Relive the year's 6 biggest brand fails — they carry important lessons for marketers

From Cambridge Analytica to Papa John's founder fallout, corporate missteps captured public attention and heaps of criticism in a year when the lines between brand and politics continued to blur.

By Peter Adams • Nov. 26, 2018

KLM's travel VR series showcases faraway destinations

Celebrity chef Kiran Jethwa provides a guided tour of Thailand and Hawaii in immersive video episodes.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 21, 2018

Amazon starts taking 30% of Fire TV ad sales, Ad Age reports

Previously, Amazon let publishers sell their own ads and take all the money, but the company updated its terms of service in September.

By Erica Sweeney • Nov. 21, 2018

YouTube to stream 'The Lego Movie' within trailer ad for upcoming sequel

In a new ad opportunity on the platform, anyone viewing the trailer for the new Lego movie on Nov. 23 can screen the full-length original film.

By Erica Sweeney • Nov. 21, 2018

DSW cashes in on AR 'smile meter' for Black Friday

A full-screen ad asks mobile users to smile at their smartphone camera to measure their happy expressions and deliver a discount.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 21, 2018

Campaign Trail: Michelob's turkey trot; PETA grills Butterball; Yellow Tail hops on UGC trend

A very special Thanksgiving edition has our editors examining a health-focused holiday push, a scathing critique of a poultry maker and one brand getting started early on the Super Bowl. 

By Peter Adams , Natalie Black (Koltun) , Chris Kelly • Nov. 21, 2018

Snap opens certification program for AR creators

Lens development was once limited to its in-house agency, but the company has gradually opened the platform to brands and agencies.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 20, 2018

Travel + Leisure magazine debuts local-focused show on IGTV

This is the first of 10 that magazine publisher Meredith will develop for the platform.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 20, 2018

Comic Dive: Half-Baked Thanksgiving Turkeys

This holiday season, poultry producers are stuffing their campaigns with QR codes, emoji and voice activations — but no fresh ideas.

By John Hazard and Lisa Burdige • Nov. 20, 2018

Secret demands equal pay for women in star-studded music video

The P&G brand teamed with Ladies Get Paid and co-working space The Wing to provide women with resources like a downloadable toolkit and workshops.

By Erica Sweeney • Nov. 20, 2018

Will brands make Gen Z's naughty or nice list?

Gen Z defies easy categorization, but that's unlikely to deter marketers from trying to engage these influential consumers during the crucial shopping season.

By Jacqueline Renfrow • Nov. 19, 2018

YouCam Makeup blends AI, AR for Beauty 3.0

Perfect Corp. released the next generation of the app with a promise to provide more personalized and accurate virtual try-ons.

By Dan Alaimo • Nov. 19, 2018

Amazon sees 22% jump in 'Thursday Night Football' viewership, MediaPost reports

The tech giant differentiates the Fox TV broadcasts it simulcasts on Prime and Twitch with alternate audio and interactive features.

By Erica Sweeney • Nov. 19, 2018

YouTube premieres free, ad-supported Hollywood film streaming

The platform serves ads in movies like "Rocky" and "The Terminator" from its usual pool of advertising demand.

By Erica Sweeney • Nov. 19, 2018

Sequencing video ads lifts recall 118%, Google finds

20th Century Fox ran a series of ads cut in different ways for "The Greatest Showman" and saw awareness and consideration lifts that were five times stronger than for other trailer campaigns.

By Erica Sweeney • Nov. 19, 2018

3 trends that bring holiday video marketing into focus

Marketers will take some of the biggest video trends to the next level as the holiday shopping season kicks off and digital video consumption grows.

By Dianna Christe • Nov. 19, 2018

Office Depot's 'Elf Yourself' lands on Facebook with AR filter

The office supplies chain is rolling out the first holiday-themed AR ad on Facebook.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 16, 2018

Knorr sponsors interactive Food Network show on Twitter

Viewers vote in polls on the social media platform to decide which ingredients to include in the livestream's one-pot recipes.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 16, 2018

Instagram courts holiday shoppers with 3 fresh features

Athleisure brand Outdoor Voices is testing one of the tools to let fans tap a video and see promoted products.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 16, 2018

KFC steps into streetwear with collection from famed Japanese designer Nigo

Gear for the "fashionable, finger lickin' hypebeasts of the world" will be available at a New York pop-up on Nov. 16, where the founder of A Bathing Ape will make an appearance.

By Erica Sweeney • Nov. 15, 2018

Baked goods brand Bauducco mixes influencers, OOH for holiday campaign

The brand took over a 4,000-square-foot digital display in Times Square that shows messages shared by influencers and passersby in real time. 

By Erica Sweeney • Nov. 15, 2018

Curate Mobile acquires Juice Mobile to bridge branding with ad performance

The agreement comes as the mobile adtech industry consolidates, with several high-profile deals being announced in the past year.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 14, 2018

SodaStream mimics iconic Coke ad while stressing plastic pollution problem

The latest campaign from the do-it-yourself seltzer brand, which PepsiCo is buying for $3.2 billion, echoes Coca-Cola's 1971 "Hilltop" ad but with people standing on a mound of empty plastic bottles. 

By Erica Sweeney • Nov. 14, 2018

Skyy Vodka taps John Cena for 'Proudly American' campaign

The campaign celebrates inclusivity and includes a parody video that already has more than one million views on the WWE star's Twitter account.

By Erica Sweeney • Nov. 14, 2018

Waffle House celebrates popular jukebox jams with Facebook Live awards show

The chain is working with digital jukebox provider TouchTunes on the broadcast, with scheduled appearances by Chris Stapleton, Imagine Dragons and Shinedown. 

By Erica Sweeney • Nov. 14, 2018