BREAKING NEWS: Advertising

Beyond the ‘Quencher Woman’: Stanley 1913 Plots Next Act After Viral Fame

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Stanley 1913 has a plan for post-viral fame

The Wellness Bowl: Super Bowl Gets Health Conscious In 2026

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Americans' eating and drinking habits are changing. So are Super Bowl advertisers.

JPMorgan’s Latest Ads Feature Something Entirely New: Actual Customers

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 06:30:00 +0000

Financial services advertising usually looks similar: warm and fuzzy portrayals of life’s milestones—births, graduations, weddings, retirement parties—all made better because someone had the sense to invest. But no matter how […]

John Gentry, OpenX CEO and Adtech Pioneer, Dies After Battle With Cancer

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 15:43:49 +0000

Gentry was considered an adtech trailblazer and a caring friend to many in the world of media and advertising.

Week of Jan. 5 Evening News Ratings: Nightly News Wins the Demo Battle

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 15:38:32 +0000

WNT was still the top-rated broadcast in total viewers.

This Is the Q4 2025 Cable News Report

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 15:26:06 +0000

MS NOW has across-the-board growth.

OpenAI Says It Is Bringing Ads to ChatGPT

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 14:07:34 +0000

OpenAI will start testing ads in ChatGPT’s Free and Go tiers, letting users interact with sponsored products while keeping subscriptions ad-free.

The Proven Playbook for Cultural Relevance at Georgia-Pacific With Laura Knebusch

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 12:53:59 +0000

How Georgia-Pacific’s 100-year legacy became its competitive edge.

The Beast Is Out of the Bag: Salesforce Teases MrBeast Super Bowl 60 Ad

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 12:00:00 +0000

After years of Matthew McConaughey-led Big Game spots, Salesforce is swapping Hollywood polish for YouTube creator clout.

Bad Bunny and Apple Music Invite the World to Dance at Super Bowl 60

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 11:31:06 +0000

Apple Music released the official trailer for Bad Bunny's halftime performance at Super Bowl 60.

LiveOne, DAX US Continue Their Partnership

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 18:30:41 +0000

A “creator-first music, entertainment, and technology platform” and British media giant Global-owned digital advertising platform DAX have renewed their audio advertising partnership.

The exclusive contract between LiveOne and DAX dates to 2015. Importantly, the new agreement has been expanded to include DAX US selling in-car audio opportunities for the first time.

“With more connected vehicles on the road, and drivers streaming more audio for entertainment, this will enable advertisers to reach listeners during some of the most attentive and high-impact moments of the day,” the companies say.

“We’re excited to extend our partnership with DAX,” said Bradley Konkol, Head of Product and Engineering at LiveOne. “DAX US has been instrumental in helping us maximize advertising opportunities while delivering exceptional value to our music-loving audience. We look forward to building on our shared success and we expect to see considerable growth in the programmatic audio market next year. At LiveOne, we are projecting a 30% YoY increase in programmatic audio ad revenue in 2026.”

Brian Conlan, President of DAX United States, added, “I’m thrilled to continue our longstanding exclusive partnership with LiveOne, a pioneer in the personalized streaming music space. This renewed and expanded collaboration allows us to keep delivering innovative advertising solutions that connect brands with passionate and highly engaged audiences. With LiveOne’s huge user base, advertisers can reach target customers who are eager to connect with brands that complement their lifestyle.”

An ‘Addressable Audio’ Ad Partnership for Viant, iHeart

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 15:08:29 +0000

Connected TV and AI-powered programmatic advertising platform Viant Technology Inc.has announced a strategic integration with iHeartMedia, a move that will deliver the nation’s largest audio content creation and distribution firm “enhanced addressability, measurement, and programmatic innovation across podcasts, streaming and broadcast radio.”

In the words of Viant SVP of Publisher Solutions Richie Hyden, “By combining iHeartMedia’s unmatched scale with Viant’s AI-powered platform, we’re unlocking the full promise of audio for advertisers.”

As a part of the expanded partnership, Viant has integrated with Triton Digital, which enables programmatic access to iHeartMedia’s audio inventory, including its unrivaled podcast catalog, streaming audio and broadcast radio inventory.

