Howdy 🤠 It’s Parker from Ad Age. This week, let’s take a trip down memory lane and relive our childhood glory—ripping into a new cereal box for a Star Wars spoon or a baseball card. Ad Age Senior Marketing Reporter Jon Springer recently wrote about why cereal box toys largely went away and why the kid-friendly marketing ploy could make a comeback. I’m just in it for the free spoon, but Jon told me it’s bigger than cutlery:

Freakies, Flexi-discs and bike spinners. Take a trip down memory lane and see the 10 cereal box prizes that defined breakfast for free on Ad Age👇

Crunchatize me, Cap'n!

TL;DR

• Kellogg’s put toys back inside cereal boxes starting in late April, featuring cards and figurines in select brands including Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops, Apple Jacks and Corn Pops.

• The promotion is tied to Disney and Pixar’s upcoming “Toy Story 5” movie.

• Kellogg’s frames the move as addressing screen fatigue among kids, though the nostalgia appeal for parents is clear.

Need to know

In-box cereal prizes were once a breakfast table staple, but they’ve largely vanished over the past two decades. The decline followed a small parts ban and restrictions on marketing foods to children in the 2000s, pushing brands toward digital redemptions instead. Kellogg’s return to physical toys signals a bet that tangible play still has value in a digital-first world—and that nostalgia-driven parents might be just as important an audience as their kids.

Implement it

• Licensed media tie-ins now dominate cereal promotions, replacing collectibility-focused giveaways. Product partnerships increasingly rely on entertainment properties to drive both parent and child appeal.

• Nostalgia marketing works when it solves a modern problem. Kellogg’s is not only tapping into throwback marketing; it’s positioning physical toys as an antidote to screen time, giving parents a reason to buy beyond sentiment.

• In-box incentives require navigating regulatory constraints around marketing to children. Brands reviving tactile promotions need to account for safety standards and advertising restrictions that reshaped the category.

Watch this space

• Whether other cereal brands follow Kellogg’s lead and reintroduce in-box prizes, or if this remains a one-off promotion.

Want to dig deeper? Get the full story on Ad Age for free.

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Happy Tuesday! It’s Parker from Ad Age 👋 This week, Ad Age’s Asa Hiken gets into the mud on the danger of AI hallucinations as media agencies swiftly adopt agentic investment technologies. He recently reported on methods to avoid pricey mishaps, so I asked him what he finds most interesting about the ongoing trials and tribulations of AI adoption:

TL;DR

• AI agents are hallucinating ad prices or incorrectly booking media buys in ad servers during early tests, meaning they still require close observation, according to IAB Tech Lab CEO Anthony Katsur.

• Holding companies, including Omnicom, are conducting live agent-to-agent transactions for clients, with human oversight still in place.

• Experts warn that agents can present confidently even when wrong, requiring systematic audits and governance protocols to catch errors before they scale.

Need to know

AI agents tasked with media buying are making mistakes that marketers might not catch without deliberate checks. In documented tests, agents have fabricated unrealistically low ad prices and misbooked campaigns despite receiving correct information. The errors matter because the industry is moving quickly toward automated buying, with more companies testing agent-to-agent transactions. Leaders from OpenAI to Anthropic have acknowledged that AI systems will hallucinate, but marketers are integrating agents into media workflows anyway. The risk is that these systems appear authoritative even when they’re wrong, and without proper auditing, mistakes could scale as adoption accelerates.

Implement it

• Audit agent outputs at every handoff point in a transaction—verify that buyer agents pass along the same information they received, that seller agents correctly receive it and that information returns accurately to human sellers.

• Record and review agent sessions to analyze logic and outputs, then share results with clients to confirm the process meets expectations and identify where agents are pulling outdated or incorrect data.

• Partner with AI governance firms that can plug into agentic systems, analyze sessions, and identify common failure points before errors compound.

Watch this space

• Adoption versus errors: Whether holding companies move agent-to-agent transactions from testing environments into full production, and whether error rates remain acceptable as volume scales.

• Standardization: How quickly standardized protocols such as Ad Context Protocol (AdCP) and IAB Tech Lab’s Agentic Advertising Management Protocols gain adoption across the industry and whether they meaningfully reduce hallucinations and booking errors.

