Blog

Trends

From Campaigns to Original Series

Capturing consumer attention has never been more challenging, and brands are increasingly turning to entertainment as a way to break through. What began with episodic content on TikTok and Instagram, leveraging storytelling, serial formats, and multi-part videos to build repeat engagement, has now evolved into fully produced, limited-run series, with companies like Adobe and Pinterest leading the charge.

Adobe recently released its first original short-form comedy, The Marketers, starring comedian Hasan Minhaj and actress Patty Guggenheim, which follows two overzealous marketing executives trying to create the next big campaign for Adobe Acrobat. Each five-minute episode builds on a previous ad and includes celebrity guest appearances, blending humour with brand storytelling. Pinterest’s Bring My Pinterest to Life, which recently premiered on the Roku Channel, pairs real users with notable TikTok and YouTube creators to transform DIY ideas into real-life executions, with interactive elements like shoppable QR-linked boards that bring the content to life beyond the screen. These series are part of an ongoing trend of brands embracing entertainment as a vehicle for authentic engagement and signaling that the future of marketing may be less about ads and more about storytelling that earns attention.

The Erosion of Trust in Marketing

A recent op-ed from Fast Company highlights a growing challenge for marketers: people are trusting marketing less, even as it becomes more personalized and data-driven. For years, the industry chased precision, believing that more data would lead to more relevant, effective messaging, but in reality, it’s had the opposite effect. Consumers are increasingly skeptical, with many unclear on how their data is being used and quick to disengage when messaging feels intrusive or overly targeted. What once felt like thoughtful personalization now raises questions, not connection, resulting in campaigns that perform on paper but lack real emotional impact.

The piece is a worthwhile read because it reframes what success should look like, reminding us that efficiency and optimization don’t build trust on their own. Instead, it makes a strong case for returning to more intentional, human-centered storytelling, where fewer, more meaningful campaigns and metrics like loyalty and retention matter more than pure reach or conversion. As the marketing landscape continues to evolve, it’s worth taking a look at how we define the goals of our campaigns and re-evaluate the metrics that determine their success.

Industry News

LA28 Unveils a Bold, Hyper-Local Visual Identity

The organizing committee for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games has unveiled its official visual identity, offering an early look at how the city plans to show up on the global stage. Centered around the idea of a “Superbloom,” a nod to the bursts of wildflowers that follow periods of rain in Southern California, the design system acts as both a visual motif and a metaphor for the Games themselves: years of buildup culminating in a short, high-impact event. The visual identity pulls heavily from Los Angeles’ local character, from a colour palette inspired by the Bird of Paradise (the city’s official flower) to typography influenced by street signage and hand-painted storefronts.

Built to scale across everything from venues and broadcasts to citywide installations, the system is also designed for brand adoption, giving sponsors a cohesive way to plug into the Games. It’s a strong example of place-based branding done well, grounding a global event in something distinctly local, while creating a flexible, recognizable identity that can carry across every touchpoint.

How YouTube Is Reshaping Brand-Creator Partnerships

Ahead of its NewFronts presentation, YouTube announced a major update to its creator marketing tools, rebranding BrandConnect as Creator Partnerships and integrating it with AI to simplify how brands find and work with creators. Powered by Gemini, the platform will support more advanced, natural language prompts to help discover creators that align with specific audiences or campaign goals, while pulling in performance insights, audience data, and sample content in one place. It will also centralize the entire workflow across YouTube Studio, Google Ads, and DV360, making it easier to manage partnerships and measure both paid and organic performance together, with future plans to let marketers simply upload a campaign brief and have the platform generate a tailored shortlist of creators.

The shift is significant because it removes much of the manual effort that has traditionally defined influencer marketing, from discovery to outreach, and opens up more opportunities for creators of all sizes to be found. More broadly, it signals YouTube’s ambition to evolve from a platform that supports creator partnerships into a full operating system for creator marketing and could mark the start of a wider shift across platforms. As AI continues to streamline workflows, other platforms may follow suit, building native tools that connect brands and creators directly, reducing reliance on third-party platforms and reshaping the role agencies play in the process.

Trends

Canadians Care About Social Values, But They Want Proof

Two recent articles from Strategy show how personal values continue to shape Canadian buying habits. One tracks the “Elbows Up” movement after last year’s U.S. tariffs conflict, while the other, on a recent Ipsos study, examines how Canadians evaluate social and environmental claims from brands.

