Most CMOs had to pivot their messaging and media spend once it became clear the pandemic was about to halt nearly all functions of daily life and business. But for Matt Staneff, executive VP and CMO at T-Mobile, his COVID-19 workload was even larger than most.

As the star of the “Ghostbusters” and “Honey, I Shrunk The Kids!” franchises, Rick Moranis was one of the most ubiquitous actors of the ‘80s. But after 1997’s straight-to-video threequel “Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves!”, Moranis all but vanished from public life and consciousness, reappearing here and there with the occasional voice-acting gig.

With a brand portfolio that includes numerous pantry staples (including French’s, Frank’s RedHot, Lawry’s and dozens of McCormick spices and seasonings), Jill Pratt, Chief Marketing Excellence Officer at McCormick & Company, has had no trouble meeting the demand from the cook-from-home boom that’s been necessitated since COVID-19 sheltering-in-place began in mid-March. In June, the company announced that sales of its products in the Americas increased by 36% year-over-year during the second quarter of 2020, driven by an “unprecedented surge in demand.” 

When Deirdre Findlay joined Conde Nast as its new Global CMO in January, her initial plans involved mapping out the company’s digital future and building a long-term revenue strategy. But just weeks into her arrival, it became clear that COVID-19 was about to cause global shutdowns and sheltering in place. 

Liberty Mutual in early 2019 debuted a new mascot duo to help get their advertising messages out: LiMu Emu (yes, an actual emu) and Doug (a human man), a pair who the company said are passionate about saving people from overpaying for insurance.Created by the brand’s agency, Goodby Silverstein & Partners, the campaign was the latest in a series of more humorous and light-hearted ads that Liberty Mutual was using to stand out in a crowded category. But when COVID-19 struck earlier this year and Liberty Mutual needed to communicate more serious messaging around a customer relief refund, Chief Marketing Officer Jenna Lebel put the duo on hold to strike the right tone.

One of the biggest events every year in Boston is the Boston Marathon, held every April. But due to COVID-19, 2020 will go down as the first year the race, which starts in suburban Hopkinton and ends on Boylston St. in Boston, was canceled in its 124-year history. (The race will be held virtually through a series of events in the second week of September.)