CMO Pulse News and Headlines
CMO Pulse News and Headlines
Olaplex has launched a new multichannel campaign titled “Science Never Looked So Good,” featuring Saturday Night Live star Chloe Fineman as the brand’s Chief Hair Officer. The 45‑second hero spot introduces the No. 3Plus bond‑repair treatment, which claims three‑minute application repairs three hair bonds for three‑times stronger strands. The effort builds on a recent brand refresh that unveiled a new red color palette and a calmer logo, aiming to bridge professional credibility with everyday consumer appeal. Olaplex reported a 3.8% drop in Q3 2025 net sales, with U.S. sales down 14.6% but international growth of 7.1%.
Saudi Arabian airline Saudia has inked a five‑year strategic partnership with Six Flags and Aquarabia Qiddiya City, becoming the exclusive Official Premier Partner in the airline category. The deal will see Saudia create travel packages to the new theme park,...
Hilary Coles and Emily Boschwitz, former Hims executives, have launched Poca, a zero‑calorie sweetener syrup enriched with three grams of fiber per serving. The product combines allulose, monk fruit, and inulin, avoiding sugar alcohols and stevia, and is offered in portable sachets...
The International Society of Brand Advertisers (ISBA) has announced that brands must act collectively to capitalize on a once‑in‑a‑generation market shift driven by digital transformation, AI, and evolving consumer expectations. In his first 100 days, the new ISBA chief highlighted...
Bright Mountain’s Big Village unit has entered a strategic partnership with AI services firm NeuIQ to embed continuous, AI‑driven decision intelligence into its marketing platform. The collaboration modernizes data pipelines, adds reusable analytics assets, and delivers real‑time consumer insights to...
Ethan Gustav, Infobit’s Group President for North America, says AI has moved from a support‑only tool to a core marketing engine, with AI agents expected to handle up to 95% of customer interactions. He highlights the rise of domain‑specific language...
Strategic research firm 5D has unveiled Nexus, an AI‑driven market intelligence hub that consolidates internal customer data with external competitive and industry signals. The platform operates as a network of "cells" that ingest NPS scores, brand research, pricing shifts and...
Rodan + Fields is transitioning from a pure social‑selling model to an omnichannel strategy, launching its Pure C Serum on a new direct‑to‑consumer website and through Ulta Beauty. To amplify the rollout, the brand unveiled a “C‑Suite” influencer campaign featuring seven...
Novo Nordisk has launched the "Champion A Lighter You" lifestyle‑awareness campaign in the United Arab Emirates, partnering with Emirati influencer Dr Sara Al Madani and Saatchi & Saatchi Middle East. The initiative uses a sky‑diving hero video and a suite of digital and experiential activations...
Menarini Asia‑Pacific has appointed Omnicom Media’s PHD as its regional media agency, expanding the partnership to seven additional markets—India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam and Korea—effective January 1 2026. The new remit consolidates media planning and buying across Menarini’s pharmaceutical and consumer‑health...
Bastion announced the appointment of Joanne Norton as managing director of its Insights division, succeeding Steven Howlett. Norton brings over 25 years of experience, most recently as Global Director of Consumer Insights at Bondi Sands and former L’Oréal ANZ insights...
Brother has launched a new Australian brand platform and campaign titled “For When It Matters” in partnership with creative agency Banter. The initiative moves the brand away from pure product‑centric messaging toward a human‑focused narrative that highlights the quiet reliability...
Sting Energy has launched a high‑impact partnership with the Mercedes‑AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, extending PepsiCo’s 2025 global Formula 1 agreement. The collaboration debuted via a unique digital film where the F1 car itself announced the deal, reinforcing the brand’s “Fast just got faster”...
IKEA is returning as the principal sponsor for Australian Survivor: Redemption, extending its partnership with Network 10 and Paramount+. The renewed deal deepens in‑show integration, featuring IKEA‑branded food rewards, sleep solutions, and daily gift‑card competitions during pivotal moments. The brand cites...
Millennials and Gen Z are maintaining or expanding travel budgets in 2026, with 88 % planning to keep or increase spending despite economic headwinds. The Klook Travel Pulse 2026 report shows APAC leading growth, as travelers there are 50 % more likely than their...
Perth Bears have secured Atlas Building as their bottom back‑of‑jersey sponsor in a landmark three‑year partnership. The construction firm joins a growing list of foundation partners, including Cash Converters, IBM and New Balance, as the club prepares for its 2027...
