Here is another set of Trippant Takeaways, a weekly selection of stories that highlight trends, best practice and provocative ideas in communications across sport, entertainment, technology and culture.
A last-minute Fifa World Cup primer from The Verge
After a very long and very, very fraught build-up, the Qatar 2022 Fifa World Cup is here.
If, for any reason, you still need to get up to speed with one of the most-discussed sports events of recent years, The Verge has rounded up some of the key social, media and tech talking points.
The Athletic on what OneLove should really mean
Action on the field has threatened to overtake the debates that have dominated the tournament until now – but that hardly means things have got less contentious.
Fifa’s last-ditch attempt to neutralise on-field protests by effectively banning ‘OneLove’ captain’s armbands – which have nonetheless been worn on TV and in VVIP boxes – has done little to depoliticise the event. Germany’s players drew attention to their being silenced; Iran’s players, with incredible bravery, stayed silent during their own national anthem in a gesture of solidarity with women’s rights protestors at home.
One thing about these rows, as The Athletic’s Adam Crafton articulates, appears upsettingly clear: LGBT people and their interests remain an afterthought in football’s decision-making.
Reuters on the upshot of all that publicity
A footnote to the OneLove episode: Badge Direct BV, the Utrecht-based company that manufactures the armbands, has sold out its inventory.
The Evening Standard on two Grand Masters and one luxury brand
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo had different experiences of the World Cup’s opening week – despite both scoring penalties – but both know their time on football’s biggest stage will probably draw to a close in the next month.
With neither player having won the competition, global interest in their likely farewell is stratospherically high – as Louis Vuitton found when an image of the duo playing chess, shot by Annie Leibowitz, inspired one of the most popular social media posts of all time. Amy Francombe explains what captured the imagination.
The Ringer on Disney going back a Bob
The biggest media story of the past week concerns the biggest media organisation in the world. With share prices sliding despite rising revenues and continued growth in subscribers for its streaming platforms, The Walt Disney Company made the shock decision to recall Bob Iger as CEO, replacing his successor, Bob Chapek.
The Ringer picks up on a story of corporate politics, economic headwinds, costly digital customer acquisition, a complex portfolio and much more besides.
Fast Company on Apple’s metaverse mystique
Amid all the tumult in the tech industry right now, Apple seems to be sailing on through calmer waters. And that means its intentions – real and rumoured – are treated with reverence and intrigue, whether that be a new product line or a mooted bid for Manchester United.
Speculation continues to swirl around plans in Cupertino for the next phase of the internet, with a long-heralded VR headset possibly on the slate for 2023. But as the hype around web3 and the metaverse continues to disintegrate, Fast Company asks what other companies can learn from Apple’s marketing restraint.
The FT and Charged Retail on Black Friday and sales events
Black Friday’s journey from post-turkey exercise during the US Thanksgiving break to international shopping phenomenon has been surprising. But it may already be losing traction, according to Charged Retail.
Still, as the Financial Times reports, major brands are exploring the potential of owned tentpole events as marketing tools.
The Drum on advertising’s environmental impact
Climate responsibility has become a central pillar of brands’ communications strategies in the past few years but as The Drum reveals, the very act of advertising has a growing carbon footprint.
Wired on a meticulous brand activation
Amazon’s acquisition of MGM could yet herald significant changes in how people watch the most enduring film franchise of them all: the James Bond series.
The world’s most famous spy will return just as soon as a replacement is cast for Daniel Craig but whatever happens next, no media innovation will be as frivolous, as expensive or as frankly impressive as being able to view the iconic Bond intro through the back of a mechanical Omega timepiece.
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