Top Ten Marketing Highlights of 2022

With 2022 now history, it's time for my annual “Top 10” marketing highlights post – incredible that this is my 13th post featuring annual marketing highlights.

What do you remember from the 2022 marketing reel? What stood out as marketing innovation, and what will go down in history that was as memorable as Apple’s 1984 Super Bowl ad? Without further ado, let’s get to it!

With a nod and thank you to David Letterman for the format, here's my list:

NUMBER 10: Roe vs. Wade, the landmark piece of legislation that made access to an abortion a federal right in the United States, was overturned by the United States Supreme Court. The decision dismantled 50 years of legal protection and paved the way for individual states to curtail or ban abortion rights. This will impact all sorts of promotions and future elections. (June 24, 2022)

NUMBER 9: Two amazing firsts by inspiring African-American women.

*First African-American woman became an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court: Ketanji Brown Jackson. (She was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Joe Biden on February 25, 2022; confirmed by the United States Senate on April 7, 2022; and sworn into office on June 30, 2022.)

*First African-American woman was elected Mayor of Los Angeles: Karen Bass. (Defeated Rick Caruso in November 8 election and inaugurated December 12, 2022.)

NUMBER 8: TV talk show host Ellen DeGeneres ended her 19-year run of hosting a successful daily talk show. (Final episode aired on May 26, 2022.)

NUMBER 7: Major league baseball celebrated the 75th anniversary of Jackie Robinson’s debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers and breaking the color line in baseball. In recognition of this historic event, on “Jackie Robinson Day,” all players wore Jackie’s number “42” on their uniforms. (April 15, 2022)

NUMBER 6: The United States Mint unveiled its American Women Quarters Program, beginning in 2022 and continuing until 2025. The five quarters issued in 2022 featured: astronaut Sally Ride, poet and author Maya Angelou, Native American activist Wilma Mankiller, educator and suffragist Nina Otero-Warren, and Chinese-American movie star Anna May Wong.

NUMBER 5: In honor of International Women’s Day and the 30th anniversary of Disneyland Paris, the theme park dressed Minnie Mouse in a pantsuit instead of her timeless red and white polka dot dress. Minnie wore a blue polka dot pantsuit designed by Stella McCartney, and in true marketing fashion, a limited-edition Minnie Mouse t-shirt was available online and at Stella’s stores. (March 2022)

NUMBER 4: Russia invaded Ukraine. While there does not seem to be a diplomatic or military end in sight, many brands stopped doing business in Russia, and some raised money for the Ukraine. North Carolina’s Mythic Brewing, Texas’ Palindrome Beer, Pittsburgh’s Bash Brew, and Spain’s Island Brew Mallorca used a “Make Peace Not War,” a customizable peace-sign label to raise funds for Ukraine relief efforts. Apple, Chanel, Prada, McDonalds, and Starbucks closed stores and restaurants in Russia. FedEx halted deliveries to Russia. ExxonMobil exited operations in Russia. Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Levi Strauss & Co., Samsung, Netflix, and Tik-Tok suspended operations in Russia. Car companies including Rolls-Royce, Toyota, Ford, General Motors, and Volkswagen stopped shipping vehicles to Russia. Hollywood studios including Disney, Paramount Pictures, Sony Corp., and Universal Pictures halted or postponed the release of movies in Russia. (On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014.)

NUMBER 3: Social media platform Twitter began to unravel following Elon Musk’s purchase in October. Several haphazard decisions to change the platform were made as well as a majority of staff were fired or let go. As a result, many users migrated to other platforms, and one specifically, Mastodon, added millions of users in a short period of time. In addition, many brands stopped advertising on Twitter. (The acquisition of Twitter by Elon Musk began on April 14, 2022, and concluded on October 27, 2022.)

NUMBER 2: The founder of Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard, who previously expressed his reluctance at amassing wealth, gave away his company to help fight climate change. He explained, “We’re making Earth our only shareholder.” The outdoor apparel company is now in the hands of a trust and a nonprofit organization, and all future profits will be donated to fight climate change. (September 2022)

And NUMBER 1 on my 2022 Marketing Highlights List:

Drum roll please...

NUMBER 1: Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Platinum Jubilee during the summer of 2022, and then sadly, she passed away at the age of 96 on September 8, 2022. Her reign of 70 years and 214 days was the longest of any British monarch and the longest verified reign of any female monarch in history, according to the BBC. This led to her eldest son Prince Charles becoming King Charles III, and his eldest son Prince William becoming the Prince of Wales. While all are predominantly ceremonial roles, the monarch still appears on all forms of postage and currency throughout the British Commonwealth which includes 54 countries around the world. So, consider the costs in changing from the likeness of the Queen to the likeness of the King – plus all the promotional items created as a result of the transition.

According to Charles Scarlett-Smith, Director of Brand Finance Canada, “When we’re thinking about Queen Elizabeth II’s brand, we really are being synonymous with the royal family and the monarchy. That brand alone ranks among the most valuable in the world. For a rough value comparison, putting the royal family’s impact up to a similar list of major corporate brands, the monarchy would rank fourth in the world, behind Google, Apple, and Amazon.”

And finally, to quote Camilla, the Queen Consort, “Queen Elizabeth II carved her own role as a solitary woman on a world stage dominated by men.”

What would you add to this list? Here's to 2023 and another year of marketing highlights. Happy New Year!


Image Credits: Ellen DeGeneres TV show, DisneylandParis, Walkers shortbread cookies, US Mint, and Major League Baseball.