Cheil India unveiled a brand film for Samsung’s Galaxy Book5 titled “Many Me’s in Me,” portraying a Gen Z protagonist navigating multiple creative identities. The ad positions the laptop’s AI capabilities—AI Select, Photo Remaster, and Copilot—as seamless enablers rather than technical...
Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) unveiled World360 Rewards, a global travel‑loyalty program created with branding agency The One Centre, at a blue‑carpet launch in Sydney on 19 February. The program promises faster point accumulation and redemption across more than 500...
Swaraj Tractors, part of the Mahindra Group, has renewed its endorsement deal with former Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni, extending the partnership into a new growth phase. The agreement will see Dhoni front integrated campaigns, including the freshly launched "Bharosa" advertising...
We Are Different, an earned‑first creative agency, appointed former Fleishman Hillard Australia managing director Jenna Orme to a newly created Head of Difference role. Orme left Fleishman in January 2025 after three years and spent the last twelve months running...
24 Hour Business Plan (24HRBP) announced that veteran marketer Mark Coad has joined the firm as a Partner and Senior Advisor. Coad, who has led major agencies such as IPG Mediabrands Australia and OMD, will advise on strategy, leadership, governance...
McCann Group New Zealand announced Zac Stephenson as Managing Director, Media, effective 9 March, and promoted Terri Collier to the newly created Chief Client Officer role. The duo, who previously collaborated at DDB, will steer the agency’s shift toward a fully integrated,...
Optus has unveiled its ‘Pride blooms from Yes’ campaign, marking the telecom’s fifth year supporting the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras 2026. Developed by creative agency Apparent, the platform features a video series that spotlights personal moments from Optus’s...
Comcast’s FreeWheel has hired Woolworths senior media manager Alan Jenner as Director of Platform Partnerships for Australia and New Zealand. Jenner spent nearly five years leading programmatic at Woolworths and previously held senior roles at LiveRamp, Comscore, Optus and Telstra. FreeWheel,...
Milk Makeup announced that Frank Buscarello, known as Frank B, has been appointed global artistic director, reporting to CMO Diana Briceno. The founder‑family insider brings decades of luxury fashion campaign experience and a non‑traditional graffiti background to the role. His mandate...
Sophie Gallagher has been appointed group strategy director at M+C Saatchi, where she will head the agency’s Connections Strategy offering. The role focuses on fusing media and creative disciplines to shape audience perception and drive measurable business outcomes. Gallagher arrives with...
Pizza Hut Australia is re‑introducing its limited‑time Hot Honey Pizza, accompanied by a new advertising push titled “First Sweet, Then Heat.” The campaign is the inaugural collaboration between Pizza Hut and trans‑Tasman creative agency jnr., with media planning by Initiative...
Waterloo Sparkling Water has appointed Dentsu Creative as its social agency of record, coinciding with the rollout of new flavors Banana Berry Bliss, Melon Medley and a year‑round Lemon Italian Ice. The partnership is timed to the opening of the...
French/West/Vaughan announced the hiring of Drew Sykes as Vice President of Social Media and Influencer Marketing, bringing experience from Ignite Social Media and North Carolina State University. Cyber‑security firm Axonius named Meghan Marks as Chief Marketing Officer, leveraging her track...
Sprouts Farmers Market announced two senior‑level hires, appointing Amanda Rassi as its inaugural Chief Customer Officer and Don Clark as Chief Merchandising Officer, succeeding retiring executive Scott Neal. Rassi arrives with more than two decades of CPG and retail marketing...
Vimto has introduced its new Vimto Rose flavour in the Middle East by partnering with Warner Bros. Discovery’s Fatafeat channel during Ramadan. The collaboration embeds the drink within the channel’s Kitchen Tales programming, positioning it as a natural ingredient for recipes, mocktails...
In 2026 brands are abandoning the traditional 30‑second spot for vertical, episodic micro‑dramas that unfold on smartphones. Campaigns like Prada’s global series, Ajio’s *Suit Yourself*, and Cash App’s financial‑literacy reels treat the product as a background character while foregrounding emotion. The...
Anjali Gupta, founder of The Fractional CMO Company, says B2B marketing is reverting to brand‑centric, human‑to‑human storytelling amid a flood of AI tools. She warns that over‑reliance on superficial metrics like MQLs can distort true intent, while AI is reshaping...
