Dinosaurs and delis: How Tool of North America crafts epic experiences for Amazon

Two executives at the agency detail how it created innovative activations around "Jurassic World" and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" for the tech giant turned cross-channel marketing platform.

By Chris Kelly • Dec. 18, 2018

Wonderful Halos mandarins partners with 8-year-old YouTube star

Parents can enter their kids to win a play date with the star of ToysReview and receive Wonderful Halos delivered while they're in season.

By Erica Sweeney • Dec. 18, 2018

Blippar collapses amid investor dispute, fires all staff

Two years ago, the AR startup boasted a unicorn-like valuation of $1.5 billion.

By Robert Williams • Dec. 18, 2018

Kool-Aid Man, rapper Lil Jon debut holiday music video

"All I Really Want for Christmas" is the Kraft Heinz beverage brand's latest move to wow younger consumers.

By Erica Sweeney • Dec. 18, 2018

Mobile developers grow optimistic about in-game ads, study says

Perception of in-game ads are steadily shifting from a "necessary evil" to an "important monetization strategy."

By Robert Williams • Dec. 18, 2018

Celebs, humor dominate YouTube's top ads of 2018

Amazon's "Alexa Loses Her Voice" topped the 2018 leaderboard with more than 50 million views.

By Erica Sweeney • Dec. 17, 2018

Google puts $1B toward sprawling new NYC campus

The 1.7 million square-foot expansion builds on the company's recent moves, such as buying Chelsea Market, and comes as Amazon establishes a greater foothold in the city.

By Peter Adams • Dec. 17, 2018

KFC, Tide, Nike among brands that 'won' Twitter in 2018

U.S. Head of Brand Strategy Ryan Oliver highlights brands that have mastered the social media platform.

By Robert Williams • Dec. 17, 2018

Sour Patch Kids wreck gingerbread house in 24-minute Amazon Prime video

The twist on online Yule Log videos is the latest example of brands working with Amazon to create more memorable experiences.

By Erica Sweeney • Dec. 17, 2018

Columbia Pictures promotes film premiere with 360-degree escape rooms

Surviving virtual rooms with themes from the upcoming "Escape Room" enters fans into a contest to win a trip to Los Angeles — and $1 million.

By Erica Sweeney • Dec. 17, 2018

Report: Amazon targets TV advertisers for Fire TV, builds dedicated sales team

Amazon, which has recently been positioning Fire TV as a standalone buy, is asking advertisers how they want to be pitched on the inventory.

By Erica Sweeney • Dec. 17, 2018

From kitchens to Kubernetes: Bringing tech to the consumer at Williams-Sonoma

CTO Yasir Anwar has led successful pilots of Kubernetes and AI and ML-based tools at the company. Even more innovation is on his 2019 agenda.

By Alex Hickey • Dec. 17, 2018

Esurance unrolls 'Surprisingly Painless Gifting' with Dennis Quaid wrapping paper

A limited-edition line of gift wrap, cards, boxes and tags featuring snarky messages and the actor's mug aims to ease stress around the holidays.

By Erica Sweeney • Dec. 14, 2018

Popular gamer Ninja calls NFL game in co-stream on Twitch

The worlds of sports and esports are colliding on Twitch, where gamers with millions of followers provide play-by-play commentary on live football games.

By Robert Williams • Dec. 14, 2018

Facebook Watch expands ad sales to 40 countries

As the social network maxes out ad inventory on its core News Feed, Facebook is seeking fresh ways to grow sales after missing analyst expectations for Q3.

By Robert Williams • Dec. 14, 2018

Connected TV ad requests jump 1,640% in 2018, analysis finds

Roku accounted for more than 87% of ad requests on CTV, with Amazon's Fire TV ranking No. 2 for requests, up from fourth place.

By Erica Sweeney • Dec. 14, 2018

Digital represents 14% of movie ad budgets but drives 46% of revenue, study finds

TV accounted for 82% of marketing budgets and drove just 42% of media-driven box office revenue, while every dollar spent on Facebook brought a nearly $8 return on ad spend.

By Erica Sweeney • Dec. 13, 2018

Adidas pairs with Snapchat for AR sneaker try-on

The shoemaker's latest collaboration with the messaging platform removes friction in the shopping process before the shoes' Dec. 15 release.

By Robert Williams • Dec. 13, 2018

Canada Mountain Holidays kicks off 360-degree ads for winter adventure travel

Users can get a more immersive look at mountain views, helicopter rides and skiing by rotating their phone or dragging their desktop cursor.

By Robert Williams • Dec. 13, 2018

Cheddar launches AR news app for Magic Leap headset

While the tech may not reach a huge audience just yet, the feature positions Cheddar as a pioneer in integrating content with budding immersive platforms.

By Robert Williams • Dec. 12, 2018

Comic Dive: Stroke of Midnight at the Influencers Ball

Payless fooled influencers with the fake luxury of its Palessi stunt, but not all the buzz was positive.​

By John Hazard and Lisa Burdige • Dec. 11, 2018

W Hotels boosts website traffic with St. Vincent YouTube videos

The hotel chain's website saw 39% of social referral traffic from YouTube, twice the industry average.

By Robert Williams • Dec. 11, 2018

Tech the halls: Mall of America debuts holiday AR scavenger hunt

Shoppers can follow a themed story through their smartphone as they explore the mall this season.

By Robert Williams • Dec. 11, 2018

Target decks the halls with mobile AR for Christmas trees

The retail app's "See It in Your Space" feature overlays a digital image of a life-sized tree against a real background through a smartphone camera.

By Robert Williams • Dec. 10, 2018

Google launches Ariana Grande series with mobile-activated billboards

Fans of the pop singer can unlock exclusive "Dangerous Woman Diaries" content by scanning billboards with a smartphone.

By Robert Williams • Dec. 10, 2018