The “Elbows Up” surge in Canada-first purchasing has cooled, from 65% in April 2025 to 46% in December, but selective support remains strong in categories like food, alcohol, and travel. Canadians aren’t abandoning local or national pride; they’re balancing it with price, convenience, and authenticity. Brands like Moosehead, which have long incorporated national pride into their identity, have benefited by leaning into it naturally, while newcomers who made being Canadian part of their identity last year ended up appearing inauthentic.

Based on the Ipsos study, ethical considerations remain a major driver for consumers: 68% of Canadians say social or environmental issues influence their purchases, often prompting brand switching. Yet trust in corporate claims is low, with half of respondents reporting little confidence in business messaging. The key takeaway for those in marketing, PR, and branding is that values-driven messaging only resonates when it reflects genuine, consistent action.

Gen Z Is Feeling Social Media Fatigue, But YouTube Is Winning Out

A new survey from The Harris Poll suggests Gen Z’s relationship with social media, particularly TikTok, is becoming more complicated. While 65% of twentysomethings still use TikTok daily, many say they’re scrolling more out of habit than genuine interest. Concerns about rising ad volume, TikTok Shop, and increasingly staged or performative content are contributing to growing fatigue, with 60% saying they trust the platform less than they used to.

That sentiment isn’t limited to TikTok. Skepticism is growing across platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and X, with many Gen Z creators posting and engaging with the platforms less overall. Amid that shift, YouTube remains a standout. The platform holds a 78% favourability rating among Gen Z, with 66% visiting daily, suggesting it feels more reliable and less exhausting than other social spaces. For marketers, it’s a sign that platform sentiment is shifting, and that YouTube may be one of the most stable places to reach younger audiences right now.

Industry News

This Year, Taco Bell Swings Big With Live Mas LIVE

Taco Bell is taking an unusual approach to its latest product launch. Instead of relying on traditional marketing channels, the brand has turned it into full-scale entertainment. Its annual Live Mas LIVE event, originally inspired by Apple’s developer conference, started as a way to reveal upcoming menu items to dedicated fans. But the concept has quickly evolved into something much bigger. This year’s event, hosted by Vince Staples and featuring performers like Doja Cat and Benson Boone, blends a product launch with a live variety show that’s now streaming on Peacock.

What makes it interesting is how intentionally the brand is leaning into its fandom. The event brings together loyal customers, influencers, and celebrities to celebrate the menu in a way that feels self-aware and genuinely fun. It’s part product reveal, part entertainment spectacle, and part live focus group, with fan reactions helping shape how new items land. At its core, it’s about giving people who love the brand something to get excited about. It’s also a UGC machine.

Of course, Taco Bell has the scale and resources to take risks like this. But the bigger idea isn’t about copying the format; it’s about the willingness to experiment. At a time when many brands stick closely to the same well-worn marketing playbook, there’s value in trying something unexpected, especially when it’s rooted in what your fans actually care about. Even smaller swings can create energy if they come from a place that feels authentic and fun.

Trends

What the Latest Mobile Data Tells Us About Social Media Habits

Sensor Tower, a mobile analytics firm described as Nielsen for apps, recently released its annual State of Mobile report, offering a detailed look at how people are spending time across social, streaming, gaming, and shopping platforms. One of the clearest takeaways: attention is consolidating around video, and not always where brands expect. Across all age groups and genders, YouTube now captures the most time spent on apps, yet it remains underutilized by many brands, despite the opportunity to repurpose both short-form content through Shorts and longer-form storytelling.

Meanwhile, while TikTok continues to lead overall social media engagement globally, Instagram is increasingly driven by Reels, which account for nearly half (46%) of time spent on the platform, reinforcing that short-form video remains the core format audiences engage with. The report also highlights the rapid rise of short-form “drama” apps like ReelShort and DramaBox, which are outperforming traditional streaming platforms in some international markets, demonstrating how audiences are gravitating toward faster, more digestible, and often AI-generated storytelling that aligns with shrinking attention spans. The report serves as a great resource for better understanding how people are engaging with different platforms, and can provide hints for what types of content will likely resonate with audiences as we move through 2026.

