| View in Browser | |  | | | | Happy Monday. With the weather cooling down, NFL season kicking off, and Labor Day in the rearview mirror, I’m starting to feel the first signs of a busy fall. That undoubtedly means an uptick in the news cycle. So, we’ve got a stacked one for you today, first kicking off with coverage of a lawsuit filed against agency Horizon Media, which two former executives have accused of racial and gender discrimination. We also broke news of Tammy Henault’s exit from the NBA, reported on Google’s latest EU antitrust fine, and got the scoop about layoffs at adtech firm Scope3 as it pivots to… agentic AI. What else? Finally, as Nike reintroduces its iconic logo, let us take you on a walk down memory lane to revisit the dark origins of “Just Do It.” Fill up your cup, and let’s go. Alison Weissbrot, executive editor |
| | | 1. Execs Allege Racial and Gender Discrimination Against Agency Horizon in Federal Lawsuit  Horizon Media has been accused of racial and gender discrimination by two high ranking executives, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court last week. The claim, brought by Charisma Deberry, vice president of strategic communications and engagement at Horizon, and Latraviette Smith-Wilson, previously chief marketing and equity officer, alleges that executives discriminated against them and retaliated when they opposed or reported unfair treatment. Kendra Barnett unpacks the details. Read more |
| | |
| 2. NBA Chief Marketer Tammy Henault to Depart  On Friday, Brittaney Kiefer and I broke the news that NBA chief marketer Tammy Henault will leave at the end of the month. Henault helped deepen the league’s cultural relevancy and drive fan engagement, leading to record-setting game attendance during her tenure. According to an NBA spokesperson, marketing will now be managed by “the group’s current leadership team on an interim basis.” Read more |
| 3. Google Slapped With $3.5B Fine for Adtech Practices That Violate EU Competition Law  Google may have gotten off easy with its search antitrust remedies in the U.S., but it's still facing challenges in Europe. On Friday, the European Commission hit the tech giant with a $3.5 billion antitrust fine for its dominance in adtech. As a result, Google must end some of its self-preferential practices and “cease its inherent conflicts of interest along the adtech supply chain” within 60 days. Read more |
| 4. EXCLUSIVE: Scope3 Lays Off Staff as Part of Shift Toward Agentic Advertising  When adtech veteran Brian O’Kelley launched Scope3 back in 2022, diverse and sustainable media buying strategies were all the rage, making way for a startup that measured the carbon emissions on media buys. Today, changing priorities have led Scope3 to pivot its business to “agentic advertising,” leading to the culling of some staff members. Kendra has the scoop. Read more |
| 5. As Nike Tweaks Its Tagline, a Look Back at the Dark Origins of 'Just Do It'  As Nike reintroduces its iconic tagline “Just Do It,” asking "Why Do It?" to begin with, our resident ad historian Robert Klara takes us back to the slogan's origins, which involve a gas station murder, a firing squad, and the last words “Let’s do it.” Intrigued? You’ll have to read his story for more. Read more |
| | |  - The biggest VMA ad stunts, starring Mr. Beast and Sabrina Carpenter, (ADWEEK).
- Dr. Squatch opens the gates to 'Manlandia,' a utopia for raw masculinity, (ADWEEK).
- Instagram is now available on iPad, (ADWEEK).
- Anthropic to pay $1.5 billion to settle author copyright claims, (Bloomberg).
- The NFL extended its partnership with Latine media group Remezcla, (release).
- Ray-Ban embraces Korean pop culture in new campaign, (ADWEEK).
- How Taco Bell’s CEO is keeping Gen Z obsessed, (WSJ).
- How Hollywood missed its mark this summer, (NYT).
- Judge dismisses Newsmax antitrust suit against Fox News, but will allow amended complaint, (CNBC).
Read more |
| | |  - Laurent Ezekiel takes top job at Ogilvy as Devika Bulchandani moves to WPP, (ADWEEK).
- Amazon vp of global video advertising Krishan Bhatia exits, (ADWEEK).
- Innocean USA taps Goodby veteran Leslie Barrett as first president, (MediaPost).
- Havas Media Network appoints Trevor Carr to lead data consultancy CSA, (release).
- Nift names fintech exec Saket Mehta as CRO, (release).
|
| | |  Creatives often get all the glory, displaying their shiny gold Lions trophies right in the office foyer. But there's an art that goes into developing the tech products that serve as the foundation of this industry, too. That’s why we’ve launched the Tech Stack Awards—to shine a light on the products and platforms that not only underpin the ad business, but also continue to propel it forward. Don’t forget to enter here by September 19. | | |