“Advertisers leveraging Viant’s platform can now activate addressable campaigns across the full spectrum of iHeartMedia’s audio network, unlocking greater precision, transparency, and performance for brands seeking outcomes from one of media’s fastest-growing channels,” Viant and iHeartMedia state.

The partnership brings over-the-air broadcast radio into Viant’s platform for the first time, “demonstrating how radio and podcasts together form complementary pillars of the modern audio strategy for advertisers.”

As Viant and iHeartMedia see it, “Like podcasts, radio delivers depth, authenticity, and engagement that drive consumer connection and conversion — but it also brings the unmatched power of reach and frequency, all amplified by the precision and performance of programmatic.”

Lisa Coffey, Chief Business Officer for iHeartMedia, “This integration with Viant marks a pivotal moment for audio advertising and will help marketers drive stronger performance, while also delivering more relevant experiences for listeners. This allows advertisers to programmatically access the full spectrum of iHeart’s audio network — from podcasts and streaming to broadcast radio — with the precision, transparency, and performance they expect from digital. It’s a major step forward in unifying the power of audio under one scalable, data-driven solution.”

An Open Letter To Gene Simmons: ‘KISS’ Our Butts

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 14:29:12 +0000

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Nexstar Brand Studio To Open An Advertiser Express Lane

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 17:59:47 +0000

The nation’s largest single owner of broadcast TV stations has confirmed that it is bringing to market an in-house strategic and creative hub designed to serve as an express lane to its portfolio of media properties across the United States.

The Nexstar Brand Studio is designed to bridge Nexstar’s owned and operated broadcast TV stations, the NewsNation cable TV network and The CW Network with what Nexstar Media Group calls “a curated bench of award-winning producers, digital creators, multiplatform marketers, and strategic communications leads” tasked with developing custom, unique bespoke sponsorships.

For Nexstar, the fruition of the forthcoming brand studio is tied to celebrations in 2026 of America’s 250th birthday and the studio’s first production, “My American Story.” This is described as a year-long cross-platform campaign celebrating “the diverse voices and values that define our nation” as it approaches a commemoration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the founding of the Republic. Sponsored by Safelite, “My American Story” aired its first feature in November, with NASCAR driver Connor Zilisch sharing his personal story during the NASCAR Playoff Race.

“The Nexstar Brand Studio enables advertisers to become part of the stories that move our audiences,” said Laura Lamattina, Nexstar’s SVP of Marketing Solutions and Brand Partnerships. “It’s not just about placement—it’s about partnership. Together, we can illuminate campaigns that resonate, inspire, and deliver measurable results.”

Dan Lanzano, Nexstar’s President of National Advertising Sales, added, “As America prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, Nexstar and our new content studio are uniquely positioned to tell the nation’s story — not from one city or one network, but from every community across the country. ‘My American Story’ reflects the heart of who we are — local, authentic, and deeply connected to the people and places that make this country extraordinary.”

A just-launched website, MyAmericanStory.TV, offers viewers an opportunity to upload and share their own stories.

Nexstar’s full portfolio of media properties will begin participating in the campaign this week, when spots will air across the company’s national and local platforms.

Meanwhile, “My American Story” is “just one element of Nexstar’s companywide, cross-platform, year-long celebration of America at 250 years old.”

Additional programming and branded content offerings include “Main Street USA,” a limited NewsNation series highlighting small businesses and entrepreneurs revitalizing their communities; “Celebrating Main Street on Route 66,” debuting in Spring 2026 with special programming honoring the 100th anniversary of America’s most iconic highways; and live televised celebrations of special events including Veterans Day, The Boston Pops Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular, and a NASCAR street race at Naval Base Coronado.

‘Made In Chicago’: WBBM Newsradio’s Small Business Salute

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 15:15:12 +0000

Across each year, local media analysts including Gordon Borrell actively track the advertising spend and media choices used by SMBs across the U.S. While small local businesses have largely been absent from big-city Radio for years, one Audacy Inc. station engaged in a recent effort designed to salute these components of the local economy — with nary a nudge to consider an ad buy in 2026.

