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Insights From a Winning Collaboration

By Julie Knap, SVP, Partnerships; Ellie Su, Gaming Partnerships Coordinator; and Schuyler Winter, Senior Director, Partnerships

Help me, AlliedGPT

• Did you know AlliedGPT can also help with generating unique QR codes? Try it out!

• Have you tried our Prompt Optimizer yet? This tool refines your prompts for you so that you get a better response.

• When you use "Ask Anything (With Search)", the bot will search the web to bring you a more relevant, real-time answer to your query.

TL;DR

• President Biden has signed the TikTok ban bill into law, meaning TikTok now has 9 months to be sold to a US-based owner or be banned in the nation. (Social Media Today)

• Meta is opening up its Horizon OS, the operating system that powers its Quest units, to third party hardware partners, which will let more companies build devices that can link into Meta’s VR offerings. (Social Media Today)

• The FCC voted to restore net neutrality, classifying the internet as a public utility, which will make it harder for providers to play favorites with certain websites. (WSJ)

• Southwest Airlines is pulling out of four US airports, including Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport, amid Boeing’s delivery issues. (WSJ)

Agency updates

• Our BXP team won an Ex Award for Claritin Clear 500 in the Best Event on a Budget (<$500k) category and their Pet Sematary activation was a gold finalist for Best PR Stunt!

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  In partnership with Claritin and their NASCAR spokesperson, Frankie Muniz, our BXP team launched the first-ever go-kart track in NYC. The team hosted an action-packed day filled with adrenaline-pumping go-kart races, where attendees could race alongside Frankie Muniz. The cityscape was transformed into a vibrant racecourse, complete with a photo-worthy Winner's Podium, providing attendees with the perfect backdrop to commemorate their racing triumphs. There was also a Non-Drowsy Lounge, offering attendees a chance to relax, get creative and create their own allergy-triggering bouquets.

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  In celebration of Honkai: Star Rail’s first anniversary, our Gaming Partnerships team secured a collaboration with Sprinkles Cupcakes for two Limited Time Offer (LTO) cupcakes. The promotion launched in-store 4/15 and the LTO cupcakes were available nationwide at all Sprinkles retail and ATM locations for two weeks. Fans received a redemption code for in-game currency with a purchase, while supplies lasted. In addition to the LTO flavors, Sprinkles supported the partnership with in-store & ATM digital signage, website placement, eCRM inclusion, SMS notifications, O&O organic posts + paid social and PR outreach & influencer gifting.

Interesting campaigns / creative

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  Inspired by countless social media posts showcasing ketchup-related accidents, Heinz Arabia developed Ketchup Insurance. (PR Newswire)

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  Paris Hilton meets an AI version of herself in a new Tan Luxe spot. (The Drum)

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  Stella Artois puts real consumer behavior at the heart of a new ad, saying it understands why its glassware goes missing. (The Drum)

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  "Planet of the Apes" took over popular beaches in California to promote the newest film in the franchise.

Audiences

• 71% of Britons feel overwhelmed by the number of platforms available for streaming TV. (YouGov)

• More than 29M Americans - about a quarter of paying US streaming subscribers - have canceled three or more services over the last two years. (NYT)

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  Pinterest says that “adventure travel” is getting more attention from its users this year, which includes searches for “Scuba diving photography” (up +60%), “Mountaineering” (+40%), and "Water park rides (+170%). (Social Media Today)

Platforms

• X, formerly Twitter, is continuing its video push, launching a dedicated app for smart TV sets. (THR)

• Threads is seeing a steady rise in daily active users and is now beating X in daily actives in the US market. (Social Media Today)

• The UK SVOD market is facing a potential decline as 39% of consumers consider cancelling streaming services due to rising costs, market saturation and evolving content consumption patterns. (YouGov)

• Spotify wants to include pricing information for direct subscriptions inside its iPhone app, but Apple rejected the EU-compliant request. (The Verge)

Content

• The success of India’s Oscar-winning 2022 movie "RRR" has pushed Netflix to triple the number of Telugu films available to US consumers. (Rest of World)

• Limited series "Baby Reindeer" is currently the No. 1 English-language Netflix show in the world. (Morning Brew)

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  Over a quarter (27%) of Britons rewatch episodes of TV at least once a week. (YouGov)

• Amazon will produce and exclusively broadcast select performances from Primavera Sound in Barcelona worldwide on Prime Video and Twitch. (Amazon)

• FIFA is close to an agreement with Apple that would give the tech company worldwide television rights for a major new tournament. (NYT)

Tech & AI

• The Rabbit R1, an AI-powered gadget that can use your apps for you, is available for preorder now. (The Verge)

• Synthesia’s AI video avatars now feature more emotion and have better lip tracking. (Tech Crunch)

• The UK is launching initial inquiries into Amazon and Microsoft over partnerships with AI companies Mistral, Anthropic and Inflection. (Tech Crunch)

• AWS, Amazon’s cloud computing business, wants to become the go-to place companies host and fine-tune their custom generative AI models. (Tech Crunch)

Location-based entertainment

• India’s cinema-going population topped 157M, a 29% increase YoY, and sees an average of 6 films per year. (Ormax Media)

• Visitors to UK museums, galleries, cathedrals, zoos, castles and country houses are increasing but remain stubbornly below pre-pandemic levels. (Guardian)

• Disney plans to invest $60B over 10 years in its "experiences" division, which includes its theme parks, resorts and cruise line, as well as merchandise. (LA Times)

• Musicians are offering tickets in person to protect fans from online bots and fees. (Scripps News)

• Ricky Martin is set to headline this year's LA Pride in the Park festival. (Rolling Stone)

Travel & hospitality

• Overall international and domestic air capacity reached pre-pandemic levels for the first time in Q1, with average airfares to New Zealand, Japan and the US falling by more than 20% YoY. (Karryon)

• The top new menu trends in the restaurant industry have been identified and include new flavors, locally sourced options and plant-based items. (FSR Magazine)

• Amsterdam is looking to fight off mass tourism by blocking new hotel development. (CNN Travel)

• Wyndham is expanding their presence in EMEA by expanding the Trademark Collection, which already boasts 96 hotels. (Hospitality Investor)

Gaming

• Gaming giant Embracer has split into three companies, now specializing in AAA titles, independent titles, mobile gaming and tabletop games. (The Verge)

• Amazon’s "Fallout" has revived interest in Fallout games, with 5M players playing the games in one single day. (Twitter)

• Asus is working on a VR headset built on Meta’s Horizon OS. (PCGamer)

Mental health

• Here's an interesting read about how listening to music can have psychological benefits.

• Perfectionism is a trap. Here’s how to escape.