Generative AI advertising is drawing consumer backlash after brands including J.Crew, Shein, and Skechers released campaigns marred by obvious AI flaws. Internet sleuths and critics pointed to distorted figures, suspicious likenesses, and poorly rendered images, accusing companies of chasing novelty at the expense of quality. The incidents highlight consumer frustration with brands prioritizing speed and cost savings over authenticity—particularly in fashion and retail, where heritage and trust are core to brand equity. Experts argue AI can accelerate creative production, but only when paired with human direction and craftsmanship. Missteps reveal the risks of treating AI as a replacement.

NBCUniversal has sold out all advertising inventory for Super Bowl 60 months earlier than expected, marking record demand for football advertising. Digital sales tied to the game are up 20% YoY as brands invest across NBC, Peacock, and Telemundo. Prices held at $7–8 million per 30-second spot, aligning with Fox’s 2024 benchmark. NBCU’s 2026 slate—which also includes the Winter Olympics, NBA All-Star, and FIFA World Cup—positions the company to capture significant share of sports ad budgets. With ROI on Super Bowl ads nearly doubling since 2020 and consumer enthusiasm rising, NBCU’s cross-platform dominance highlights live sports’ unmatched ad pull.

Despite brands increasing influencer marketing spending, creators are struggling to grow their content business and earn more from sponsorship deals, per Digiday. And while holiday season typically provides a boom, 70% of creators expect traditional sponsored posts to account for under a quarter of their holiday content as focus shifts to performance-driven efforts, according to Collective Voice. Influencer marketing continues its growth trajectory, and the future of the sector relies on how creators adapt to the rise of third-party inventory solutions that divert brand spend away from traditional sponsorships.

Disney will pay $10 million in a settlement after the Federal Trade Commission alleged that the company collected personal information from children on videos uploaded to YouTube. Disney reportedly uploaded child-directed content to YouTube but did not label the videos as “Made for Kids,” allowing young users to be served targeted ads. Information was collected “without parental notice or consent,” the FTC and Justice Department said. Disney’s payout highlights the risks of targeting younger audiences without adequate safeguards—a challenge that will become even more pressing for advertisers as connected TV matures as a channel.

A federal court stopped short of ordering Google to divest Chrome, instead requiring it to end exclusive search contracts and share some index data with competitors. Judge Amit Mehta’s ruling allows Google to keep paying Apple for default placement but bans exclusivity that kept rivals sidelined. Alphabet shares rose 8% after hours, while Apple gained 4%. Google faces six years of oversight but avoids a structural breakup sought by the DOJ. The bigger challenge looms outside the courtroom: AI tools, Reddit, and TikTok are increasingly siphoning queries, while Google’s top-result clickthrough rates continue to slide.

Streameast, the world’s largest illegal sports-streaming hub, has been shut down in a coordinated sting led by Egyptian authorities and the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment. The operation dismantled more than 80 domains that drew 1.6 billion visits over the past year. The crackdown comes as soccer and NFL seasons begin, underscoring how piracy disrupts rights holders by siphoning revenues from subscriptions and ads. Yet piracy remains resilient: copycats are already emerging to tap fans frustrated with fragmented, costly streaming options. With digital sports viewership surpassing pay TV, the industry faces an urgent challenge to keep audiences in paid ecosystems.

Meta will allow advertisers to exclude specific words or phrases from AI-generated ad copy to protect and align with brand image as it accelerates its AI advertising push. While barriers to adoption remain, Meta’s continued push toward AI ad automation signals where the future of advertising is heading: One where AI will increasingly balance scale with control to give marketers confidence in experimenting with automated campaigns.

LinkedIn is urging B2B marketers to embrace unscripted, authentic video after seeing strong engagement growth on the platform. CMO Jessica Jensen told EMARKETER that “real humans talking like real humans” resonates far more than polished assets, encouraging executives to share candid updates and even humor in their posts. The push reflects broader demand: 52% of US B2B marketers used video in 2024, while Millennials and Gen Z—now 71% of B2B buyers—expect casual, social-style content in professional settings. With B2B video ad spend rising nearly 18% this year, LinkedIn is well positioned to capture that momentum.

Backlash over e.l.f. Beauty’s partnership with controversial creator Matt Rife and debates sparked by Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ad shows that advertisers are facing a moment of heightened scrutiny that requires rigorous vetting of influencer partnerships. As audiences turn to influencers for purchasing decisions and rethink brand loyalty for those who turn their backs on social issues, brands who remain selective and thorough about the creators they work with will win trust.

