seeing the actors in character and accurate prop details from the set. 

The campaign had everyone in Grand Central (over 750,000 people pass through per day) asking, “What is Severance?”. Real world campaigns like this generate millions of memorable impressions. Compared to fleeting digital ads, these activations are unique and interrupt the mundaneness of life. How can an Instagram story ad possibly compete with this? 

The activation also went viral on social media, generating hundreds of millions of impressions. This is the beauty of real world campaigns. If done right, not only do they make a lasting imprint in the minds of consumers walking by, they become relevant cultural moments that people take to the web to share. 

This is exactly what we stand for at Anvara. In fact, the Grand Central Activation is buyable on our platform. So if you want to copy Severance, visit us at www.anvara.com. Remember, “Good artists copy; great artists steal” - Pablo Picasso (and stolen by Steve Jobs).

Apple didn’t stop at Grand Central. They filled the Soho Apple Store with Severance balloons. They also bought out-of-home ads across the city. Use digital ads to fish for a couple stray clicks online. Use multiple IRL touchpoints if you want to create a movement. 

Big News: TikTok

So TikTok got banned. For 12 hours. As of 10pm EST on Saturday, January 18, US brand advertisers’ paid traffic on TikTok plummeted to 4% of total, down from 33% in Q4 2024. Then, brand traffic hit 0 as TikTok got shut down completely amid a months-long battle with the US Government. The Government suspects TikTok might be spying on US citizens, which they very well might be given their resistance to sell.

Advertisers already shifted ad spend to rival services, including Meta, Google, Pinterest and Snap, in addition to planning more OOH and IRL campaigns for Q2 and Q3. The cost per thousand impressions (CPMs) on Meta rose 16% year over year so far in January, up from usual single-digit rises. It’s becoming more and more saturated to advertise digitally, and increasingly difficult to stand out. A TikTok ban doesn’t help.

President Donald Trump got inaugurated on Monday. He has been working with executive leadership at TikTok to work out a deal and keep the platform operating. TikTok is an engine of the modern small business economy, with 8 million US businesses using the platform and 170 million Americans, so it’s in the country’s best interest to keep it afloat (as long as we confirm we aren’t being spied on).

TikTok campaigns have already resumed. A Trump presidency should lead to a deal, but advertisers are preparing for the worst. While large brands should be able to adapt easily to other means of marketing, small businesses that relied on TikTok will have to stomach higher ad costs on other digital platforms or find ways to reach their audience in the real world.

This week’s news

Here’s a brief update on marketing news from this week:

• The Omnicom-IPG merger, set to close in late 2025, is set to create the world's largest agency company. It aims to save $750 million annually through staff cuts and, you know, “operational efficiencies”. IPG CEO Philippe Krakowsky will join Omnicom as co-president, receiving a $49 million golden parachute and a board seat. Three other top IPG executives are also set for significant severance payouts, while laid-off employees will receive comparable benefits. The deal requires shareholder and regulatory approval across multiple countries. Market reaction has been cautious, with both companies’ stock values declining since the announcement.

• Creative agency Mischief @ No Fixed Address officially launched a media practice. While the independent agency has been offering these services discreetly for the past year, it now promises full transparency on fees, the elimination of hidden mark-ups, and unbiased partner recommendations. Among Mischief's media clients are Supercell and Peet’s Coffee.

• It’s Super Bowl Season. That’s right, $7 million 30 second TV slots are back. Airing February 9 on Fox, Super Bowl LIX features 32 confirmed advertisers, including nine newcomers like Bosch, Coffee Mate, Duracell, Häagen-Dazs, Instacart, NerdWallet, Ritz, Totino’s, and MSC Cruises, alongside returnees like Squarespace and Anheuser-Busch InBev, which will advertise Bud Light, Michelob Ultra, and Stella Artois. Jeep is the sole confirmed automaker so far, while Toyota, Volkswagen, and Kia remain undecided or out. State Farm canceled its planned ad to focus on California wildfire relief, with Fox filling the spot from a 10-15 brand waitlist. Brands are leveraging teasers, such as Reese’s promoting its Chocolate Lava Big Cup and Häagen-Dazs previewing a car-chase ad, to maximize their multimillion-dollar investments. Meanwhile, Tubi will simulcast the game with extra coverage.

That’s all for this week. Happy MLK Day and remember, fortune favors the brave.

What’s Anvara?

Anvara is a first-of-its-kind platform that connects brands with premium real-world advertising opportunities like live event sponsorship, sports marketing, and guerilla marketing. With a focus on innovation, AI, and advanced measurement, Anvara makes it easier for brands to create memorable real-world experiences and measure their ROI. For more information, visit https://www.anvara.com/.

Quote of the week

“Good artists copy; great artists steal.” - Pablo Picasso