Viewers watching the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games can now order food and drinks delivered directly to them from the comfort of their own homes. Today, NBCUniversal launched Virtual Concessions, a new commerce-enabled ad feature that allows audiences to purchase food, drinks and other items on-demand while watching the Olympics via QR codes displayed on…
In recent months, there’s been a series of notable private equity investments in up-and-coming advertising agencies. Last month, Svoboda Capital Partners invested in creative agency Highdive. In October, Keystone Capital invested in Barkley, which then merged with OKRP. In September, the London and New York-based independent agency Brainlabs nabbed funding from another private equity firm,…
Global advertising will grow 7.8% and reach $989.8 billion by the end of this year, according to WPP media investment firm GroupM’s This Year Next Year 2024 Global Midyear Forecast. In 2025, the group expects growth to slow down to a 6.8% rate, but reach a new milestone when spending hits $1.1 trillion. A more…
U.S. advertising spending should grow 6.3% in 2024, according to a forecast released by Brian Wieser, an advertising industry analyst and founder of the consultancy, Madison and Wall. Wieser, who earlier this year forecast a slightly lower growth rate of 5.6%, acknowledges the market is growing better than previously expected. Wieser expects total advertising spend…
BENlabs, formerly Branded Entertainment Network, has cut half its staff and pulled the plug on CEO Ricky Ray Butler and his ongoing efforts to transform the company into an Al SaaS provider. ADWEEK obtained an email to the staff from May 24 announcing the cuts written by the company’s new CEO Ted Sheffield, and it…
As Tesla’s sales slide, insiders say it left creative ideas on the cutting-room floor without allowing its nascent marketing team to launch its first significant marketing campaign Investors were enthusiastic when founder and chief executive Elon Musk declared the business was set to “give advertising a go” having eschewed it for 20 years. However, 10…
Every agency wants to be paid its worth for its services, and there are many compensation models that agencies and brands use for payment, but finding the right one that is equitable for both sides, and is easy to implement, is sometimes as clear as mud. A new paper–a collaboration between the American Association of…
U.S. advertising spending is growing faster than analysts thought it would back in December, according to a forecast released by Interpublic Group’s investment arm, Magna. Interpublic Group’s investment arm Magna expects total advertising spending will grow 9.2% to $369 billion–excluding political spending and tentpole events like the Olympics. Back in December, Magna predicted 2024 ad…
Penske Media Corp., which owns a portfolio of entertainment titles including Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, is exclusively selling Vox Media’s advertising inventory in Canada, according to PMC chief revenue officer Craig Perreault. The agreement, which took effect March 8, will let PMC represent the entire Vox Media portfolio in direct sales efforts. Vox Media…
British advertising regulators have reconsidered a controversial decision to ban a Calvin Klein ad featuring musician FKA Twigs on the basis that it presented her as “a stereotypical sexual object.” The billboard in question featured the singer with a shirt draped across her body, revealing part of one breast and the side of her buttocks,…
In 2002, Christina Aguilera’s “Dirrty” video exploded on to MTV, changing everything for the artist. In a blur of red leather chaps, dirt bikes, dancing, muscles and mud wrestling, Aguilera shed her bubblegum pop persona and pushed the boundaries of ’00s sexuality. Over two decades on, Aguilera is rewriting the playbook for women once more,…
The world of advertising is never straightforward, with agencies following societal and tech trends to stay relevant and steer clients in the directions their customers are taking. And as the rate of change has steadily increased–helped along by technology–agencies have had to keep up to survive. With generative AI as the latest major disruption in…
An agreement struck earlier this month between Google and the Canadian government on behalf of the news industry has added further momentum to similar legislative efforts in the U.S., according to News/Media Alliance president and CEO Danielle Coffey. In December, Google agreed to pay the Canadian news media C$100 million ($75 million) annually, fixed to…
Smirnoff is leaning further into intersectionality and inclusivity with a colorful campaign and series of experiences that celebrate the magic that happens when people from different backgrounds socialize together. In mid-2023, the vodka brand unveiled a fresh tagline devised by newly appointed agency McCann, “We Do We.” The hero spot features drinkers of different genders,…
Coca-Cola has rolled out its third generative AI initiative of the year, this time as part of a global holiday campaign. The 130-year-old brand is opening its vault to the public via Create Real Magic, an artificial intelligence-powered holiday card generator. Built on the combined capabilities of GPT-4 and Dall-E 2, within a few clicks…
Coca-Cola has rolled out its third generative AI initiative of the year, this time as part of a global holiday campaign. The 130-year-old brand is opening its vault to the public via Create Real Magic, an artificial intelligence-powered holiday card generator. Built on the combined capabilities of GPT-4 and Dall-E 2, within a few clicks…
‘Tis the season to be merry and bright, but beyond the glittering lights and mulled wine, the demands of the holiday period can often feel like hard work. That’s why this year, McDonald’s wants people to know it’s there for them, whether they want to escape the lackluster office Christmas party or leave the nativity…
For luxury conglomerate LVMH, Scotch brand Glenmorangie is a jewel in the crown of its wine and spirits portfolio. In 2022, the category brought in just over $7 billion in revenue for the French group. Since 2018, Glenmorangie doubled its profits and charted record sales under the leadership of former president and CEO Thomas Moradpour….
Shoppable ads are turning out to be a smart move for smart TV advertising. Top line A recent survey of 1,000 smart TV owners from Samsung Ads and AI-powered video and tech platform Kerv Interactive found that consumers are welcoming shoppable and two-screen experiences into their TV viewing. Between the lines The data found that…
The fifth week of the monumental U.S. vs. Google antitrust trial has cast a glaring spotlight on the revenue-sharing deal between Google and Apple–worth a reported $10 billion–over the latter’s position as the default search engine. Now, the legal basis for that deal is being questioned. If the courts find it illegal, Google’s massive search…
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