Sociable: TikTok US unit reportedly signs deal with Oracle-led investor group

After a year of wrangling, it looks like TikTok's American operations will be sold to U.S. investors including Silver Lake and MGX.

By Andrew Hutchinson • Dec. 19, 2025

Heineken swaps voice notes for beer in latest bid for IRL connections

“Could Have Been A Heineken” invites users of WhatsApp in Brazil who receive a lengthy voice message to exchange it for a free beer.

By Aaron Baar • Dec. 18, 2025

Explore the Trendline➔

Influencer Marketing

Amid a surge in confidence and new platform approaches, brands continue to turn to influencers for fresh content that can reach online consumers.

By Marketing Dive staff

Cava experiments with social-first marketing via dating microseries

The second season of “Bowlmates” arrives with more episodes and a bigger focus on cross-promotion on the chain's main social channels.

By Sara Karlovitch • Dec. 18, 2025

Athletic Brewing links with OpenTable in latest bid to sober-curious

The Dry January tie-up includes a map on the restaurant reservation platform spotlighting locations that serve the nonalcoholic brewer’s products.

By Jessica Hammers • Dec. 18, 2025

Pinterest expands into CTV advertising with TvScientific acquisition

This is the first time Pinterest has wedded its intent-based audience data with a CTV engine, pointing to the growing importance of cross-screen capabilities. 

By Peter Adams • Dec. 12, 2025

Meta streamlines brands’ creator partnerships with AI-powered updates

New solutions are designed to help advertisers easily find and turn existing organic content on Facebook and Instagram into partnership ads.

By Jessica Hammers • Dec. 11, 2025

Home Depot builds bridge to influencers with creator portal

To attract further attention to the offering, the home improvement retailer is touting a roster of creators tied to the World Cup.

By Aaron Baar • Dec. 11, 2025

P&G’s Native to debut 50-part microdrama series as genre takes off

P&G is aligning the adventure-romance, which will debut on social platforms in early 2026, with a history of marketing innovation around soap operas. 

By Peter Adams • Dec. 10, 2025

How the best marketing campaigns of 2025 navigated uncertain times

The savviest marketers cut through chaos with strategies and tactics that portend where advertising could head next year.

By Chris Kelly , Jessica Hammers , Peter Adams , Sara Karlovitch • Dec. 9, 2025

Skims ventures into live entertainment with shoppable TikTok livestream

The apparel brand co-founded by Kim Kardashian sought to draw inspiration from classic holiday variety shows for a 45-minute shopping experience.

By Aaron Baar • Dec. 4, 2025

Glad teams with Oscar the Grouch to revive ‘Don’t Get Mad. Get Glad.’

The Clorox-owned brand partnered with the iconic “Sesame Street” character to reimagine his song, “I Love Trash,” and for a social media giveaway.

By Jessica Hammers • Dec. 4, 2025

Subway promotes revived Sub Club loyalty program in alliterative ads

The brand is focusing more on entertainment than transactional elements to stand out from other QSR messaging emphasizing value.

By Peter Adams • Dec. 4, 2025

Boss, Lancôme open virtual boutiques with Snapchat’s shoppable AR

Chopard and other luxury brands are featured in the Snapchat Winter Village, a digital activation meant to mimic the in-person shopping experience.

By Jessica Hammers • Dec. 2, 2025

Burger King’s CMO on how a ‘SpongeBob’ collab cuts across generations

The partnership spans new ads, a special menu, toys, packaging, an app takeover, experiential activations and more.

By Chris Kelly • Dec. 1, 2025

Why American Eagle tapped Martha Stewart to extend beyond Gen Z

After making headlines with its fall campaign, the retailer is targeting gift givers and recipients alike for the next chapter of its “Give Great Jeans” holiday push. 

By Jessica Hammers • Nov. 25, 2025

Uber debuts first national holiday ad as focus on suburbs grows

“Close” packs an emotional punch, showing a traveler reflecting on a complicated relationship with her father on a ride home from the airport.

By Peter Adams • Nov. 24, 2025

Target to launch ChatGPT app with multi-item baskets, fresh food

The mass retailer is deepening its work with OpenAI as consumers continue to turn to generative chatbots for shopping support.

By Dani James • Nov. 20, 2025

Creator ad spend to reach $37B as marketers turn to AI for scale: IAB

While nearly three-quarters of advertisers already use or are planning to use AI in the next year to boost efficiency in the creator space, concerns remain.

By Aaron Baar • Nov. 20, 2025

How Danone optimizes creator-driven ads as investment surges

CreativeX has developed creator content benchmarks to help advertisers bridge the gap between authenticity and measurable effects.

By Chris Kelly • Nov. 20, 2025

How Gen Z is reshaping holiday marketing — and what brands can do about it

The cohort’s reliance on social media and influencers for product discovery remains, while new levels of comfort with retail media and AI take shape.

By Jessica Hammers • Nov. 19, 2025

E.l.f. bets on power of sound for kinder social media algorithms

A campaign timed to World Kindness Day includes audiovisual stories designed to interrupt consumers’ feeds and combat doomscrolling.

By Jessica Hammers • Nov. 13, 2025

Disney, Snapchat blur the lines between AR and IRL for ‘Zootopia 2’

The multichannel campaign includes activations in popular Los Angeles spots and a Snapchat cameo within the film that reimagines the app as “Snapcat.”

By Aaron Baar • Nov. 13, 2025

Instacart’s animated holiday ads aim to ease pressure amid seasonal chaos

Spots that take a page from Rankin/Bass stop-motion classics were created with Starburns Industries, RadicalMedia and internal shop Local Produce.

By Peter Adams • Nov. 13, 2025

Why marketers like Unilever, State Farm are headed to NBCU’s BravoCon

Bravo’s fan convention for its reality shows led to double-digit lifts in brand recall, purchase intent and emotional engagement for participants in 2023.

By Chris Kelly • Nov. 13, 2025

Etsy spotlights importance of personalized gifting for holiday ads

A campaign that builds on the online marketplace’s previous seasonal efforts showcases how it can help individuals express themselves. 

By Aaron Baar • Nov. 6, 2025