Employee-Generated Content Is Having Its Moment

Employee Generated Content (EGC) isn’t new, but it’s gaining traction because people are continuing to seek out and respond to content that feels unpolished, fun, and genuinely enthusiastic. EGC works best when it highlights the people behind the brand or those who truly care about their work, and when they get proper credit. In many cases, it even outperforms traditional, highly produced brand content.

The “Staples Baddie” on TikTok illustrates organic EGC: a Staples employee recently started sharing content about her job and favourite products, completely on her own, without brand intervention. Staples supports her through gifting and partnership discussions but doesn’t direct the content. The results speak for themselves: her videos from the past month have outperformed all of Staples’ social content from 2025, and the comments show real impact, with people sharing stories and even heading in-store to check out products. A more structured example comes from the National Gallery of Art, where the gallery’s marketing team tapped one of their curators to share her expertise using Gen Z slang and unexpected humour. The videos are funny, memorable, and consistently outperform other posts, proving that the right person telling the right story authentically resonates. There’s no single playbook for EGC, but the takeaway is clear: when brands give employees space to show up as themselves, with passion, personality, and a little less polish, audiences notice and engage.

Industry News

Burger King Is Opening the Door to Unfiltered Customer Conversations

Burger King is taking an unusually direct approach to customer feedback by having its president literally hand out his phone number. Tom Curtis, president of Burger King in the U.S. and Canada, recently invited customers to call or text him with their “honest, unfiltered feedback” on everything from the menu to the restaurant experience to brand campaigns. He’s committed several hours each day over the next few weeks to personally responding, with the goal of having real conversations and using those insights to help shape where the brand goes next. It’s undeniably a bold PR move, but it also reflects a broader shift toward transparency, giving customers direct access to leadership in a way that feels unusually human for a brand of this scale.

What makes this especially interesting is what it represents. By opening the door to real, unfiltered conversations, Burger King is leaning into something simple: people want to feel heard. Whether every suggestion leads to change or not, the act of listening, and doing so publicly, builds goodwill and reminds customers that their opinions matter. At a time when most brand interactions are carefully managed, this kind of openness stands out. It’s a good reminder that sometimes the most meaningful engagement doesn’t come from a polished campaign, but from creating space for real conversations.

Trends

Five Trends in Culture Every Marketing and Communications Team Should Have on Their Radar

Arcade, a Calgary-based creative agency, has released its 2026 trend report, an annual project they’ve been refining since 2017 to help marketers understand where culture is actually headed, not just what’s trending on the surface. Shared via the agency’s Substack, the report pulls insights from around the world to outline five behavioural shifts shaping how people create, consume, and connect. These range from a growing appetite for unscripted, collaborative content to a renewed interest in analog experiences, storytelling, and moments that feel more human.

Rather than chasing the next platform or format, Arcade focuses on the forces influencing how audiences react and engage, and why humour, romance, nostalgia, and play are resonating. They also touch on how creativity is becoming increasingly communal. Each trend is grounded in real examples already playing out across culture, making the report especially useful for teams planning content calendars, designing social creative, or working with creators.

Industry News

Super Bowl Ads That Stole the Show

The Super Bowl happened this weekend, and while everyone’s still buzzing about Bad Bunny’s halftime performance, the ads were nearly as talked about. Every year, brands work with big budgets, take big swings, and roll out even bigger ideas, using the game as a rare chance to connect with a global audience and flex some serious creative muscle. Whether you love the spectacle or roll your eyes at the spend, the best ads can be a great source of inspiration when it comes to storytelling, craft, and cultural relevance.

Levi’s Backstory stood out for its simplicity, blending iconic cultural moments with everyday life in a way that felt thoughtful, fun, and true to the brand. And the Skittles ad mentioned in the last Blue Brief did actually follow through with a bespoke performance for one lucky winner. Super Bowl ads are a great reminder of how bold, playful ideas can spark conversation and bring brand stories to life.

Dove Brought Reddit Reviews Into the Spotlight

Dove’s latest campaign proved the brand not only listens to its customers, but is willing to put their unfiltered opinions front and centre. The “Dove r/eal reviews” campaign pulled the first 50 Reddit reviews of its Intensive Repair 10-in-1 Serum Mask, good, bad, and everything in between, and featured them unedited (and with permission) across OOH, streaming, digital, and social. The creative leaned fully into Reddit’s visual identity, from Snoo-inspired avatars to the platform’s signature formatting and naming conventions, underscoring Reddit’s growing role in product discovery, especially as beauty content on the platform had continued to rise year over year.

