Storytelling boosts for women’s sport, the Eurovision sponsorship opportunity, a space-age football alliance, more AI dispatches and a helping of Sheerios all feature in the latest Trippant Takeaways, our weekly selection of pieces that explore communications trends across sport, tech, entertainment and media.
The Hollywood Reporter on F1’s newest series
No one needs to be told again about the reported impact of the Netflix series Drive to Survive on Formula 1’s audience growth, especially in the US. But piece by piece, a wider media initiative is being laid out on top of its success.
The latest project comes from Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine studio, which is creating a docuseries following the 15 female drivers in the F1 Academy. It should be an interesting fit with the company’s other productions and a story worth following, not least if any of these hopefuls becomes the first woman in over three decades to fill an F1 race seat.
The Times on women’s football’s last laugh
Social media was once a hostile environment for women’s football, as trolls and sceptics swamped any news with dismissive or misogynistic posts.
Now, however, the clips shared on social platforms are showcasing moments of outstanding drama and technique that attract fans and excite partners, playing a key role in growing the audience for the game beyond expectations.
Uefa and the European Space Agency on their new partnership
The European Space Agency (ESA) has been working hard in recent years to find commercial applications for its extra-terrestrial research and those efforts have now led it into the world of football.
European governing body Uefa has signed a memorandum of understanding that will see the ESA provide consultancy on community pitch mapping, crowd management solutions and sustainability.
AdWeek on the Eurovision factor
On Saturday, Liverpool will host the Eurovision Song Contest. With its international profile, its fun and inclusive tone, and its distinctively campy brand, it has become one of the biggest global TV events of the year – and sponsors like Baileys and Philadelphia have taken notice.
Business Insider and Entrepreneur on the fate of the metaverse
18 months or so ago, the metaverse seemed to be all around us. Today, coverage is altogether harder to find.
So what happened? Is the metaverse, as Business Insider insists, an empty tech fad whose time has already gone? Or, as Entrepreneur argues, is it just passing its peak on the hype cycle on the way to somewhere more useful?
Ad Age on OpenAI’s brand pitch
While the chatter around artificial intelligence has grown more nervous in the last few weeks, investment and interest show no sign of abating. And Microsoft-backed frontrunner ChatGPT has been positioning itself more explicitly as a partner for brands, with OpenAI head of sales Aliisa Rosenthal laying out its offering.
The Verge on Google’s AI response
The rapid commercialisation of AI appeared to catch search giant Google on the hop, despite the years of development it has driven through its specialist DeepMind unit.
At its annual developer conference, Google I/O, it leaned into the value of its AI innovations as it began reclaiming its status as an information pioneer.
Fast Company on streaming’s dreary design
Viewers have never had more choice or greater autonomy when it comes to the things they watch. But with their clunky recommendation engines, drab layouts and frustrating automated settings, are streaming services making it harder to find something good?
The Guardian on Ed’s Sheerios
From the Beyhive to the Swifties, the fanbases of the world’s biggest pop stars usually leave little doubt as to the depth of their fervour.
Ed Sheeran, on the other hand, can sometimes seem like he has become globally famous by stealth. The Guardian spent some time with his most committed followers, the ‘Sheerios’, to understand how that perception has grown and test its accuracy.
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