AI search engine Perplexity is facing potential ad business struggles with the departure of its head of advertising Taz Patel. The departure comes as Perplexity eyes new avenues for growth and is faced with legal pressures, per Adweek. Patel’s departure signals a deeper issue with AI search ad monetization, reflecting advertiser hesitation to spend without proven formats, measurement, and ROI, even as AI adoption grows.

The summer boom for marketing interns was more of a thud: A report found that the number of ad industry internships has sharply declined since 2022.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution will publish its final print edition on December 31, 2025, before becoming a digital-only outlet on January 1, 2026. Publisher Andrew Morse said the move will allow resources to flow into newsletters, podcasts, video, and a new mobile app. The 157-year-old paper has already posted double-digit digital subscription growth and expanded statewide reach. The shift mirrors broader industry trends: nearly half of US adults never read print newspapers, while digital ad spend continues to climb. AJC’s farewell to print underscores the inevitable math: audiences and advertisers are digital, and adaptation is survival.

Google’s AI-powered video creation platform, Vids, has surpassed 1 million monthly active users, fueled by a new free tier and updates that simplify production. Features include motion effects for product photos, AI transcript editing, Google Meet integrations, and expanded social formats. Paid users retain advanced options like multi-style AI avatars. The adoption highlights rising demand for scalable video workflows—46% of professionals already use AI for images or videos, per EMARKETER. With ideation and personalization ranking as top genAI use cases, Vids is positioning itself as a daily creative tool, potentially joining Docs and Slides in Google’s productivity suite.

Google staff are quietly preparing Ad Manager for life as a potential stand-alone company, per The Information. Employees recently met with ad agencies—an unusual move for a publisher-facing business—as a federal court considers whether Google must divest its ad tech unit. Ad Manager generates an estimated $5 billion in annual revenues but faces declining demand and complaints from streaming players and publishers about slow innovation. With DOJ regulators pressing for a spinoff and rivals like Magnite and PubMatic gaining ground, Google’s outreach underscores how seriously it views the threat of breakup and the need for buyer-side relationships.

Instagram is currently testing a picture-in-picture (PiP) viewing option for Reels that will allow users to watch the short-form service outside of the Instagram app. Instagram is reportedly prompting a small number of users to test the option, which includes a toggle for PiP in Instagram’s playback settings. While it’s a late move for Instagram, PiP Reels will extend the platform’s role beyond active scrolling, letting advertisers reach consumers during passive moments, unlocking a critical advantage in a crowded social landscape.

Peacock is joining Prime Video’s ecosystem, giving viewers access to the service as an add-on with Prime subscriptions, per an Amazon announcement. The ad-free version of Comcast’s streaming platform will cost the same on Prime Video as it would individually. Peacock joins the likes of Paramount+, Apple TV+, and HBO Max in becoming part of Prime’s ecosystem. Peacock’s integration into Prime Video turns a mid-tier streamer struggling with profitability into part of a premium bundle, giving advertisers access to a larger, more engaged audience part of Amazon’s high-value ecosystem.

Snap debuted a new ad suite for marketers and developers, offering an “App Power Pack” that includes new bid strategies, ad formats, optimization strategies, and targeting capabilities to boost ROI, per MediaPost. Snap’s ad suite is an important step in the company’s efforts to cement its strength in advertising and curb slowing growth. We forecast the platform’s ad revenues will continue falling in the low single digits through 2027. But with competitors already offering similar products, Snapchat needs to go a step further to stand out.

Japan-based agency holding company Dentsu is considering selling its international business, ending its goal to compete against rivals Publicis and WPP. Selling its international business could allow Dentsu to reposition itself as a specialized player in its core market rather than stretching itself thin internationally where it can’t match competitors. The change could make the company more sustainable in the long run, but even if it focuses solely on Japan, rapid adoption of emerging technologies in the ad sector will still necessitate innovation.

Fubo is launching Fubo Sports, a “skinny” standalone sports streaming bundle with a lower cost than its existing plans and pay TV competitors. The bundle offers access to more than 20 sports-focused channels, including ESPN Unlimited, per Variety. If Fubo leans into being a low-cost, high-intensity sports hub, it can carve out a profitable niche, even if it lags behind in subscriber count and scale. <p>But without more exclusive rights or differentiation, Fubo Sports could risk being seen as a less complete version of other bundles.</p>

Amazon closed its second annual Upfronts with “significant growth” across independent agencies and holding companies, per Adweek. An Amazon spokesperson cited excitement surrounding live sports offerings on Prime Video as a key driver of growth. Amazon is positioned for sustained ad growth if it continues relying on its sports properties to draw advertiser interest in Prime Video. With Prime Video only making up a fraction of Amazon’s overall ad revenues, the service is far from hitting its ceiling—and future investment in tentpole sporting events will put Prime Video on par with its bigger competitors.