Importantly, Dove didn’t post the campaign directly on Reddit, where brands can quickly lose control of the conversation. Instead, it borrowed the credibility and cultural cachet of the platform while maintaining a level of brand safety. The effort was a smart extension of Dove’s long-standing “Real Beauty” platform, and served as a reminder that today’s consumers valued transparency over polish. For marketers, it offered a great example of how to tap into online communities and authentic community engagement without forcing a conversation.

Trends

What Social-First Marketing Looks Like in 2026

For the last decade, SAMY, a global communications agency, has published an annual report on what’s shaping digital marketing in the year ahead. For 2026, the team spoke with 27 social media experts across 22 independent agencies to take a closer look at how social-first marketing is changing. Many of the insights build on conversations we’ve already been having, including the growing authenticity paradox: as the use of AI becomes more common in creative work, trust still comes from real people, real stories, and content that feels human. The report also offers a clearer view of what’s coming next, from social becoming the starting point for ideas that show up in retail, events, and the real world, to the breakdown of the traditional funnel, where discovery, trust, and purchase now happen in the same scroll. It also points to a post-trend era, where brands are better off building consistent, recognizable creative instead of chasing every viral moment. For marketing and communications teams, it’s a helpful snapshot of where social is headed and how to show up more intentionally in the year ahead.

Why Marketers Can’t Ignore Women’s Sports Anymore

Women’s sports in Canada are having a moment, and the numbers back it up. According to the latest It’s Time report from Canadian Women and Sport, the professional women’s sports market has doubled in just two years, reaching nearly $400 million, with even more growth ahead. Fans are already there: two in three Canadians now say they follow women’s sports, and they tend to be younger, more diverse, and more values-driven than the national average. They’re also highly engaged. According to the report, brands that invest in women’s sports see a 25% lift in awareness, sentiment, and purchase consideration, and 79% of fans say they feel proud of brands that show up in this space.

Despite the growth, ad spending still hasn’t caught up. Many brands are measuring women’s sports against long-established men’s leagues, using outdated ROI models that prioritize size and history over loyalty, engagement, and cultural relevance. The takeaway is simple: women’s sports offer marketers a chance to connect with a fast-growing, engaged audience while the category is still being shaped. Brands that invest early, show up consistently, and align authentically with fan values won’t just reach people, they’ll build lasting brand equity along the way.

Industry News

OpenAI Is Bringing Ads to ChatGPT

OpenAI is beginning to test advertising on ChatGPT, introducing ads for logged-in users on its free tier and on ChatGPT Go. Paid subscriptions like Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise will remain ad-free. While the company had previously pushed back on advertising, OpenAI says the move is necessary to fund the massive investments required to stay competitive, and it’s rolling ads out with clear boundaries.

Ads will be clearly labeled, won’t influence ChatGPT’s answers, and will appear at the bottom of responses only when there’s a relevant sponsored product or service. Sensitive categories like health, mental health, and politics are off-limits, and guardrails are being put in place to ensure minors using the platform won’t receive ads. In addition, OpenAI has confirmed that user conversations won’t be shared with advertisers. Instead, OpenAI will provide only aggregated performance data, along with tools that let users understand why they’re seeing an ad, dismiss it, or opt out of personalization. Still, as consumer skepticism around AI-driven advertising grows, OpenAI faces the challenge of proving it can balance ads with its promise to prioritize user trust and deliver genuinely useful experiences.

Skittles Is Taking Its Super Bowl Ad Off-Screen

For Super Bowl LX, Skittles is leaning into a refreshingly human, decidedly low-tech stunt by having Elijah Wood deliver its commercial live, in person. During the game on Sunday, February 8, the actor will show up at a randomly selected fan’s doorstep to perform the Skittles ad read on the spot (Skittles in hand), bypassing TV screens and social feeds entirely. The “first-of-its-kind” live commercial is designed to promote the brand’s Super Bowl partnership with Gopuff, which will offer a Skittles-branded snack bundle during the game. More broadly, the move reflects a growing push by brands toward experiential, in-person moments as a way to cut through digital fatigue and oversaturated feeds. As Skittles put it, the live ad “cannot be paused, skipped, muted, or explained to neighbours,” a tongue-in-cheek reminder that sometimes the best way to get attention is to show up offline.