Between October 13 and November 9, WBBM Newsradio, heard on 780 kHz and 105.9 MHz across Chicago and its suburbs, engaged in a “Made In Chicago” small business challenge. Byline Bank was brought on as a sponsor for the effort, which saw the all-News station offer listeners to visit the station’s website and enter a business for the chance to be featured on a WBBM Newsradio “Made in Chicago” segment. The bonus win? A $10,000 media campaign for that small business.

To qualify, entries included a written statement below detailing how the prize would help brand, rebuild, or grow an eligible business.

Selected as the winner is Kikwetu Coffee Company, a family-owned, “authentically Kenyan” microroaster with a pop-up location at present at the SPF Chicago indoor pickleball court in the Lincoln Park neighborhood.

“Made In Chicago” has been a signature station feature for many years, an Audacy spokesperson tells RBR+TVBR, highlighting local businesses through WBBM Newsradio’s reporting to elevate their stories and impact in the community.

“Based on the originality, persuasiveness and creativity of their submission, Kikwetu Coffee Company took home the Grand Prize winner,” Audacy said. The coffee company will receive a media package that consists of a 1.5-minute “Made in Chicago” news feature and web article, plus the production and 60 runs of a custom 30-second commercial scheduled to air in February 2026.

Presto Real Estate Services and Palmer Florist Inc. were selected as runner-ups and each were awarded media campaigns valued at $2,500.

Home Screen Ads: Another Threat to Linear TV?

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 19:01:18 +0000

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VAB Assails Nielsen’s ‘Big Data + Panel’ Currency

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 17:10:31 +0000

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Nueva Network Teams With AdGrid On ‘Hispanic Audience Accelerator’

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 23:37:46 +0000

Spanish-language audio content creator and distributor Nueva Network has teamed with AdGrid, a “publisher-first ad operations and audience extension platform,” to launch what the company led by José Villafañe has dubbed the “Nueva Network Audience Accelerator.”

The offering, says Nueva Network, “combines Latino cultural intelligence with modern ad-tech to give brands a single, scalable way to reach U.S. Hispanic audiences across digital audio, video, and Connected TV.”

Digital audio advertising in the U.S. is projected to surpass $10 billion in the next few years. Meanwhile, the U.S. Latino economy has surpassed $4 trillion in GDP. Despite this, Hispanic audiences are still underserved in data and media planning, Nueva Network says.

The Nueva Network Audience Accelerator addresses that gap, meshing Nueva’s digital first-party data drawn from its Que Onnda site portfolio, podcast network, digital audio streaming, and social with AdGrid’s identity graph and marketplace connectivity.

It does not include data from TelevisaUnivision, Telemundo, Entravision, MediaCo, SBS or any of the other Hispanic market media entities.

“U.S. Latinos are not a niche; they’re a growth engine,” said Villafañe, founder and CEO of Nueva Network. “With AdGrid, we’re turning the trust and insight we’ve built in audio into precise, scalable audience intelligence that brands can activate across digital. This is where data meets cultura – and performance finally matches representation.”

WARC: ‘Big Tech’ In Driver’s Seat For Global Ad Market Growth

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 19:30:33 +0000

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KPMG: Gen Z Confident In AI’s Future Workforce Shift

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 20:49:21 +0000

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Ford Foundation To Fuel AIR In New Five-Year Deal

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 16:55:54 +0000

NEW YORK — A national network for independent audio creators and journalists that since 1989 has trained, mentored, and advocated for producers, editors, engineers, documentarians, and media entrepreneurs has struck a new dollar-injection agreement with the Ford Foundation.

The Association of Independents in Radio (AIR) has a new five-year partnership with the Ford Foundation, and it sees a $1.5 million investment in AIR designed to strengthen its organizational capacity, expand support for independent audio creators, and build long-term sustainability in the audio industry.

“The Ford Foundation’s support will provide flexible, multi-year funding to help AIR grow stronger and more resilient,” the organization says. “Unlike a traditional project grant, this particular longer-term, special financial allocation will enable AIR to invest in its people, systems, and strategies to adapt, lead, and drive lasting change.”

