Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard Deal Will Be a New Lure for Brands

“Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more,” explained Sarah Bond, Microsoft’s corporate vice president for game creator experience and ecosystem at Xbox. Bond was speaking with McKinsey in January 2022 while explaining the technology company’s interest in the video gaming sector. She said the tech giant’s direct…

YouTube’s Latest Ding Raises Questions Over Its Compliance With Apple’s Privacy Policies

Two years ago, Apple rocked the mobile privacy world by introducing its App Tracking Transparency framework, which requires app publishers to get peoples’ consent to track them. The resulting lack of available signals and attribution spurred many mobile advertisers to rely more on earned channels, eschewing paid media altogether. But YouTube may still be tracking…

Bumble Shows Black Women Love in Affectionate Campaign

For one of the shortest months of the year, February is one of the busiest: the Super Bowl, the Grammy Awards, NBA All-Star Weekend, Valentine’s Day and, of course, Black History Month, jockeying for the public’s time and attention. Brands and the media are often so busy courting so many different factions at once that…

A Marketers’ Guide to 5G and XR in 2023

The advent of 5G mobile technology is revolutionizing marketing and advertising. The high speeds and low latency allow marketers to create campaigns that are not just interactive, but immersive. Brands can deliver 360-degree live video streams and sensory experiences that engage customers in remarkable ways, no matter where those users are. And they can deliver…

Tinder ‘Swipes Right’ on Inclusive Global Campaign to Court Gen Z Daters 

Over its 10-year existence, Tinder has not only introduced the concept of “swiping” to indicate interest (or lack thereof) into the cultural lexicon; it has also sparked a reputation as a place where daters could find a noncommittal encounter–or as it’s known more widely, a “hookup.” But now, the popular dating app is optimistic its…

Before Performance Max, There Was Google’s App Campaigns, Muddying Transparency

Automation is taking hold of the ad industry, and marketers are grappling with the idea of balancing transparency with effectiveness, spurred by interest in Google’s year-old tool Performance Max. And if history is to be believed, performance often wins. But that doesn’t mean marketers are happy about it. Back in 2017, Google told mobile advertisers…

FanDuel Casino Encourages You to Take the Win However You Can Get It

In this world, you’ve got to take success where you can get it, and celebrating even the smallest victories can change your whole day for the better. What constitutes a win is in the eye of the beholder, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy these little accomplishments as they come. With the sense of…

Uber Wants to Be Your ‘Getaway’ Car for the Holiday Season

After a few years of disrupted holiday travel, many may have forgotten how much the season takes out of us. As families gather together under one roof again, Uber is reminding us it’s ready in case you need a break. To celebrate its newly launched platform, Get Your Ride Right, Uber has a new campaign…

As Privacy Sandbox Comes to Mobile, Queries on Privacy and Effectiveness Remain

Google’s Privacy Sandbox features will start appearing on Android phones next year, the company announced Tuesday, giving stakeholders in the mobile advertising ecosystem an opportunity to prepare for a future where targeting and attribution are more restrictive. But, as with most changes to the future of identity, there’s much debate about the specifics, even as…

Apple Is Charging In-App Fees for Boosted Posts

In its latest operating system update, Apple said it’s taking a cut of boosted posts, a format available on social networks like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, where users and companies can pay these platforms to have their posts amplified more widely. Apple said in a post on the App Store review guidelines accompanying the new…

These Bolivian Skaters Linked With Samsung to Change the Culture’s Perception of Women

For many Hispanic and Latinx communities, embracing culture is not only a way to reconnect with their ethnicity, but a part of their identity. However, like in any culture, there are aspects that are still rooted in gender inequality, misogyny, and machismo. In an effort to create change around the way women are viewed in…

These Films Show Google Pixel Helping to Strengthen Family’s Relationships

Telling a series of modern life and love stories around a modern family in Germany is the focus of a campaign from Google to promote its Pixel smartphone brand. Each of the three-minute long adverts have been released to explore different but relatable relationships–and to convey that love is a universal language that can overcome…

McDonald’s App Goes to ‘Camp’ to Build Gen-Z Loyalty

As kids heave off to actual camp, McDonald’s is releasing its “reimagined” digital version of organized summer fun aimed at Gen-Z customers. It features food deals, merch offers from designers like streetwear brand Ma(R)ket and concert performances by artists such as Kid Cudi. Oh–and yes–there is a “limited edition” Retro Grimace Pool Float users can…

Samsung Wants Us to Go Out After Dark With the New Galaxy S22

Samsung introduced its Galaxy S22 phone line at February’s Samsung Unpacked event, spotlighting features that allow the phone to take better photos and video at night. The company is also showcasing those features in “Streetlight,” a minute-long film that follows a man taking advantage of his phone’s “Nightography” video capabilities. The film follows our creative…

Bringing a Passionate PC-First Audience to Mobile

Riot Games has thrived off a player-focused mentality with its flagship global sensation League of Legends. During its 10th anniversary in 2019, the developer announced several new game genres, including its first foray into the mobile gaming space. At Adweek’s Elevate: The Future of Mobile Gaming summit, Riot’s global head of marketing for League of…

Log in to Elevate: Mobile Gaming

Let’s face it, you use your mobile device for everything today. Banking, shopping, texting and yes, even calling, can be done on your mobile device. Add to that list gaming, which the 2021 Global Games Market Report from Newzoo estimates is now worth over $91 billion globally. On Feb. 2, marketers, gaming experts and brand…

A Spider Gets Its First Taste of Heartbreak in Samsung’s Unexpected Love Story

It’s love at first sight in this romantic tale from Samsung, but the protagonist is a creature that doesn’t usually garner much affection. The star-crossed lovers in Samsung’s unusual story are a furry spider and the brand’s new Galaxy S22 Ultra phone. In the ad, Sam the spider is leading a quiet life in her…

Why Ryan Reynolds’ Mint Mobile Flipped an Old Ad Upside-Down for Super Bowl Sunday

Mint Mobile is making its return to Super Bowl Sunday this weekend, but you might need to tune in a bit early to catch the Ryan Reynolds-owned brand’s ad. No, not the pre-game show. A few hours before that. You can’t miss it. It’s the ad that’s upside-down. While the budget cell service did make…

Winter Olympians Express Their Passions Beyond Sports in Samsung’s Sleek Ad

While Olympians regularly endorse everything from sneakers to credit cards, Rule 40 of the Olympic Charter places a blackout period immediately before and during the games when competing athletes can’t appear in ads. Samsung is getting around that restriction ahead of the Winter Olympics in Beijing with a spot from Leo Burnett that casts actors…

These Dramatic Movie Moments Are Actually Fun Apple Ads for iPhone 13 Pro Features

In cinema, a camera tells us a lot more about characters than we often realize. The way a shot lingers on, zooms into or pulls into focus a specific person can act as a reveal without the actors having to say a word. That’s a fact Apple puts to effective use in its new campaign…