How to win back-to-school marketing as American Eagle’s big bet blows up

Though spending forecasts are bleak, value-focused messaging and smart social media plays could help brands transcend the turbulence. 

Patrón takes a shot on dance music culture with Boiler Room partnership

The cultural play allows the Bacardi brand to connect with underground music fans around the world as it looks to boost its premium bottling.

Dove seeks underarm ambassador as part of US Open sponsorship

The brand is holding an open casting call for a content creator who isn’t afraid to show off their pits as Unilever ramps up its work around influencers. 

Sociable: Google expands its use of AI to detect invalid ad traffic

Enhanced abilities around analyzing ad placements could reduce ad costs and help advertisers reach more of their target audience.

E.l.f. argues against overpriced cosmetics with legal-themed campaign

“E.l.f.ino & schmarnes” features comedian Matt Rife and drag icon Heidi N Closet as a satirical legal duo and will include a New York City pop-up event.

How Mondelēz is modernizing Ritz as it turns to snacks to drive growth

The cracker brand’s partnership with Bad Bunny demonstrates how the CPG marketer is looking to connect with consumers around culture.

IPG partners with Aaru for AI-powered consumer simulations

The deal will grow Acxiom’s identity resolution and audience management capabilities and bolster IPG’s Interact platform with more data-driven tools.

Dick’s Sporting Goods grows bets on sports content with in-house studio

Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios follows the retailer’s Emmy-winning documentary work and arrives as others invest in original programming.

DEI pushback affects LGBTQ+ marketing: Here’s what the numbers say

Inclusive ads impact the purchasing behavior of 77% of LGBTQ+ consumers, according to data from Disqo and Do the Werq.

McDonald’s brings back McDonaldland to unlock consumers’ ‘core memories’

Publicis, Wieden+Kennedy, TMS, ProdCo, We Are Social, IMG and IMS collaborated on different elements of the nostalgic campaign.

Updated Aug. 11, 2025

Bud Light kicks off NFL season with at-home tailgates, Peyton Manning

The spot from Anomaly follows the brand’s well-received Super Bowl spot and a recent tie-up with Netflix and Manning’s Omaha Productions.

Olipop appeals to young men with SpongeBob flavor, Roblox experience

Players within the existing SpongeBob Tower Defense game in Roblox can collect cans of the new Pineapple Paradise flavor as an in-game reward.

Loyalty programs with active communities appeal to Gen Z, study finds

Approximately one-third of Gen Z and millennials surveyed by Gale said they stopped using a loyalty program because it felt impersonal.

Weber Ranch Vodka debuts AI-powered mobile mixologist

The tool relies on OpenAI technology to connect consumers with a virtual bartender via SMS for cocktail recommendations and personalized guidance.

What Disney’s NFL, WWE deals mean for the future of streaming ads

With streaming now representing more than 40% of its total upfront volume, the entertainment giant is looking to gird itself as linear TV declines.

How Yum Brands predicts the ‘it’ beverage of the future

Yum Brands CMO Ken Muench explains how the company knows, years ahead of time, which flavors it will pursue for beverage innovation.

Why Kellanova’s snack brands inked first sports deal as a group

Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Cheez-It and Pop-Tarts marketer has teamed with U.S. Soccer, the governing body for MLS and the NWSL.

How Carl’s Jr. built on big game success with social star Alix Earle

The fast-food chain has featured the TikTok personality in a series of campaigns that harken back to the racy ads it ran over a decade ago.

How Kroger built a sonic ecosystem into its multichannel brand platform

The grocery giant teamed with Made Music Studio to expand on existing brand elements and engage with evolving consumers.

Anthropologie upgrades Maeve private label to stand-alone brand

A robust marketing strategy includes an ad campaign across digital and physical channels, a Substack newsletter, an in-person event and more.

How Domino’s new ads hit at fast food burger chains in fight over value

New spots visualize how a slice of pizza stacks up to a similarly priced slice of a burger to boost a long-standing deal and reach value-focused consumers.

Liquid Death brings guillotines to fantasy football with Yahoo Sports

The edgy canned water brand digitally beheads fantasy football players in a collaboration with a leading platform for the popular game.

Neutrogena taps into ‘steamy’ #BookTok trend with sultry short stories

The brand is hoping to take advantage of a TikTok trend that has garnered over 4.7 billion views and helped to boost romance novel sales.

Columbia slams ‘pristine’ outdoors marketing with new brand platform

Looking to cut through category sameness, “Engineered for Whatever” leverages dark humor and grit to show how Columbia’s gear is tested.

Campaign Trail: Miracle-Gro invites gardeners to have a ‘Full Bush Summer’

Inspired by a cultural trend that spans social and traditional media, the edgy campaign began as an idea from The Martin Agency.