Mom Guilt, Husband Playbooks -- And A $38B Holiday
Mother’s Day spending is set to hit a record $38 billion, up from $34.1 billion last year, with the average consumer planning to spend $284.25. Jewelry tops the gift categories, projected at $7.5 billion, while flowers are expected to generate $3.2 billion. Kay Jewelers is launching a "Husband Playbook" campaign that uses NFL star Christian McCaffrey to coach men on gifting. Teleflora counters the pressure on mothers with a "If You’ve Worried" spot that highlights the prevalence of mom guilt, especially among Gen Z and millennial moms.
Lionsgate Opens With $97M 'Michael' Thriller
PepsiCo leveraged Walmart Connect’s shopper data to reshape the launch of its new prebiotic cola, originally tested during a Black Friday rollout that sold out in under 24 hours. Real‑time insights prompted on‑the‑fly creative adjustments, emphasizing taste over functional benefits,...
The One Person Who Is Not Looking Forward To New 'Little House'
Netflix announced an eight‑episode revival of "Little House on the Prairie," slated for a July 9, 2026 premiere. Former broadcast journalist Megyn Kelly quickly posted a hostile comment on X, threatening to "ruin" the project if it was “woke‑ified.” The remark...
Dear Marketing Grad: It's Not Great Out There. Here's What To Do
Meta’s recent cut of 8,000 jobs and the elimination of 6,000 open roles underscores a broader slowdown in entry‑level marketing hiring. Taligence data shows an 8.6 % decline in junior marketing postings last year, even as senior openings grew. The shift...
Taboola Strengthens Agentic Across Open Web Advertising
Taboola launched Realize+, a rebuilt, agentic AI advertising platform that automates campaign strategy, budget allocation and creative generation. The system debuted with an AI‑generated YouTube ad and introduces tools like the Budget Allocator and Element Generator to shift spend in...
Beyond The Social Silo: Navigating Meta's New Location Fees
Meta will start billing advertisers a 2%‑5% digital services tax (DST) fee in the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Austria and Turkey beginning July 1. The charge is added on top of ad spend, shifting a cost Meta previously absorbed onto marketers....
Advertising As A Service: The New Agency Compensation Model?
The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) announced the retirement of CEO Bob Liodice and EVP Bill Duggan, prompting reflection on the industry’s compensation models. The author contrasts traditional billable‑hour and value‑based pricing with the emerging "Agency as a Service" (AaaS)...
Mocean Unveils "See Change" Operating Model
Mocean, a Los Angeles creative agency, has launched the “See Change” operating model that unifies its five core practices—Strategy & Creative, Social & Community, Content Studio, Design Studio, and Post Studio—into a single workflow. The model is designed to accelerate...
Where Eagles Dare, Karate Kid's Zabka Represent Midas' 'Best'
Midas commemorates its 70th anniversary with the "Midas Is the Best" campaign, featuring William Zabka—best known as Johnny Lawrence from *The Karate Kid*—as a modern‑day Midas Master Technician. The year‑long, integrated effort, created by Pittsburgh‑based indie agency Where Eagles Dare,...
Pedigree, Spot & Tango Campaigns Feature Real Dog Owners
Legacy pet food brand Pedigree and direct‑to‑consumer label Spot & Tango are rolling out new campaigns that feature real dog owners rather than polished actors. Pedigree’s “Good Then, Better Now” platform, created by BBDO, will debut in the U.S. across...
WPP Media, Google, CBS Back 'Cultural Relevance Score'
Los Angeles‑based startup Culture Hive Media Group has launched the AI‑powered Cultural Relevance Score (CRS), a metric that quantifies how well ads align with target audiences’ cultural values. An advisory board featuring Google, WPP Media, CBS and other industry leaders...
When Is A Glass Of Beer Like A Cup Of Tea?
Miller Lite has teamed up with gymnast‑actress Livvy Dunne for a "Legendary Moments" campaign that blends social‑media video content with real‑world experiences. The partnership debuted a limited‑edition Miller Tea Time set—a $75 kit featuring a custom tea kettle that pours...
