Why Programmatic OOH Is the Unsung Hero of Omnichannel Campaigns

As commerce and retail initiatives take centre stage, PrOOH is uniquely placed to drive measurable outcomes – whether that’s influencing purchase intent, reinforcing key messages close to point of sale, or boosting ROI when paired with other channels.

Sara Badler, Chief Advertising Officer North America, The Guardian

In this episode of AW360, Sara Badler, Chief Advertising Officer of The Guardian, joins us to talk about the global publisher’s bold new chapter in the U.S. — from its just-launched “The Whole Picture” brand campaign to its growing programmatic footprint and new revenue streams.

A Pointless Prompt?

If AI is a new engine of creative output, the (human) creative must become the emotional alchemist whose role it is to transform raw data into gold.

Sean Atkins, CEO, Dhar Mann Studios

Recorded live at Advertising Week New York 2025 and Powered by ART19, AW360 Live features interviews with today’s changemakers across marketing, media, tech, and culture.

Five Ways to Win in Advertising’s Outcomes Era

By focusing on these five areas, advertisers can unlock the full potential of the open internet. In so doing, they can make every impression, every signal, and every dollar deliver real business value. 

Publicis on Shaping the Sports-Culture Connection at the AWPlaymaker Awards

In this Q&A, part of the AWPlaymaker Awards spotlight series, Publicis shares how it’s guiding brands to find their authentic voice within culture — from aligning with the right athletes and creators to measuring impact beyond impressions, and shaping the future of modern fandom in a rapidly evolving media landscape.

Meet Ollie, the OtterBox Mascot

OtterBox announced their brand mascot Ollie, a fun-loving otter, had gone missing. The brand put out an SOS on Instagram and encouraged OtterBox fans to join in the search via social media in the “Find Ollie” sweepstakes.

Why SPO Is the Next Big Opportunity in CTV

Remember that SPO is an ongoing process – you’ll want to regularly review performance metrics, adjust bids and budgets based on performance, and test new inventory sources and partners.

Your New Favorite Show is on YouTube

This era won’t be defined by commercial breaks or rented space alongside this new wave of entertainment — it will be about helping co-create it.

Creative Ambition is a Business Strategy

Instead of asking “what’s the minimum we can do to get this out the door?”—ask “what’s the sharpest, most emotionally resonant idea we can build a world around for our brand?”

Agentic AI Is Reshaping SaaS—and Marketers Need a Game Plan

SaaS isn’t going away tomorrow, but its dominance is already under pressure. What’s coming next isn’t a new app. It’s a new paradigm. And the companies that embrace it early won’t just stay competitive. They’ll redefine what it means to compete.

The Persuasive Power of Social Norms in Marketing

When leveraged ethically and insightfully, social norms tap into the deep emotional wellsprings of behavioral change —creating room for people to feel more seen and aligned with their values.

IAB Framework Shows Advertisers Still Struggle to Get Gaming

Gaming isn’t just a category to consider, it’s a cultural phenomenon that intersects with fashion, music, film, and more. The good news is it’s not too late – brands can show up authentically with custom in game experiences.

Are Advertisers the New Content Moderators?

Misinformation isn’t just a problem for users anymore — it’s a branding crisis. As media platforms scale back moderation, advertisers are being forced into the role of risk manager—whether they like it or not.

The Future Is Generative

This is a living, breathing playbook for those who see experience as a core growth strategy that generates tangible value for brands.

Adtech is Beautiful

Adtech is the dynamic bridge connecting advertisers to tech-enabled audiences, constantly evolving with consumer behaviors and technological advancements. 

Loneliness: The Crisis Brands Keep Ignoring

We work in an industry that shapes how people experience the world, and we know that comes with responsibility. Let’s bravely think about what we can do about loneliness.

Save the Date for Advertising Week Europe 2026!

This isn’t just another industry event—it’s where business gets personal, ideas get real and the smartest people in the business come to make things happen.

What Genuine Curation Requires

True curation could begin behind the scenes, by shaping impressions at the placement level, by dynamically adapting pricing to specific buyer needs, and by processing decisions at scale.

Shifting Value Perceptions in Tech-Driven Storytelling

Today, brands must focus not just on the stories they tell, but on how they make people feel – and why they matter. For Gen Z, this means stories that are visually bold, co-created, culturally tuned and tech-enhanced – with substance at their core.

Starting Smarter With Social

Your social presense, the signals, stories, platforms, and people that link you to your audience, is your commercial advantage. But only if you build it intentionally.

AI Industry: Security Collaboration?

As ongoing interactions lead to higher levels of trust, AI companies can begin to come together and foster the synergy needed to develop effective security solutions.