Trends

Is There a Middle Ground on AI? Google Tests the Waters

In the lead-up to the holidays, New York’s subway quietly became a testing ground for a question a lot of creatives are wrestling with right now: is there a workable middle ground between AI enthusiasm and AI rejection? Google’s “Imagine If” campaign invited commuters to submit playful prompts via QR code, then paired those ideas with five local artists, one from each borough, who used Google’s AI tools to turn them into finished artworks displayed across the MTA network.

What made the campaign interesting wasn’t the tech itself, but how it was used. The artists weren’t just feeding prompts into a machine; they were curating submissions, interpreting local taste, and making editorial decisions about what would resonate. It’s a useful snapshot of how AI is likely to show up in real creative work: not as a philosophical debate, but baked into briefs, budgets, and timelines. For marketers and agencies, the takeaway is less about picking sides and more about readiness, because hesitation is understandable, but opting out entirely may be harder to justify as these tools become standard parts of the process.

Industry News

Dr. Pepper’s TikTok Jingle Is a Reminder to Stay Nimble

An 11-second, fan-made Dr Pepper jingle has taken off on TikTok (25 million views to date, and counting), inspiring countless creator riffs and comments from brands across industries. It’s a clear example of how fan-driven moments can explode without any brand orchestration, and why marketing and PR teams need to be ready when the internet invites them to the party, preparing for viral moments much like they do crisis comms. The creator has already turned the buzz into partnerships with Hyundai and Vita Coco, showing what can happen when brands and creators move fast.

Dr Pepper, meanwhile, hasn’t publicly joined the conversation, and fans are noticing, calling out the brand for not sharing the video or finding a way to work with the creator. Other brands, like Canada Dry, have faced similar criticism for missing major cultural moments. For marketers, the takeaway is simple: when moments like these hit, being ready to move quickly can make all the difference.

Reddit Is Opening Up to Brands, But You Still Need to Read the Room

Reddit is steadily becoming a more attractive space for brands, as the platform rolls out new tools while making it clear that how brands show up still matters. It’s currently testing verified profiles for businesses, adding opt-in grey checkmarks to help clarify who users are engaging with without undermining Reddit’s long-standing culture of pseudonymity. On the advertising side, Reddit is also introducing Max Campaigns, an AI-powered media-buying tool designed to simplify targeting, bidding, and creative optimization by tapping into the platform’s vast library of community conversations. At the same time, recent brand missteps offer a reminder: the mixed reaction to HelloFresh’s introduction of an official brand rep in its subreddit shows that Redditors are quick to push back when brands don’t read the room. Together, these updates point to a platform that’s opening up to brands, but rewarding those that engage thoughtfully and on Reddit’s terms.

Trends

Canva and Adobe Point to a More Human Approach to Creativity in 2026

Two more trend reports have been released ahead of 2026, offering a helpful snapshot of where creative work is heading in the new year. Canva’s third annual Design Predictions Report frames the year as “Imperfect by Design,” suggesting that brands and creators are moving away from overly polished visuals in favour of work that feels more authentic, human, and a little rough around the edges, even as AI continues to play a bigger role in the process. Trends like Reality Warp, Prompt Playground, GrannyWave, and Notes App Chic reflect a growing comfort with experimentation and personality.

Adobe also published its 2026 Creative Trends Report, which points in a similar direction, highlighting themes like All the Feels, Connectioneering, and Surreal Silliness, alongside a stronger emphasis on Local Flavour and cultural nuance. Together, the reports suggest that in 2026, creative that connects will feel relatable, emotionally grounded, and rooted in real experiences rather than striving for perfection.

