Ads of the Week: 9 Campaigns That Caught Our Eye, From Etsy to NPR
The weekly roundup spotlights nine ads that champion personal agency, from Etsy’s call for human connection to Coinbase’s financial self‑management and NPR’s noise‑cutting promise. Disney’s entertainment portfolio earned the “Most Effective” award in partnership with EDO, while Chobani and the Vanderpump Hotel leaned into community support and indulgence respectively. Primark launched its first global campaign coinciding with a new Manhattan flagship, underscoring the brand’s transatlantic push. The collection reflects a broader industry shift toward empowerment‑driven storytelling.
$50 Million Sponsorships, Sky-High CPMs: Welcome to the 2026 World Cup
The 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup will be hosted across the United States, Mexico and Canada, giving Fox and Telemundo unmatched access to two of the world’s biggest TV markets. Advertisers are scrambling for inventory, with Fox’s top sponsorship packages...
WPP Media Shows Signs of New Business Bounceback, Report Finds
WPP Media topped the global media new‑business rankings for Q1 2026, generating $1.5 billion in fresh client billings. The surge was driven by marquee wins such as Jaguar Land Rover, Estée Lauder and SC Johnson North America. Omnicom Media Group followed in second place with $1 billion in new...
How Condé Nast Grew Its Events Revenue 40% Last Year
Condé Nast’s events division surged 40% in 2025, delivering a significant boost to the publisher’s overall revenue. Chief revenue officer Elizabeth Herbst‑Brady says the company now expects a further 22% increase in 2026. The growth stems from a strategic focus on...
YouTube’s Brandcast Puts Creator Partnerships Front and Center
At Brandcast, Google’s Sean Downey positioned YouTube as the future of media, emphasizing its evolution beyond traditional TV to a multi‑screen ecosystem anchored by Shorts and creator‑driven content. He highlighted the launch of YouTube Creator Partnerships, a matchmaking platform that...
Prime Video Ads Can Now Change Based on What Viewers Already Saw
Amazon announced Dynamic TV Creative, a new tool that automatically adjusts Prime Video ad creatives based on a viewer’s prior exposure to a brand or product. The feature, unveiled at Amazon’s May 11 upfront, builds on last year’s interactive video ads...
Trade Desk Growth Slows to Lowest Rate Since Covid; Publicis Talks Ongoing
Trade Desk reported Q2 revenue of $689 million, a 12% year‑over‑year increase that beat estimates but marked its slowest growth since the 2020 Covid‑era downturn. Adjusted EBITDA rose to $206 million, reflecting a 30% margin, while earnings per share missed forecasts, sending...
New Disney CEO Reveals the AI Enhancements Coming to Disney+
Disney reported a 7% revenue rise to $25.2 billion in Q2, with SVOD revenue up 13% and Disney+ positioned as the digital centerpiece. New CEO Josh D’Amaro announced AI‑driven hyper‑personalized recommendations and ad‑targeting across Disney+ and ESPN, aiming to reduce churn...
Advertisers Spent $1 Billion on Criteo in Q1, Up 8% Year-Over-Year
Criteo processed $1 billion in media spend during Q1 2026, marking an 8% year‑over‑year increase and the first time the company crossed the billion‑dollar threshold. Despite the higher spend, total revenue fell 9% to $425 million, reflecting a broader decline in its core...
Old Navy Appoints Michael Francis as Chief Customer Officer Amid Turnaround
Gap Inc. has appointed veteran brand executive Michael Francis as chief customer officer of Old Navy and head of marketing shared services for the company’s apparel portfolio. Reporting to Old Navy CEO Haio Barbeito, Francis will work with interim CMO...
Ziff Davis Buys Four Brands From Recurrent Ventures, Launches a Lifestyle Group
Ziff Davis announced the acquisition of four Recurrent Ventures titles—home‑focused Dwell, Domino and Business of Home, plus science publisher PopSci—forming a new lifestyle group led by Business of Home founder Julia Noran Johnston. The deal, estimated under $20 million, adds the...
Chinese Retail Is Shaking Up American Retail
Chinese retailers are using New York as a launchpad for aggressive U.S. expansion, with brands like Urban Revivo, Luckin Coffee, Heytea and Miniso opening flagship stores and food halls. These companies bring app‑first ordering, blind‑box psychology and rapid‑scale tactics honed in...
Marketers on the Move: Hires and Exits at Chipotle, PayPal, Overtime, and More
Chipotle announced the appointment of Fernando Machado, former Burger King CMO, as chief brand officer to spearhead its “Recipe for Growth” 2026 turnaround. Machado will focus on authentic storytelling, product development, and guest experience. PayPal hired veteran marketer Antonio Lucio...
Mastercard Is Building for a World Where AI Makes the Decisions
Mastercard processes roughly 150 billion transactions each year, giving it a unique, anonymized view of real consumer spending. In a CES 2026 interview, EVP Rustom Dastoor argues that most brands use AI to reinforce existing tactics instead of unlocking new possibilities, coining...
Pitch Deck: How This Creator-Founded Energy Drink Brand Raised $6 Million
Neutronic, a creator‑founded energy drink launched in 2023 by podcaster Chris Williamson and fitness entrepreneur James Smith, raised $6 million in a Series A round, bringing its valuation to $60 million. The brand reported revenue doubling from $4 million to $8 million in 2025 and...