Amazon Alexa+ And What An Alexa With Ads Might Mean

The question is, where might Amazon further grow those ad dollars? Some have speculated that Amazon’s recent decision to launch an AI-driven Alexa+ service may pave the way for an ad-tiered Alexa experience.

From Community to Commerce: Why Snapchat Converts

Snapchat lets brands connect with audiences in a way that feels personal, interactive, and natural, like chatting with a friend. In an age of polished perfection, that kind of authenticity is what truly converts.

Why AI Will Never Replace Human Creativity

Though AI will never replace creativity, there are plenty of areas where it does excel over humans—like identifying patterns, predictive modeling, or processing massive amounts of data.

Q&A with Rob Rakowitz, Head of Marketing at Vidmob

We sat down with Rob Rakowitz, Head of Marketing at Vidmob, to talk about how CMOs can find a path through current economic challenges, and why creative data is so important to brand growth and competitive leadership.

3 “Spring Cleaning” Tips For Retailers’ Mobile Marketing Programs

Whether at spring time or at any time throughout the year, it is important for marketers and their legal and compliance colleagues to plan regular check-ins to review and refresh their mobile marketing program compliance, ensuring this powerful marketing tool is set up for success.

Why Growth-First Will Surpass AI-First

We are no longer at the beginning of the AI journey. We are in the development phase. AI is being integrated into the foundation of every modern business, improving how work gets done and value gets created.

How to Choose the Right Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM) Partner

Choosing the right MMM tool requires balancing cost, usability, and analytical depth. By carefully evaluating these factors, you can select an MMM partner that aligns with your business objectives and enhances marketing effectiveness through data-driven decision-making.

How Marketers Can Solve the Confidence Crisis

Confidence isn’t just a nice-to-have right now—it’s essential. And brands and their marketers are at the heart of rebuilding it. It’s more than just putting out the right messaging.

Can Brand USA Survive Trump?

America’s isolationist policies are also prompting a growth of patriotic consumerism elsewhere, which is bad news for Brand America, and for American brands.

The Value of Original Thinking

Whether it is a marketing campaign that shifts paradigms or a digital strategy that redefines customer engagement, the fusion of AI efficiency and human originality promises a future of boundless creativity.

Redefining Creative Workflows in the Age of AI

For agencies, the challenge isn’t simply to adopt AI tools, but to redefine how we think about creative work in a world where these tools are part of every brief, brainstorm, and brand system.

Brands, Take A Stand

As we strive to better people’s lives, it’s essential that our actions and policies consistently demonstrate a commitment to creating a more inclusive and equitable world.

How AI Transformed Advertising and What to Expect in 2025

Ultimately, AI has brought about a revolution in how advertising is created and delivered.  It is both enabling faster ideation and creation, inspiring new directions, and even making it possible for advertisers to leverage new channels that reach audiences who had previously become unreachable. 

A Story is Worth a Thousand Words

Through humor, insight, and personal anecdotes, Whittaker offered a masterclass in how storytelling can cut through complexity, connect with people, and prepare brands for a future shaped by machines and data.

What Killed the Open Internet?

Is your video ad partner providing comprehensive campaign logs? Trade Desk and Google don’t do this, which amazes me.  Why don’t buyers demand full transparency in real-time? 

The Era of Curation: Key Insights for LATAM Marketers in 2025

As the industry continues to navigate challenges like privacy regulations, identity shifts, and brand safety concerns, curation offers a path to greater ROI. Done right, it transforms ad buying from a fragmented process into a seamless, results-oriented strategy, ensuring that every dollar spent delivers maximum impact.

The Gen Z Hunt for Community and Connection

From re-emerging fashion trends to analog experiences, Gen Z is on the hunt for intentional simplicity. Brands have an opportunity to show up with IRL experiences to meet their demand.

Building on Quiet Luxury

Only time will tell how prevalent and enduring these architectural and experiential shifts may be, but for now ‘quiet luxury’ — at least in some parts of the premium category — seems to be making quite the statement.

Spotify Advertising: Easy, Elevated, Effective

Senior Reporter at The Media Leader, Jack Benjamin, led Spotify’s panel on AI and strategy. Benjamin began by asking the Head of Programmatic Supply EMEA at Google, Andreas Lux-Wellenhof, about the key trends in automation that are shaping the media landscape.

Positivity Powers Performance, Presented by Pinterest

With their first billion-dollar quarter, Pinterest has reached a new era. Their success is based on the performance product they launched over the last few years, which drives their users from inspiration to actually making a purchase.

AW Throwback: Clarence the Polar Bear (Birds Eye)

Fans of the frozen food company Birds Eye may recall there was a time when the brand had another mascot that wasn’t the pioneering Captain Birds Eye. The mascot’s name was Clarence, and he was a polar bear that lived inside your freezer.