Want to dig deeper? Get the full story on Ad Age for free.

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Hey y’all! It’s India from Ad Age, subbing in for Parker this week 🫶🏽 Ad Age’s Erika Wheless is unpacking something that might surprise marketers. Gen Z is absolutely price-conscious, but also deeply skeptical of brands that overpromise or cut corners. That’s helping explain why brands such as Coach, Nike and Lululemon are resonating right now—they’re not necessarily the cheapest option, but younger consumers see them as lasting, reliable and “worth it.”

I asked Erika what some of her key takeaways were, and she said:

TL;DR

• Eighty percent of Gen Z cite product quality as their top driver of brand loyalty, according to a Morning Consult survey of 650 Gen Z U.S. adults.

• Quality of materials or ingredients is the leading signal of luxury for Gen Z (58%), followed by aesthetic and visual identity (46%) and brand reputation (41%).

• Nike, Coach, Lululemon and Apple top the list of brands Gen Z considers luxurious but within budget.

Need to know

The narrative that Gen Z lacks brand loyalty and chases only price or trends is incomplete. Quality—particularly durability and materials—has become a defining loyalty driver for this generation. This shift reflects economic pressure and institutional distrust: 58% of Gen Z believe the system favors the rich and works against them, according to Edelman’s Trust Barometer. The result is a generation that demands proof of value and will publicly call out brands that overpromise. Gen Z is willing to buy fast fashion for fleeting trends, but insists on longevity for items meant to last.

Implement it

• Emphasize durability and craftsmanship: Coach, for example, describes its Brooklyn shoulder bag as an “investment piece” made with “durable natural grain leather” that “wears beautifully over time.”

• Consider resale or secondhand programs: Patagonia’s Worn Wear program allows customers to trade in used gear, which the company then resells—proof that the products hold up.

• Prepare for scrutiny: Gen Z will challenge misleading claims in comments and reviews. Transparency and proof points matter more than aspirational language.

Watch this space

• How brands balance accessibility with premium positioning as Gen Z redefines “affordable luxury.”

• Whether more brands adopt resale or repair programs to signal quality and sustainability—two values Gen Z increasingly ties together.

Want to dig deeper? Get the full story on Ad Age for free.

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Hey all! It’s Parker from Ad Age 👋 This week, our agency reporters Brian Bonilla and Ewan Larkin are digging into an ongoing story about what one source called an ad industry “dirty little secret.”

Recently, major media agencies have won Big Tech accounts, and Brian and Ewan’s reporting has found those wins aligned either with major commercial commitments between the partners or verbal agreements to sell the tech company’s wares to the agency’s other clients.

When I asked them what they found most interesting about this story, Ewan said:

TL;DR

• Agencies competing for tech companies’ advertising business may also be agreeing to spend millions on those companies’ products and recommend them to other clients.

• Publicis won Microsoft’s global media account shortly after agreeing to equip 114,000 employees with the tech titan’s tools; IBM’s media pitch included verbal negotiations about agency spending on the company’s products, according to three people familiar with the matter.

• Mid-sized and smaller advertisers may lack the resources to scrutinize whether agencies recommend tech vendors based on merit or upstairs deals.

Need to know

For an agency to win a tech company’s media business, it may have to agree to do more than an investment strategy. Winning may mean committing to use and sell that tech client’s products across the agency’s entire roster, blurring the line between independent counsel and commercial partnership. While holding companies insist they keep media accounts separate from tech deals, the timing and structure of recent wins suggest the two are becoming harder to separate. For marketers relying on agencies for unbiased technology guidance, this shift introduces a potential conflict: Is the agency recommending a tool because it’s the best fit, or because of a broader commercial relationship?

Implement it

• Ask direct questions: If your agency recommends a specific tech vendor, ask whether the holding company has a commercial agreement with that provider. Request transparency about any financial commitments or partnerships that could influence recommendations.

• Scrutinize mid-tier vulnerability: Smaller and mid-sized marketers (spending under $200 million annually on media) may have less leverage to push back. If you fall into this category, consider bringing in an independent consultant to audit tech recommendations.

• Separate reviews from partnerships: If you’re a tech company conducting a media review, consultants recommend keeping commercial agreements entirely separate from the pitch process to avoid creating future lock-in with that agency.

