Check out the latest posts from AGM Leaders

Creating a Buzz at Gamescom 2024

By Jonny Davis, EVP, Brand Experience and Paddy Davis, EVP Brand Experience

AGM’s Insights from Influencers

By Danyelle McGill Bethel, SVP, Social Media & Influencer Marketing

TL;DR

• Google is making SynthID Text generally available, letting anyone develop a watermark and detect text written by generative AI models. (Tech Crunch)

• Netflix will no longer disclose subscriber metrics as part of its earnings reports and is shifting its focus to engagement. (Stream TV Insider)

• Four months after unveiling Apple Intelligence, the company’s generative AI offer is finally rolling out this week as part of iOS 18.1. (Tech Crunch)

Agency updates

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  Our Partnerships team secured a collaboration between client Ace Attorney and boba tea chain Sunright Tea Studio to create two limited edition Ace Attorney drinks based on the series’ iconic characters, available at all 38 Sunright locations. The partnership included retail exposure with in-store physical and digital signage, co-branded stickers, and sweepstakes.

Interesting campaigns / creative

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  IKEA appointed Twitch streamer Grumpygran1948 as the face of its new gaming range of products. (Creative Boom)

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  Heineken placed hidden messages visible only through phone screens at festivals to discourage phone use during gigs and encourage gig-goers to live in the moment. (Campaign Brief)

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  Fiverr used an over-the-top musical spot to remind people that AI is only as good as the creatives using it. (The Drum)

Audiences

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  Globally, consumers say they are least willing to make cost compromises around hotel locations, vacation destinations, and convenience of flight itineraries. (Deloitte)

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  US adults spend an average of $91 on subscription services each month, with streaming/video being the highest spend category. (Cnet)

• US teenagers prefer YouTube as their go-to for everyday entertainment, and they prefer ads on YouTube three times more than ads from streaming services. (Advanced TV)

Platforms

• The giant overhead advertising boards at Euston station in London will be shut down immediately as part of a major review into overcrowding at the station. (Standard)

• Meta’s testing a new facial matching process to help identify “celeb-bait,” which is where scammers use images of public figures in order to bait people into engaging with ads that then lead to scam websites. (Social Media Today)

• APAC contributed the largest proportion of Netflix's Q3 subscriber growth, at 19% of its 5M new subscribers. (Insider)

• TikTok’s taking yet another step to solidify its connection with the music industry with the launch of a new Electronic Music Hub in the app. (Social Media Today)

• Instagram is currently experimenting with new notes on Reels in-stream which will explain why a clip is performing well in the app. (Social Media Today)

Content

• In celebration of 25 years since the release of "Fight Club," the film will be remastered and will get a theatrical release early next year. (THR)

• HBO is taking a deep dive into the US men’s national soccer team, creating a documentary as the US prepares to host the 2026 World Cup. (THR)

• Game 5 of the WNBA finals brought in a record 2.15M viewers on ESPN to cap a record-breaking season. (Marketing Brew)

Tech & AI

• Anthropic’s Claude AI model can now write and run JavaScript code, letting it perform calculations and analyze data from files and render the results as interactive visualizations. (Tech Crunch)

• OpenAI plans to release its next big AI model by December, granting access first to companies it works closely with. (The Verge)

• Midjourney is planning to release an upgraded web tool that’ll let users edit any uploaded images from the web. (Tech Crunch)

Location-based entertainment

• Disney is set to launch a new premium queue-jump service, with the new solution debuting at its Disneyland and Disney World resorts first. (Planet Attractions)

• Peppa Pig Theme Park Dallas-Fort Worth in Texas has announced an opening date of March 1, 2025, and ticket sales launch soon. (Attractions Magazine)

• The Broadway stage musical adaptation of "Back To The Future" will play its final performance on January 5th. (Deadline)

• TKO will acquire IMG, On Location, Professional Bull Riders from Endeavor to complement its existing core UFC and WWE business while expanding its footprint in the premium sports market. (THR)

• Universal Epic Universe tickets are on sale ahead of the new theme park's opening date at the Universal Orlando Resort. (EW)

Travel & hospitality

• Google will let hotels show real-time rates in Google Search ads after hotel advertisers testing the feature saw "up to a 20% increase" in click-through rates. (Skift)

• Grubhub is launching an ads business, pitching ad products to its core restaurant merchants to acquire new diners and drive repeat sales. (Adweek)

• The infusion of Japanese and French cuisine, the growing popularity of Korean flavors, and the innovative use of traditional Indian and Chinese techniques are some of the major trends listed in Marriott's new Future of Food report. (Travel and Tour)

• The Eatertainment world is making adjustments as it becomes more mainstream, with consumers requesting improvements in the quality of food, additions of multiple use spaces and even "observation zones." (Retail Touch Points)

Gaming

• Gamers are using "cosy gaming' staples Animal Crossing and Pokémon to help with their mental health. (BBC)

• Apple is working to take on Xbox with a new possible gaming app designed to act as a hub alongside the App Store and Arcade. (Toms's Guide)

• Netflix has shut down its Southern California-based video game studio, referred to internally as “Team Blue,” which had a specific focus on producing AAA games. (Variety)

• Netflix has partnered with TED Talks for a mobile word puzzle game that's an answer to “Words With Friends,” “Connections” and “Wordle.” (Variety)

Mental health

• Here's an interesting read about the disappearance of novelty and how it's impacting mental health.

• Here's a list of 8 skills that can help boost mood and reduce anxiety.