Everyone knows the McDonald’s jingle. Even people who think they don’t.

On a 90-degree day at Brooklyn’s McCarren Park in early September, parkgoer Kash Livingston told us he wasn’t familiar with the jingle. But as soon as he heard “ba da ba ba ba,” he said, “I’m Lovin’ It.”

In 2003, the fast-food giant reportedly paid Justin Timberlake $6 million to sing it. In the two decades since, other celebrities, from Destiny’s Child to Brian Cox, have put their spins on the tune. Its origins and credits have been the subject of much debate, but one thing is clear: It’s one of the most recognizable jingles in the world.

“It’s embedded in my brain at this point,” Nina Benitich, another park visitor walking two dogs, said that same day.

How did McDonald’s achieve every brand’s dream of living rent-free in the heads of basically every person? It started, as most things in advertising do, with an RFP.

Read the full story here.—AM

Promising? Cautious? Maybe a little of both? As marketers await forecasts for retail’s biggest selling season of the year, Klaviyo is coming through with all the deets for their peace of mind.

After surveying 3k US consumers to find out exactly how they plan to shop this Black Friday and Cyber Monday (given current economic headwinds), Klaviyo created The 2023 consumer spending report to share their findings.

This free report covers:

• actionable insights from experts that you can apply to your marketing
• current vs. future spending plans and budget allocation
• marketing strategies that can earn the biggest share of wallet

With the year’s most pivotal shopping season fast approaching, these insights couldn’t have come at a better time. Take a look.

Creators—and the people who work with them—were in no short supply at this year’s Advertising Week New York, proving once again that the $29 billion industry is a marketing staple.

In fact, influencer marketing has become so popular that many brands are featuring creators in emails, commercials, and out-of-home ads.

“I hear frequently that influencer marketing is the wild, wild West,” Jenny Penich, SVP of North America and commercial at Influencer, said on one panel. “That’s actually not the case.”

Here are some of the themes that dominated conversations on panels this year around influencers and creators at Advertising Week.—KH

A new initiative from two former Google execs is using AI to measure top beauty brands’ inclusivity efforts.

The SeeMe Index aims to help both brand marketers identify effective marketing strategies and consumers determine which brands are taking significant steps toward inclusivity. It offers a “Seal of Approval” to brands that score 200 or more points using the company’s methodology, which uses “responsible AI,” coded to include individuals who are gender-nonconforming.

The index measures six identity dimensions—gender expression, age, skin tone, body size, visible disability, and observed sexual orientation—across public advertisements, product lineups, and DE&I commitments.

The index was founded by SeeMe CEO Asha Shivaji, who previously oversaw marketing strategy for Google’s Advanced Brand Acceleration Team, and is also a vet of Johnson & Johnson and Estée Lauder, along with COO Jason R. Klein, a former L’Oréal marketer who most recently served as Google’s head of Human Truths, Analytics, and Data Innovation.

Keep reading here.—EC

New benefits, smarter rewards. Take your business further with the American Express^® Business Gold Card, now smarter and more flexible. It’s packed with enhanced benefits to help unlock more business value—all with the powerful backing of American Express. Learn more here.

Executive moves across the industry.

• Janina Lundy, who previously worked at Amazon, has joined Kevin Hart’s entertainment firm Hartbeat as EVP, head of marketing and brand strategy.
• Cara Williamson joined the X Games as VP of marketing and brand strategy. She was previously director of global brand marketing at The North Face.
• Bianca Ortega was promoted to VP of marketing and digital at Atlantic Records.