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The best marketers build from the fundamentals up. Learn how The ADWEEK MiniMBA in Marketing gives you the structure and confidence to make better decisions. Sign up here.A few months ago, at the Spanish offices of Suntory Beverage where I served as its European CMO, I was presented with a brilliant activation for our Schweppes brand.It was one that would teach me an important lesson. Our team had created some eye-popping bar takeovers in venues across Spain, with bright yellow lounge furniture, outfits for bar mixologists, Jacob Schweppes paintings—a whole Instagrammable set.Schweppes’ activationFrançois BaziniIt was spectacular. It created that warm, intoxicating…
OpenAI announced Monday it has acquired Promptfoo, an AI security startup founded in 2024 to protect LLMs from online adversaries. The frontier lab said in a blog post that once the deal closes, Promptfoo’s technology will be integrated into OpenAI Frontier, its enterprise platform for AI agents. The development of independent AI agents that perform digital tasks has generated excitement about productivity gains. But it’s also given bad actors fresh opportunities to access sensitive data or manipulate automated systems. This deal underscores how frontier labs are scrambling to prove their technology can be used safely in critical business operations. Promptfoo…
Coffee is the original biohack and the nation’s most popular productivity tool. As we adjust to the changeover to daylight saving time, the caffeine-addicted WIRED Reviews team is writing about our favorite coffee brewing routines and devices. Today, reviewer Peter Cottell expounds on why espresso machines don’t have to be any fancier than a Casabrews 5700. Look out for other Java.Base stories about other WIRED writers’ favorite brewing methods.There’s a slogan in the guitar world that claims “tone is stored in the fingers.” It’s a reductive notion that’s meant to urge upstart shredders to journey within for an ideal guitar…
Paramount Skydance’s potential acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery’s properties, including CNN, has rattled many in the news industry, raising concerns of corporate or political influence on CNN’s editorial process. However, with CNN projecting major profits this year, could any changes prove too costly for all parties involved?Let’s break it down.How we got hereConcerns about potential changes at CNN stem from Paramount CEO David Ellison‘s close relationship with President Donald Trump, as well as the controversies and changes CBS News has endured since Ellison’s Skydance Media took control of the news network.
Slate Auto, the electric vehicle startup backed by Jeff Bezos, has replaced its CEO months ahead of the launch of its affordable electric truck. Former Amazon Marketplace vice president Peter Faricy is the new person in charge of the company, and he started on Monday, Slate spokesperson Jeff Jablansky told TechCrunch. Most recently, Faricy had been an advisor at McKinsey and Bessemer Venture Partners. Faricy left the role at Bessemer to join Slate, according to Newsweek, which first reported the hire. Slate Auto’s first CEO, longtime Chrysler veteran Christine Barman, is now the President of Vehicles, according to Jablansky. Barman…
If you’ve been longing for a new wireless headset to take on long flights or crowded commutes, but holding out for a good deal, your time has come. You can grab the Sony WH-1000XM6 for just $398 from Amazon in Black and Platinum Silver, while the Midnight Blue and Sand Pink are marked as limited-time deals. It’s our favorite wireless headset, with best-in-class noise reduction, excellent battery life, and every feature you’d expect for the price point.Sony’s success when it comes to silence is largely thanks to a suite of 12 microphones, eight outside and four inside, that constantly monitor…
Retail media is moving into a rocky adolescence. The sector has recently seen a flurry of mergers, acquisitions, and consolidation deals aimed at helping marketers collect and combine lucrative shopping data. Four recent examples—Spins’ acquisition of MikMak, Omnicom’s merger of TPN into Flywheel, Podean’s purchase of Ad Advance, and Infillion’s acquisition of Catalina—show that as advertisers demand more, the business of retail media is getting harder, five analysts and retail experts told ADWEEK.Notably, the terms of the recent M&A have not been disclosed. Two sources described the acquisitions as opportunistic, indicating a shift within the industry. As retail media has…
Anthropic has made good on its promise to challenge the Department of Defense in court after the agency labeled it a supply chain risk late last week. The Claude-maker filed a complaint against the Department on Monday. The complaint comes after a weeks-long conflict between Anthropic and the DOD over whether the military should have unrestricted access to Anthropic’s AI systems. Anthropic had two firm red lines: it didn’t want its technology to be used for mass surveillance of Americans and didn’t believe it was ready to power fully autonomous weapons with no humans making targeting and firing decisions. Defense…