Other Gum Is 'Dumb,' Says 'Smart' Neuro In First Campaign
Neuro, an 11‑year‑old functional chewing‑gum brand, has launched its first national advertising campaign titled “Gum Is Dumb,” positioning its product as the industry’s first “smart gum” for energy and focus. The campaign, featuring a sloth mascot, coincides with a retail...
Meta Rolls Out AI Business Assistant To All Advertisers, Agencies
Meta announced the global rollout of its AI Business Assistant, extending the beta to advertisers and agencies of all sizes across major markets and languages. The tool, first piloted with U.S. small businesses, delivers real‑time, data‑driven recommendations, account restoration, spend‑limit...
WARC: AI Redefines 'Companionship'
The World Advertising Research Center’s 2026 Consumer Trends report reveals AI is reshaping companionship, with 10% of global consumers reporting a relationship with an AI chatbot and 62% preferring AI for personal advice. The study links this shift to reduced...
Barilla Selects SAMY As Global Influencer Marketing Partner
Barilla has appointed social‑first agency SAMY as its global influencer‑marketing partner, launching a unified creator strategy across Italy, Brazil, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden and Denmark. The partnership follows a formal pitch process and will deliver strategic playbooks that preserve Barilla’s brand...
NFL Draft Will Be Three-Day Ad Inventory Festival With Shoulder Pads
The NFL Draft returns April 23‑25, 2026 as a three‑day live event that has morphed into a massive advertising festival. CivicScience data shows 39% of respondents plan to watch, indicating a sizable audience despite overall TV fragmentation. Brands will be able...
Rebuilding The Etsy Brand Around The Moments Of Your Life
Etsy is reshaping its brand around "milestones and mini stones," leveraging spontaneous cultural moments like breakup parties to fuel social‑first advertising. The new Festival Shop, launched this month, pairs musical artists such as Laufey, PinkPantheress and Willow Avalon with independent...
Video Podcast Users Rise, YouTube Leads
Video podcast consumption is accelerating, with 62% of all podcast listeners tuning in on YouTube and 80% of the 160 million U.S. podcast audience regularly watching video versions. Spotify now commands a 45% share of the overall podcast market, while YouTube...
Snickers, Twix Use Laughs To Launch New Products
Mars is rolling out humor‑driven campaigns for Snickers and Twix as it expands its product lineup. The "Stuck" campaign promotes Snickers Peanut Butter and Peanut Butter Ice Cream with a comedic hiker ad, while Twix launches bite‑size Twix Bits starring...
Modelo Beer Goes All-In On World Cup With Largest Ever Futbol Investment
Modelo Especial and Modelo Negra have launched the “Best Seat in the House” campaign for the 2026 World Cup, marking the brand’s largest futbol media spend. The effort includes TV ads during 104 Spanish‑language matches and sponsorship of every Telemundo...
Fallon Savors Bertolli Alfredo Pasta Sauce
Fallon agency launched the "Take the Alfredo" campaign to promote Bertolli Alfredo as the default pasta sauce, challenging the entrenched preference for red sauce. The campaign features two digital spots, "Flock" and "Rose," distributed across streaming audio, social, video and...
'Always On' Isn't Broken -- The Way We Use It Is
The article argues that today’s “always on” advertising has devolved into a blanket, budget‑draining approach that treats every audience as constantly receptive. It calls for a shift from a channel‑centric mindset to a behavior‑centric one, activating each medium only when...
The BDR Road Trip: How Business Development Reps Are Reaching Out To Prospects
A new 6sense study of 872 business development representatives reveals that timing errors still drive 78% of prospect rejections, but account‑prioritization tools can lower that rate to 65%. Multithreading—engaging multiple stakeholders—remains widespread, with two extra personas delivering the strongest quota...
Arkansas 'Addictive Practices' Law Likely Unconstitutional, Judge Rules
A federal judge in Arkansas issued a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of Act 900, which would have prohibited social‑media platforms from using features that could foster addictive or compulsive behavior in users under 16. Judge Timothy Brooks ruled the ban overly...
