Latest Marketing & Advertising News
Swivel and Olyzon Partner on Agentic CTV Marketplace
AI sales automation company Swivel and CTV ad platform Olyzon announced a partnership on April 2 allowing AI agents to negotiate and execute campaigns directly without RTB, using the open-source AdCP protocol. This raises questions about the future role of DSPs in automated buying.
Samsung Ads Delivers Strong CTV Results for Crumbl
Crumbl’s first CTV campaign with Samsung Ads generated over 16,000 app installs—213% above target—and more than $20,000 in attributed revenue in the first week. The Q4 case study proves CTV can perform like social media platforms.
Basis Launches Compass for Agentic Media Planning
Basis released Compass on April 2, an AI tool that turns media briefs into full omnichannel strategies across programmatic, search, and social in minutes. It integrates with Basis’s DSP and uses MCP for data pulls.
Spotify’s Programmatic Exchange Triples Buyer Base
Spotify reported a 222% year-over-year growth in advertisers on its programmatic exchange. New formats include sponsored playlists and carousels with automated bid adjustments.
Publicis Acquires 160over90 for Over $500M
Publicis Groupe agreed to buy sports marketing agency 160over90 from WME for $500M+ on April 2. The agency with 670 employees handles major events like Super Bowl and Olympics.
Publicis also acquired AdgeAI in March 2026 to boost CoreAI.
Ad Budgets Shift to Quarterly Amid Tariff Fears
Agency execs report clients planning media spend quarter-by-quarter due to tariff uncertainty, despite 9.5% U.S. ad growth forecast for 2026. This shift is described as practically unheard of in the industry.
AI Media Buying Tools Proliferate Across Platforms
Platforms like Google Performance Max (2021), Meta Advantage+ (2022), and newer ones from Amazon, Pinterest, TikTok, and LinkedIn automate targeting and optimization. Nearly 60% of U.S. ad buyers use or plan AI buying products.
Protocols like AdCP and UCP enable agent collaboration.
Hyundai Launches 'Forests Without Names' Global Campaign
Hyundai Motor announced the campaign on April 7 to name sea forests in Korea, Argentina, and Australia, highlighting marine ecosystems during Earth Month. It includes public voting, a Sea Forest Map, and ties to conservation efforts.
Key dates: teaser on April 3, main film on Earth Day April 22.
Tequila Don Julio Rolls Out World Cup Campaign
Don Julio launched the 'Made To Be Raised' campaign with a gold 1942 FIFA World Cup edition bottle ahead of the June 11 tournament. Features a 30-second spot with Thierry Henry, Tobin Heath, and Christen Press, plus OOH, digital, and TV buys.
Zillow Partners with 'The Devil Wears Prada 2'
Zillow joined brands like L'Oréal and Grey Goose as a partner for the sequel, with a hero spot in Runway offices using Zillow filters for Miranda Priestly. This aligns with Zillow's rental revenue jumping 45% to $168M recently.
Microsoft Highlights Gaming as Ad Ecosystem
Microsoft's blog post positions gaming at the center of evolving audience engagement in advertising. The industry faces a crossroads with shifting consumer behaviors favoring interactive formats.
Agency Holding Companies Accelerate AI Investments
Omnicom acquired IPG in 2025 for Omni platform; WPP bought InfoSum and partnered with Google AI. These moves build enterprise AI for media planning and execution.