Industry News

The Dignity Bag Brings Safety and Visibility to Montreal’s Binners

A new piece of design is hitting Montreal’s streets with a practical purpose: giving binners, the workers who collect cans and bottles for recycling, safety, efficiency, and recognition. No Fixed Address partnered with Coop Les Valoristes to create The Dignity Bag, built from a single piece of industrial tarp with reflective elements, safety straps, and space for 240 cans. The bag was co-designed with binners themselves, informed by their daily routes and real-world needs, and features bold type that can be adapted for different cities to foster a sense of identity. A short film directed by Thomas Soto profiles Alexandre, a Montreal binner who helped shape the bag, highlighting the physical and emotional realities of the work. While the initiative starts in Montreal, the design is open, affordable, and intended for communities worldwide. The campaign is hinged on a simple object with a powerful message: the people who keep our recycling systems moving deserve to be seen.

Duolingo Turns Closed Hooters Locations into Its Latest Stunt

Duolingo is continuing its run of attention-grabbing stunts with a new installation tied to several closed Hooters locations. The language-learning brand recently placed “coming soon” signage at four shuttered restaurants across the U.S., prompting online speculation about what the owl has planned.

In a statement shared with USA TODAY, Duolingo leaned into its familiar, dry humour, saying Duo had “spotted empty nests” and decided to see who noticed. While the brand hasn’t confirmed what the installations are for, some fans believe the move could be connected to Duo’s Taqueria, Duolingo’s Pittsburgh-based taco restaurant that opened in 2023 and has since become a local favourite. Regardless of what’s coming next, the activation fits neatly into a year of meme-driven moments from the brand, following stunts like the brief “death” of Duo earlier this year and ongoing social plays that blur the line between marketing and internet culture.

Athletic Brewing Returns with “Athletic January” for Dry January 2026

Athletic Brewing Company is kicking off the new year with the return of its “Athletic January” campaign, now in its second year, aimed at encouraging moderation in January and beyond. This year, the effort expands with a partnership with OpenTable, letting diners use an interactive map to find restaurants across the U.S. and Canada that serve Athletic’s nonalcoholic beers. The campaign also continues its popular “Ask for Athletic” program, offering a $5 rebate on a can or draft pour at participating retailers for anyone requesting Athletic Brewing at new businesses.

The push taps into growing interest in sobriety and the “sober-curious” movement, with nearly half of Americans planning to drink less this year, a 44% increase from 2023. By making moderation accessible and fun, Athletic January not only gives consumers new ways to enjoy nonalcoholic options but also supports restaurants and bars, 39% of whose patrons say they’re more likely to return when nonalcoholic choices are available. With the nonalcoholic beer market projected to reach nearly $5 billion by 2028, Athletic is ensuring it starts the year front and center in the space.

Trends

Stocksy Maps the Visual Mood for 2026

Looking for a sneak peak of where visual culture is heading next year? Stocksy’s new Visual Insights Report offers one of the clearest reads you’ll find. The artist-owned stock media platform, known for its hand-curated collections and commitment to representation and artistic integrity, breaks down the big aesthetic shifts shaping what brands and audiences will gravitate toward in 2026.

Their five themes span the calm, lived-in feel of Ambient Realism, colour-as-emotion in Hyper Chromatic, and the intentional friction of High Concept Chaos. They also explore the renewed focus on physical presence with Body High and the unapologetic joy of Revenge Living. Together, these trends point to the fact that audiences are becoming far more visually fluent. They’re craving imagery that feels honest, emotionally resonant and culturally awake, so tapping into these themes isn’t about chasing trends, but staying connected to how people are actually experiencing the world right now.

Pinterest Predicts Cuts Through Trend Fatigue for 2026

As year-end forecasts flood the internet, Pinterest says “trend fatigue” is real, but it’s hoping to reset the narrative with Pinterest Predicts, its annual, data-led look at the year ahead. Powered by 80 billion monthly searches from 600 million users, the report has a strong track record (88% accuracy over six years) of spotting the colours, aesthetics and cultural shifts that actually stick.

For 2026, Pinterest sees consumers gravitating toward comfort, authenticity and a more grounded sense of optimism as they try to quiet the constant noise of culture and social media. Nostalgia is still a major emotional anchor, but it’s evolving into something more like reclamation, blending the familiar with the playful, from gummy-inspired textures and rubberized beauty to revived rituals like letter writing. At the same time, burnout is driving a rise in escapism, whether through nature, self-care, or expressive fashion and beauty. And while trends are moving 4.4x faster than they were seven years ago, people aren’t blindly chasing them: they’re curating what truly fits. Taken together, Pinterest Predicts signals a consumer mindset defined by comfort, creative self-expression and an appetite for optimism that feels real, not performative.