Kepler Taps Garcia To Lead Social, Entertainment, Culture Intelligence Efforts
Kepler announced Kim Garcia as Vice President, Head of Social, Entertainment and Culture, a role designed to expand the agency’s influencer‑marketing and cultural‑intelligence capabilities. Garcia arrives with nearly two decades of experience, including leadership stints at VaynerMedia, Tagger Media and...
TikTok's Emerging Ad Formats Now Covered By Zefr
Zefr is extending its AI‑powered brand safety, suitability, viewability, and invalid‑traffic measurement to TikTok’s Search, Smart+ and TikTok Lite ad formats. The new integration lets advertisers verify safety across TikTok Search Feed, Search Results and automated traffic campaigns. It also...
Action Bronson Promotes Minute Maid Spiked For 'Good Time'
Coca‑Cola’s Red Tree Beverages has launched Minute Maid Spiked, a line of flavored wine‑cooler and ready‑to‑drink vodka cocktails, with its first campaign starring rapper‑chef Action Bronson. The creative work is handled by agency Gertrude, which emphasizes a multi‑dimensional, “no‑fuss” vibe across...
FTC Withdraws Demand For Information From NewsGuard
The Federal Trade Commission has withdrawn its civil investigative demand (CID) for information from news‑rating service NewsGuard after reaching settlements with major ad‑holding firms Dentsu, Publicis and WPP. The agreements bar the holding companies from considering a publisher’s political or...
Zig-Zag To 4/20 Stoners: Slow It Down
Zig‑Zag is reviving its rolling‑paper heritage with the "Life’s Fast, Burn Slow" campaign, debuting lounge‑style activations at 4/20 music festivals across six states. The brand aims to slow the pace of consumption by offering dedicated spaces for rolling, relaxing, and...
Brands Bought All The AI, Forgot To Fix The Chaos, Merkle Says
Merkle’s latest research reveals that while brands have splurged on AI tools, most still wrestle with tangled content workflows. Only 5% of companies report a clear ROI from internal AI projects, and 64% of executives cite competing initiatives as a...
With 'The Mandalorian & Grogu,' Archer Meats Finds Its Big-Deal Moment
Archer Meat Snacks, a fast‑growing clean‑ingredient beef and turkey stick brand, has secured a 360‑degree partnership with Disney for the upcoming *Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu* theatrical release on May 22. The deal includes co‑branded packaging, a Disney+ ad hub, placements...
Pinterest Celebrates Life Before Social Network Addictions
Pinterest announced a multi‑channel "Life Before Social Network Addictions" campaign launching May 1, pairing 30‑ and 60‑second YouTube spots with TV, cinema, OOH and digital ads. CEO Bill Ready urged governments to ban social‑media use for children under 16, positioning Pinterest...
Peloton Wants To 'Push' Users To Move With Joy
Peloton has launched its "Find Your Push" campaign across the U.S. and Canada, partnering with Toronto creative shop Division and Denim. The ad, directed by Bethany Vargas and starring Hudson Williams, showcases the Peloton Tread+ and more than 15 workout modalities,...
Conde Nast Shrinks: Publisher Is Closing 'Self' And Several 'Glamour' Editions
Condé Nast announced a portfolio overhaul, shutting down the *Self* magazine and ending the *Wired* Italy edition while winding down *Glamour* operations in Germany, Spain and Mexico. Health and wellness stories from *Self* will be folded into *Allure* and *Glamour*, and...
Pinterest's Plea: 'Put Down Your Phones'
Pinterest is rolling out a "How did they do it" ad campaign that tells users to put down their phones and live offline, debuting on May 1 across TV, cinema, out‑of‑home and digital channels. The company frames its platform as engineered...
Why It's Best For Marketers To Reach Gen Z On The Go
Lyft’s new Gen Z Insights Report, based on 94 million rides, shows the cohort accounts for 24% of riders but 28% of trips, heavily skewed toward nightlife and weekend travel. Nearly half of rides to fast‑food brands like Taco Bell and...
