Brands are leaning hard into Y2K and early-2000s nostalgia to win Gen Z. Gen Z often feels “borrowed nostalgia” for eras they didn’t fully live through. But there’s a fine line between a clever reboot and a lazy copy. Read more 👉 https://adweek.it/3TEOrmm

In this episode of Adspeak by ADWEEK, host Mark Stenberg speaks with Jake Bullock, co-founder and CEO of Cann, about building one of the fastest-growing names in the THC beverage space.

Cann's Jake Bullock on Reimagining Social Drinking with THC

Building a THC beverage brand for mainstream audiences.

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ADWEEK has launched a new award, Agents of Change, presented by Empower, celebrating the people reshaping marketing, media, advertising, and tech through meaningful action. The final submission deadline is Friday, August 28, 2026.

ADWEEK and Empower Team Up To Launch ‘Agents of Change' Award

Honoring the most impact individuals driving positive change throughout the industry

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OpenAI is integrating with AppsFlyer, a mobile attribution and marketing analytics platform, to add in-app measurement to ChatGPT ads. This gives brands visibility into installs, in-app purchases, and subscriptions.

Grubhub and 40 Other Brands Test In-App Measurement in ChatGPT Ads

Brands are getting visibility into installs, in-app purchases, and subscriptions on their ChatGPT ads via AppsFlyer

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1/ 🧵The August issue of ADWEEK is here. MrBeast just hit 500M subs, but the real story is creators becoming studios, products, and institutional capital. With $21B headed to creators in 2026, the move is to build audiences on rented platforms, then build businesses you own.

Jazzercise is staging a comeback, tapping Atlanta indie agency Super Nice as its new creative AOR to help refresh the 57-year-old dance-fitness brand for younger audiences.

Jazzercise Taps Super Nice to Ride the Nostalgia Wave Back to Relevance

The 57 year-old fitness brand wants to bring in the next generation while staying true to its core

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MS NOW has announced “State of Play with Peter Alexander,” a new weekday show debuting Monday, Aug. 10 as part of its schedule revamp. Alexander will lead the program with political and national reporting and analysis.

MS NOW Completes Schedule Revamp With Peter Alexander's Debut

Peter Alexander's new weekday show, State of Play with Peter Alexander, debuts August 10.

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Goldfish is the snack that smiles back, of course, but it also wants to be known it as the snack with no artificial colors or flavors. Read about the campaign 👉 https://adweek.it/4fQnbZJ

A new campaign from Heineken asks fans to submit a photo of a ticket stub from one of Serena Williams’ past matches, along with a personal anecdote, for a chance to attend this year’s tournament at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York.

After steadying its ratings in June, MS NOW stumbled in July, becoming the only cable news network to post month-to-month declines in either total viewers or the Adults 25–54 demo, while Fox News and CNN grew across both dayparts.

Here Are the Cable News Ratings for July 2026

Fox News and CNN registered growth in total viewers and the Adults 25-54 demo.

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As major agency holding companies cut staff and consolidate, Stagwell CEO Mark Penn is betting on a different strategy, scaling a challenger agency built for an AI-driven marketing era. Stagwell reported 6% net revenue growth in Q2 and a record $171M in new business, fueled by brands adapting to AI.

Stagwell Doubles New Business Team as Holdco Competition Heats Up, Says CEO Mark Penn

Defying industry-wide layoffs, Penn is focusing on ‘the next 1,000 people that we're going to hire.'

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The Discovery Channel's Shark Week has expanded far beyond TV screens into real-life partnerships that keep fans engaged, whether that’s driving long distances for a limited-edition Shark Week Slusher at Dave’s Hot Chicken or becoming a go-to photo op outside this year’s San Diego Comic-Con.

How Shark Week Continues to Make a Big Marketing Splash Year After Year

Shark Week has evolved from just programming into a cultural event over the last four decades.

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CBS News’ 60 Minutes is facing renewed controversy over alleged editorial interference: Scott Pelley claims management introduced political bias, Sharyn Alfonsi says changes were pushed after her story was finished, and Cecilia Vega says she was pressured to add unverifiable claims.

How the 60 Minutes Editorial Process Is Supposed to Work

Amid 60 Minutes controversies, sources explain the editorial workflow of a typical story to TVNewser.

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New this year: ADWEEK will be honoring Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners in ALL 13 categories for 2026 Agency of the Year! The final price increase takes place on Friday, August 14! Enter here: https://adweek.it/4fLFkYE

While Amazon has aggressively expanded its ad business across both streaming and adtech, its core search ad format, Sponsored Products, remains its largest ad offering and “a key driver of growth,” CEO Andy Jassy told investors during the earnings call.

Amazon's Ad Revenue Hits $76B Over the Past 12 Months

The ad business saw strong initial results from Sponsored AI Prompts.

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Stanley 1913, maker of the “Stanley cup” tumblers that caused a frenzy in 2024, has chosen social media agency Born Social as its new agency of record.Specifically, the agency will work from the U.S. on global social production as well as some creative direction and community management.