Industry News

McDonald’s Faces Backlash Over AI-Generated Christmas Ad

McDonald’s Netherlands learned the hard way that not all AI experiments land with audiences. The brand pulled a 45-second generative AI Christmas ad just days after its release, following social media backlash over its uncanny characters, stitched-together clips, and “creepy” editing. The spot, titled “The Most Terrible Time of the Year,” depicted festive chaos, from Santa in traffic jams to a cyclist slipping in the snow, encouraging viewers to take refuge at McDonald’s during the holidays. While the production company behind the ad defended AI as a tool to expand creative possibilities, critics raised concerns about human job displacement and questioned whether the technology could ever replace traditional craft. McDonald’s framed the removal as “an important learning” in exploring AI’s effective use. The incident highlights a growing tension for brands: AI can speed up production and cut costs, but audiences are quick to notice when it sacrifices authenticity and emotional resonance.

Campbell’s Navigates a High-Stakes Reputation Moment After Leaked Exec Recording

A few weeks ago, Campbell’s found itself at the center of a rapidly escalating crisis after a secretly recorded, expletive-filled rant, allegedly from a VP, surfaced online. The tape, in which the executive mocked the brand’s products, disparaged consumers, and made racist remarks, quickly sparked outrage, with some calling for boycotts. Campbell’s responded by placing the executive on leave and denouncing the comments, though its initial statement leaned heavily on product quality rather than the deeper cultural issues raised.

Since then, the brand has largely gone quiet in the news and on social media, but the story continues to resonate: the comment sections on their posts remain flooded with criticism, showing the public hasn’t forgotten. Looking ahead, Campbell’s 2026 campaigns will likely be shaped by this incident, making their next moves a massive learning opportunity, not just for them, but for any brand navigating the tricky intersection of culture, authenticity, and consumer trust. How they choose to respond will be telling in rebuilding credibility and demonstrating genuine awareness of the audiences they serve.

Trends

Diversity in Advertising Still Has a Long Way to Go

At Advertising Week New York, marketers acknowledged a sobering truth: brands talk a lot about diversity, but the reality often falls short. While diverse audiences represent huge growth opportunities (an estimated $6.8 trillion in buying power), many companies aren’t walking the talk. DEI roles have been cut, strategies rolled back, and campaigns still fail to consistently feature diverse talent.

The numbers paint a picture. On average, only 12% of ad talent has dark skin, 6% of screen time goes to seniors, and just 15% represents larger body types. In marketing itself, people of colour dropped from 32.3% of the workforce in 2022 to 30.8% in 2023. And consumers take notice. Three-quarters say a brand’s DEI reputation affects their buying decisions, making inclusion not just a moral choice, but a business one. Experts stress that real impact comes from approaching inclusion at a human level, not as a checkbox. Whether it’s working with diverse creators, casting talent thoughtfully, or including diverse voices in campaign planning, representation matters and it needs to stay front and center in all creative decisions.

Industry News

IKEA Lets its Price Tags Tell the Story

IKEA Sweden’s latest campaign, “Wherever Life Goes,” proves you don’t need to show a product to tell a powerful story. The campaign, which spans OOH, digital, and social, turns IKEA’s classic price tags into tiny windows into everyday life, capturing moments of change, growth, and emotion that we all recognize. Each tag tells a familiar story: moving out, starting over, welcoming someone new. Simple, relatable, and quietly moving, the work reinforces that IKEA has always been more than a furniture brand; it’s part of the lives that unfold at home and evolve around its products.

PepsiCo Unveils a New Look

PepsiCo has unveiled a new brand identity, its first overhaul since 2001, breaking from the Pepsi-inspired fonts and colours that have defined the brand for decades. The redesign includes a fresh logo, wordmark, and tagline, with each visual element representing a different part of the business: a burnt yellow motif for food and grains, a light blue shape for drinks and water, and a green leaf for health, wellness, and environmental impact.

