2026 MM+M 40 Under 40 preview with AstraZeneca's Shonel Morrison

February 10, 2026·41 min·3 clips

After a Patriots loss and Bad Bunny's halftime show, MMM previews its 2026 40 Under 40 event with AstraZeneca's media strategist.

A football recap opens the door. The host starts with the New England Patriots' 29 to 13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, then follows the ad-heavy broadcast into a wider marketing chat. Bad Bunny gets the performance nod. Ricky Martin and Lady Gaga come up as cameos before the show turns to MM+M's 2026 live events. The 40 Under 40 dinner is the anchor. Chanel Morrison is introduced as a 2026 honoree and head of media strategy at AstraZeneca, with the host pointing to her more than 14 years in medical marketing. Her agency background matters. The setup covers past roles at Publicis Health Media and Digitas Health, then moves to her recruitment to help remake AstraZeneca's media playbook. The healthcare angle stays practical. Morrison's work is tied to precision targeting, omnichannel deployment, smarter investment, video strategy, and growth for major respiratory and type 2 diabetes brands. Then the mood dries out a bit. After admitting the game did not offer much excitement, the host steers the table toward Super Bowl advertising. Jameson calls the ads underwhelming. The Backstreet Boys karaoke-style bit becomes the example of a spot that got attention, then soured once viewers realized it was for Coinbase. That disappointment drives the ad critique. The group treats memorability and audience reaction as separate things, especially when a highly noticed spot mostly irritates people. Sofia Vergara becomes another thread. The group notes that she appeared in a number of ads, including a Boehringer ad, as part of the night's celebrity-heavy pattern. The episode wraps with housekeeping: the 40 Under 40 event, an upcoming February 17 personnel announcement, and the next episode after Presidents Day weekend.

As heard by us

A Super Bowl-flavored lead-in that lands on MMM's 40 Under 40 honoree.

MMM uses a Super Bowl aftermath conversation to point toward something sturdier: its 2026 live events and this year's 40 Under 40 dinner in Midtown Manhattan.

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Why you'd press play

A pharma-media preview with Super Bowl ad chatter and a sharp look at how AstraZeneca thinks about media.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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