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Cannes Briefing: Creativity is moving beyond the agency model

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Cannes Briefing: Creativity is moving beyond the agency model

Warning: This optical illusion will give you a headache

Ugh some optical illusions come along and ruin your day. Sometimes that’s because they’re too chilling for words and other times they’re too hypnotic. But this one flat out just gave me a headache. Staring at it for too long is NOT advised. You have been warned. Seemingly made up of overlapping circles (that consist

CMOs Need To Rethink Attribution In AI Search

I was asked recently to take a closer look at the data for a website in Google Analytics 4 (GA4). This was for “Measurement Queen” Katie Delahaye Paine, a pioneer with over 30 years of experience in communications research and measurement, who now feels like she is flying blind. From looking at her data in

GenAI taking over digital video buyers’ creatives

Generative AI is transforming digital video ad creation, with 86% of digital video buyers either using or planning to use it in creatives, according to the IAB’s just-released 2025 Digital Video Ad Spend & Strategy report. Currently, 30% of digital video ads are built or adjusted with GenAI, and that’s expected to increase to nearly

Richard Turley gives Air’s identity space to breathe through simplicity and parody

If it sounds wildly conceptual and even a bit hilarious to rebrand in such a microscopic fashion, maybe that’s part of the point. Air’s new strategy hinges on satire, with a ‘Chief Imagination Officer’ in comedian Kareem Rahma and staged protests against Dropbox, a lot about Air’s rebrand feels born out of inside jokes between

WordPress Malware Scanner Plugin Contains Vulnerability

Wordfence published an advisory on the WordPress Malcure Malware Scanner plugin, which was discovered to have a vulnerability rated at a severity level of 8.1. At the time of publishing, there is no patch to fix the problem. Screenshot Showing 8.1 Severity Rating Malcure Malware Scanner Vulnerability The Malcure Malware Scanner plugin, installed on over

Publishers’ workforce diversity data show DEI efforts remain sluggish

Despite years of pledges to diversify their ranks, major publishers are making barely perceptible progress, and in some cases — none at all. Overall, staff diversity at The New York Times, Hearst and Condé Nast has either marginally improved or stalled in 2024, according to their annual workforce diversity data this year. Lauren Winans, CEO

How well do you know the NBA logos? Try to get a slam dunk in my quiz

Attention sports fans! I know you’re all potty about your basketball team branding, so I’ve put together a quiz to challenge your NBA logo knowledge. Do you know which logos feature balls and which don’t? Are you aware of the colour palettes of your team (and all the others?). Dive into this quiz to find

Google Updates Search Analytics API To Clarify Data Freshness

Google has added a new metadata field to the Search Analytics API, making it easier for developers and SEO professionals to identify when they’re working with incomplete or still-processing data. The update introduces new transparency into the freshness of query results, an improvement for marketers who rely on up-to-date metrics to inform real-time decisions. What’s

Marketing Vanguard Launches Membership Program for CMOs

ADWEEK today officially launched the Marketing Vanguard membership program for CMOs, an invitation-only executive club rooted in ADWEEK’s editorial expertise and designed to provide access, intelligence, and influence for industry-leading, innovative, brand-side C-level marketers. Founding Members include Emilie Cotter, CMO, Audi; Tim Ellis, CMO, NFL; George Felix, senior vice president and CMO, Chili’s; Stephanie Fried,

Inclusive Sans expands upon Penguin’s history with playfulness and curiosity

The result was looking past glyphs as pure aesthetics but symbols of curiosity and boldness. Rounding the forms of the ‘a’ and ‘g’, Olivia and her team designed the typeface to be friendly and approachable, echoing the accessible nature of Penguin’s books. Subtle flicks in other letters add a sense of movement and liveliness, meanwhile,

Google Says AI Won’t Replace The Need For SEO

Google’s John Mueller and Martin Splitt discussed the question of whether AI will replace the need for SEO. Mueller expressed a common-sense opinion about the reality of the web ecosystem and AI chatbots as they exist today. Context Of Discussion The context of the discussion was about SEO basics that a business needs to know.

Why Mel Robbins’ ‘Let Them’ theory is the mindset marketers need now

Mel Robbins is a New York Times bestselling author, former CNN legal analyst, and a globally recognized expert in personal development. Her “Let Them Theory” offers a simple but powerful mindset: when others doubt, criticize or question you, let them. It’s not about giving up — it’s about staying focused on what matters. In the

‘How my life shaped my sculpting’: meet Simon Lee, the artist who turns experience into art

Simon Lee is an educator and creature art director for feature films and games who has lectured all over the world and taught professional artists for over a decade. Here tells us how becoming a father at 38 moved him to become a professional artist, and how his art career has shaped his evolution as

Meta Follows YouTube In Crackdown On Unoriginal Content

Meta announced that it will implement stronger measures against accounts sharing “unoriginal” content on Facebook. This marks the second major platform policy update in days following YouTube’s similar announcement about mass-produced and repetitive content. Meta revealed it has removed approximately 10 million profiles impersonating large content creators, and taken action against 500,000 accounts involved in

WPP picks its new CEO but has a struggling business to shore up

Last week may have ushered in the first moments of a shift in balance among the holding companies. WPP named its new CEO — breaking barriers along the way by naming the first female holdco CEO ever in Microsoft executive Cindy Rose — just a day after revealing that its first half 2025 earnings are

“I think a lot of the issues in the industry stem from ‘bad managers’”

When progression means managing a team you never wanted, what are your options? Katie Cadwell looks at leadership, agency culture and how to carve your own path in this week’s Creative Career Conundrums.

Nearly 8 In 10 Americans Use ChatGPT For Search, Adobe Finds

A new report from Adobe states that 77% of Americans who use ChatGPT treat it as a search engine. Among those surveyed, nearly one in four prefer ChatGPT over Google for discovery, indicating a potential shift in user behavior. Adobe surveyed 800 consumers and 200 marketers or small business owners in the U.S. All participants

Newsers Pay Respect to Former CNN Political Analyst David Gergen

The political and media worlds are mourning the loss of David Gergen, who died on Friday at the age of 83 due to Lewy body dementia. Gergen, who served in various capacities during both Republican and Democratic administrations between the 1970s and 1990s, was more well-known for his role in TV punditry, especially at CNN, where

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