Watch this space

• Client transparency: How marketers—especially those without dedicated procurement teams—begin demanding transparency around agency tech partnerships and whether industry bodies establish guidelines for disclosure.

Want to dig deeper? Get the full story on Ad Age for free.

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Hi all 👋 It’s Parker from Ad Age, and this week, let’s dig into Del Taco’s recognition that it hasn’t been able to make brand marketing as powerful as that viral Vine of its messed-up “fresh avocado” sign. Modern TikTok doesn’t have quite the same magic as OG Vine (I still recite a “in me mum’s car” every so often).

Ad Age’s influencer and social media marketing reporter, Gillian Follett, took a look at Del Taco’s recent campaign that revisits the 2016 moment. When I asked her what jumped out about this story, she said:

TL;DR

• Del Taco reunited with creator Cathleen Dovolis 10 years after her “fre sh a voca do” Vine became a cultural phenomenon among millennials and Gen Z.

• The chain installed a mural and other art installations at the Torrance, California, location where the 2016 video was filmed and launched themed merchandise.

• Chief Marketing Officer Noah Chillingworth called it “probably some of the most consequential brand content” for Del Taco over the past decade—content the brand did not create.

Need to know

Del Taco’s celebration of a decade-old user-generated meme signals a shift in how brands measure cultural impact. The six-second Vine, in which Dovolis laughed at a misspaced marquee, built global awareness for a U.S.-only restaurant chain and outlasted traditional marketing efforts. Chillingworth, who returned as CMO this year after holding the VP of marketing role when the video first went viral, said the partnership was inspired by renewed 2016 nostalgia on social media. The move acknowledges that viral moments created by consumers can have more staying power than ads—a reality that has become standard in today’s creator economy.

Implement it

• Nostalgia is a powerful force in modern culture, and nostalgic cultural moments can be reactivated. Del Taco also timed this partnership to early 2026’s surge in 2016-specific nostalgia, letting social conversation lead the decision.

• For better or worse, fan-created content often becomes part of your brand story. Del Taco acknowledged that most people associate “fre sh a voca do” with the brand, not the creator—a signal the meme entered the brand’s identity.

• Build relationships with creators who generate organic brand moments, even if there is no immediate business case. Del Taco maintained light contact with Dovolis for years before this reunion.

Watch this space

• Copycats: Whether other restaurant brands begin revisiting their own viral moments from the mid-2010s as millennial and Gen Z nostalgia for that era continues.

• What’s in a meme: How Del Taco measures the business impact of this campaign beyond awareness—whether it drives foot traffic, sales or younger consumer engagement.

Want to dig deeper? Get the full story on Ad Age for free.

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Happy Tuesday! It’s Parker from Ad Age 👋 Brands have been getting in on the hype as soccer fans get ready for this summer’s FIFA World Cup. But many marketers are changing up how they’re approaching sports sponsorships in this year’s tournament.

Ad Age’s sports marketing reporter Jon Springer broke down how brands are trying out new strategies in the build-up, and when I asked what he found most interesting about it all, he said: “The prospect of attending World Cup games or just getting closer to them is a powerful proposition, especially in light of the sky-high prices that shut out so many casual and new fans.”

TL;DR

• Brands are using ticket giveaways and exclusive experiences to break through World Cup clutter, with Total Wireless posting flyers on utility poles and Verizon offering pitchside access through golden tickets.

• Retailers are turning the tournament into a commerce moment through limited-edition packaging, collectibles and product bundles tied to team gear.

• Marketers are extending the World Cup beyond stadiums into everyday environments—Roblox activations, Lego minifigures and home-viewing setups.

Need to know

World Cup tickets can cost thousands of dollars, putting the tournament out of reach for many fans. Brands are responding by giving away tickets and creating exclusive experiences rather than simply slapping logos on ads. The bet is straightforward: in a crowded sponsorship environment, access to something fans actually want is more valuable than another awareness campaign. Marketers are using the tournament to drive purchases, build loyalty programs and create retail moments that connect products directly to the event.

Implement it

• Scarcity and urgency drive consumer behavior around major moments. Brands are using limited-edition drops, sweepstakes tied to everyday purchases and time-sensitive offers to create immediacy around the tournament.