How To Be a Sought-After Thought Leader

Developing a unique and notable expertise, being ready to share it, and cultivating a community of followers are key steps to becoming a sought-after thought leader.

Of Sardines and Men

As the poet John Donne says, ‘no man is an island unto himself’, so put the phone away and jump in, the water is warm and teeming with sardines.  

Marketing to the New Informed Consumer

Knowing that product discovery is only the first of many on- and offline touchpoints before purchase gives marketers the opportunity to meet consumers where they are, provide the right information at the right time, and ultimately drive higher conversions. 

How Formula 1 Keeps Its Premium Edge

Formula 1 has long been synonymous with prestige, precision and high-net worth audiences. But in an era where luxury is being redefined, how does the sport continue to attract a premium fanbase?

Meet Orbi, the Iconic Las Vegas Sphere Emoji

Orbi made its debut on the Sphere’s LED screen in 2023 and has since been a daily fixture on its exterior making funny faces to capture each day’s feelings and emotions.

How Can AI Be Used More Sustainably by MMA

Gen AI has brought great benefits to MMA, but unless brands, publishers, agencies and vendors take action to use it more sustainably, AI usage could turn the climate emergency into catastrophe.

Three National Treasures Take the Stage at #AWEurope25!

A sprinkle of magic, a dash of humour and a pinch of TV royalty —#AWEurope25 has it all! Dynamo, Paddy McGuinness and Davina McCall will join Advertising Week Europe in partnership with leading talent agency YMU. 

Three Branding Imperatives as Honda and Nissan Navigate the Road Ahead

To compete in the EV race and maintain global relevance, each company will need employees to believe in the direction and potential of their business. Culture and clarity are essential to uniting and galvanizing a workforce, but for companies of this size, they won’t just materialize.

Looking Back to Look Forward: How Brands Can Leverage Nostalgia in 2025

By identifying the core memories that their customers want to ignite, and by bringing them into the modern age with a fresh and relevant take, brands can evoke the positive emotions that come flooding back when reminiscing about simpler and fondly remembered times from our childhood.

Simplifying the Supply Chain through SSP 2.0

Modern-day SSPs are significantly enhancing the performance of DSPs, elevating their effectiveness in the advertising ecosystem. The collaboration between SSPs and DSPs is proving to be a game changer in maximizing the impact of digital marketing strategies.

AI’s Role in the Next Era of Energy Marketing

Energy CMOs who embrace AI today will redefine customer relationships, optimize marketing efficiency, and build trust in an increasingly complex landscape. The ones who lead this shift won’t just see better marketing results — they’ll help shape the future of the energy industry itself.

Elevating Marketing Through Customer Success

Customer success is your most valuable player. But it’s not just about playing the game; it’s about being prepared to change it, lead it, and redefine what success means repeatedly.

Love Is All Around

The passage of true love is anything but simple, but all brands should be chasing it.

Building Consumer Trust in the Age of AI

One of the most powerful ways to build trust is to design with empathy. AI systems should be designed to reflect empathy and understanding of consumer needs.

Nontraditional Media Is a Key Ingredient for Audience Targeting in the Post-Cookie Era

All too often, brands and their agencies rely on established channels without going the extra yard to see where else they can engage their audiences. By inserting their messaging into more intimate corridors of people’s everyday experiential lives, brands have the ability to connect to their audiences more seamlessly and meaningfully.

How Brands Can Charm Their Way to Valentine’s Day

In order to compete in an increasingly competitive landscape, brands must craft media campaigns with timely, targeted and tailored ad messages that align with the topics, communities, and emotions that truly matter, building relationships that last longer than a Valentine’s Day crush.

The Forecast Factor: How Weather Affects Consumer Behavior

Forecasted weather data empowers businesses to anticipate rather than react. By understanding how customers respond to expected weather, companies can optimize inventory decisions, align campaigns with consumer expectations, and prepare logistics for potential disruptions.

Less Is More: In the Age of Everything, Simplicity Is King

People hate being screamed at by a sea of beige messages that aren’t interesting enough to merit a response. We’re sick of tricks. Sick of AI generated falsities, sick of AR, VR and whatever Meta black hole Zuck’s cooking up next.

Bridging the Gap Between Ambition and Opportunity

There’s been a lot of chatter in the marketing world recently about the positive correlation between brands that take the time to truly understand their customers’ needs, desires and aspirations and business success.

Two Numbers That Will Change How You Buy Media Forever

The technology exists today to answer all these questions and transform your media buying. Blockchain verification, precise targeting, and outcome-based buying aren’t futuristic concepts – they’re driving real results for brands right now.

Charting the Path for Sports Advertising in 2025

Streaming is reshuffling sports rights, influencing viewing habits and changing brand strategies. Programmatic advertising will play a fundamental role for brands that want to tackle fragmentation in sports media and ensure their strategies are on target.