AGM _Magic_

On November 30, we kicked off the festive season in London with our very own pop-up pub in the heart of Soho: The Allied Arms. For one night only, we transformed a beautiful Victorian pub into The Allied Arms by re-branding the exterior signage as well as elements throughout the interior, including a floor mosaic, bar mats, coasters, pump clips and pint glasses (to be taken away as souvenirs, of course). The lead-up to the event included branded invitations and developing an RSVP website to hint at the night to come. We welcomed over 100+ clients and friends in the industry, for an evening of drinks, canapes, live music, and a DJ that kept everyone dancing until last orders were called. The event was a huge success thanks to the collaboration between our London and Dublin teams, especially Brand Experience and Creative, who conceptualised and executed the whole evening to provide our guests with a truly unique experience.

TL;DR

In a hurry? Here's our pick of the top news items of the week.

Nearly one-third of Americans (30%) have purchased a product from a brand founded by a social media influencer, with that figure rising to 53% and 47% for Gen Z adults and millennials, respectively. (Morning Consult)
Snapchat tests a new ad-free subscription tier. (Social Media Today)
Media stocks jump after report says Apple and Paramount are discussing a streaming bundle. (CNBC)
Lego's Fortnite collaboration is a masterclass in fan engagement. (Ad Week)
OOH advertising in Australia has surpassed pre-COVID levels, with ad bookings up 19.3% YOY in an overall market that was back 3.2%. (Media Week)

Spotify podcast ads surged 40% globally, while time spent with video content almost doubled, according to the streaming platform’s 2023 Wrapped for Advertisers report. (Media Week)
The Grand Theft Auto VI trailer breaks MrBeast’s record for most YouTube views in 24 hours. (Tech Crunch)

TikTok pushes further into streaming with new artist accounts. (The Verge)
The telecom giant Verizon announced a US $10/mo deal that includes the ad tiers of both Netflix and Max. (Hollywood Reporter)
Sky News will launch a streaming subscription service in 2024. (Media Week)
A24 is bringing its entire theatrical slate to HBO, Max and Cinemax. (The Verge)
Paid search remained the biggest driver of sales for retailers across Cyber Week (27% of online sales), followed by Direct (21%), organic search (17%), email (15%), and affiliates/partners (12%) (per Adobe Analytics). (LionTree)

Netflix gets its biggest game release in December: Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City and San Andreas. (The Standard)
Amazon Prime scores exclusive ICC cricket rights in Australia in four year deal. (Mi3)
Spotify revealed its annual Wrapped campaign for 2023, announcing the top-streamed artists, albums, songs and podcasts in addition to rolling out personalized stats for users on the platform. (Variety)
Sports betting app BetMGM will run a Super Bowl ad from new agency Highdive, a signal of the increased popularity of legalized gambling in the sports world. (Ad Age)
Beyoncé’s "Renaissance" was number 1 at the box office with a US $21M debut in North America in its opening weekend. (AP News)

The Looking Glass Go is a folding holographic display that fits in your pocket. (The Verge)
Bing’s GPT-4-powered deep search takes its time with AI questions. (The Verge)
"ABBA Voyage" is making US $2M/week with an avatar band. (Bloomberg)

The Albanese Government delivered on its election promise to safeguard Australia’s local TV industry, introducing new legislation overnight that would see free-to-air broadcasters handed advantages for their apps on connected TV and their bids for coveted sports broadcast rights. (Mumbrella)
UKTV announced its intention to launch 'U' next year - a new masterbrand that will unite its family of free-to-air channels and its free streaming service. (UK TV)
Pixar’s "Turning Red", "Soul" and "Luca" are getting theatrical releases in 2024 after initially debuting on Disney Plus. (The Verge)
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban entered into an agreement to sell a majority stake in the NBA franchise to the family that runs the Las Vegas Sands casino company. (AP News)

A Vegas to L.A. high-speed rail line secures US $3B in federal funding. (The Nevada Independent)
One of Las Vegas's most exciting new hotels just opened, and it's 10 miles off the Strip. Durango Casino & Resort, a Station Casinos property and AGM client, boasts amazing restaurants, a gorgeous pool, and stacked gaming offerings. (Travel and Leisure)
Students heading home for the season can now score flights for just US $25 thanks to a partnership between Amazon Prime and StudentUniverse. (Travel and Leisure)
Booking.com adds cruise content in partnership with World Travel Holdings. (Travel Weekly)
Disney Cruise Line is among the top performers in Disney's fiscal Q4. (Travel Weekly)