How Keebler’s ‘elf-vertising’ experiences bridge the physical-digital gap

The Ferrero-owned brand is bringing its iconic Hollow Tree to life in ads and experiences to promote the new E.L. Fudge Choco Vanilla Cookie.

Heineken promotes a world without social media with creators, Joe Jonas

“Social off Socials” is meant to inspire consumers to unplug and also includes tie-ups with creators like Dude with Sign, Lil Cherry and Paul Olima.

Top marketing conferences to attend in 2025

From trade organization symposiums to gatherings around innovation and technology, here are some must-attend events for advertising professionals. 

Updated May 2, 2025

Meta’s ad biz stays strong but economic, regulatory uncertainty looms

Neither changes to ad spend caused by the trade war nor a pullback on fact-checking seriously affected earnings, but the future is less clear.

Sociable: X offers new tips to help brands avoid common posting mistakes

The recommendations arrive amid ongoing concerns around alleged “shadowbans” and whether or not the platform is limiting certain content.

Corona weathers the apocalypse with ‘The Last of Us’ integration

The collaboration, part of the “La Playa Awaits” campaign, extends across ads, retail displays and custom content. 

‘We’re not just a hot cup company’: What’s next for Stanley

Can the water bottle brand live past its virality? Global President Matt Navarro says it already has.

Why 818 Tequila tapped a NASCAR driver to accelerate cultural marketing

CMO Kathleen Braine explains how partnering with trailblazing driver Toni Breidinger helps boost the reach of the Kendall Jenner-founded brand.

Sephora stakes its claim in skin care with multichannel campaign

Made with TBWA\Chiat\Day LA, “Skin Obsessed” riffs on the realities of complex self-care routines and spans CTV, online video and more.

Publicis acquires Adopt to strengthen connection to sports culture

The four-year-old upstart founded by Nike veterans has worked with brands and athletes including Lululemon and Anthony Edwards.

Chipotle brings trading card mania to Roblox with new experience

Ingredient Quest capitalizes on renewed interest in brands like Pokémon and card-pull social media videos of fans uncovering rare finds.

7-Eleven teams with Live Nation for nostalgic music festival activations

Immersive, social-first activations are intended to be reminiscent of in-store experiences as the chain works to connect with consumers around culture.

Digital video ad spend to grow 14% in 2025: IAB

Digital video is projected to represent 58% of total video ad spending, outpacing linear TV for a second consecutive year.

WPP CEO says tariffs will ‘undoubtedly’ impact ad-spending plans

Mark Read dismisses the notion that there was a “pull forward” in investments in Q1 but acknowledges tariffs could hit some clients hard.

EDO extends data interoperability for TV outcomes measurement

Advertisers can optimize media outreach with third-party audience planning tools by analyzing ad-driven consumer behavior.

Media usage poised to dip in 2025: Here’s what the numbers say

This year is expected to deliver the first drop in consumer usage across traditional and digital media channels since the Great Recession in 2009.

Google’s ad business remains robust despite macro, regulatory threats

The platform is seeing slight headwinds from tariffs in regions that were, until recently, heavy spenders, but said it’s too early to tell the full impact. 

Powerade celebrates next generation of soccer stars in global campaign

The Coca-Cola-owned brand iterates on its “Pause is Power” platform to prepare for major soccer events over the next four years.

Gopuff enhances in-house ads platform with new incrementality solutions

The measurement tools, launched with Koddi, were tested in a pilot program that saw incremental purchases per user increase over 40% on average.

Peloton CMO departs as fitness brand shakes up marketing group

Lauren Weinberg oversaw initiatives including a campaign that tried to appeal to millennial men through a partnership with the NFL’s Watt brothers. 

Updated April 24, 2025

NFL, Adobe team up for AI-powered league and fan-generated content

Adobe’s applications will support the league in bringing more personalized content to owned channels, including the NFL OnePass app. 

What’s next as Google keeps cookies amid challenges to its dominance

The decision to not move forward with an opt-out option arose out of an “evolution” of the industry and regulatory environments, said a Google official.

Sociable: Threads ads expand to all Meta advertisers

After initial testing with brands like Wendy’s, access to Threads ads is now widely available. 

Jim Beam ages its marketing strategy for the budget-minded consumer

The Suntory brand is attempting to expand its consumer base and versatility by promoting Jim Beam Black and building off of its 2024 marketing strategy.

Do the upfronts still matter?

The annual ad-buying bonanza can’t survive on nostalgia and sports alone and needs to modernize, says Juice Media CEO Mark Zamuner.