Over the next five years, the Ford Foundation funding will enable AIR to strengthen the systems that make independent work more viable and fair, expanding access to training, resources, and paid opportunities. It is also designed to allow AIR to grow its staff; advance advocacy and industry standards to improve pay equity, fair contracting, and independent creator representation; and develop new networks and models, including regional hubs, creator cooperatives, and shared economic platforms that increase stability and access for freelancers.

“The resources provided by the Ford Foundation will help us not only continue important work supporting independents in media, but it will enable us to start brand new initiatives that are sorely needed, like advocacy work and more,” said Keisha “TK” Dutes, AIR Board Co-President. “This support strengthens AIR’s ability to organize around issues that impact creators, build collective power, and give independents real influence in how the audio industry operates and evolves.”

LGBTQ+ Media Spend Growth to Decelerate in 2025

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 17:03:31 +0000

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Media Companies Eyeing Archiving Overhaul as Legacy Systems Struggle

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 19:29:04 +0000

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LG Ad Solutions, Taboola Ink A Partnership

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 21:12:51 +0000

Ad tech platform Taboola has reached a new partnership with LG Ad Solutions, one that will allow it to offer Performance Enhancer, a product designed to bridge the gap between premium TV exposure and measurable digital outcomes.

Performance Enhancer provides what the companies call “an end-to-end performance based solution across CTV and all other digital channels, globally.”

“This partnership creates a more connected and measurable ecosystem for brands,” said Serge Matta, President of LG Ad Solutions. “By extending campaigns beyond the Smart TV into high-quality digital environments, brands can drive more site visits and conversions, optimize toward audiences most likely to act, and validate the real performance impact of their CTV investment. It’s a more efficient, more measurable, and more connected way to plan media.”

Taboola CEO Adam Singolda added, “Their massive footprint, trusted brand, and wealth of free CTV content create a tremendous opportunity for advertisers to reach consumers at scale. Through this partnership, we’re bringing the best of both worlds together, from the top-of-funnel impact of the big screen to the mid- to lower-funnel performance of the open web. Together, we’ll help advertisers drive more value and growth by connecting CTV awareness with measurable outcomes.”

Challenger: November Job Cuts Dip From October

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 15:30:36 +0000

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25 Times Companies Successfully Fabricated Myths Just To Sell More Products

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 13:01:57 +0000

It’s no secret that businesses invest hefty sums into promoting their products through any means possible. Some of these strategies may be considered unethical by the public at large, but that doesn’t stop them from happening. One common tactic to increase sales is to promote myths that encourage people to buy into what the company is selling.

Marketing campaigns geared to mislead the gullible public have done such a great job over the years that in a number of cases, people still believe some of these corporate myths despite them being debunked by experts. The only thing we as consumers can do to protect ourselves is to be more aware of these manipulations. With that goal in mind, we’ve shared below a list of products that have been misrepresented to the public for far too long according to netizens.

#1

Image source: xuaereved, Kai Hendry / flickr

Danone’s Activia for healthy digestion; completely made up and unsubstantiated claim that eating their yogurt would help “regulate” your digestive track. Even got Jamie Lee Curtis to spout their BS for years.

#2

Image source: anon, Towfiqu barbhuiya / unsplash (not the actual photo)

Mouth wash is just floor cleaner. Floor cleaner wasnt selling, so companies said peoples breath smell bad.

A_bad_poem_for_free:
And they made a rather disgusting but ingenious campaign to basically prey on people’s insecurity by saying “If you don’t know who has halitosis among your friends, it’s probably you” or “You don’t use mouthwash? your friends are probably talking about your breath behind your back”

Dirty but also genius.

#3

Image source: SebastianTombs, Nick Fancher / unsplash (not the actual photo)

“Oxycontin is not highly addictive.” Crafted by the deplorable Sackler family and their Purdue Pharma for the sake of profit.

