Check out the latest posts from AGM Leaders

How We Used AI to Craft the Ultimate NERF Action Xperience Launch Campaign

By Jordana Sherrod, Associate Art Director and Casey Duff, Senior Designer

Threads: One Year Later

By Teresa Lynch, Vice President, Social Media Marketing

Building A Community Through Partnerships

By Stephanie Viana, Director, Partnerships

AGPT Innovators

• Perry Bokobza, a Media Associate on the Paid team, encountered a challenge while setting up conditional formatting in a workbook, prompting him to consult with AlliedGPT. He wanted to highlight a particular cell if the date was coming up in the next 14 days, but not if today was after the date listed in another cell.

• To overcome this hurdle, Perry turned AlliedGPT's prompt optimizer to refine his request. He then brought the optimized prompt into "Ask Anything." Rather than spending time Googling and combing through documentation, Perry was able to generate the formula in minutes.

• This use case emphasizes the effectiveness of using AlliedGPT to tackle complex spreadsheet challenges. For his problem-solving, Perry will receive a $100 gift card.

• We’re always on the hunt for more AGPT Innovators! If you or a team member have used AlliedGPT in an inventive way to improve a process, solve a problem, increase productivity, or create something amazing, please let us know.

TL;DR

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  YouTube now makes up 10.4% of all TV viewing in the US, the first streaming platform to reach the double-digit mark. (Nielsen)

• Hours after it was released, Lionsgate pulled a trailer for "Megalopolis" due to a fake, AI-generated selection of negative quotes about director Francis Ford Coppola’s previous works. (The Verge)

• Apple will soon let iPhone and iPad users in the EU choose default apps for phone calls, messaging, keyboards, password managers and more. (The Verge)

Agency updates

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  Our Multicultural and Field Marketing Teams supported the premiere of "Alien: Romulus," which debuted at #1 in the US box office and earned $41.5M. Key activities included an FX makeup workshop in Los Angeles, multiple press days with director Fede Alvarez, actress Isabela Merced, and below-the-line talent, and playing trailers at major events like Dream Con and Broccoli City Festival. We drove additional excitement across 22 markets through regional TV segments, influencer events at themed bars and escape rooms and more.

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  Our Partnerships team secured a collaboration with Lindt for our client Holland America in support of "the European lifestyle" and to reintroduce evening turn down service. Mariners will enjoy Lindt’s Lindor truffles on their pillows in addition to decadent desserts made with Lindt in their main dining room, including an exclusive cake, ice cream and a chocolate tulip. With a comprehensive strategy encompassing B2B, B2C components, the campaign has generated buzz and impressive social media engagement for both brands.

Interesting campaigns / creative

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  In a new ad, Heineken is paying homage to all the lost beers in the world - the ones that get forgotten about while you chat with friends or left at the side of a pool table as a game gets intense. (The Drum)

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  Coors Light taps Dick Vitale to be the "Ambassador of Chill" with limited "Coors-icles." (Adweek)

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  Domino’s Pizza enlisted Simon Cowell to judge pizzas in an ad campaign that promotes new quality control measures at the chain. (Marketing Dive)

Audiences

• US adults’ discretionary spending is down 9% YoY, contributing to a recent softening in overall consumer demand. (Morning Consult)

• 53% of Americans feel that a theatrical-like sound experience is important when watching movies, and 43% are willing to spend more than $250 on audio equipment with IMAX Enhanced certification. (Ecoustics)

• Music streaming services now reach half of all people in the UK aged 15+ weekly, but growth over the past couple of years only comes from those aged 55+. (Ofcom)

Platforms

• TikTok remains determined to fight the US government’s attempt to force it into a sell-off, with the company filing its latest legal opposition to the bill late last week. (Social Media Today)

• In a MySpace throwback, Instagram will let users add their favorite song to their profile. (Social Media Today)

• PVOD revenues in Southeast Asia grew by 11% in the first half of this year, with paid SVOD take-up growing by a million subscribers to reach 49M. (Variety)

• Apple has launched a web app for Podcasts that works on Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari. (The Verge)

Content

• TikTok announced an official partnership with the International Paralympic Committee, which will see TikTok promote exclusive Paralympics content over the course of the Games. (Social Media Today)

• With India’s anime market expected to surpass $5B by 2032, Crunchyroll is focusing on the country, dubbing more than 80 shows in Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil. (RestofWorld)

• Cristiano Ronaldo launched a YouTube channel and gained 30M subscribers in two days. (Variety)

• Chick-Fil-A is moving aggressively into the entertainment space with plans to launch a slate of originals for its own streaming platform. (Deadline)

Tech & AI

• Snapchat and Meta are planning to demo their AR glasses next month, though they won’t be made available to the public just yet. (Social Media Today)

• Instagram’s testing out new profile cards that provide a QR code for immediate connection on one side and a profile overview and summary on the other. (Social Media Today)

• Microsoft will allow Windows users to try out its Recall AI feature, which essentially screenshots everything on your PC, in October. (The Verge)

• OpenAI and Condé Nast have announced a partnership to allow ChatGPT and its search engine, SearchGPT, to display content from Vogue, The New Yorker, GQ and other well-known publications. (BBC)

Location-based entertainment

• Disney theme parks in the US are starting to experience material weakness, with a drop in attendance last quarter that contributed to a decline in overall profits generated through parks and cruises. (CNN)

• Australia’s festival sector continues to struggle, with Byron Bay Bluesfest announcing that 2025 will be its final outing. (TravelWeekly)

• U2 announced Sphere will be playing “V-U2 An Immersive Concert Film at Sphere Las Vegas,” directed by the Edge and Morgleigh Steinberg. (Variety)

• Cedar Point attendance topped 4M in 2023, more than any other park outside of Florida and California. (Cleveland)

• Sony/Wayfarer Studios’ "It Ends with Us" continued to drive ticket sales last week, crossing the $200M global box office mark. (Deadline)

Travel & hospitality

• OpenTable and Kayak released a solo travel guide to reveal trending solo travel destinations, must-visit restaurants and expert tips. (OpenTable)

• Hyatt has acquired boutique hotel specialist Standard International, and as part of the acquisition, Hyatt will establish a lifestyle group. (TravelWeekly)

• Travel spending in the US is cooling off, with spending on travel dropping QoQ, but the demand remains strong, especially for luxury hotels, which continue to see higher occupancy rates. (CNN)

Gaming

• Gamescom's Opening Night unveiled "Borderlands 4," Amazon's gaming-themed anthology series, along with a slew of new games. (GamesIndustry)

• Lamborghini has partnered with Animoca Brands to create a new gaming experience in the metaverse. (Cryptonomist)

• "Black Myth: Wukong" passed "Elden Ring" and "Cyberpunk 2077" to become the game with the all-time player record on Steam with 1.2M and counting. (PCGamer)

• Mercedes-Benz announced a new in-car gaming collaboration with Tencent and Electronic Arts, with one game, "Need for Speed," being available in China by the end of the year. (AutoFutures)

Mental health

• Here's how almost anyone can learn to amp up their reward sensitivity by training themselves to notice and savor their positive emotions.

• Learn about how you can beat burnout with these 7 simple happiness hacks.