Photograph: Julian ChokkattuApple iPhone 17e, main camera.One new perk over the iPhone 16e, driven by the A19 chip, is the ability to turn on or off Portrait blur for photos after you’ve captured them. So, if you wish you snapped a photo in Portrait mode, you can enable it after the fact. Speaking of, Apple’s Portrait photos look more realistic and natural than the results from the Google Pixel 10a, though the Pixel triumphs in low-light scenes.Low light generally is one area where this iPhone struggles compared to its peers. Not necessarily in sharpness, but when there’s any motion. I…
A new study examining pay in the U.S. advertising industry finds that women are still earning less than their male peers, even after accounting for nearly every variable commonly cited to explain the disparity.The research, conducted by strategist Jess Watts in partnership with Dr. Nancy Wayne of UCLA and data scientist Ryan Crone, analyzed survey responses from more than 900 advertising professionals across agency types, roles, and seniority levels. DNA&Stone, the independent agency where Watts joined as chief strategy officer in December (and an ADWEEK Small Agency of the Year 2025 finalist), is publishing the study.After controlling for factors such…
Zoox is now mapping the streets of Dallas, Texas, and Phoenix, Arizona, as a precursor to testing its autonomous vehicles in the two Sun Belt cities. The company said on Monday that it had sent a small number of its Toyota Highlander SUVs to each city, where workers will drive them to help Zoox’s autonomous software get the lay of the land. Zoox will afterwards start testing its self-driving system using the SUVs in both cities, before switching to its purpose-built robotaxis. Zoox said the two new markets will help it collect data in areas that are different from the…
The right base layer for you is going to be the one that keeps you dry by moving your body heat and sweat away from you. Which base layer is best at this depends on what you’re doing. If you’re actively moving (hiking, climbing, ski touring, etc) look for something thinner that wicks moisture better, like our top pick the Ibex Woolies Pro Tech Crew. When you stop moving and you need more warmth, throw on an extra mid layer or puffer jacket.If you’re going to been spending less time on the move, or are heading into more extreme temps,…
Few products attract a cult-like obsession like this one. Even after being off the menu for years, true fans yearn for its return, their devotion bordering on an almost cult-like obsession. Well, they’re in luck. It’s back for a limited time only. It’s not the McRib, but the 2027 Chevrolet Bolt. Like McDonald’s McRib, there are a few theories that might explain the Bolt’s reappearance. GM’s electric vehicle parts bin has grown since the previous Bolt was introduced in 2016, helping the new model’s finances pencil out, just like how the McRib’s sporadic availability might be explained by low pork…
Alise Morales just happened to be on the dating app Feeld the night a man was detained by ICE agents a mile from her Brooklyn, New York, apartment.Fresh off of a divorce, Morales, a 35-year-old comedian, was in the market for something strictly casual. That’s when she came across Paul’s profile. “I was a couple swipes in, and it took me a second to even get what I was seeing,” she says. He was 32, straight, and, like Morales, looking for “casual fun.” He was also one mile away. Then she noticed his bio: “Hey I’m Paul! ICE agent in…
I’ve tested every major Sonos product, from the ancient Play:1 and Play:5 to the latest Era 100, Era 300 speakers, and flagship Arc Ultra soundbar. Apart from their recent app troubles, my experience over the years has always been overwhelmingly positive. Here are my favorite aspects of Sonos:Simple setup, loads of options: The Sonos app guides you through setting up a new system or adding speakers to an existing one. Some Google Assistant speakers offer similar setup and features, but it’s not as seamless to group them. My favorite Sonos competitor is Wiim, which offers similarly intuitive products, but only…
Amazon debuted the most significant redesign of its Fire TV interface in about five years this week, part of a broader effort to make content discovery faster for viewers while creating more effective advertising opportunities across its connected TV ecosystem.The update, which began rolling out last week to a small number of Fire TV devices in the U.S., introduces a cleaner visual design, new navigation features, and performance improvements designed to help users find something to watch more quickly, according to Aidan Marcuss, vice president Fire TV, advertising and app store at Amazon.The updated experience is up to 20% to…