This Old Marketing
AI Partnerships, Ads in ChatGPT, and the "Most Amazing" Super Bowl Bet (516)
This Old Marketing
•January 23, 2026•1h 11m
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This Old Marketing•Jan 23, 2026
Why It Matters
Understanding how tech giants are aligning on AI and monetising platforms like ChatGPT helps marketers anticipate shifts in consumer expectations and privacy concerns. The episode also shows why bold, human‑centric storytelling remains crucial, even as AI reshapes the media landscape, making the discussion timely for anyone navigating the evolving intersection of technology and brand strategy.
Key Takeaways
- •Apple partners with Google Gemini for next‑gen foundation models
- •OpenAI rolls out ChatGPT advertising, targeting broader user base
- •Mr. Beast teams with Salesforce for high‑impact Super Bowl ad
- •Dos Equis highlighted as standout marketing winner this week
- •Hosts praise Google Gemini's research depth over ChatGPT's cliches
Pulse Analysis
Apple’s latest AI move signals a strategic shift toward leveraging external expertise. By aligning its upcoming foundation models with Google’s Gemini platform, Apple aims to accelerate Siri’s personalization while preserving on‑device privacy. The partnership underscores a broader industry trend where hardware giants outsource large‑scale model training to cloud‑native leaders, allowing faster feature rollouts and deeper research capabilities without massive internal R&D spend. Analysts view this as a pragmatic response to the escalating costs of building proprietary large language models.
OpenAI’s decision to introduce advertising within ChatGPT marks a pivotal monetization experiment for generative AI services. The rollout, paired with the expansion of the low‑cost ChatGPT Go plan, seeks to broaden access while generating new revenue streams. Simultaneously, the surprise collaboration between YouTube star Mr. Beast and Salesforce for a Super Bowl commercial highlights how influencer clout is migrating into B2B contexts. Brands are now betting that high‑visibility entertainment partnerships can translate into enterprise lead generation, reshaping influencer marketing playbooks for large‑scale campaigns.
Beyond the headline AI stories, the episode spotlights notable marketing successes and niche trends. Dos Equis earned the “winner” accolade for its clever beer campaign, reinforcing the power of humor and cultural relevance. Breeze Airways received a shout‑out for its lightweight service experience, illustrating how travel brands can differentiate through experiential messaging. The hosts also discussed practical challenges like setting up official artist channels on YouTube, reflecting the everyday technical hurdles marketers face while scaling digital content. Together, these insights paint a vivid picture of a rapidly evolving media landscape where AI, advertising, and creative partnerships intersect.
Episode Description
This week on This Old Marketing, Joe and Robert unpack a trio of headlines that perfectly capture the optimism and overconfidence of the AI era.
First, Apple and Google announce a multi-year partnership on AI. Two of the most powerful companies on the planet, joining forces to shape the future of intelligence. What could possibly go wrong?
Then OpenAI confirms that advertising is coming to ChatGPT later this year. The honeymoon phase of AI is officially over, and the business model phase has arrived. Joe and Robert explore what ads inside conversational interfaces really mean for brands, creators, and trust.
Finally, Salesforce steps up to answer MrBeast's call for the "most amazing Super Bowl ad ever" for Super Bowl 2026. When enterprise software meets YouTube spectacle, expectations get set very high. And history suggests that rarely ends quietly.
Marketing Winners:
Dos Equis, for proving that great brand storytelling and humor still cut through, even in an AI-flooded content world.
Breeze Airways, for smart positioning and customer-centric marketing in an industry that desperately needs both.
Rants and Raves:
The continued rise of AI-generated music hitting the charts, raising uncomfortable questions about creativity, authorship, and what "human" even means in popular culture.
A rave for Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning, and why its lessons about purpose, suffering, and responsibility feel more relevant now than ever in a world optimized for convenience and automation.
As always, the episode ends where This Old Marketing lives best, at the intersection of technology, media, and the timeless human need for meaning, trust, and something real to hold onto.
Subscribe and Follow:
Follow Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose on LinkedIn for insights, hot takes, and weekly updates from the world of content and marketing.
This week's sponsor:
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Get all the show notes: https://www.thisoldmarketing.com/
Get Joe's new book, Burn the Playbook, at http://www.joepulizzi.com/books/burn-the-playbook/
Subscribe to Joe's Newsletter at https://www.joepulizzi.com/signup/.
Get Robert Rose's new book, Valuable Friction, at https://robertrose.net/valuable-friction/
Subscribe to Robert's Newsletter at https://seventhbearlens.substack.com/
This Old Marketing is part of the HubSpot Podcast Network: https://www.hubspot.com/podcastnetwork
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