TL;DR

_Agency_ updates

• Our Partnerships team secured two brand collaborations to promote the Amazon series Citadel. The first was with Max Factor for a "Get The Look" campaign that featured four makeup looks as worn by Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ character, Nadia, in the show. Custom bundles were available through Max Factor’s partner Superdrug and the Amazon Citadel storefront, and custom makeup artist videos and influencer content was shared across Max Factor and Superdrug's digital and social channels. The second partnership was with New York luxury designer, Sergio Hudson, who created a Citadel capsule collection available exclusively on Amazon Luxury Stores and the Citadel storefront. The collaboration was also supported by a PR campaign.

  

• We don’t do average. Our campaigns aim for exceptional, and you don’t want to miss them! Stay in the loop by following us on Instagram.

_Interesting_ campaigns / creative

• Mattel and Forever 21 launched a collaborative Roblox activation to promote the physical Forever 21 x Barbie capsule collection. (Glossy)

  

• Google debuted a campaign showcasing new ways to search as WNBA players show off their “tunnel fits.” (AdWeek)

  

• Coca-Cola's new campaign creates the effect of synesthesia with high-res images of the drink and a challenge: “try not to hear this." (Campaigns of the World)

  

• New Zealand bank ASB and partner Youthline released Bagels, a new song scientifically designed and tested to help ease anxious feelings. (Campaign Brief)

  

• Written with help from ChatGPT, Smoothie King released a romance novel that contains secret codes readers can crack for the chance to win a free smoothie via the brand’s app. (Marketing Dive)

  

Audiences

• 38% of US adults plan on visiting a theme park in the next year, up 7 percentage points YoY. (Morning Consult)

  

• Americans are spending less on just about everything as persistent inflation hits their wallets. (Morning Consult)

  

• Action (76%) and comedy (74%) are the top genres in terms of Americans' theatrical interest this summer, matching historical trends. (Morning Consult)

  

• The majority of adults globally prefer to buy from brands that reflect their social values. (Morning Consult)

  

Platforms

• Discord is testing new controls that let parents monitor their children's friends and server activities. (Tech Crunch)

• As HBO Max turned into Max, Warner Bros. Discovery introduced a new plan, priced at $19.99/mo, that comes with 4K Ultra HD content. (Variety)

• The new Paramount+ with Showtime service will launch on June 27th, with plans starting at 11.99/mo. (THR)

• YouTube is undercutting Amazon by 10 percentage points on what it will charge to carry streaming services. (The Information)

• Instagram is planning to release a text-based app that will compete with Twitter and is currently testing the product with celebrities and influencers. (Bloomberg)

• Meta has been fined a record €1.2B ($1.3B) by European privacy regulators over the transfer of EU user data to the US. (CNBC)

• Sony plans to introduce more live-service games and franchises and currently has 12 live-service games in production. (The Verge)

• Netflix is bringing its password-sharing deterrents to the US, charging $7.99/mo to add users living outside of a household to the main account. (THR)

• Shutterstock has agreed to acquire Giphy from Meta for $53M, expanding its library of visual content. (Peta Pixel)

• Third party platforms will soon be able to provide Instagram stories scheduling, making it easier to manage content from a single platform. (Social Media Today)

• Channel 4 is bringing all its digital, social, and linear channels together under one single brand as All 4 becomes "Channel 4." (Channel4)

• Netflix leads local original content in LATAM with a total of 361 titles available in its catalog, followed by Globoplay with 74 and HBO Max with 67. (BB)

  

• GroupM told its clients that it no longer considers Twitter "high-risk" and is "cautiously optimistic" about the appointment of Linda Yaccarino as its new CEO. (Yahoo)

• Programmatic ads are now available on the digital signs at NYC subway entrances and exits. (AdWeek)

Content

• “Fast X” earned $67.5M in ticket sales in North America over its debut weekend and $6.7M in Australia, making it Australia's second biggest opening of the year. (AP) and (Mediaweek)

• Sony said that the success of HBO's hit drama "The Last Of Us" is boosting sales of the game upon which it is based. (Reuters)

• Amazon Prime Video is set to pre-buy international rights, excluding Germany, to “Ice Road 2: Road To The Sky” in a deal pegged around $17M. (Deadline)

• Paramount has bumped up its US release date for “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” from August 4th to August 2nd. (Deadline)

• “The Mother” led all Netflix titles for the second consecutive week with 92M hours viewed during the May 15-21 viewing window. (Variety)

• YouTube will let users watch unlimited NFL Sunday Ticket streams, but only at home. (The Verge)

_Tech_ _&_ AI

• Brands are using a combination of customer service associates and AI to enhance the shopping experience by providing personalized recommendations and efficient support. (Glossy)

• AI-generated content is being discovered on news sites, content farms, and product reviews, raising concerns about the authenticity and reliability of online information. (NYT)

• Spotify is experimenting with AI to create host-read podcast ads that sound like real people. (Tech Crunch)

• Microsoft has launched a new AI-powered tool for content moderation that can help businesses automatically detect and remove harmful or inappropriate text and images online. (Tech Crunch)

• Google is introducing a new AI-powered advertising system that can anticipate user needs and create effective personalized ads. (Google)

• After partnering with OpenAI to launch Zoom IQ, Zoom now has plans to integrate Anthropic’s Claude chatbot. (The Verge)

• Google and OpenAI may soon compete to put their chatbots in front of nearly 200M people who use Mozilla’s Firefox web browser each month. (The Information)

• Google will integrate Search and Shopping ads directly into its Search Generative Experience, its new conversational AI chat interface. (Insider)

• To help users find "entertaining and inspiring" content, TikTok is testing its AI chatbot, Tako, in the Philippines. (Reuters)

• Despite being US- and iOS-only, OpenAI’s ChatGPT app topped 500K downloads in 6 days. (Tech Crunch)

• OpenAI’s ChatGPT iOS app is now available worldwide in 34 countries. (Tech Crunch)

Location-based _entertainment_

• The 2023 MTV Video Music Awards will be held at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on September 12th. (Billboard)

• Regal owner Cineworld said on Thursday that it now expects to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July. (THR)

• The NBA added a 3-day fan event called NBA Con to its Summer League in Las Vegas which will run July 7th-9th. (ESPN)

• Busch Gardens Tampa Bay will have fireworks and new live entertainment for all Summer Nights, its seasonal event which kicked off last week. (BayNews9)

• The Athletic and StubHub announced the launch of a multi-year, exclusive ticketing deal, which aims to give a larger audience of sports fans further access to live sporting events. (NYT)

• The global box office recovery for Imax has been driven by drawing premium ticket prices and releasing local language blockbusters in Asia. (THR)

• Las Vegas' Harry Reid International Airport saw visitation up 12.8% to 4.8M passengers in April. (Yogonet)

_Mental_ health

• Protect your health while scrolling with these expert tips for taking a mindful approach to social media.

• We hope you enjoyed the first Summer Friday! As a mental health treat, take as many as you can through Labor Day.