Threads Expands Social Media Management Functionality
Meta’s Threads platform is rolling out a suite of API enhancements that let brands cross‑share to Instagram Stories, schedule posts up to 10,000 characters, embed content without tokens, and receive real‑time notifications. The changes also lower the follower threshold for...
YouTube Lets Users Remove Shorts From Its Home Feed Via Timer Setting
YouTube has expanded its time‑management settings to let any user set the Shorts feed limit to zero minutes, effectively removing Shorts from the home feed. The option, first introduced in October 2025 with a 15‑minute minimum and later limited to parental...
What Barbie Learned From Her First Trip To Coachella
Mattel’s Barbie, fresh off the $1.4 billion 2023 film success, faced flat sales and a full‑year decline, prompting the brand to seek new relevance. It answered with a "You Can Be Any Barbie" pop‑up at Coachella, drawing more than 6,000 on‑site...
IAB: Ad Revenue Reached $294.6B In 2025
The Interactive Advertising Bureau reported that total internet advertising revenue hit a record $294.6 billion in 2025, a 13.9% year‑over‑year increase. Social‑media ads led the surge, generating $117.7 billion and accounting for 40% of the market, driven by the creator economy and...
Crazy Real: Stink Studios Reveals Rippling's HR Options
Stink Studios has been appointed the UK agency of record for Rippling, the San Francisco‑based HR and payroll platform, launching its first British brand campaign. Titled “The juiciest thing to happen to HR and Payroll,” the integrated effort uses real‑world, quirky...
Duracell Debuts Batteries With Messi's Tattoos
Duracell is rolling out a limited‑edition battery pack printed with Lionel Messi’s iconic left‑leg tattoos, timed for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The campaign, built on the successful Super Bowl ad featuring Tom Brady, expands across TV, streaming, social and...
AI In Marketing: ATM Or iPhone?
The article argues that AI’s impact on marketing will resemble the iPhone’s disruption of bank tellers rather than the ATM’s complementary role. While early AI discussions focus on augmenting existing tasks, the author warns that AI agents could create a...
TikTok Expands 'Symphony,' Offers AI Video For Brands, Creators
TikTok has woven ByteDance’s next‑generation Dreamina AI video model into its Symphony ad suite, letting brands generate full‑motion videos from text prompts, images or reference clips. The model, built on the Seedance 2.0 architecture, promises consistent product portrayal to improve consumer...
Kotex: From Period Art To Acts Of Female Solidarity
Kotex launched the “Art’s Missing Period” campaign, unveiling a year‑long virtual gallery of 40 period‑themed artworks that restores censored menstrual imagery in museums. A branded truck roamed New York City past the MET, Guggenheim, Whitney and MOMA, promoting the gallery...
More Evidence Of Sports Marketing's Generational Inflection Point
Sports marketers are pivoting toward a new generation of socially driven fans, investing heavily in high‑tech venues and premium experiences. While younger attendees embrace in‑seat digital activations, older loyal season‑ticket holders often feel alienated by app‑only entry and complex interfaces....
First Impressions Are Forever: Sonos's Rachel Dudley on Getting Customer Onboarding Right
Sonos senior director Rachel Dudley says onboarding is an enterprise responsibility, not just a marketing task. She describes the company’s “First 30 Days” program that integrates CRM, packaging, and software to ensure new owners learn the product and receive help...
Gen Z Grows Up, Keeps Scrolling, Still Doesn't Trust You
Morning Consult’s "The State of Gen Z" report finds that as the cohort reaches adulthood, their purchasing power and family responsibilities have grown, yet their wariness of brands remains entrenched. TikTok leads as the preferred platform for 32.8% of Gen Z, followed by...
Doner Revisits 'Flick Your Bic' In 'Saxy' Spot
Bic Lighters has relaunched its iconic “Flick Your Bic” tagline with Doner’s new “Waxy Saxy” ad, a flamboyant YouTube‑centric spot that reimagines the brand’s 1970s vibe for today’s edgy consumers. The campaign positions Bic as a lifestyle catalyst rather than...