With more than 500 brands today (up from just 13 in 2001), PepsiCo wants consumers to see it as more than just sugary drinks. The new look emphasizes health-conscious options, smaller serving sizes, and a broader focus on wellness, signaling where the company sees itself in the future. So far, the logo has been polarizing, deviating sharply from the brand’s familiar visual identity and sparking mixed reactions. But that very shift highlights just how much a visual identity can communicate about a company’s evolving story.

Sheraton Reimagines a Bedtime Classic with “Goodnight Room”

For generations, Goodnight Moon has symbolized comfort and connection. Now, Marriott Bonvoy’s Sheraton Hotels has reimagined that ritual through the lens of travel in “Goodnight Room,” a global campaign celebrating the small, human moments that make the world feel like home.

Launched to mark Sheraton’s brand transformation, the campaign follows a working mother recounting her day from a Sheraton hotel room, weaving together stories of travellers gathering, connecting, and finding comfort wherever they are. Bringing the story to life, Sheraton has also debuted a Goodnight Moon Suite at the newly renovated Sheraton Boston Hotel, an immersive, storybook-inspired stay complete with nostalgic details, from green walls to milk and cookies at check-in. Through the campaign, Sheraton continues to celebrate warmth, belonging, and the familiar feeling of home, no matter how far travelers roam.

Trends

Diversity in Advertising Still Has a Long Way to Go

At Advertising Week New York, marketers acknowledged a sobering truth: brands talk a lot about diversity, but the reality often falls short. While diverse audiences represent huge growth opportunities (an estimated $6.8 trillion in buying power), many companies aren’t walking the talk. DEI roles have been cut, strategies rolled back, and campaigns still fail to consistently feature diverse talent.

The numbers paint a picture. On average, only 12% of ad talent has dark skin, 6% of screen time goes to seniors, and just 15% represents larger body types. In marketing itself, people of colour dropped from 32.3% of the workforce in 2022 to 30.8% in 2023. And consumers take notice. Three-quarters say a brand’s DEI reputation affects their buying decisions, making inclusion not just a moral choice, but a business one. Experts stress that real impact comes from approaching inclusion at a human level, not as a checkbox. Whether it’s working with diverse creators, casting talent thoughtfully, or including diverse voices in campaign planning, representation matters and it needs to stay front and center in all creative decisions.

Industry News

IKEA Lets its Price Tags Tell the Story

IKEA Sweden’s latest campaign, “Wherever Life Goes,” proves you don’t need to show a product to tell a powerful story. The campaign, which spans OOH, digital, and social, turns IKEA’s classic price tags into tiny windows into everyday life, capturing moments of change, growth, and emotion that we all recognize. Each tag tells a familiar story: moving out, starting over, welcoming someone new. Simple, relatable, and quietly moving, the work reinforces that IKEA has always been more than a furniture brand; it’s part of the lives that unfold at home and evolve around its products.

PepsiCo Unveils a New Look

PepsiCo has unveiled a new brand identity, its first overhaul since 2001, breaking from the Pepsi-inspired fonts and colours that have defined the brand for decades. The redesign includes a fresh logo, wordmark, and tagline, with each visual element representing a different part of the business: a burnt yellow motif for food and grains, a light blue shape for drinks and water, and a green leaf for health, wellness, and environmental impact.

With more than 500 brands today (up from just 13 in 2001), PepsiCo wants consumers to see it as more than just sugary drinks. The new look emphasizes health-conscious options, smaller serving sizes, and a broader focus on wellness, signaling where the company sees itself in the future. The logo has been polarizing, deviating sharply from the brand’s familiar visual identity and sparking mixed reactions. But that very shift highlights just how much a visual identity can communicate about a company’s evolving story.

Sheraton Reimagines a Bedtime Classic with “Goodnight Room”

For generations, Goodnight Moon has symbolized comfort and connection. Now, Marriott Bonvoy’s Sheraton Hotels has reimagined that ritual through the lens of travel in “Goodnight Room,” a global campaign celebrating the small, human moments that make the world feel like home. Launched to mark Sheraton’s brand transformation, the campaign follows a working mother recounting her day from a Sheraton hotel room, weaving together stories of travellers gathering, connecting, and finding comfort wherever they are. Bringing the story to life, Sheraton has also debuted a Goodnight Moon Suite at the newly renovated Sheraton Boston Hotel, an immersive, storybook-inspired stay complete with nostalgic details, from green walls to milk and cookies at check-in.