• Think beyond the stadium. Brands such as The Home Depot and Diageo are focusing on how fans watch and gather at home or in bars, turning viewing spaces into activation opportunities.

Watch this space

• Longevity: How brands activate after the World Cup could matter just as much as during. Follow whether access-based strategies translate into sustained brand engagement after the tournament ends, or if they function primarily as short-term acquisition plays.

Want to dig deeper? Get the full story on Ad Age for free.

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Hello! It’s Parker from Ad Age 👋 As a former teen mall-goer, I am fascinated by strategies that retailers from past eras are using to get today’s youth back into stores.

Ad Age’s Adrianne Pasquarelli, senior editor of CMO strategy and commerce, recently dug deep on Claire’s comeback, from revamping marketing practices to rethinking the boundaries between physical and digital spaces. I asked her what she thought was most interesting about the story, and she said:

“What’s especially fascinating here is that NeeDohs—the most popular squishy everyone wants—are not new. The brand has been around for nearly a decade. But the recent sell-outs and explosive demand point to the continuing dominance of social media driving Gen Alpha trends and the importance of how closely connected marketing must be with merchandise.”

TL;DR

• Claire’s is emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy under new ownership after closing nearly 300 stores last year.

• The chain is capitalizing on squishy hunting, a Gen Alpha trend involving slow-rise foam toys like NeeDoh that consumers film for TikTok. A late-March restock of tens of thousands of items sold out across all 900 stores in four days.

• Michelle Goad, Claire’s new chief brand officer, has restructured operations to unify product, retail and marketing under her. She’s also implemented weekly Gen Alpha focus groups.

Need to know

Claire’s emerged from its second bankruptcy last September with a narrower store footprint and a clear demographic mandate: Gen Alpha. The chain’s bet on squishy hunting represents more than opportunism. It reflects a deeper operational shift designed to identify and respond to youth trends faster: connecting social listening, product ordering and creator relationships in ways the brand previously wasn’t. The squishy craze, driven by ASMR content and in-store treasure hunts, sold through inventory in days, demonstrating both the opportunity and the structural challenge of staying ahead with young shoppers.

Which Gen Alpha strategies are actually working? Tell us👇

Leave a comment

Implement it

• Gen Alpha’s squishy hunting trend shows that physical retail still drives digital virality. Products that offer tactile satisfaction and scarcity can generate social content without paid activation, particularly if the in-store experience delivers.

• Claire’s brought product and marketing strategy closer together to reduce friction between trend identification and inventory decisions. That integration matters when product cycles move at social media speed.

• Weekly calls with 30 to 40 Gen Alpha girls guide Claire’s product orders. Informal, recurring access to your core demo can surface shifts faster than formal research.

Watch this space

• Trend sustainability: Claire’s expects its next NeeDoh delivery in time for summer. Its updated operational model now faces tests on a few fronts, including whether Claire’s can sustain momentum beyond one trend cycle and if it spots future trends that keep enticing young shoppers.

• Transitional spaces: The brand is exploring ways for shoppers to film content in-store, signaling deeper integration of physical retail and social behavior. How that materializes—and whether it becomes replicable infrastructure or one-off activation—will indicate whether Claire’s has built a system or just caught a wave.

Want to dig deeper? Get the full story on Ad Age for free.

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Hi all 👋 It’s Parker from Ad Age with an explainer on one of the industry’s buzziest quarrels and how it’s playing out for advertisers.

Ad Age’s Senior Tech Editor, Garett Sloane, has been closely following the fallout between Publicis and The Trade Desk, goliaths of their respective agency and ad tech realms. The attention on this dispute is the culmination of long-running industry tension around the lack of transparency into fundamental practices that marketers are caught in the middle of.

Here’s what Garett said when I asked what he finds most interesting about the story:

“There have been murmurs about disaffection with The Trade Desk for the better part of a year, but to see such a high-profile holdco express its concerns so publicly, well, that was a shocker. Now, the industry is taking sides—some defending TTD, and some piling on. It is a reminder of how dynamic this all is. Ad tech fees are a real issue, yet there is also a fair bit of gamesmanship going on. There is no end to intrigue still to come and cover, because where there are costs to scrutinize, you can bet brands will demand it.”

