2016 was quite a year. It was also a fascinating year for the marketing industry, a year marked by mergers, launches, hirings, firings, awards, U-turns, quotes, jokes, jests, dust-ups and a sprinkling of genius.
Here’s a quiz to test how much you’ve been keeping up with events during the year.
Answers at the bottom. Good luck everyone.
Questions
1. KFC re-introduced the Colonel character by having a number of actors play him. Which of these actors has not played the Colonel?
A. Norm Macdonald
B. George Hamilton
C. Jim Gaffigan
D. James Corden
2. Pirelli recently reintroduced the famous (and infamous) Pirelli Calendar. Who was featured in the 2017 calendar?
A. Athletes from the 2016 Olympics
B. The souls of the women, rendering them more naked than a nude
C. Models under 18 years of age
D. Plus-size models
3. David Bowie was a marketing as well as music innovator. What was he the first musician in the world to do?
A. Build a website
B. Sell his records online
C. Issue a bond to tap the future earnings of his music
D. Launch an IPO
4. John Malkovich starred in a movie that will be able to be seen only in 100 years. Which brand was this done for?
A. Tesla
B. Amazon
C. Hennessey
D. Netflix
5. A car company cancelled production of what model?
A. Toyota Scion
B. Fiat 500
C. Buick LeSabre
D. Jaguar X Type
6. Which social-media celebrity accidentally revealed her phone number in her new cookbook?
A. Jennifer Aniston
B. Chrissy Teigen
C. Giada De Laurentiis
D. Martha Stewart
7. The Super Bowl spot “Puppymonkeybaby” was for which brand?
A. Mountain Dew
B. Doritos
C. Pepsi
D. Skittles
8. Deloitte Consulting did something it has never done before. What was it?
A. Bought a sports team
B. Bought an ad agency
C. Was a sponsor of the 2016 Olympics
D. Was the official auditor of the 2016 U.S. election
9. Dos Equis brand ended “The Most Interesting Man in the World” campaign by putting him on…
A. A one-way mission to Mars
B. Survivor
C. A retirement cruise
D. Dancing With the Stars
10. Who was creative marketer of the year at the 2016 Cannes festival?
A. Samsung
B. Heineken
C. McDonald’s
D. Netflix
11. Which ad agency chief creative officer did not take a position at a client?
A. Tor Myhren
B. Andrew Keller
C. Lars Bastholm
D. Ted Royer
12. April Fools’ Day produced a number of ads to celebrate the day. Which of these actually appeared?
A. A rustic-weave toilet paper
B. A vegan foie gras
C. A steam iron that irons two shirts at the same time
D. An around-the-world-in-80-days blimp cruise
13. Ad agencies are a creative bunch. Which of these did an agency announce as something they are offering clients?
A. Full 24/7 Skype access to senior executives
B. A full refund on any campaign that didn’t produce 20% increase in sales
C. An Artificial Intelligence creative director
D. The agency “will invest the same amount of media dollars as the client invests” in the campaign
14. Which brand used a 87-year-old to be their spokesperson to appeal to Millennials?
A. Smirnoff
B. Dos Equis
C. Toyota
D. Virgin America
15. Which brand brought unwanted attention to cemeteries, memorials and churches around the country?
A. Uber
B. Pokémon GO
C. Hulu
D. 3-D robotics drones
16. Which Olympic athlete, who endorsed one product, wore a competitor’s product while being photographed for a Sports Illustrated cover?
A. Ryan Lochte
B. Usain Bolt
C. Michael Phelps
D. Simone Biles
17. Which marketing giant bought Seventh Generation and Dollar Shave Club?
A. Gillette
B. Unilever
C. Procter & Gamble
D. Reckitt Benckiser
18. Who said, “The last few years have been admittedly tough on agencies….It’s time to turn the page.”
A. David Droga, creative chairman and founder, Droga5
B. Nancy Hill, ex-president of the 4A’s
C. Marc Pritchard, Procter & Gamble chief brand officer and new ANA chairman
D. Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO, WPP
19. Which sports organization is having worrying ratings news?
A. NFL
B. NHL
C. NBA
D. MLB
Answers
1. KFC re-introduced the Colonel character by having a number of actors play him. Which of these actors has not played the Colonel?
D. James Corden.
2. Pirelli recently reintroduced the famous (and infamous) Pirelli Calendar. Who was featured in the 2017 calendar?
B. The souls of the women in the images, rendering them more naked than a nude.
3. David Bowie was a marketing innovator as well as a music innovator. What was he the first musician in the world to do?
C. Issue a bond to tap the future earnings of his music.
4. John Malkovich starred in a movie that will be able to be seen only in 100 years. Which brand was this done for?
C. Hennessey.
5. A car company cancelled production of what model?
A. Toyota Scion.
6. Which social-media celebrity accidentally revealed her phone number in her new cookbook?
B. Chrissy Teigen.
7. The Super Bowl spot “Puppymonkeybaby” was for which brand?
A. Mountain Dew.
8. Deloitte consulting did something it has never done before. What was it?
9. Dos Equis brand ended “The Most Interesting Man in the World” campaign by sending him on
A. A one-way mission to Mars.
10. Who was creative marketer of the year at the 2016 Cannes festival?
A. Samsung.
11. Which ad agency chief creative officer did not take a position at a client?
D. Ted Royer
12. April Fools’ Day produced a number of ads to celebrate the day. Which of these actually appeared?
A. A rustic-weave toilet paper.
13. Ad agencies are a creative bunch. Which of these did an agency announce as something they are offering clients?
C. An Artificial Intelligence creative director.
14. Which brand used an 87-year-old to be their spokesperson to appeal to Millennials?
A. Smirnoff.
15. Which brand brought unwanted attention to cemeteries, memorials and churches around the country?
B. Pokémon GO.
16. Which Olympic athlete, who endorsed one product, wore a competitor’s product while being photographed for a Sports Illustrated cover?
C. Michael Phelps.
17. Which marketing giant bought Seventh Generation and Dollar Shave Club?
B. Unilever.
18. Who said, “The last few years have been admittedly tough on agencies….It’s time to turn the page.”
C. Marc Pritchard, Procter & Gamble chief brand officer and new ANA chairman.
19. Which sports organization is having worrying ratings news?
A. NFL.