Nissan Kuwait launched the “Japanese but Kuwaiti at heart” campaign, highlighting its Japanese heritage while emphasizing local cultural relevance ahead of the 2026 National Day. The initiative, developed by Horizon FCBKuwait, centers on a hero film distributed across social media,...
Amiri is set to launch a 6,500‑square‑foot flagship on London’s Bond Street in April 2026, joining the world’s most expensive retail corridor alongside LVMH’s Rimowa and Emporio Armani. The brand reported over $300 million in sales last year and plans to...
Meta has launched the Agency Growth Collective, a pilot program for independent agencies in the United States. The initiative replaces the traditional single Meta representative with a shared alias that routes communications to a rotating bench of specialists and offers...
LinkedIn unveiled a global brand campaign, “The network that works for you,” created with McCann New York. The humor‑driven ads spotlight awkward, everyday work moments while positioning LinkedIn as a partner for career and business growth. The rollout is split...
The UAE introduced a tiered sugar tax on January 1 2026, targeting beverages by sugar content per 100 ml. In response, Aster Clinics UAE opened the Aster Diabetes 360 Care Clinic in Al Qusais and launched the “Sweet Surprise by Aster” campaign, featuring a vending machine...
Moonfolks, the independent Southeast Asian agency, has opened its first Brunei office in Bandar Seri Begawan, making it one of the earliest foreign agencies to establish a physical presence there. The office is led by managing partner Sheikh Idham Abas...
Employment Hero has launched the AI‑driven “Payday Super: Easy” brand campaign to educate Australian employers about the mandatory Payday Super reforms due 1 July 2026. The campaign highlights a research‑backed gap, with 58% of businesses unaware of the change and 70% fearing...
Dulux has launched an upgraded version of its flagship exterior paint, Dulux Weathershield, featuring the company’s new Maxi‑Flex technology that allows the coating to expand and contract with building surfaces. The reformulated paint promises superior resistance to dirt, mould, algae,...
Opus Agency, previously known as The Company We Keep, has appointed Sarah Peacock as Head of Marketing for the APAC region. Peacock arrives with more than 20 years of experience at PwC Australia, Business Australia, TrueLocal and Skip, and will...
Red Rooster, Australia’s first chicken shop, has unveiled a sweeping brand campaign developed with Leo Australia. The rollout features two 30‑second TV commercials, shorter cuts, and a full suite of social, digital, OOH, PR and in‑store assets. Filmed in authentic...
The Australian Steelers wheelchair rugby team has unveiled an “Officially Unsponsored” campaign, stripping its green‑and‑gold kit to all‑white uniforms with QR codes where sponsor logos would sit. The QR codes direct fans to SponsorSHOP, a digital marketplace that showcases naming‑rights,...
The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan is drawing about 20 million U.S. viewers each day, with NBC’s Peacock platform delivering more streaming hours than the last two Games combined. Advertisers are abandoning traditional “Be Right Back” filler and deploying real‑time, native...
B2BMX 2026’s Leadership & Culture track spotlights how modern CMOs are reshaping teams to drive growth, featuring sessions on playbooks, lead‑gen risk mitigation, and social selling. Speakers include Ricky Abbott, May Petry, Uky Chong, Sarah Icely Hill, and Darren McKee, who...
Oura Ring has been named the official wearable for Team USA at the Milan‑Cortina Winter Olympics, providing athletes and medical staff with real‑time sleep, recovery and metabolic data. The partnership, which also covers all Olympic and Paralympic athletes through the...
Lloyds Bank has rolled out a new series of advertisements under its "Bank on Lloyds" brand platform. The creative work was produced by Publicis Go, a bespoke agency team assembled for the project. The campaign highlights the realisation of long‑held...
PPC is moving past traditional search as AI‑first ad formats like Microsoft’s showroom ads and immersive gaming placements gain traction. Visual creative is becoming a staple throughout the funnel, with brands needing richer asset libraries to feed AI‑driven optimization. Experts...
Clorox Arabia partnered with You Experience to launch a neuroscience‑driven campaign that measured participants' brain activity while they cleaned, drank coffee, ate ice cream and performed other pleasure‑inducing actions. Using EEG headsets on local influencers Kris Fade and Jood Aziz,...
