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 Unilever is pushing sports marketing beyond broadcast convention

Set to nearly double its spend on U.S. sports marketing, the CPG giant sees the category as emblematic of a shift to “many-to-many” marketing.

By Peter Adams • Nov. 19, 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

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

Marketers must wrestle with vanishing middle class in 2026: WARC

Rising costs and job insecurity are pushing marketers to focus on “affordability tension” and changing consumer milestones like having kids. 

By Peter Adams • Nov. 12, 2025

Chewy ramps up creator storefronts ahead of holiday season

More than 600 creators have signed up for the Chewy Storefronts platform, enabling them to curate shoppable product lists relevant to their audiences.

By Sara Karlovitch • Nov. 6, 2025

5 Gum asks Gen Z creators to envision ‘How It Feels to Chew’ for social

The brand’s signature piece of marketing is becoming a 12-part social series developed with Energy BBDO that showcases overstimulating flavor.

By Peter Adams • Nov. 5, 2025

Best Buy bets on sports, creators to serve up holiday gifting inspiration

The tech retailer will feature creators in its CTV ads for the first time and will advertise during 30 different NFL games throughout the season. 

By Jessica Hammers • Nov. 3, 2025

How Welch’s new kid mascot bridges nostalgia with modern marketing

Charlie Cheersman, the first kid to anchor the brand’s creative in 25 years, debuts as the CPG shakes up its marketing strategy and leadership.

By Peter Adams • Updated Oct. 28, 2025

Inside the campaign to reposition pork for Gen Z, millennial consumers

The effort tries to shed associations with the iconic “Other White Meat” tagline while appealing to the media preferences of young audiences.

By Peter Adams • Oct. 27, 2025

Top takeaways from Advertising Week 2025 marketers need to know

Leading marketers like PepsiCo and Kraft Heinz delved into topics including culture-led marketing and artificial intelligence at the annual conference.

By Chris Kelly , Peter Adams , Jessica Hammers , Sara Karlovitch • Oct. 23, 2025

True Religion targets women, college sports fans in holiday campaign

The brand doubles down on the growing intersection of fashion and sports in its first holiday campaign since being acquired earlier this year.

By Jessica Hammers • Oct. 23, 2025

Cava ties gaming culture to loyalty rewards with Clix collaboration

A partnership with the pro Fortnite player centers on a Cava Pass Challenge that looks to drive more people to the chain’s newly revamped loyalty program.

By Peter Adams • Oct. 17, 2025

Lysol taps Snooki for social campaign promoting the ‘StinkCheck’

The Reckitt-owned brand is marketing its Lysol Air Sanitizer via social videos that advise consumers how to cope with loved ones’ odorous passions.

By Aaron Baar • Oct. 16, 2025

E.l.f. Cosmetics first to test Twitch’s new livestream shopping ads

A new integration powered by Amazon Ads’ retail media data is meant to drive “more measurable business outcomes” for E.l.f. on the platform. 

By Peter Adams • Oct. 16, 2025

Herbal Essences taps into infomercial nostalgia to serve ‘scent traps’

The P&G hair care brand enlists “Love Island” star Amaya Espinal to celebrate the power of scent in digital and out-of-home ads.

By Chris Kelly • Oct. 15, 2025

Why Target is embracing social-first marketing for its Woolrich collab

A campaign promoting the design partnership shifts from studio-shot imagery to lifestyle-oriented visuals and storytelling driven by influencers.

By Peter Adams • Oct. 14, 2025

Gap Inc. recruits micro-influencers for new affiliate program

On the heels of its “Better in Denim” campaign, the apparel retailer is turning to community connections to burnish its cultural influence.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 10, 2025

Axe’s latest swing: When TikTok absurdism meets brand design

To engage its Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumers, the Unilever brand went beyond social listening for a more collaborative process with a creator.

By Chris Kelly • Oct. 10, 2025

How brand expectations for creator AORs are evolving as investment grows

Executives from Unilever, Gap and Marriott are increasingly focusing on agency partners who can deliver on performance and high-level strategy.

By Jessica Hammers • Oct. 8, 2025

Inside CeraVe’s social-first partnership with the NBA

The L’Oréal-owned brand will promote the alliance, which includes experiential and digital activations, with a social-based teaser phase.

By Chris Kelly • Oct. 6, 2025

Motto by Hilton gives travelers ‘main character energy’ in social series

Inspired by choose-your-own-adventure video games, “Guest Quests” features influencers Hannah Berner, Connor Wood and Kordell Beckham.

By Peter Adams • Sept. 26, 2025

Sephora cozies up to beauty creators with new affiliate program

My Sephora Storefront allows U.S. influencers to build shoppable digital storefronts and arrives as sales from affiliate marketing continue to grow.

By Jessica Hammers • Sept. 23, 2025

Temptations, People honor hot cat dads in Sexiest Man Alive issue

The Mars Petcare brand is sponsoring a new category in the reader’s choice version of the special issue that tends to generate online chatter.

By Peter Adams • Sept. 22, 2025