If you're a marketing nerd (welcome, you're safe here), you're probably starting to feel like you can't escape Ryan Reynolds.
You're correct. You cannot.
This week, the actor turned marketing-savvy business owner sparked seemingly endless headlines and discussion through his ad work on Mint Mobile and the continuing fun work for his spirit brand, Aviation Gin.
And next week, he'll take the virtual stage (interviewed by yours truly) at Adweek's biggest event of the year, Brandweek Masters Live. In addition to speaking on his marketing philosophy, Reynolds will be accepting our highest annual honor: the Brand Visionary award.
If you missed this week's new work, I definitely recommend you go back and watch Mint Mobile's spot featuring the long-awaited return of comedy legend Rick Moranis, who stepped away from Hollywood in the 1990s to spend more time with his children after the death of his wife.
The Moranis ad, while intentionally light on premise beyond being a good excuse to highlight a long-absent but enduringly influential talent, showed both Reynolds' clout and his heart. And of course the sentimentality of Moranis' return (I'm not going to lie; I got choked up) was kept in check by Reynolds' signature self-deprecating wit.
Reynolds also released another set of Mint Mobile ads this week, and Aviation Gin earned some social media buzz through its satirical take on the OnlyFans phenomenon, OnlyGins.
So let's tackle the question some are politely trying to raise: Are ad folks too obsessed with Reynolds? Is his visibility nearing a level of potential exhaustion or even backlash?
Possibly. I've talked to Reynolds a few times over the past year, and those conversations have made it clear that while he appreciates the built-in reach of his massive social audiences, he seems more interested in transitioning to being behind the camera more often than in front of it. (His Peloton parody, one of our favorite ads of last year, notably only included Reynolds as the voice over, though he was very active in the planning.)
I hope you'll be attending Brandweek Masters Live next week and able to check out my conversation with Reynolds, where we'll definitely get into some of the issues of how he balances his personal and business brands—along with what lessons, if any, he thinks non-celebrity marketers can glean from his success.
In the meantime, let me know your take on Reynolds and what his advertising popularity could mean for other marketers. You can reach me at the email below or at @Griner on Twitter.
Wishing you a weekend of comfort and ad-free detachment,
David Griner
Creative and Innovation Editor, Adweek
david.griner@adweek.com
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