Marketing News

OpenAI last week launched GPT‑5, debuting a series of improvements to the game-changing technology. The upgrade features a deeper reasoning model for harder problems and a real-time router that quickly decides which to use based on factors such as conversation type, complexity, and explicit intent.

e.l.f. Beauty on Monday launched an ad campaign, "e.l.f.ino & schmarnes," which satirically calls out expensive makeup prices. Starring comedian Matt Rife and drag queen Heidi N Closet as the titular attorneys, the duo carries the message that quality beauty shouldn't burn a hole in consumers' pockets.

The community aspects of loyalty marketing programs are becoming increasingly crucial, says a new survey. Nearly 70 percent of consumers say they are more likely to join a loyalty program with an active community, and 71 percent consider engaging with fellow members to be important.

Bud Light this week rolled out a new ad, "Parachute," starring longtime partner and NFL Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, that pokes fun at fan devotion. The spot, part of the beer brand's annual campaign for the NFL, will run in both 15- and 30-second formats throughout the NFL season, which kicks off September 4.

The U.S. Soccer Federation is aligning with Kellanova for a new partnership that champions the extended teams — including families and fans — that support the sport. "It Takes a Pack" is part of the cereal and snack company's first partnership with a sports league for its entire snack portfolio.

McDonald's is tapping into consumer nostalgia in a new, limited-edition McDonaldland meal that debuts August 12. Featuring an entrée, fries, and a pink-and-blue shake, the meal reunites McDonaldland characters for the first time in 20 years.

The advertising industry supported more than 20 percent of total U.S. economic output while providing 29 million Americans jobs last year, according to a new study released on Tuesday. The study comes amid a downward slide in the number of jobs in marketing, advertising, and PR in the last several months.

Columbia Sportswear on Monday rolled out a new branded advertising campaign that reflects the outdoor apparel company's irreverent humor of the 1980s and 1990s. "Engineered for Whatever," which kicks of this fall, is the first major brand refresh for the company in a decade.

YouTube said this week that it is expanding its built-in protections to a small group of U.S. users, using machine learning to discern minors from adults. If the user is identified as someone under 18, various protections will apply, such as disabling personalized advertising and adding safeguards to recommendations.

Kroger announced this week that it is combining its 84.51° database unit with the company's retail media, insights, and loyalty marketing services into a single division, Kroger Precision Marketing (KPM). The team will provide brand marketers with full-funnel offerings, from product innovation to campaign activation.

Dunkin' has rolled out a new ad campaign, "King of Summer," to plug its two refresher flavors, Golden Hour and Blueberry Breeze. The campaign, which plays off the hit Amazon Prime series "The Summer I Turned Pretty," features Gavin Casalegno, who starts in the show and has been crowned by Dunkin' the "king of summer."

Sprite is handing things off to Jalen Hurts, Super Bowl LIX MVP quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles, for its latest "Obey Your Thirst" campaign. Known for his leadership and sense of self, Hurts is the soda brand's first-ever NFL athlete partner, joining a roster of brand ambassadors who champion individuality.

With more than half of the country now in the grip of a brutal heat wave, Starry might provide some relief. The PepsiCo soda brand last week announced the launch of its "100 Degrees, 100% Off" ad campaign, offering consumers 100 percent off its Starry lemon-lime soda when temperatures hit 100 degrees anywhere in the U.S.

YouTube Shorts has a new framework. The top video site has introduced a new artificial-intelligence-powered suite of tools to make Shorts creation easier and spur original content. The tools will feature watermarks and clear labels to indicate that the various creations were generated with AI.

Clothing brand American Eagle has teamed up with actor Sydney Sweeney for its "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans" fall 2025 campaign. The multi-media campaign focuses on how wearing the retailer's jeans make customers look and feel their best and includes a pair of limited-edition jeans created in collaboration with Sweeney.

Guinness and Van Leeuwen are joining forces to create Lovely Day for a Guinness ice cream, a stout-flavored ice cream mixed with chocolate chunks throughout. The name of the ice cream harkens to the Irish stout brand's ads from the 1950s, reimagining the classic Guinness toucan art with an Americanized twist.

Chips Ahoy! is collaborating with Netflix's hit series Stanger Things to create the new Chips Ahoy! Stranger Things Limited-Edition Cookie. As part of the new edition, Chips Ahoy! is also releasing Original Chips Ahoy! packs that harken back to the look and feel of the 1980s, when Stranger Things takes place.

Companies performing above average on environmental sustainability gain a 6 percent higher earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, according to a new study. But some companies may be missing the mark when it comes to communicating their environmental efforts.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is taking on a major role in creating digital videos ads. Nearly one-third (30 percent) of creative ads are now built from scratch or enhanced using generative AI, and that percentage is expected to jump to nearly 40 percent in 2026, according to a new report released by the IAB.

The IKEA Museum, owned by Swedish retailer IKEA, is taking its "Magical Patterns" exhibit to Dovecot Studios in Scotland for the Edinburgh Art Festival and Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The exhibit showcases 60 years of creative textile designs and touts 180 fabrics that have helped shape IKEA's aesthetics.