#4

Image source: moon_monkey, Jay Wennington / unsplash (not the actual photo)

There’s an ad on daytime TV here in the UK which is pushing electric roll-out canopies for your garden. Nothing wrong with that, I’m sure they’re great. But the ad starts:

“Wouldn’t you like to enjoy your garden without the continual glare of the Sun?”

Britain is a lovely place, but “the continual glare of the Sun” is not one of it’s major problems…

#5

Image source: anon, Getty Images / unsplash (not the actual photo)

Breakfast being the most important meal of the day. This was made up by the Kellogg’s corporation in 1917.

polkadotdress:
Kellogg was a Seventh Day Adventist who started his company based on the dietary beliefs of his religion, particularly cereal foods as a source of healthful nutrition.

#6

Image source: kandorius, Getty Images / unsplash (not the actual photo)

Whole wedding industry. Rings, dresses, huge parties.

#7

Image source: Fenrir101, CDC / unsplash (not the actual photo)

The whole vaccines cause autism/ anti vax b******t. A doctor came up with his own vaccine and wanted to sell it, so he wrote a “paper” which was just him asking the parents of 12 autistic children if they had been vaccinated and then saying that there was a 100% correlation between ONE particular vaccine and autism. This became the basis of the whole vaccines cause autism nonsense.

Pulsar_the_Spacenerd:
Andrew Wakefield was (is) a f**king wild man. Not only did he do that, but he repeatedly refused to retract the study. All other people involved except for one rejected it.

There was also a whole drama about unnecessary colonoscopies for children with autism. I don’t know why it was involved in the “study,” but people weren’t properly informed of them and they weren’t necessary for anything.

#8

Image source: DogsNotHumans, Getty Images / unsplash (not the actual photo)

That aging is a bad thing that can be staved off or even reversed. Ridiculous, but billions of dollars per year go to that pointless hope.

#9

Image source: twilightsentinel, Robin Edqvist / unsplash (not the actual photo)

Pretty sure the diamond industry became a thing because DeBeers said so.

#10

Image source: windblown_knight, Frames For Your Heart / unsplash (not the actual photo)

Fertilizer/lawn care product companies have long diagnosed clover as a weed, when in reality clover is a healthy part of most grassy areas. It doesn’t look perfect when combined with most varieties of grass, but clover isn’t exactly an invasive plant that destroys a healthy lawn.

#11

Image source: anon, Drazen Nesic / flickr (not the actual photo)

You barely need to put any toothpaste on your brush, just a pea-sized blop. The ads all show people squeezing these massive bloop logs onto their toothbrushes because it makes you run out three times as fast.

#12

Image source: CaffieneShadow, Christin Hume / unsplash (not the actual photo)

Essential oils. Companies claim they can cure/treat just about anything. Seriously, there’s oils to treat lethargy and bad luck.

anon:
It’s terrifying that companies promote consuming essential oils. They’re not meant to be eaten.

Sure, some of them can have some mild positive effects. Lavender can be calming, peppermint can be stimulating and help with headaches, eucalyptus can help with congestion, annnnd I can’t actually think of any others that do anything other than smell good.

I love diffusing very small amounts (1-2 drops in a diffuser with 2 cups of water that takes about three hours to diffuse fully). Makes the house smell nice. That’s really the main benefit….

Hot tip: they all cause bad luck because you just dropped $25 on astrology that you rub on your skin.

#13

Image source: ThatGuyFromOhio, Redd Francisco / unsplash (not the actual photo)

Many feminine cleaning products are worse than useless, except when used as an insult.

anon:
Yea….if you’ve got bad smells down there that don’t go away with some warm water and a clean washcloth, go to the doctor. All women get some funky v*gina smells on occasion. Especially after an intense workout or while on your period or during periods of high stress. It’s truly nothing that you need to freak out about, just give the area a good rinse with water.

Please don’t put any type of cleaners inside the v*gina.

#14

Image source: blind_squash, Oleg Ivanov / unsplash (not the actual photo)

That women need to shave every single day, or even shave at all.

littlesmama12:
I shaved my legs regularly as a teenager and young adult because I thought I had to. I’ve let it go in recent years and discovered my legs are very nearly hairless naturally. So much time wasted!

#15

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