After Viral Fame, Stanley 1913 Chooses New AOR Born Social

The Stanley cup maker hopes to move beyond the Quencher Woman with new social strategy.

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In this episode of Adspeak by ADWEEK, we turn the mic over to Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project. Jaymes shares how brands can become powerful allies in suicide prevention by moving beyond sponsorships and embracing meaningful partnerships.

How Brands Can Help Save Lives with The Trevor Project's Jaymes Black

Positioning your brand as a defender of universal human values.

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Stagwell notched a strong second quarter according to chairman and CEO, Mark Penn, with net revenue growing to $632 million—a 6% increase year-over-year. During an earnings call with investors, Penn told investors he attributed the success to its aggressive strategy for new business.

Stagwell's Strong Q2 Anchored By Record New Business Haul

The holding company secured major accounts this quarter, including IBM, Heineken and Navy Federal Credit Union

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In this week’s “On Background,” ADWEEK’s Mark Stenberg breaks down why Netflix’s latest cloud-gaming pivot might finally have the tech and the business case to turn passive viewers into daily, repeat visitors.

Streaming Platforms Are Looking for Their Wordle

Netflix, LG, and Samsung are betting that free, low-friction gaming could provide a valuable boost to engagement

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Meta claimed its multibillion-dollar AI infrastructure investments are already creating measurable gains in its advertising business, and it is adding new agentic and cloud businesses to further monetize.

Meta's Tepid Revenue Outlook Undercuts its AI Spending Spree

The tech giant highlighted AI-driven gains while insisting its ballooning costs will drive new revenue

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Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden said the Timothée Chalamet-led World Cup campaign “brought back the love” of soccer as the FIFA sponsor drove about $1.7B in event sales, yet shares fell 17% on July 30 after higher marketing spend squeezed profits.

Adidas' World Cup Win Comes at a Cost as Q2 Marketing Spend Tops $1 Billion

Adidas' Q2 marketing spend hit more than $1 billion as it went all in on the tournament with some help from Timothée Chalamet.

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@cbsnews.com announced that Norah O’Donnell will be an official correspondent for 60 Minutes this coming fall. There will also be an addition of four new talent to the Sunday magazine roster including @nytimes.com opinion columnist Ross Douthat, Sebastian Junger, Gianna Toboni, and Trevor Phillips.

Norah O’Donnell Named 60 Minutes Correspondent as New Talent Announced

Four other reporters were named to the CBS News program

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During an Omnicom earnings call on Tuesday, CEO John Wren told investors that the IPG deal has given the holding company “demonstrated momentum,” adding that despite its size, Omnicom is still agile. Read more about the earnings call 👉 https://adweek.it/4wz58OS

The social-first agency Saylor is launching Fleet, a creator studio meant to bring creator casting, content development, production, and partnership execution under one roof.

Saylor Launches Creator Studio Fleet

The agency has tapped Nneka Enurah Lee to grow the practice, reflecting how central creators have become to social strategy

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X and the advertising trade group the World Federation for Advertisers have settled their legal dispute after nearly two years, with a joint statement saying, "This resets the relationship between the two organizations."

Elon Musk’s X and WFA End Multiyear Legal Spat

X’s lawsuit against the nonprofit organization incited wider debate about the influence that advertisers may be able to exert on right-leaning media.

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It was only a matter of time before Reese's and Oreo partnered with Lindsay Lohan! Read about the spot 👉 https://adweek.it/4pRpBvO

Amazon and Walmart already dominate retail media spend, and both are pushing into streaming TV to win bigger ad budgets, but they’re taking different paths. ADWEEK asked ad buyers to break down Walmart’s and Amazon’s respective streaming pitches. 👇

Walmart and Amazon Are Battling for Streaming TV Budgets. Here's How Their Offerings Break Down

With Vibe.co and Vizio, Walmart is chasing the omnichannel playbook Amazon pioneered.

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Launching today, La-Z-Boy is running a contest in which designer Kristin Juszczyk will create a custom recliner with the winner’s favorite football jersey stitched into the backrest, plus extra personalized details. Read more 👉 https://adweek.it/3TfVu4X

In this episode of Adspeak by ADWEEK, Jamie Warner sits down with Trent Thacker, senior director of market and customer research at Cox Automotive and currently senior director of industry intelligence, to explore how iconic brands like AutoTrader and Kelley Blue Book consistently produce high.

Balancing Brand Equity and Innovation in Automotive Advertising

iSpot's Jamie Warner and Cox Automotive's Trent Thacker on producing effective creative that protects brand equity.

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Today, co-host Savannah Guthrie renewed her plea to find her mother, Nancy Guthrie, with a social media post titled “Bring her home,” addressing her abductors and describing her family’s ongoing nightmare nearly six months after her disappearance.

Savannah Guthrie Makes New Plea for Mother's Return: ‘Bring Her Home'

Nancy Guthrie has been missing for nearly six months.

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