TL;DR

• Publicis audited The Trade Desk and claimed it found hidden fees outside contract terms; a leaked memo recommended clients pause using the platform.

• The Trade Desk CEO Jeff Green responded by pointing to agencies’ own opaque practices, including principal-based media buying.

• Other holding companies, including Omnicom, announced they would review their Trade Desk partnerships, though Omnicom said an initial review found no issues.

Need to know

What started as a private contract dispute between Publicis and The Trade Desk has become a public reckoning over transparency in programmatic advertising. The fight is simultaneously forcing agencies to answer uncomfortable questions about their own fee structures. The Trade Desk’s move toward direct brand relationships through bypassing agencies adds competitive tension to what might otherwise be a routine vendor disagreement.

Implement it

• The dispute has prompted agencies to reassure clients about their diligence processes; Omnicom told clients it would conduct additional reviews after Publicis’ audit became public.

• Many brands have direct deals with The Trade Desk and control where media dollars go, which weakens any blanket agency recommendation to avoid the platform.

Watch this space

• Audit trends: Whether other holding companies find similar discrepancies in their Trade Desk audits, or if Publicis’ claims remain an outlier.

• Cutting the middlemen: How The Trade Desk’s direct-to-brand strategy evolves; deeper brand relationships could further marginalize agency influence over platform selection and fee negotiation.

Want to dig deeper? Get the full story on Ad Age for free.

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Howdy 🤠 This is Parker from Ad Age with a fascinating story about how small ad agencies are finding new ways to bring in recurring revenue as marketers cut back on spending.

Ad Age’s senior agency reporter, Lindsay Rittenhouse, put together a guide on how indies are standing up to the pressure, from becoming landlords to licensing out tech capabilities. When I asked her what she found most interesting about the story, she said:

“What we’re seeing is agencies that want to survive will find a way. There are questions around the future agency model and what value agencies provide. Can AI replace some of their core services? No agency I spoke to is trying to become the owner of a massive amount of commercial property. They’re not trying to be Salesforce. They just want to make extra income so they can pay their employees and create good ads. And it seems to be paying off.”

TL;DR

• Marketing budgets are shrinking and clients are shifting from retainers to project-based work, squeezing agency margins.

• Independent agencies are adding revenue streams in response, including renting out unused office space, developing and monetizing AI-powered products and shifting to performance-based pricing for clients.

• These new income sources require upfront investment and dedicated teams to manage, but have helped shops avoid layoffs and fund new capabilities.

Need to know

The agency business model is under strain. Clients are demanding lower fees and shorter engagements, creating what one agency executive called a “race to the bottom.” To survive on advertising services alone has become increasingly difficult. Independent agencies are responding by diversifying their income, and aren’t just treating these incremental revenue sources as side hustles. Instead, they’re being strategic in these bets by investing capital, staff and operational discipline, all of which help to maintain overall agency stability when client budgets contract.

Implement it

• Make that money: Agencies that own real estate in desirable locations can rent out part of their spaces for pop-up activations, corporate offsites or production shoots. Alternatively, some shops are monetizing new products, including Known. Its marketing optimization platform Skeptic is used both by its agency clients and non-clients.

• Performance pricing works if you deliver: Moving to outcomes-based compensation—where a percentage of fees is tied directly to client KPIs—can generate incremental revenue when agencies outperform benchmarks. It requires confidence in your ability to deliver and alignment on simple, material metrics tied to client executive bonuses, but can counteract declining fees based on hourly rates.

Watch this space

• Further creativity: What other new supplemental revenue streams agencies may come up with to offset continued fee pressure.

• Client perception: How clients react to agencies that may seem like they are positioning themselves around other services outside of advertising, and whether they could be seen as strengths or distractions.

Want to dig deeper? Get the full story on Ad Age for free.

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Hi team 👋 This is Parker from Ad Age with an essential story on the hiring shifts impacting young industry professionals, and tips on how to stand out.

Ad Age’s social media and influencer marketing reporter, Gillian Follett, has been following this space closely, including leading our recent Gen Zers to Watch list and programming/hosting our NextGen Marketing Summit. Through her experience, she collected valuable insights on how these young professionals are scoring jobs and scaling their careers. I asked what she finds most interesting about the story:

“Personal branding used to be an optional side project for overachievers or something that just came with the territory of being a high-profile executive. But now, it’s probably one of the most powerful tools available to Gen Zers trying to get their foot in the door. Essentially, your résumé now matters less than your ability to translate your projects and achievements into a compelling and scroll-stopping story.”

Here’s what you need to know:

TL;DR

• Personal branding is now “the modern-day job security” as AI eliminates entry-level roles in advertising, career development experts told Ad Age

• 44% of employers have hired candidates based on their personal brand, while 54% have rejected candidates due to their online presence, per data from employment platform CareerBuilder

• Gen Z professionals are building visibility through LinkedIn thought leadership, AI-assisted content creation and TikTok or Instagram accounts that bridge their personal and professional lives to showcase their work

Need to know

The traditional entry point into advertising is narrowing. AI is absorbing the tasks that once belonged to junior employees, making it harder for Gen Zers to gain a foothold through conventional routes. In response, career development experts are urging young professionals to control their own narratives by establishing themselves as credible voices online. This shift moves the burden of differentiation from résumé credentials to public presence and expertise demonstration, upending the traditional notion that simply doing good work and landing a first job will lead to career security.

Implement it

• Launch a TikTok or Instagram account that blends professional insights with personal storytelling, using it as both a creative testing ground and a portfolio of your work and thought leadership

• Engage with trending cultural moments through the lens of your area of interest or expertise to build your reputation as a go-to source

• Develop a content focus for LinkedIn by identifying an issue or statistic in marketing that resonates with you, then consistently share perspectives on that topic to become a recognized voice

@samhaoirrbe more insane :))

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Watch this space

• Hiring changes: Whether agencies or brands begin formally screening candidates’ LinkedIn profiles and content output as part of the hiring process, potentially creating a new barrier to entry for those without an established online presence

• Work quality: How the balance shifts between authenticity and performance as more Gen Zers adopt similar personal branding strategies, and whether hiring managers can still identify genuine expertise amid the noise

Want to dig deeper? Get the full story on Ad Age for free.

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Good morning! This is Parker from Ad Age 👋 I’ve got the download on one of this week’s biggest stories, and the takeaways you need to know from it.

Our senior AI & tech editor, Garett Sloane, has been documenting OpenAI’s ad launch for ChatGPT. Well, it’s officially happening now, and agencies are going all out to get their clients on the platform. I asked Garett what he thinks is most interesting about the story, and he said it’s that advertisers are willing to do anything to grab a piece of the growth happening on AI platforms, even if they have to do it mostly blind.

Here’s what you need to know:

TL;DR

• OpenAI launched ChatGPT ads earlier this month. Agencies including Omnicom and WPP quickly committed 30-plus brands despite limited measurement tools and unclear brand safety protocols.

• ChatGPT has 800 million weekly users, and agencies estimate 20% to 30% of consumer discovery has shifted from search to AI platforms.

• Agencies acknowledge no proof that buying ads will influence ChatGPT’s organic responses, but expect a “halo effect” that could benefit brands anyway and benefit early-adopters in the long run.

Need to know

The speed of adoption reflects brands’ acknowledgement of the fundamental shift in how consumers research and make purchase decisions. Agencies are treating ChatGPT ads like they treated Google search ads and Facebook news feed commercialization, i.e. a defining moment that rewards early movers. As search transitions to LLMs, ChatGPT has become a gatekeeper that decides which brands to surface and which to bury, and marketers see paid placement as a way to gain influence in that conversation, even without guarantees.

Implement it

• Expect senior leadership interest: Marriott’s CEO promoted the brand’s inclusion in ChatGPT ads during an earnings call, signaling that AI advertising has moved from experimental to board-level priority.

• Build internal measurement: Agencies are using their own media mix models and incrementality testing to evaluate performance since OpenAI provides only aggregate impression data with little targeting or performance detail.

Watch this space

• How ad formats evolve: sophisticated targeting, dynamic creative optimization and transparent performance metrics—features agencies say are in discussion.

• Brand safety mishaps and consumer backlash: Some ad formats include AI-generated “preambles,” which pose brand safety risks. And OpenAI is broadly moving forward with caution to gauge user receptivity to ads.

Want to dig deeper? Get the full story on Ad Age for free.

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